A few months ago I was asked by my neighbour if I would read a children's story that his colleague had written. I said yes and I'm so glad I did because the story was brilliant! The name of the author is Martin King and his story is 'Jack Hunter - Secret of the King'. It is the tale of 12 year old Jack who follows clues to find buried treasure. He is told about the treasure by his grandad. Of course, things don't run smoothly for Jack as he sets off on his quest.
After I read this first version, Martin took months to re write and edit it. He has recently self published it on Amazon and Smashwords. Martin was delighted to have his first sale within hours! The book is selling really well and gaining some great reviews, mine included. The rewritten story is even better than the original. I highly recommend it. You don't need an e reader to download the book as there are options to download it straight to your pc.
Martin has kindly taken the time to answer some questions :
1 - When and why did you decide to become a writer?
Martin - March 1st 2010. I never planned to write a book. It all came about because I wanted to do something meaningful for a special friend.
2 - What kind of books did you read as a child? Did you have a favourite author?
Martin - I had a very short attention span as a child and didn't read many books. That is not until I discovered Tintin annuals. They were brilliant. Fantastic stories with plenty of pictures and action. I used to visit the library every week in the hope that a different Tintin book would have landed from another library.
3 - What is the best part of writing for you?
Martin - The best part is that I absolutely love it. My mind is awash with a million different stories and being able to bring characters to life is amazing.
4 - Your story, 'Jack Hunter - the Secret of the King', is about a boy and his quest to find hidden treasure. How did you come up with this idea? Is Jack based on anyone you know? Did you have similar adventures when you were young?
Martin - It is based on a true story that happened to me when I was a boy. I was with a friend and we went to visit her grandad who told us the story about the treasure. So basically, the chapter where grandad is telling Jack about the treasure is true. Jack isn't based on anyone although some of his friends are.
5 - I know you have more adventures planned for Jack Hunter. Can you give us any information on what is going to happen in these future stories?
Martin - In the book there is a list of hidden clues that lead to a code - breaker. Once you have the code - breaker it will help you decipher another secret code hidden in the book that will lead you to Jack's next adventure.
6 - Finally, do you have any writing tips that could help other writers? I know you have self published your book - do you have any advice for other authors who may be considering this?
Martin - Never give up. Always follow your dream, but remember you will need a tremendous amount of hard work to get there. Then when you've finished and you think ..."hurray, I've wrote a book!" ...go back and edit it.
Thank you, Martin for this interview. You can visit Martin's website at www.martinkingauthor.com
Once again, I highly recommend this book! 