Meet a Historical Fiction Writer Terry Ward

Have you checked out the book review of Jack Dawkins by Terry Ward? If not check it ASAP. As today we are here to publish the interview of Terry Ward the same author.

Let us welcome you to our blog. Can you please brief our readers about your background?

A clever child, due to poverty, I was obliged to leave school at the age of 15

What were you like at school/college apart from studies?

My father being a restless soul, I attended no less than 22 different schools in 10 years, so I had little time in which to form friendships or become involved in activities; just kept on reading! 

What are some day jobs you have held?

Served with the elite Trucial Oman Scouts in the Seven Sheikhdoms, now the UAE; experienced more active service in the Aden Protectorate, now Yemen; became an award-winning Chef de Cuisine in civilian life; CEO for a university’s hospitality and catering services.

Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors? Which author inspire you the most?

I have been an avid reader all of my life.  I love the 19th and 20th century classics;  Anthony Powell’s ‘Dance to the Music of Time’ series of novels are among my favourites.  I knew that I had to become a writer after reading ‘Treasure Island’ when I was eleven year’s old.

When did you start writing?

I have written poetry and short stories for the amusement of my family for many years.  After winning two ‘Creative Writing’ awards in competitions, I took early retirement and began to apply myself to become a published writer. When did you decide to become a writer?

What are your ambitions for your writing career?

A bibliophile all my life, I know, and my literary agent knows, that ‘Jack Dawkins’ deserves to become a best-seller.  If it does, it will encourage readers to buy my next novel, Between Cancer and Capricorn a post-Second World War drama.

Do you have a special time to write, or how is your day structured to accommodate your writing?  

I love my wonderful wife-but- ‘The married writer’s lot, a happy one is not, for he suffers interruptions by the score!

Is this your debut work?

Many years ago, I won two creative writing awards from the University of Kent.  I self-published The Levelling Dust, As Far as I can Remember which, together with poetry and short stories, provides an account of the first twenty five years of my picaresque life.  I also collected together the reminiscences of those who served with me in the Trucial Oman Scouts, together with a plethora of rare photographs and self-published Are You the Man?’  All the royalties are paid into the TOS Association’s account.

What genre are your books?

Historical fiction

Can you describe your current book in few lines? What’s it about?

To quote a reviewer, Jack Dawkins follows on seamlessly from the end of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist .  Saved from being transported to a penal colony by the intervention of Oliver, the Artful Dodger, Jack Dawkins, embarks on what proves to be a perilous quest to discover his roots; finding his own true self in the process.

Give us an insight into your main character(s)

Forced to survive on the streets of London from a very early age [‘You ought to try it sometime, it’s an education.’ Quote, unquote] Jack becomes thick-skinned and loses a good deal of his humanity.  His protective armour is gradually stripped from him after he meets Lysette Godden, the first human being he has ever loved.

Where did you get idea for this book?

I have always wanted to turn the Artful Dodger in to a real human being rather than a mere cypher, a counterpoint to the angelic Oliver Twist. 

How much research did you do for this book?

Over a period of a year, I checked every historical fact as the need arose.

Who is your favorite character in your book and why?

Apart from being eminently satisfied with Jack, my favourite character is the feisty Lysette Godden, a girl who is determined to throw off the chains that ‘society’ shackled females with in the early 19th century.

What was the toughest thing about writing your latest book?

Finding the time.

What are you working on at the minute? 

Between Cancer and Capricorn

What are your thoughts on writing a book series?

I am considering writing a sequel Jack Dawkins and the Savages, set  in the United States, Jack encounters the pirate Jean Lafitte and Jim Bowie, who is known to have traded with him.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers? 

Keep writing. Never give up.

The book can be found at Amazon USA and Amazon India

Reviews from other readers can be found at GoodReads