Why did a Scot choose to write about an English hero?

A few people have asked me, a Glaswegian, why I decided to write a novel about Robin Hood, the legendary – and very English – outlaw.

To be honest, I don’t think I had a choice – Robin Hood chose ME, not the other way around.  Let me explain…

In my day job (for G4S) I spend a lot of time driving around the streets of Glasgow and the surrounding areas, visiting properties – commercial, industrial and residential.

One particular day around three years ago I was working in the posh Bearsden area (usually described as “leafy” by the local press). I’ve been reading historical fiction for years, ever since I discovered Michael Jecks and Bernard Cornwell, and, as I was close to completing my Open University degree I decided I wanted to write a historical novel to fill my spare time. Something like Cornwell’s King Arthur books ideally. But I needed a hero. Who could I write about?

I sat in the car for a wee while, thinking about it, but nothing really came to mind so I decided to get back to work and think about it later. I started the car, drove into the street beside me and there, right next to me, was a house.

This particular street didn’t have numbers on the houses (posh, see?) – they all had names. And this house I’d just pulled up beside was called…SHERWOOD.

That’s the reason I decided to write “Wolf’s Head”. What else could I do? When you’re sent a message like that, you have no choice but to follow it.

The book will be released around July the 22nd, this year – I hope you’ll check it out (even though my Robin Hood resides in the forests of Barnsdale, not Sherwood!)

Check out my Wolf’s Head Facebook page and PLEASE GIVE IT A LIKE.  https://www.facebook.com/RobinHoodNovel?ref=hl