Born in Sheffield during the Dark Ages, long before there were such things as smart phones and the internet, Russell grew up on music, reading, and all four TV channels. That's why there was a lot of music and reading. Today he spends his time writing, avoiding doing any real work and digging holes. His debut novel, The Playground, tells the story of Ellie, a normal girl in an abnormal situation, fighting for her life as she tries to rescue her sister from a man made hell hole, full of monsters. His latest novel, Shoulders of Giants, book 2 of the Demon Gatekeeper trilogy, published by Blkdog Publishing is out now.