Lincolnshire Police officer writes first book in Stamford after becoming hooked on fantasy novels while recovering from stroke

From Rutland & Stamford Mercury:

A Lincolnshire Police officer who started reading fantasy novels while recovering from a stroke has now written his own.

James Horton, 36, was working for the Metropolitan Police in London when he began losing feeling down his left side after finishing a late shift nine years ago.

The father-of-three ended up in hospital on a critical stroke ward but luckily went on to recover.

He now only rarely experiences left-side tingling and slurred speech when he’s exhausted, although the fear of having another stroke has never left him.

While recuperating, he started listening to audiobooks of Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin as well as The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell.

Ideas for his own novel began forming in his head and around three years ago, while living and working in Stamford, he began putting pen to paper.

The outcome is Blue Swords, the first book in a series called ‘The Crimes and Crests Saga’, and it is already proving a hit.

read more here @ Rutland & Stamford Mercury