Michael Wills

ALLi Author Member

Location: United Kingdom (the)

Genres: Historical Fiction, Children's general

Skills: Speaking Engagement/Lecture, Press/Media Interview

Michael E. Wills was born on the Isle of Wight, UK, and educated at the Priory Boys School and Carisbrooke Grammar. He trained as a teacher at St Peter’s College, Saltley, Birmingham, before working at a secondary school in Kent for two years.
After re-training to become a teacher of English as a Foreign Language he worked in Sweden for thirteen years. During this period, he wrote several English language teaching books. His teaching career has included time working in rural Sweden, a period that first sparked his now enduring interest in Scandinavian history and culture - an interest that after many years of research, both academic and in the field, led him to write “Finn’s Fate” and the sequel novel, “Three Kings – One Throne”. Continuing in a Viking theme, in June 2015, Michael published, “Children of the Chieftain: Betrayed”, the first of a quartet of Viking adventure stories for young readers. The book was described by the Historical Novel Society reviewer as “An absolutely excellent novel which I could not put down.” The novel was long-listed for the Historical Novel Society, 2016 Indie Prize.
Michael's second series for young readers, The Children of Clifftop Farm, in three books, tells the adventures of two young WW2 evacuees who are sent to live on the Isle of Wight .
Published in 2022, "Izar, The Amesbury Archer", is a story based on the discovery near to Stonehenge of a stone age skeleton.
On a Viking theme, "For the Want of Silver", is inspired by the text on a rune stone near to Stockholm airport. It tells of the adventures of Ulf of Borrestad.
Today, Michael works part-time as Ombudsman for English UK, the national association of English language providers. Though a lot of his spare time is spent with grandchildren, he also has a wide range of interests including researching for future books, writing, playing the guitar, carpentry and electronics. He spends at least two months a year sailing his boat which is currently in Scandinavia.
You can also stay up-to-date by visiting his website: www.michaelwills.eu

Michael Wills' books

Finn's Fate

Three brothers from a remote Arctic settlement travel south in search of a better life. Their adventurous and dangerous journey eventually takes them to Roskilde in Denmark where they join the crew of a Viking ship, part of a fleet bound for Britain. After plundering coastal towns their final raid takes them to Dorset where they have a disastrous encounter with an Anglo Saxon army. The remains of their defeat were discovered in 2008 by road builders.

Three Kings - One Throne

The novel follows the lives of two boys, distant relatives, growing up in the turbulent eleventh century. One of them, a Dane, escapes from slavery and becomes a mercenary soldier, the other, the son of a wealthy English family, becomes a trusted officer in the army of King Harold. History dictates that one day the two of them will meet and this event will lead to to the death of one of them.

The Wessex Turncoat

Aaron Mew is a seventeen year-old apprentice blacksmith living in a small English village, in the late eighteenth century. His life is simple yet secure, until the day when he volunteers to take the place of his father on an errand for the squire. The country boy is wrenched from the environment in which he grew up and thrust into a world of ruffians, drunks, criminals and disgraced professionals â the army of George III. An army desperately short of men, but with the huge ambition to quell the rebellion in America and to retain the country under British rule.
After relentless training, Aaron's regiment, the 62nd Regiment of Foot, is posted to Canada. There, fighting side by side with Indian braves and German allies, the boy soldier becomes a hardened warrior. He finds honour, (though no glory), true comradeship and eventually, love.
The Wessex Turncoat tells the story of a doomed army and a regiment which is decimated at the battle of Saratoga, mainly because of the vanity and intransigence of an English general. The failure of the military campaign led ultimately to the end of British rule in America.

Children of the Chieftain: Betrayed

This is an adventure story about a real place, a town called Birka. It was once one of the greatest trading centres in the Viking world. But the wealth of the town on the Island of Birches attracted some who did not come to trade. When the town was raided by the most fearsome of Vikings, the Jomsviking, many of the islanders are captured. The children of the chieftain are forced to take action and lead their friends in a desperate attempt to rescue the captives. But not all of their allies are as loyal as they should be. The brave orphans are betrayed and find themselves in grave danger of captivity and risk being sold into slavery.
Suitable for children aged 8 - 13

Children of the Chieftain: Banished

When one of their friends is captured and sold into slavery in the land of the Rus, the children of the old chieftain and their comrades decide to risk everything to rescue him. Little do they know what awaits them when they embark on the Viking ship, the Eagle. In addition to the dangers of the sea voyage, they must face the villainy of a traitor, marauding pirates and robbers, before they end up in a seemingly hopeless situation as slaves in a quarry. To add to their problems, they learn that they have provoked the anger of the new chieftain of their island home and have been banished.
Suitable for children aged 8 - 13

One Decent Thing

Scottie, a self-centered, dissolute university administrator with a weakness for cigarettes, drink and women, finds that he is unwelcome when he visits his university student daughter, Tina. His effort to drown his sorrows leads him into a world of terrorism and danger where he becomes a fugitive from the police and from the IRA. In desperation and with the help of some university students, he decides to break with his egocentric habits and do one decent thing. But he has made powerful enemies and will have to face retribution.

Children of the Chieftain: Bounty

The young crew of the Viking ship Eagle set out on a new journey when they are given the task of delivering a message in the land of the Rus. But fate has a surprise in store for them when they are ordered to travel on the Viking trading route south to Constantinople, a route fraught with danger. They must face warring tribesmen, deadly rapids and a host of other dangers before they reach their destination. There the adventure continues when they find themselves in the service of the emperor of the Greeks.

Izar, The Amesbury Archer

Amesbury, just two miles from Stonehenge, is regarded as one of the oldest towns in Britain, with evidence of habitation for over 5000 years. In 2002 a male skeleton was discovered in the village. It had lain undisturbed for almost that length of time. Archaeological research showed that the man was born almost a thousand miles from where he died. He had died as the Stone Age was ending and the age of metal was dawning.
The numerous items buried with him give tantalising clues about his way of life. In addition to archery equipment there was evidence that he had been a pioneer metal worker.
This is the story of how he could have lived and died.

The Children of Clifftop Farm: "TREASON"

A story about two city children, from very different backgrounds, who are evacuated to the countryside during WW2. They get involved in a dangerous adventure in their new home on the Isle of Wight. Their adventure leads them to TREASON!

The Children of Clifftop Farm: "TREACHERY"

Soon after their first adventure, told in “TREASON”, the children find themselves involved in a mystery. An enemy plane lands near to where they are working in a field. The German pilot surrenders to the nearest boy. The man seems very friendly when he tells the children about his family. But somehow, something seems wrong with his story. What can it be? There is TREACHERY afoot! The children have to solve the mystery. They are in a hurry because the safety of their home is at stake!

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