Graham Taylor A first-time novelist from Yorkshire, England, Graham Taylor, 46, has earned $7 million from Shadowmancer, now a U.S. bestseller, it's a good-versus-evil gothic for teens that Brit critics called "Hotter than Potter."
DAY JOB Since 1995, Taylor has been a vicar in the Anglican Church.
FORMER LIVES He was a policeman from 1986 to '96; in the '70s he worked as a roadie for the Sex Pistols and Elvis Costello.
WHY HE TOOK THE COLLAR
"My father was a shoemaker—a mender of soles. I became a mender of souls!"
WHY HE WROTE A NOVEL An amateur poet inspired by Eminem, Taylor longed to "counterbalance the themes of witchcraft and the occult" in kid it.
HIS MAIN CHARACTER A vicar who wants to be God.
HOW WE GOT THAT PLOT Shadowmancer came to him as he sped over the moors on his motorcycle.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WHEELS He sold them and used the $4,800 to self-publish his book; its success inspired British publishers Faber and Faber to buy it for $50,000.
WEEKS AT THE TOP OF BRITAIN'S BESTSELLER LISTS 15.
ON HARRY POTTER COMPARISONS "It is a completely different style of book and certainly isn't a Christian alternative."
NEXT ON HIS AGENDA
An "epic tale of supernatural strife," Wormwood, plus more preaching. "You are ordained for life—I'll always be a priest."
RICH-GUY PLANS "I've always tithed my money. As long as God gets his share, it's okay."
Your Reaction
