It is my great pleasure to welcome my friend and fellow author Martin J Lake to the blog today. Martin's debut novel, Beyond The Stones: Chronicles Of The Realms Trilogy: Part 1, was published by SpellBound Books Ltd last summer so it is especially interesting to learn how Martin's writing life developed. Thank you for sharing your story, Martin.
Thank you for inviting me to your blog today, Val. Since my early childhood I have been an avid reader and throughout school days I often wrote short stories and poems, sometimes to while away a tedious history or double maths lesson! From early teens my go-to genres were fantasy and historical fiction. I remember reading the Hobbit, quickly followed by all three Lord of the Rings books. I soon became hooked. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion was a slightly more challenging read, but I persevered and ploughed my way through, even if I didn’t understand half of it.
I began working in IT at the age of 16, although back then it was simply referred to as ‘working with computers’. As technology has always been such a fast-paced industry, much of my reading time was taken up with technical books and my love of fiction reading took a back seat, squeezing in the odd book here and there. This continued for many years, I married and we had children and family life and word took up much of my time. But there was always this little voice occasionally reminding me that I should write a novel of my own.
However, nothing really changed until Christmas 2013. New Years’ day was just around the corner and we were chatting over lunch and discussing our respective New Years’ resolutions. Catherine, my wife, was determined to spend more time in the garden. One of my late teen daughters’ wanted to be more independent, (although this didn’t include refraining from bank of mum and dad!) When it came to my turn, the little voice in my head decided to take control, and I spurted out that I was going to write a book. This was greeted with a combination of startled and amused looks, although to their credit, none of my family laughed outright.
A few days later, once the bustle of Christmas and New Year had receded, I duly took out my laptop and began to write.
I should mention that one of my favourite reading genres is Arthurian legend. Mixing post-Roman British history with the fantasy legend that surrounds King Arthur. One of my favourite authors is Bernard Cornwell, and his Warlord series is brilliant. This had led me to have musings over the years about a storyline based on the Arthurian legend that, in Britain’s time of direst need, Arthur would return. I took this legend and altered it to be his son who would return, and he became the main character for my novel.
So, as I said, in early January 2014, I was busily typing away, convinced the next literary masterpiece was already appearing on the screen before me. After I had written the first two or three chapters, I presented said masterpiece to my wife for her initial thoughts.
I should have spotted the clues. The most obvious of which was when she poured herself a large glass of wine after only two pages. However, Catherine dutifully ploughed on, her red marker pen making notes on the page. When she had reached the end she look up at me. Unfortunately, I still wasn’t reading the signs.
However, I did begin to get an inkling of her opinion when she said, “That is utter crap!”
My elation subsided faster than politician’s popularity. However, it was Catherine’s next sentence that really set me on my course to becoming a published author.
“If you want to write a book, then do it properly. Take some course and learn how to write.”
I think, if she had read those early few pages and given a non-committal ‘that’s not too bad’ or ‘I think this might be ok,’ then I have continued writing for a few more weeks, but it would probably have petered out. However, having had the jolt of just how bad my writing was, I did take her advice. I enrolled in a creative writing course in Bournemouth, started reading books about writing a novel, and joined a writing group.
Slowly, (very slowly), over the following 8 years, my writing improved, (thank goodness), and the novel came together. The pace of writing had been dictated by having to learn the craft of creative writing whilst still working full time in IT and having a family. Juggling all these aspects of life is something many authors have to contend with, and I am full of admiration for those authors who have families, work full time and still manage to publish a book every year or two.
In May 2022, I self-published my book, ‘Beyond the Stones.’ I had, by this point, decided that the novel would be Book 1 of a trilogy, thus setting me on the path of writing commitment upon which I now tread.
The joy and sense of achievement you get holding an actual printed copy of a book that you have written is amazing and makes all the hours of writing and editing worthwhile. I achieved a moderate level success with self-publishing through Amazon and sold a few hundred copies. And I thought that self-publishing would be how the remainder of the trilogy would be published. From everything I had read and heard, the transition from self-published author to being published through a publishing company was exceedingly rare. But I was happy with being self-published.
However, a lucky encounter would change that.
In August 2023, I attended the Writers’ Summer School at Swanwick for the second time. It was here that I had a chance encounter with those two wonderful (and unique) ladies who run SpellBound Books. Val Penny had suggested the directors, Sumaira and Nikki, attend and give a short course there. Thank you, Val!
The directors had been speaking to a number of prospective authors who were putting forward pitches for their books. I just happened to be writing at a table nearby and, during a lull in the pitches, I approached them and asked if I had to book a slot or something. They invited me to sit and give my pitch. I did so with some trepidation, as I hadn’t ever considered a pitch for my book and had nothing planned to say.
To this day, I can’t remember what I said, but it obviously struck a chord as they asked me to send them a copy of my manuscript. Shortly after they offered me a contract for all three books in the trilogy, and last August, at the Swanwick Writers’ Summer School, my book was officially launched by SpellBound Books.
I am currently hard at work writing the second part of the trilogy, ‘Daughter of Destiny’.
I would like to end by saying that I owe thanks for my writing career twice. Firstly, to my wife, Catherine, who’s comments were brutal, but true, and who inspired me to learn the craft of writing properly. And secondly, I owe thanks to the amazing group of writers who I have met. I have received so much encouragement and support from so many people, especially Val, without whom I would never have met the directors of SpellBound Books.
The Author
Martin J Lake was born in Southampton and now lives in Dorset, England, with his wife. He has had to juggle his passion for writing with family life and a career in IT. A fascination with Arthurian legends and Norse mythology, combined with a love of fantasy fiction provided the inspiration for this book.
Beyond the Stones is his debut novel.
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