Mark Antony Cotterill

About the Author

From a young age, I have been captivated by the art of storytelling, completely addicted to Sci-Fi and Fantasy. I grew up all over the UK, moving frequently with my family due to my fathers due to his work. As you can imagine, I developed a vivid imagination, with my days filled with new experiences. Although I struggled with dyslexia and initially gave up reading, I absorbed countless stories through snippets and gravitated towards listening to audiobooks and watching films. My journey into the world of writing truly began after I left college; I found myself writing contracts, contractual letters, procedures, and various documents related to my job. I even wrote a few papers on work-related activities and attempted to pursue an MBA, which required extensive writing and research that I was good at.

In 2018, I began writing a book on Project Management, detailing my professional experiences. However, due to my workload, I put it on the back burner. My intention was to share insights from my career, as most management books focus on perfection and ideal scenarios, which are rarely attainable in real life.

In 2021, while flying from South Africa to Tanzania, I penned a short story titled "The Dream" on the plane and shared it with family and friends, nervously awaiting their feedback. This was my first attempt at writing as an author, and the positive responses I received were incredibly encouraging. Inspired, my mind began to churn with more story ideas, plots, and character visuals.

Whenever I watched a film, I would analyse it from the writer's perspective, wondering how I might add a twist. I often had to re-read my work multiple times to ensure it made sense, as my dyslexia remained a challenge. I had numerous stories I wanted to tell, but finding time to concentrate proved nearly impossible. My passion for storytelling only intensified, compelling me to pursue a career as an author. At my age, this was no small feat, and my journey to becoming a writer was fraught with challenges. I was deeply influenced by the stories created by J.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling, among others. I marvelled at the idea of crafting a world—a universe—where both the narrative and characters could flourish. I drew inspiration from my surroundings, infusing my writing with personal experiences, historical events, and the rich tapestry of human emotions.

In November 2023, while sitting on the shore of Lake Victoria in Tanzania, I gazed across the lake as clouds gathered and it began to rain. It was warm and soothing, a perfect setting as the day drew to a close. I took out my iPad and started writing; the story began with me as the protagonist, reflecting on my travels. Within three hours, I had produced 20 pages of a Word document, laying the groundwork for my first book, "A Band of Unlikely Warriors: Legends Awakened."

The process took me four months to write "A Band of Unlikely Warriors: Legends Awakened" and an additional eight months of rewrites and edits, including countless reviews from a professional editor to ensure the narrative flowed well. The result was a 170,000-word novel. I felt hopeful, relishing every moment of writing, even though there were times when it seemed difficult to share my story. There were moments of embarrassment about releasing the book. However, in November 2024, exactly one year later, the publishing company aided me in launching my debut novel.

I enjoyed recounting my story, but that was just the beginning. When I started writing the book, I hadn’t plotted out the entire narrative; it simply came to me organically. As I progressed, I sought advice online on how to write a novel, and fortunately, I discovered that I had naturally aligned with professional practices. I began drafting a plot and envisioned a universe where this book would be just the prologue to a larger saga, much like "The Lord of the Rings." I am now in the process of writing the second book in this epic tale.

Writing this book has been a transformative journey, allowing me to channel my passion for storytelling into a piece of work I hope will resonate with readers. I am thrilled to share this adventure with you and invite you to join me as we explore the pages of my debut novel together.