Discovery is actually the second novel I have written, but it's the first to be published. I'm treating my novels like pancakes; the first one I wrote was just a test.

I find writing very like painting; the process for me is pretty similar in that I start with a tiny idea, then I build from the back forward. So in a painting, I begin with a general concept, "I'll paint a sunset", then I decide on the setting "at the beach", then the tone "peaceful", when I'm ready to put brush to canvas, I work from the foreground "the horizon" and work my way forward to the blades of grass in the dunes. Writing is the same (for me). I have a general idea of "control of the masses", deciding on the setting "magic, it has to have magic", and then the tone "lighthearted and something fun". Working from the background to the front, I create the bones of the plot, then the characters; I begin to add the layers to the scenes, the movement, and dialogue, and finally, ensure it flows.

Like painting, I tend to zone out and write as it enters my head. It's almost as if I'm letting the scene and characters dictate the details as if I'm simply there to narrate what they determine. (That sounds a bit airy, fairy, but it's how I work. I imagine what they would do in this situation and then let it flow.)

And like magic, we have Discovery...

At the urging of her beloved grandmother, Cassie takes an apparently safe and humdrum job in a government office in Glasgow. However, it turns out the conspiracy theorists are right, and there’s more to the civil service than box-ticking and inscrutable acronyms. When Cassie is drawn into a plot involving alien invaders, unscrupulous billionaires and secret organisations, she also discovers that living in her home city are a group of semi-retired gods and supernatural beings, hidden in plain sight. As Cassie’s true power becomes apparent, she becomes a vital ally against the forces that want to rid the world of gods and humans alike.

The novel juxtaposes the mundane and the fantastical, encouraging readers to look beyond the surface and question their daily realities. It is unique in that it explores popular conspiracy theories within the SFF wrapper. The themes in this book provide a mirror for current affairs.