I was just 7 years old when I borrowed my first ‘proper’ book from the adult section of the public library; it was a four-hundred-page historical novel about King David. An ambitious choice for a schoolboy but even at that age I was interested in detail and longer books; I remember my mother having to persuade the sceptical librarian that I could read it. Looking back, I think that was the moment I’d chosen a career as a writer; even though the actual writing would come much, much later.
In the early days of studying and teaching, my mother had bought me a typewriter so I could keep giving life to my creative thoughts. Sending manuscript after manuscript to traditional publishers I received no interest, but I continued to write; for the love of the stories I was creating and the hope that, one day, the dream of others reading my works would be realised. My chance finally came when I reached 60. Recently retired, I couldn’t envisage spending the rest of my life doing nothing, so I decided to double-down on my attempts at becoming a published author. The Sword of Cartimandua, my first novel, was inspired by the little-known tale of the last Queen of the Brigantes who was rescued by a Roman cavalry unit. This time I was published. The Arts Council had launched a programme called FeedARead which operated as a print-on-demand service and it presented the perfect opportunity to get my work ‘out there’. The uptake was modest but holding that first copy of my own book gave me the inspiration to carry on writing. My real breakthrough came when I discovered Amazon Kindle; not only did it enable me to self-publish on my own terms, it also opened up the world of digital reading which has made a huge difference to audience reach. With the new opportunities presented to me, I found that I was able to become more prolific in my work.
I initially set myself targets for writing; 5000 words a day, working every day from 6 a.m. until mid-afternoon. It soon became a routine and one which continues to this very day; I wake every morning overflowing with plots, adventures and battles and sit at my desk with a pot of coffee. I try to remain true to my 5000-word cut-off but more often than not, caught up in the intensity of the stories, I find myself aiming for “just one more page”. I loved it 12 years ago and I still do.
I am often asked where I find my inspiration and how I go about researching a novel. Historical accuracy is important to me; all my novels have detailed factual content and I research everything before I put my fingers to the keyboard. Growing up in Lancashire and now living in the North East of England, I have had the privilege of being surrounded by magnificent castles and monuments, and time spent strolling around the ruined remnants has always led me to imagine life as it was. I’ve been lucky enough to travel further afield over the years: I went to the Shenandoah Valley to research my American Civil War trilogy and to Waterloo when writing my Napoleonic series. Of course, much of my research is gathered by talking to people during day-to-day life. My local pub is full of people with different interests who prove to be a mine of information; there is a railway buff who can recount timetables from the 19th century, -great for detailing Victorian era Britain. There is another chap who knows all there is to know about Northumberland. I also like to meet re-enactors who not only have great uniforms and equipment, but many interesting nuggets of information.
It is now nearly 70 years since my primary school days and more than 12 years since I published my first e-book. Over 190 books later, I still have my passion for Composition and the drive to continue writing for as long as I am able. It amazes me that my books are being read by people across the world. Some of those readers from the early days are still on the journey with me now and their positive feedback and love of the characters and stories I have created is truly humbling. To each one of the readers who has taken time to read one of my books, I thank you, and I hope you continue to enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.
