Brief autobiography since 1990: I went travelling in Europe, settling in Berlin for 2 years, doing odd jobs. Moved to London in 1992, met Daphne there. We got married, moved north to Preston. Two daughters joined us, Hannah (1993) and Lois (1995).

I worked in publishing, graphic arts, and IT, but none of them are what I really wanted out of life, rather ways of paying the mortgage.

In 2001 I started writing a novel, completing it in 2004. It then basically stayed on a shelf until 2009, when I edited and polished it.

In 2005 Daphne got breast cancer. She had surgery and radiotherapy and seemed cured until it struck again in 2008. She was diagnosed in May, and died in October. She was a beautiful and kind woman and we miss her terribly.

In March 2009 I packed in my job. I was fed up with telling people to restart their PCs fifty times a day. I did IT, and all my other jobs, because I was good at it and needed the money, not because I liked it. My new career is "writer". Ever since I started this working-for-a-living gig I have wanted out, and now I am out.

After polishing up that novel I wrote and trying to flog it to publishers and agents, I started writing some new stuff. Hopefully we'll meet up on my book tours! On 22 October 2009 I met Eleanor who, on 22 October 2010, became the new Mrs Cline!