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J. Michael Butcher
John Michael Butcher was born in 1954 and has lived in Norwich most of his life. Educated at Thorpe Grammar School, he studied English and history at A level before working for Norfolk County Counc...view moreJohn Michael Butcher was born in 1954 and has lived in Norwich most of his life. Educated at Thorpe Grammar School, he studied English and history at A level before working for Norfolk County Council’s education department firstly in personnel (later HR) and then the school’s finance.
Childhood rheumatoid arthritis disrupted his schooling but allowed him to indulge his love of reading, which was a family trait. There were fortnightly visits to the Lazar House Library, which was and is featured as a leper hospital in Flames of Norwich. Remember, this was before computers, the Internet, X-box, DVDs, or even VHS, and there were only two channels on television.
After writing short stories and skits on local life, it was his friend Mark King who inspired him to make the effort to go for a full-length novel. Mark had ambitions to write and asked John to proofread his draft novel. Thus, they met in the Fat Cat and Canary PH every Friday afternoon to review progress. Mark has now published the Daniel Jones series, young adult sci-fi stories Frenzy and Doom, and the third on the way.
When rheumatoid arthritis returned and he had to give up work, John had more time to devote to writing, and Flames of Norwich became a time-consuming passion.
Inspired by writers such as Ellis Peters (Brother Cadfael), Michael Jecks (Sir Baldwin de Furnshill and Simon Puttock), Peter Tremayne (Sister Fidelma), and the great Bernard Cornwell (Sharpe plus so many others), his interest in history was reignited, and historical fiction became his chosen genre. As with these authors, he considers historical accuracy as essential.
He is also a director and chair of Roseville Close RTM Co. Ltd, a company set up to manage the site of the apartments where he lives.
He is single but not lonely, with a large circle of friends locally, and he has already embarked on Reliquary of Blood, a sequel to Flames of Norwich.view less