We All Have A
Story To Tell

During my formative years at school, I was diagnosed with dyslexia. I was one of the first people in England, back in the early 90s, to receive a laptop through school to support my learning. But while the intention was good, the reality was very different.

The laptop came with spell-check, but spell-check only helps if you know which word is the right one. When confronted with a list of suggestions on an old-school word processor, I had no idea what to choose. It didn't teach me grammar, it didn't teach me structure, and it didn't teach me how to write. It simply highlighted what I already knew — that I was struggling.

Through primary school, secondary school, and college, it was a real battle. Some of the methods teachers used to "help" me only made things worse. I was made to do cursive writing on the detention desk at the start of school and during break time — what was a punishment for others became extra learning time for me, and it made me absolutely hate everything to do with writing and reading.

At secondary school, I was made to stand up in front of the class and read complex poetry and plays aloud — even though I couldn't properly read them. Multiple days a week. It was humiliating for me, and frustrating for my classmates, who would then pull me outside for not being bright enough. Those were dark days.

But life does get better. When I finally got glasses and found a vocation that taught me to read better and work better, I matured educationally and found a way to thrive. I now work as an IT Director and CIO — a career that would have seemed impossible during those classroom years.

At my lowest point, I made a decision. If I wasn't going to be around for long — if the stress and poor health continued — I wanted to leave a legacy for my children. My son, with his ADHD and autism, was struggling at times. He loved bedtime stories. He was fascinated with books. And that fuelled me to write my very first book: There's a Monster Under My Bed!

My wife is an English and Drama teacher of many years, and she is fantastic with reading and writing. She edited my words, helped me shape them, and turned my rough ideas into a real story. I bumbled along trying to figure out KDP and Amazon self-publishing, and somehow, I created my first children's book.

As other challenges came — having a sibling to understand, screaming and crying, noise, sleepless nights — I found that in my darkest times, I would make up stories for my children. I would dictate these rough, unpolished ideas to my computer, then format and shape them into the books you see here. I have another eight books still to publish, many of them ready to go. Life, recovery from addiction, heart issues, and everything else has slowed me down. But setting up this site in 2026 has given me the fuel and energy to finally get them out into the world.