I had several objectives in mind in writing The Sphere Conflict. I wanted to take a look at the near future with a Canada centred theme. At the same time I wanted to blend in major elements of modern science, in particular the developments in physics and in climate change. I have of course, in the tradition of science fiction, pushed the science beyond what is currently known. I have linked them in portraying the development of new energy sources as a means of addressing the green house gas issue. Impacts of climate change, particularly those that don't hit the headlines often provide a backdrop to the pursuit of a solution. Blended into this mix are some political dynamics that are reflective of the tumultuous times we are seeing today. 

I have chosen wide ranging settings, from the tranquil east coast to the rugged arctic. My main characters get to travel a bit too, to destinations such as Moscow, Nairobi, Rome and the Amalfi Coast. The Sphere Conflict is the first book in what will be a three book series, The Sphere Series.  The second book, The Sphere Wars is developing well and continues the themes of the first. However, there are dramatic new developments in science and in the global impacts of climate change. Where the first book has a terrestrial focus, the second will delve into potential future impacts to the oceans. The sense of conflict and danger rises to a new height. The dramatic ending will surprise readers.

My wife and I are very fortunate to own a cottage on the shores of the Northumberland Strait, part of the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. Here, we have a  two and a half meter tidal range and very shallow red sandy bottom. The result is that at low tide the beach is wide and long. It makes a great spot to sun or take long walks, its about two kilometers to the mouth of the Shinimicas river. We look out over the water towards Prince Edward Island. A wonderful place to relax and in my case write. Our half acre site is also very productive, we have a healthy vegetable garden, a micro sized vineyard that provides excellent grapes for our wine making in the fall. Blue berry bushes and a small group of fruit trees add variety.

Between 2008 and 2011, I was Deputy Director of NATO's Centre for Marine Research and Experimentation, CMRE (at that time NATO's Underseas Research Centre, NURC). During that time my wife Edith and I lived in the lovely town of Lerici just south of La Spezia. We had rented the top of an old villa that had a magnificent rooftop terrace. From there, we enjoyed  magnificent sunsets across the Gulfo die Poeti, famed as a stopping place for the likes of Shelley and Byron among others. It is a beautiful part of the world and we were lucky to have been able to experience it.