Earth 101: Time to Run Jayne as she unravels the mystery behind people that have been erased and finds something sinister behind it. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?

Jayne came to me during a trip from home to London. I travel a lot for work and on this particular day, I was sad about leaving home. As I sat watching out of the carriage window, I visualised a girl doing the same, but she was travelling away from Earth. But why was she leaving? And why was she so sad to leave? This should be a great adventure, but it wasn’t. So, she told me her story and has hijacked my life ever since.

Jayne is an interesting character that was fun to follow. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?

Jayne has been with me for many years now; she feels real inside my head. When I run, she partners along and I mull over ideas of the story. I will often scan the web for inspirational images, which remind me of her. I love the goth scene and I see her as a “gentle” goth. The music by my favourite band, Evanescence, is the soundtrack to Jayne’s world, especially the Open Door album.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

I love space and time travel. The thought of the endless possibilities of the undiscovered universe holds great wonder to me. I believe we have a lot to learn about black holes and I would have loved to meet Stephen Hawking to discuss this particular subject in detail. As far as Jayne’s personal life goes, it was important to me she has a loving and supportive family, with older and younger siblings. I feel too many young adult stories feature the lonesome orphan. That would not have worked here. Jayne needs a close and personal reason to sacrifice so much. Yes, you can want to save the population of a planet, but you will want to save your close, loved ones more so.

What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?

I am working on “Earth 201 – The Time to Stay” which is the conclusion to Earth 101. I have also completed the first draft of a middle-grade contemporary fantasy novel, “Grandpa’s Book” which requires careful attention from both myself and my amazing editor.

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