Wigan author proves he has the magic touch after taking early retirement to focus on writing

A “magic” man decided to retire early from his day job and write supernatural thrillers in his free time after being inspired by one of his favourite authors.
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Mike Christy, who lives with his partner Jeanette in Spring View, took early retirement from his job at the Heinz factory to try his hand at penning a book after being inspired by another author’s story.

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He likes to write supernatural thrillers, but also has a part-time job as a magician for hire at events called Mike’s Magic – something he has done for more than 20 years.

Wigan author Mike Christy with his four supernatural novels.Wigan author Mike Christy with his four supernatural novels.
Wigan author Mike Christy with his four supernatural novels.
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Mike, 62, said: “Basically, it all started when I was reading a book by Sean Hudson, which I found really enthralling, and I remember finishing the book and the last page was a summary about the author.

"It said something like, ‘how I’ve come to write this book is even beyond me’. He’s done a series of books and I think they’re all really good, but what he was essentially saying was that he hadn’t passed his English or done any grammatical courses, or anything like that, and that he still doesn’t really class himself as a writer, but the books say otherwise.

"I remember thinking to myself, ‘well, if he can do it, I can too’. So I thought I’d give it a go.

"My first book was in 2015 and I had all hand-written notes and struggled a little bit at first, but all of a sudden the ideas just kept flowing and it got to the point that the pen couldn’t write quick enough.

Wigan author Mike Christy.Wigan author Mike Christy.
Wigan author Mike Christy.
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"While I’d be in the middle of writing a sentence, I would have another three or four already in my head. But the first book did take me a while to write compared to the others.

“When I started my first book, it was coinciding with life until I retired from Heinz in 2017, at 57. Back then I was just doing what I could when I got home but now that I am in retirement, it’s much easier as I have more time. I also have the momentum of my other books.

“I don’t think there’s a link between me working as a magician and writing supernatural books, but sometimes I’m at an event and they find out I’m an author, people will ask me if I’m writing a book about magic.

"All the stories from one to four are about good versus evil and more characters with different gifts are introduced throughout the books. They can stand alone as individual stories but also follow on from one another, so there’s a continuity.”

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Mike has written and self-published four books so far, entitled Ascension, Challenge, Redemption and The Last Portal.

He is now writing his fifth, which will be due out some time in the new year.

He wants to encourage other people to write and hopes his experience may inspire a budding writer.

He said: “It’s still in its early stages but this next book is going to turn the others on its head. I had no idea that I would be able to write a book and I hope it is inspiration for other people to be able to do the same.”

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