Born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. From an early age he turned to reading and writing fantastical works to escape his troubles. In school he was the quiet dreamer who always sought out the back of the classroom. Later, in his stretches of work as a copywriter, he would be the quiet dreamer who always sought out the back of the office.

Having strayed from the beaten track for most of his life, at times Col has found himself in retreat in the mountains of Mourne, homeless in Belfast, lost in a Zen monastery, and scratching graffiti as a guest of the local constabulary. The one constant in his life has been his love of writing. It was writing that lead him to his adopted home of Lancaster, England, where he gained a First in Creative Writing & Religious Studies at the University of Cumbria.