Thorney-based author celebrates release of debut novel written during pandemic

A Thorney-based author who has “never written anything before” is celebrating his debut novel going on sale.

Mark Woodley said he is thrilled that his young adult fantasy adventure story, Spoony and the Lost Hammer of Darkerden, is now available for readers to buy.

“It is the first book I've ever written, ever tried to write, really,” he told the Peterborough Telegraph.

A fan of adventure fantasy stories since he was a child, Mark had long harboured the ambition of writing a tale of his own one day.

Indeed, the 59-year-old even got as far as putting pen to paper ten years ago, although nothing came of it.

But then, in 2020, the pandemic arrived - and everything changed.

“During lockdown, like so many others, I was ‘encouraged’ to get out from under my girlfriend’s feet,” he said.

“She suggested I dust off the couple of chapters I'd written in 2013 and never done anything with.”

The suggestion had immediate consequences.

“As soon as I sat down it just fell out of me,” Mark recalled, “and I soon had a short story.”

“A friend at work read it and he loved it - said he wanted more.”

“So I wrote another short, follow-on story, which he also loved.”

In short time, the demand for Mark’s tales led him to create a book-length story, Spoony and the Lost Hammer of Darkerden.

The tale revolves around two young boys who find a map that leads them to a long hidden dwarven kingdom. Here they meet Slammer, a gatekeeper who needs help to recover a lost magical hammer which keeps the kingdom hidden.

The novel, which is published by Austin Macauley, has been very well received.

“I’ve been getting so many nice reviews,” he said, “children and adults that have read it seem to love it.”

Though Mark still works as a carpenter, it is clear he will be devoting more time to writing.

“I’m writing the sequel as we speak,” he said: “people want more Spoony!”

So how does Mark’s girlfriend – the galvanising force behind this creative journey – feel about his success?

“She’s very proud,” he noted, chuckling: “She promotes me every chance she gets.”