Sam Wilding

'Sam Wilding is an exciting new voice to the world of young adult writing. He brings his story to life with such wonderful details that the characters seem to jump out of the pages. Too soon I found myself at the end of the book wanting more. I look forward to his next tale.' So wrote reviewer Stephani Hecht on reading Sam’s first novel – The Magic Scales.

Described as a ‘breath of fresh air for fantasy’, author Sam Wilding was born Paul Murdoch in Braeholm, Helensburgh, on the 9th of May 1961.

Sam Wilding grew up in the Vale of Leven, where he attended Levenvale Primary between 1965 and 1967; Christie Park Primary between 1967 and 1972; and the Vale of Leven Academy between 1973 and 1979. Throughout his childhood, Sam spent many weekends in Helensburgh with his parents walking the pier and braving the outdoor pool. He then went on to study Zoology at Glasgow University between 1979 and 1983, working his way through his university years by playing in various rock bands in the UK, America and Holland.

He began writing songs in the late 70s, poetry in the early 90s and eventually his first novel - 'The Magic Scales' in 2005, part one of the Denthan Trilogy. A fantasy tale featuring an asthmatic boy, James Peck, as its’ hero, a wizard trapped in the body of a goldfish, and a manic mother with all the social skills of a Dalek, the book is a rollercoaster-ride adventure packed full of strange creatures, epic battles, magic and fun.

Sam stated: "My son, Ryan, was my main inspiration at the time. His remit was simple; he wanted a fast-paced story with lots of monsters; new ones, and plenty of big battle scenes. I also thought it would be interesting to add a few other issues into the mix, such as dealing with asthma and coping with a crazy family. When I come to think about it, another good reason for putting pen to paper was that I kept forgetting where I'd finished off my goodnight stories. My kids were complaining. So I got to work and ended up with - The Magic Scales."

Sam has gone on to write book 2 in the series - The Second Gateway and book 3 - Return to Denthan. The books are currently being translated into various different languages, with the Italian version due out in the summer of 2010.

He is currently writing a new children's novel and is also working on a series of picture books aimed at 3-6 year-olds.

Sam continues to perform children's workshops and presentations in schools, libraries and at book festivals in the UK and Europe. Sam works closely with the charity Asthma UK to raise awareness of the condition through his work with children.

For more details please visit Sam’s web site or join him on Twitter

Main image from Asthma UK Magazine photo ©Chris Watt