I grew up in the London suburbs, south of the river, and then in Sheffield. At school I wanted to be an artist, thinking I was going to be the next great English painter. I did a BA degree in Fine Art, in Coventry, but moved more into art theory, ideas, and writing. It was during my study for an MA in the History of Ideas, in Newcastle, that I discovered Robert Hooke's Diary, detailing his work as Curator of Experiments of the Royal Society, and as architect of the new London, after the Fire. The ideas and characters that I came across stayed with me; years of tinkering resulted in The Bloodless Boy and its sequel, The Clockwork Assassins. The Bloodless Boy uses real characters and real science, or 'experimental philosophy' as it was known. 17th century experiments in blood transfusion and preservation of bodies in a vacuum drag the young Observator of the Royal Society, Harry Hunt, (who was Robert Hooke's assistant), into the hysteria of the Popish Plot. It pits him against Titus Oates, Lord Shaftesbury, and a sinister villain called Lefèvre. The sequel to The Bloodless Boy, The Clockwork Assassins, finds Harry in the Fens of Norfolk, and then in Paris, where he becomes embroiled in the machinations of the 'Affair des Poisons'. He uncovers a plot to kill Queen Catherine, and so has to race back to London - with many obstacles in his way. Both books are to be published by Melville House Publishing. The new edition of The Bloodless Boy is due out in November 2021. The self-published versions are no longer available, unless you can find them second-hand. I'm represented by Gaia Banks at Sheil Land Associates literary agency. Many thanks are due to Gaia, who has championed both books with an astonishing energy and attention to detail. I'm married, with three splendid children and a very lovely wife, and I live in the Brecon Beacons. Follow me on Twitter as @robjlloyd. On Facebook, I'm Robert J Lloyd. I would love to hear from you if you've read all - or part - of the books. Reviews would be very welcome, too!