The Depths Within (Paperback)

Mike lives happily with his wife Julia, and their son, Sam. Without any warning, his marriage falls apart, he has to move out of their home, money becomes short, and he struggles against depression. His one real joy is time with Sam. He and Sam are enjoying a day together when his world suddenly falls apart. In an instant he loses his son, together with everything and everyone that he knows, and very nearly his life. He found himself caught up in a terrifying adventure, unlike anything he could have imagined. Life becomes a desperate struggle to survive and escape this nightmare that separates him from all that he holds dear.

Born in 1949 in Brighton, where he was brought up as the eldest son of 5 children born to a free Church Pastor and his wife. No great academic, John attended Secondary School leaving in 1966. He soon found that he couldn't get far without some qualifications and went to night school for the next 4 years, to try and make up for what he should have done at school! In 1968 the family moved to the edge of London, where John met Sandra, and they were married in 1970. They have 2 children, and 5 grandchildren. After several clerical jobs, John joined Kent Police in 1971, and they settled in Maidstone, Kent. John enjoyed his time in the police and intended to remain a serving officer until retirement. However, he began to feel God's call to ordained ministry, and was accepted for training in 1988. He hoped to train part-time and minister part-time until he had earned a pension, but it did not prove possible, and he left the police service in 1990 with the rank of sergeant. He was ordained at Canterbury Cathedral in 1991 and served as curate in Allington, Maidstone. In 1994 he was appointed Vicar of Marden, Kent, and Chaplain of Her Majesties Prison Blantyre House. As with the police, John greatly enjoyed his time in ministry, and expected to remain in active ministry until retirement. However, he managed to burn myself out, and had to retire on ill-health in 2003. He and Sandra moved to the Sussex coast, and he began to write. John was quite happy there, writing, and walking along the seafront, and thought that this would be his destiny for the rest of his life. However, fates and Sandra had another idea. In 2008 they moved back to the Maidstone area and took up a joint position looking after a small estate of homes for people in retirement. It was a part-time position so that he could combine his duties with writing. In 2014 John and his wife retired and moved to a refurbished period property in the Marden village where he had been Vicar a decade or so before.