Described by South London Press as being 'one of London's most exciting new writers', and being voted a Guardian Readers' Recommended Author, Dominic's books are widely-enjoyed and awaited with great anticipation.

Born in Wimbledon, South London, Dominic's first literary inspirations came as a child, from the characters in his favourite comic, Tiger and Scorcher. 'Hot-Shot Hamish, Johnny Cougar or Skid Solo? It was hard to pick my favourite.'

Every Saturday morning, he'd eagerly await delivery through the letterbox, read it from cover to cover then wonder how on earth to pass the time until the following Saturday. 'It was quite a conundrum for a ten-year-old. The solution, as suggested by my parents, was obvious - to create my own characters and stories. And so, with pens, paper and creative carte blanche, I did precisely that, and the floodgates of my imagination joyously burst open.' 

And the influences in Dominic's life were soon setting to work.

'Being into football, boxing, heavy metal music (Motorhead's Ace of Spades changed my life), and developing a passion for all things 007, I was soon creating fictitious football teams, players, leagues, plus rock bands with detailed line-ups, song and album titles, lyrics, tour schedules, managers and even tour bus drivers ... the list was endless (Kerrang! magazine was by now an accompanying arrival through the letterbox). And I directly thank the encouragement of my parents and sister for this, who were not only willing readers, they were also there with tactfully-delivered (and much needed) critique on how to improve.'

His parents worked hard, and the family were fortunate to enjoy wonderful childhood holidays on the Isle of Wight and camping in the South of France, where another passion developed. 'I love the ocean - walking beside it, skimming pebbles across it, being upon it with sail or paddleboard. And for me, scuba diving through the azure surface is like passing into another world; a world of shimmering colours upon enchanting reefs, of fish and crustaceans dancing amid swaying plant life.'

Being of the Jaws generation, Dominic's curiosity to learn the truth about sharks grew into a love, particularly of the great white. This led him to work at the London Aquarium's Education Dept. and for various marine conservation charities, giving talks to schools and businesses to create awareness of the very real threats facing not only sharks, but a huge number of other species, many of which face extinction.

'Crewing in South Africa for the world's leading great white shark conservation and education-orientated operator continues to be a highlight of my life. I made many friends out there - many of whom are human too.'

Music and humour have always been Dominic's companions too. Throughout his adult life, he has sung in rock and blues bands, written and performed his own music, and could regularly be seen on the London stand-up comedy circuit. However, it wasn’t until enrolling on a creative writing course that he finally found his ideal platform for expression. 

'It was as if the stars aligned for me creatively. Suddenly, I was learning about structure, plot, character development, pace, dialogue etc. and I couldn't get enough of it. Finally, I'd found a medium where I could express my stories, characters and humour via a myriad of exciting locations. Sure, it took me a good few weeks of classes to "find my voice", but once that happened, there was no looking back. And being an avid reader of Ian Fleming's Bond novels and Len Deighton's Cold War thrillers, my protagonist was always going to be a spy.' 

And so, enter Britain's new secret agent, MI6 operative Bristo Trabant ...

'I love the Trabant car and so, Bristo shares many of the qualities of that famous East German icon: resourceful, plucky, loyal, dependable, perhaps with not the finest of paint finishes, yet also unfairly ridiculed and written-off despite impossible hardships endured in its formative years. Yes, the car directly inspired the character of Bristo - a character that, with all my other influences and aspirations, was begging to be written.'

Where did you first see a Trabant car?

'In '93 at Wembley, when numerous were used as lighting rigs in U2's Zoo TV Tour. "What's that car?" I asked my sister. "A Trabant!" she replied. And so, the love affair began. I own two, have owned over twelve, and whilst I get they're not everyone's cup of Earl Grey, given the car's history and the oppressive, restrictive nature under which it was designed and mass-produced, they certainly do warrant a second look, from which a different opinion will likely be formed.'  

Creatively, things have delightfully come full circle too, writing course-wise. 'Yes, as well as writing fiction, I love teaching creative writing now via my company, Creative Writer (www.creative-writer.co.uk), and get huge fulfillment seeing aspiring writers learning the building blocks to develop their own stories, just as I did.'

And so, with Dominic's Who is Bristo Trabant? free-download series opener and the debut novel Dead Men Should Know Better continuing to get rave reviews, plus with the sequel Kiss of the Black Sombrero just weeks from launch, the future for Bristo Trabant looks very exciting. 'Yes, and very busy too! Sorry, bud ...' (says the author 😊) 

And finally, what question do you most often get asked: 'Why do I write?'

And your answer ...

'First and foremost, I hope to entertain and thrill the reader, to deliver a barnstorming, laugh out loud (hopefully) rollercoaster of a hellride that the reader will find hard to put down. Yet, one laced with depth, grit, emotion and relatability that conveys Bristo's perilous navigation of the darkest foes our intelligence services have to deal with. So, when asked "I loved your last novel - when's the next one coming out?" - that means everything to me, because writing and entertaining, well - it's what I'm meant to do. And Bristo and I would love to share the journey with you, so please do keep in touch.'

Best wishes

Dominic