Michael J MacMahon

Michael was born in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, and educated at St George's College, Weybridge and Imperial College, London. He now lives in the city of Bristol, in the west of England.

His latest book is 'The Wedding Speech Handbook.' It was inspired by a realisation that speaking at a wedding is particularly stressful, for a variety of reasons. And it was informed by his long experience of speaking in public and of training and coaching speakers.

Most people find public speaking the most stressful thing they ever have to do. According to a study published a few years ago in the London 'Times', many people fear it more than death. Add to that the fact that a wedding is personal, it's emotional. In fact, it matters; and you only get one shot at the speech. What's more, many wedding speakers are new to the experience of getting up on their feet to address an audience.

The book combines advice on managing the stress, which is almost inevitable (and can even be beneficial), with practical tips on etiquette and how to structure the content and improve the delivery.

His first book, 'Back to the Black: how to become debt-free and stay that way', is about managing personal debt. It was based on his own experience of surviving near-bankruptcy in the 1990s, what he learned from the experience, and his advice for anyone else facing debt problems.

Michael has other books in the pipeline about public speaking and presentation skills.