Benedict Jacka
I became a writer almost by accident. One day when I was 19 I sat down in my school library and started writing some notes in the back of an exercise book. The notes turned into a story, the story turned into a novel, and the novel ran to hundreds of pages before finishing.
Over the next five years I left school, travelled a little, worked in the Civil Service, studied philosophy at Cambridge, graduated, took a job as a bouncer, and tried out lots of sports and hobbies. All the time, though, I was still writing. Ninja - The Beginning was my fourth novel, and when it was accepted for publication by Simon and Schuster I settled down as a full-time writer.
I'm 26 now, and live in the Islington district of London. When I'm not writing, I spend my time on reading, martial arts, roleplaying games, and rollerblading.