James was born in Brunei, 1984. His father was a British Army officer and mother a journalist. He spent the early years of his childhood living in Borneo, India and Germany until his family returned to the UK. In his early teens he moved to the medieval city of Salisbury, Wiltshire, with it's cathedral, Charter Market, the ruins of Old Sarum castle and the ancient pagan site of Stonehenge which inspired his fascination of ancient history.

James graduated from Sparsholt College and was also part of a Gold Medal winning team at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. He then worked in the hospitality industry managing public houses and hotels where he rapidly established himself as a part of the local community. His work then took him further afield including Hastings, which added to his passion of England's medieval past.

Even as a boy, James was fascinated by history, especially the Middle Ages with it's rich array of legends, fabled characters, and tales. His vivid imagination was fed by Salisbury's rich historical past, and after visiting its cathedral for many years, particularly its preserved copy of the Magna Carter, he was inspired to write his first novel 'The Crusaders Blade'. This charted the campaign of the fourth Crusade between 1202-1204 which led to the sacking of Constantinople. This was followed by two further books, 'The Crusaders Revenge' and 'The Crusaders Honour' which made up his first series, 'The Turin Shroud Trilogy'.

James's approach to writing involves intensive research into the historical facts and timelines, with strict attention to detail. To back up this research he physically visits the many sites written about in his novels including Malta, Rome, Venice, the Vatican City, Valencia, North Africa, Sienna, and Santiago.

The experience of being able to walk down the same cobbled streets, climb fortress walls and soak up the essence of these places, provides a level of sensory input that brings to life the characters and story lines that just can't be achieved from research from books and online information alone.

About James Mercer

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