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If you're a fan of Wilbur Smith, Nelson DeMille, Alistair Maclean, Desmond Bagley... or if you just love a good adventure story, this novel is for you.

How My Blog Novel Works

Click on the 'Chapter 1' tab above. That will take you to the start of my novel.
Every weekday I aim to write 500 words or so. As each chapter is finished, I'll add another Chapter Tab. Each time you visit the site, simply return to where you left off, and continue reading as the story grows and develops, chapter by chapter.
PS: Can you please share this with all your friends!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Wilbur Smith's Influence On My Life

When my father gave me a paperback copy of Wilbur Smith's "When The Lion Feeds", my life changed forever.
I read the adventure novel, and knew instantly I wanted to be an author. Over the next decade I read and re-read everything Wilbur Smith wrote. In fact, from the age of thirteen until I was twenty-three I never read another author. I just re-read every Wilbur Smith book over and over again.
And that was despite getting my first job in a major bookstore!
In 1981, I wrote to Wilbur, and, to my amazement, the man wrote back; two handwritten pages of advice and help for a wannabe writer.
We exchanged other letters in the years that followed.
Then in the 1990's I published a small newspaper and actually managed to do a phone interview with Wilbur. The publicist gave me exactly seven minutes. But Wilbur and I chatted for almost an hour before the interview ended.
I've read lots of great authors since I was first introduced to Wilbur Smith's writing, but the day my father handed me "When the Lion Feeds" remains the most pivotal and influential of my early years.
It was because of that moment I've carried this dream with me for so long.

I've just published more pages as the novel continues. Click on the 'Chapter 1' tab above.
The opening line of today's work has been made bold so you can see where the action carries on from yesterday. I hope you enjoy!

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