Mark David Welsh

Born before the internet and mobile phones in a suburb of Norwich, England, my father was a printer and my mother a housewife. I spent my early years in Cheltenham before the family moved back to Norfolk where I went to high school. I left with few qualifications after my indifference to learning was matched only by my teachers indifference to teaching. I went into office work, where I have held more low grade jobs than I can remember. I quit in summer 2000 to travel across the eastern half of the United States, hopping Greyhound buses and moving from bar to 'interesting' bar. After a decade of seemingly unrelated health problems, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in June 2012. A strict diet, low in saturated fats eliminated most of my symptoms but left me unable to drink beer. I began writing as something to do with all the resulting free time. A switch to a diet low in saturated fats means I can drink beer again but I am now meat-free and a pescatarian.

Fantasy epic 'Vagabond Sky' and end of the world murder mystery 'Kingdom of Ghosts' are the first fruits of my new career, although I have been writing since I was old enough to hold a pen. I also co-authored the short film 'Ticketer' with Martin Ballantyne, whose acting credits include 'The Dark Knight' and 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.' Filming on this project was completed in November 2013 with a cast that included Jill Greenacre ('The Brittas Empire') and John Chapman ('Star Wars').

My latest project is a series of stories based around the character 'Ezekiel Hood' inspired by Mike Hammer, Blade Runner and Hardboiled Noir fiction.