A former soldier, steelworker, salesman and small businessman, I started writing fiction three years ago at the age of forty-nine. I’m a Yorkshireman, and reside in England’s greatest county with my Irish wife, of almost twenty-five years, Margaret, and our three children, Louise, Laura and John.

Koyli: Burdens of Guilt, is my first novel, the first of a planned series of five. The second, Koyli: Seeds of Discord, is already part written and should be available in the summer of 2005.

Not much to say about my early life; my father died of a brain haemorrhage when I was a year old, so I have no personal memories of him. My mother re-married when I was five, and my stepfather, a coal miner, did his best I suppose. I left school as soon as I could (with no qualifications) and joined the British army at the age of fifteen, and served for a good few years until being discharged on medical grounds.

Worked as a steelworker for a short time, then a salesman before forming my own company along with my best mate, Paul “Chopper” Quinn; what a time we had, started with nothing, ended up with a blue-chip client list and employing forty-two men. It was seat of the pants stuff, we pulled some strokes in the early days – it was exciting, challenging, but above all, it was fun.  

Until 2000, that is. The year Chopper died, and I was injured; the company was forced to fold. What does a disabled has-been do for the rest of his days? New problems, new challenges – as soon as I was able I started to bet, successfully, on football matches (soccer to you yanks, oh how I hate that word). Then, for some unknown reason, I started to write about it. Well, what enlightenment, what enjoyment, a whole New World seemed to open in front of me! I had to discover more about this wonderful world of writing, so I attended Sheffield University for two years, on a creative writing course of discovery.

I now spend my time betting on football games, writing the occasional short story, messing with bits of poetry (I’m very willing but not so good at it), and writing the second novel in the KOYLI series. In addition, I’ve written a non-fiction ebook, From Net to Wallet; if anyone would like to see how I exploit the bookies then just drop me a line – it could just be the most profitable few quid you ever spend.

I’m never satisfied with my work, and I know my writing has a long way to go – but I’ll get there, or my name’s not John Bloody Sales.

Cheers - John Sales