by Jimmy Bowers
This novel has taken me down a very long and emotionally draining road. It started out as an idea and a handful of semi-coherent characters in late 2009, the year I graduated from High School. Over the following three years it moulded itself into the workings of a novel and I eventually tied it all up, in a neat little bow, in 2013 when I approached a professional proofreader to give it the last once over. I won't embarrass myself with how many edits there were but let's just say they were considerable. For a year and a half I looked high and low for a publisher but the truth is, the world is tough. No one will touch you without an agent and no agent will risk someone who is unproven. So how am I to get that experience, in order to prove myself I hear you cry? Good question. If you learn the answer, let me know. I don't wish for this to be an Ode to how hard the industry is. In fact, it is quite reassuring. I'll know that when I do break down that door, that I have created something good?dare I say, great? So where does that leave this book? Pariahs and Peacemakers is my baby. The first story I ever wanted to tell and succeeded. I set out to write a novel, not for the first time, and managed to follow through on that promise. The characters have been with me for six years and the story for longer. Nothing will ever surpass the nostalgia this holds for me even though my skills and ability may grow with time. I'd rather self publish this than let it wither and die on my shelf, I owe it to myself. I sincerely hope you enjoy this adventure as much as I enjoyed creating it, I promise there will be many more to come. Thank you so much for supporting me and know your loyalty will not be forgotten or taken for granted. You are an awesome human/alien/animal/object! (Delete as appropriate).
I'd like to thank my family here for putting up with my lofty dreams and my forced manuscript run throughs, without which I would be utterly lost and probably rocking in a corner. Maybe that is what you wish after the sixth explanation of who the Caliterrian are and why you should care, but you are gracious enough not to let on. To my fianc?, your insight is always welcome and enlightening and hearing you pronounce the names of characters is endlessly entertaining. To Martha, you may only be two and not fully able to grasp what Daddy does on his computer, but seeing you try to add to the content by mashing the keyboard with your fist fills me full of hope that you'll be a great writer one day. Hell, your nonsense mashing is already better than Twilight. To Liam, my brother, your geeky friendship and sibling rivalry drives me daily. I want to write something that will make you proud to have me as a brother whilst also rubbing your face in the dirt at how inferior you are to me. Finally to my mother, to who this book is dedicated. You have always supported my hobby and never once told me to give it up even though you knew as well as I that making a living off of it was almost madness. You all kept me believing that I could find a way and damn it I will, the bigwigs willing or not.
My path through the education system to English has not been a smooth or traditional one. In Primary School (5-11 years old), I was in Literacy Support, a support group for super underachievers, for a very long time. I was much more suited for Maths and the Sciences than I was English, even as far as getting a hundred percent on my final Mathematics SATS exam. In High School this flipped on it's head and I attribute that to two fantastic teachers, to whom I am eternally grateful. Mr Beadle, an ex-miner who overcame a very mild form of dyslexia to become an English teacher and the head of KS3. I was still struggling with English at twelve and he helped me along. I like to think that he saw my enthusiasm for the subject, even though I did not yet know of it. My love affair with the English Language started when I misunderstood an assignment brief he gave me and wrote it a different way. He was so pleased with how I took it on and executed it, even though it wasn't what he had asked me for, that he contacted my parents and told them so.
This great boost in confidence was built upon by my next English tutor who had me through three years of education. Ms McCormack was and still is, a lovely woman who has since left the school I went to to pursue other ventures in education. I feel sorry for the students that will never get to sit through one of her classes. She was a great mix of accessibility and authority. She made English fun and engaging whilst at the same time marshalling an environment of respect. If you dared to mess about in her lesson, you'd better watch out. She once pushed me to contact the BBC to try and become a writer after I handed in a satirical report that she loved. To have someone believe in me that much in education helped me more than anything that preceded it. She got a boy from literacy support to an A in GCSE. This allowed me to take English Literature part time at University where I am predicted to finish with a 1st after two modules. It hasn't been a straight forward story but without the influence of two of the greatest educators in the system, I would never have written a book or become interested in the written word. If anything, take away from this the fact that if I can do this, so can you. Never be afraid to dream big, work at something long enough and it will pay off.
James
23rd January 2015