Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written two novels in the Mark Vardy series and am currently writing the third. Previously, I have written non-fiction, including writing about Near Death Experiences and Bereavement.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I am currently writing “Mark Vardy and the Staff of Light”. It is the third in the Mark Vardy series. The first book introduced the characters and saw Mark Vardy go through a selection course for a martial arts boarding school called The Academy. In the second book, Mark and his friends learn about bodyguarding and are tasked with protecting the daughter of a politician who is under fire because he wants to introduce a Free Speech bill.
In the latest book, the evil Shadowlands organisation set out to steal the Staff of Light that is wielded by the White Ninja of the Academy. Shadowlands believe it to be the Spear of Destiny and will go to any lengths to acquire it because they believe it will give them ultimate power. The lengths they go to are shocking…resulting in the blinding of a popular Sensei.
I was inspired to write this by a blind Sensei whom I know. I am fascinated by the esoterics of martial arts and the development of enhanced sensory perception. So this book was an opportunity to explore these subjects and also the theme of always getting up, no matter how many times you get knocked down.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have a very busy life, so I take time wherever I can find it. Sometimes I take a week off work to hit a writing target. But most of my writing takes place between midnight and 3 a.m. Then I read it to my creative partner in the morning – and then we go out into the forest to train and imagine what might happen next in the book.
I am lucky to live in the beautiful New Forest, on the South Coast of England. My partner and I are both martial artists and martial arts instructors. We train daily in the forest.
When Covid lockdown happened, we had to close our martial arts school. So we turned our passion for teaching martial arts into books about a fictional martial arts Academy – a kind of martial arts equivalent of Harry Potter. The difference is that the magic of martial arts is real and can be learned by anyone!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am told that my books remind readers of Enid Blyton, Harry Potter books, C.S. Lewis and Downton Abbey.
My own favourite authors are Fiona Walker, Freda Warrington and Jilly Cooper. I like colourful, readable books that provide a nice world to step into and relax in. I rarely remember what happens in a book or movie, but I do remember how they make me feel.
What are you working on now?
I am working on the third Mark Vardy book, “Mark Vardy and the Staff of Light”. It is due out on 1st August 2021.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am still learning about book promotion, so it is hard to say. I have learned a lot from 20booksto50K and Amazon Ad School though.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
JUST DO IT! Really! For years I thought that writing books was only for the especially gifted. I didn’t think I had that gift. I just assumed I hadn’t. But people kept telling me that they loved my writing in blogs and social media. I began to think that maybe I could write a novel. So one day I just sat down and started. It turned out it was easy!
I don’t suffer from writer’s block. I write because I love writing. Most of my life is jam-packed with things that I have to do and things that I don’t want to do but have to do. So when I get an hour or two to write, it is pure pleasure and I just go for it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t edit as you go – just write. You can edit later. When the flow is there, let it flow!
You can please all the people some of the time or some of the people all of the time. But you can’t please all of the people all of the time.
“I get knocked down, but I get up again.”
“Be like water, my friend.”
What are you reading now?
“A Dance in Blood Velvet” by Freda Warrington. Her first book, “A Taste of Blood Wine” was a favourite of mine when I was a teenager. Back then, we didn’t have Amazon or the internet and I had no idea she had written a sequel. So I was delighted to find that she has – and that it is available on Audible! I don’t get a lot of time to read books these days, so I use Audible to get books read to me whilst I am doing other things.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I intend to finish the Mark Vardy series, then I shall explore writing country romance (Jilly Cooper style stuff about horses and their people), perhaps a police drama screenplay, a book about my eccentric Aunt and maybe a book or series about a time traveller.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible
“The Art of Peace” by Morahei Ueshiba
A book to teach me Chinese. That can fill in any amount of time!
Author Websites and Profiles
C.J.T. Wilkins Website
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