I was born in Singapore while my dad was stationed there in the RAF. Up until he retired that meant a lot of traveling around, generally a move every three years or so.I live with my wife and four wonderful (and demanding) children in East Sussex. Also three dogs, two of which will chew anything that stands still. I have had many strange and wonderful jobs, including packing soap in a soap factory, waitering in a french restaurant in Canada, playing double bass in a rock n roll band, and lecturing at Brighton University.I stepped out of university work due to my daughter's disability, so now I split my time caring for her and working from home - I work with my wife rejuvenating vintage furniture, which means fixing, lifting, carrying, painting and generally doing what my wife tells me to do...And somehow during this time I started writing. I've always told my children stories at bed-time, and they pestered long and hard for me to write some of it down. At the same time I felt that my brain was switching off a little - vintage furniture is my wife's passion, whereas my passions are geekier!That's how The Banished Lands and Malice began, though along the way it became more than just a hobby. I'm still in shock that it is actually a real book, rather than just pages on my desk.So far two books of a planned four have been published in the Faithful and the Fallen series - Malice and Valor. Malice, to my immense surprise and joy, won the David Gemmell Morningstar Award for Best Debut Fantasy of 2012.You can find me online at http://www.john-gwynne.com/