NOTES: Everything About Michael Jecks I was a keen writer from an early age - but I was also a realist, and since I wanted a good job, ideally well-paid, with regular sums of money arriving monthly, I quickly decided that writing novels was not a good idea. The life of a creative, I was sure, was rather uncertain. Instead I studied to be an actuary (someone who finds accountancy too exciting) - all too briefly. Having less than little interest in “Life and Other Contingencies” or mortality tables, I successfully failed every examination I took in two years at City University, London, and after that experience I chose an easier life selling computers. This meant four years with one English firm (Wordplex), then another four years with an American firm (Wang Laboratories). With almost nine years under his belt, the recession hit, and suddenly I discovered that even the most solid, stable businesses could suddenly disappear. After thirteen jobs in thirteen years, it seemed apparent that my initial prejudice against creative arts may not have been entirely justified, and I set about writing my own books. Those were interesting times. For three months in 1994, I worked seven days a week, fourteen hours a day, to prove I could write something. In that time I wrote a modern day thriller, a management book on how to get work when made redundant (he had experience of that) and a historical crime novel that was to become The Last Templar. Since 1995 and the launch of The Last Templar, I have been a full-time author. With thirty two novels following the careers of Sir Baldwin de Furnshill and Bailiff Simon Puttock in the early 1300s, with my Vintener series, the Crusades series, then Act of Vengeance and One Last Dance Before I Die, the Art of Murder series and Bloody Mary Tudor series, I have now written some fifty two novels, six novellas, a series of collaborative novels, including The Sinking Admiral with the Detection Club, one "How To" book, Howdunit, also with the Detection Club, and multiple short stories. Over the years, my books have sold well in the UK and America, with translations into Dutch, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, Italian, and many other countries. I have long had an interest in helping new writers, and for two years I organised the Debut Dagger for the Crime Writers' Association, helping five authors win their first publishing contracts as a result. In 2004 I was elected as Chairman of the CWA, and afterwards I accepted a post as judge on the CWA/Ian Fleming Steel Dagger award, on which I served for three years. More recently I have been working with the International Thriller Writers and in 2011 helped create the Historical Writer's Association. In 2007 I was proud to be asked to collaborate with Conway Stewart to produce the Michael Jecks fountain pen. Other honours include being invited as the International Guest of Honour at the Bloody Words gala 2014 - and being the Grand Master of the first parade of the 2014 Mardi Gras in New Orleans! Not many authors can claim that accolade! I am a regular speaker about the Knights Templar, the end of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, about writing and publishing, and about finding work. An enthusiastic watercolourist, I can often be seen walking across Dartmoor, where I live, gaining inspiration into the lives of our ancestors for my stories. When relaxing I can usually be found clad in white in a pub near you before dancing mad stick Morris. NEWS: Well, this is one of those happy days. Some time ago I started talking to Boldwood Publishing, and I am delighted to be able to tell you that I have agreed contracts with them, and as a result they're taking on eleven books from me. Initially these will be the three Vintener stories, then a fourth, fifth and sixth, which will follow the archers into a mercenary army, with future books telling the story of the men as they move into the Pope's territories in Avignon, and then over to Italy, where John Hawkwood becomes a notable success. I've also been asked to write two follow ups to Pilgrim's War, which are to be a series set in the Holy Land from the siege of Jerusalem, past the battle of Hattin, loss of Jerusalem, and all the way through to the siege of Acre. And then? Well, Boldwood have already expressed interest in the Templar series, with a view to taking on books thirty three and thirty four in that series as well. All of which means I am going to be hideously busy for several years to come. Which will, I hope, be glad tidings for a lot of my readers! So, exciting news and, I am sure, very good news!
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