Bio
Born in New Zealand sometime around the middle of last
century, and according to my mother, I was found under a cabbage plant when
asked where I came from. During these early years I spent a lot of time with my
Grandparents. My Grandfather was a fisherman and owned a small fleet of ocean
going fishing boats. Before I was 5 years old I knew how to strip down the
engines and how to mend and make fishing nets. All these good things taught to
me, I was sure would hold me in good stead at some future time.
By the time I was about 8 this learning thing had become a bad habit. Forced into attending this "School" 5 days a week was getting to be a bit of a drag. Although I did find I had the knack for making people laugh and generally getting teachers a tiny bit pissed at me. (Good stuff!) I discovered writing and I found that I could get a few laughs out of it. The teacher would say I want a 500 word essay from everyone by this afternoon. (Which translated into, I don't feel like teaching right now I need to rest.) Hell! With only 500 word, I had barely gotten started on the first part. I think the teacher actually feared asking for a word count. While my classmates moaned and groaned about it being so long, I was happily filling my exercise book full of words and dream worlds.
I always knew when the teacher got to my book. There was an audible sigh from her when she opened it.
"Clarke come here! " She would say. "Do you know what 500 words mean?"
"Yes Ma'am." I'd answer.
"What does it mean? Tell me!"
"Not enough Ma'am." Which usually earned me a slap on the hand from her, much to the enjoyment from the rest of the class.
High School was an eye opener for me. I discovered Girls, lots of girls to occupy my time with. I also during this time I met a local poet, who ended up being my English teacher. Sam Hunt was one of the few people that actually tried to help me develop a style that suited my personality. But unfortunately his time there was limited, and he was coming into his own peak. His poetry and needs took first place. I couldn't blame him for that. If I was at the peak of my career I would have done the same thing as well.Once out of High School I met a young man that was to become a close and dear friend for many years after. We were destined to share a friendship that would lead both of us through a great deal of harrowing times and adventures. We rode motorbikes together, got into no ends of trouble. Tried our hands at riding in the rodeo for a couple of seasons thinking we might make a few dollars.
Around 1975, we found ourselves in what was then Rhodesia as part of the Rhodesian Security Forces fighting in the so called Bush Wars. My parents and that, all thought I was safely tucked away in Auckland working my ass off there. Both of us returned to New Zealand, changed in a way that neither of us had expected. We were hard and rugged, far more used to living in the bush than in civilization.
I met the woman who was later to become my wife in 1980. I help raise her two young daughters, and my own daughter was born four years later. My friend Denny was still in my life and my wife was friends with his sister. During this time I worked as a Security specialist for Businessmen and a couple of Foreign Diplomats.
1998, my marriage had ended and it was time for me to move on. I end up here in the US of A and this is the place I now call home. For 14 of the last 18 years I have served and protected this country in one way or another as a Contractor or a Security Specialist. For me now, my wars are done. I have returned to what I feel comfortable with. I have a new career wife and family to consider.
By the time I was about 8 this learning thing had become a bad habit. Forced into attending this "School" 5 days a week was getting to be a bit of a drag. Although I did find I had the knack for making people laugh and generally getting teachers a tiny bit pissed at me. (Good stuff!) I discovered writing and I found that I could get a few laughs out of it. The teacher would say I want a 500 word essay from everyone by this afternoon. (Which translated into, I don't feel like teaching right now I need to rest.) Hell! With only 500 word, I had barely gotten started on the first part. I think the teacher actually feared asking for a word count. While my classmates moaned and groaned about it being so long, I was happily filling my exercise book full of words and dream worlds.
I always knew when the teacher got to my book. There was an audible sigh from her when she opened it.
"Clarke come here! " She would say. "Do you know what 500 words mean?"
"Yes Ma'am." I'd answer.
"What does it mean? Tell me!"
"Not enough Ma'am." Which usually earned me a slap on the hand from her, much to the enjoyment from the rest of the class.
High School was an eye opener for me. I discovered Girls, lots of girls to occupy my time with. I also during this time I met a local poet, who ended up being my English teacher. Sam Hunt was one of the few people that actually tried to help me develop a style that suited my personality. But unfortunately his time there was limited, and he was coming into his own peak. His poetry and needs took first place. I couldn't blame him for that. If I was at the peak of my career I would have done the same thing as well.Once out of High School I met a young man that was to become a close and dear friend for many years after. We were destined to share a friendship that would lead both of us through a great deal of harrowing times and adventures. We rode motorbikes together, got into no ends of trouble. Tried our hands at riding in the rodeo for a couple of seasons thinking we might make a few dollars.
Around 1975, we found ourselves in what was then Rhodesia as part of the Rhodesian Security Forces fighting in the so called Bush Wars. My parents and that, all thought I was safely tucked away in Auckland working my ass off there. Both of us returned to New Zealand, changed in a way that neither of us had expected. We were hard and rugged, far more used to living in the bush than in civilization.
I met the woman who was later to become my wife in 1980. I help raise her two young daughters, and my own daughter was born four years later. My friend Denny was still in my life and my wife was friends with his sister. During this time I worked as a Security specialist for Businessmen and a couple of Foreign Diplomats.
1998, my marriage had ended and it was time for me to move on. I end up here in the US of A and this is the place I now call home. For 14 of the last 18 years I have served and protected this country in one way or another as a Contractor or a Security Specialist. For me now, my wars are done. I have returned to what I feel comfortable with. I have a new career wife and family to consider.
I write full time now, and do a little design work on the
side to keep the wolves from the door. I have Ghost written two novels for
others in the last 18 months. Written, edited and published 1 art book for a
friend (currently in print as a 2nd Edition), and I will release it as a Kindle
eBook shortly for those who like to follow artists and their works. My own
Science Fiction Novel Shadow Warrior Book One is due out in a month. Book two
in the series is just about finished and hopefully be released on Kindle by
October. No, I never got to use the skills taught to me by my Grandfather, but
neither do I regret it or the time i spent with both him and my Grandmother. As
for my past life, if asked I would do it all again! In a heartbeat!
Wade Ferris Chronicles
Shadow Warrior W.M. Clarke
Synopsis:
Wade Ferris had given up his life of fighting for others, or so he thought. Content to run the small motel he had bought with the money he had earned in the beach front area of Waikanae. The quiet life suited him, especially in the winter when there were little or no Guests to worry about.
This night was no different than any other winters night. It was raining hard and the sound of the breakers hitting the beach made everything seem normal. Tonight wasn’t going to be like every other night though, It was going to be the first night in a series of events that would drag himself as well as his close friend Dan Carline into a fight for survival against a force of extraterrestrial invaders that had plans to colonize his world.
They would be happy to have left the entire task to the New Zealand Defense Forces, but circumstances forced them both out of retirement to wage a private war against the invaders while what remained of the military tried to reorganize themselves after being devastated by Pearl harbor styled attacks in the initial first hours of the invaders arriving.
Trained in Guerilla style warfare, both Ferris and Carline felt right at home, hitting at the invading force, then backing away, only to return and strike again. With each successive strike, they learned more about the Aliens capabilities, their strengths and their weaknesses. Gathering this information and using it to strike harder and harass the Invaders.
They knew that what they had learned about the invaders, they had to pass onto the Military. Finding a way to do that bought them a new set of problems, in the form of the local outcasts and gangs that had formed an uneasy alliance with the invaders who had promised them power and wealth, in return for their help in exterminating any resistance.
BOOK LINKS
U.S. http://tinyurl.com/on84dh8
UK http://tinyurl.com/oqshrdq
CA http://tinyurl.com/pmd6ja2
AU http://tinyurl.com/p8ynm7b
WHERE TO FIND W.M.CLARKE
FACEBOOK LINK
http://tinyurl.com/od6r8g3
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
http://www.amazon.com/W.M.-Clarke/e/B012BKY1DS/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1437875058&sr=8-22
http://tinyurl.com/od6r8g3
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
http://www.amazon.com/W.M.-Clarke/e/B012BKY1DS/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1437875058&sr=8-22
GOODREADS AUTHOR PAGE
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1652505.W_M_Clarke?ref=ru_lihp_up_rv_3_mclk-up2490036262
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1652505.W_M_Clarke?ref=ru_lihp_up_rv_3_mclk-up2490036262
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