It feels like it’s been a long time coming, but I have to say I’m excited to finally be here. Like many new Steemians, after finishing off the sign up process I genuinely wondered whether that email was ever gonna come but after fifteen days of wondering if Steemit had mistaken me for a bot, or worse I’d misspelt my own email address, I finally got what I was waiting for. Knowing what I do now, I really wish I’d spent those fifteen days researching how this works, but I’ve never been one to plan everything. I appreciate the backlog to join is pretty long right now, so with that in mind, I’d like to start by saying cheers to @drakos and @timcliff and any other volunteers for all the work you do guiding newbies through the maze. It definitely helped me out, so your work is appreciated, brothers!

WHO AM I?

So in short, I write thriller novels, along with other books. Like a number of you guys, I was torn between signing up using my actual name or a username and in the end I kinda did both. Unknown Templar was actually the subtitle of my first book and unknown_templar subsequently became my Twitter handle. If you’re looking for verification this is me I'll be tweeting my posts: https://twitter.com/unknown_templar?lang=en. Most folks call me JPD.

WHY STEEMIT?

Well, like a lot of people who signed up here, I love the idea of embracing a new form of social media, especially one that thrives on ideas and meaningful experiences. I love Twitter, have a mixed relationship with Instagram but I’ve lost a lot of love for Facebook – sorry if that offends anyone! It’s nothing against Zuckerberg or his platform, my life just feels complete already without seeing daily pics of what my best mate ordered at Wetherspoons or hearing some guy I once met at an airport rant about Trump. They say variety is the spice of life and I prefer things to be unpredictable. The main reason I still have a FB account is for the kitten and puppy pics and rumour has it Steemit has even more of them!

So, as mentioned I am a writer. I’m also fascinated by crypto. Incredibly, in Steemit I’ve found something that amalgamates the two . . . what could possibly go wrong?! Writing is my passion and life’s work but I also love reading, so I’m looking forward to learning from the wisdom of others as much as posting myself and getting to know the Steemit Community. I honestly believe the original plan for social media was to share useful insights, discuss interests and make genuine connections with people you otherwise wouldn’t have ever got to meet rather than have your inbox spammed with DMs from some dude trying to sell you a bride! I can’t promise I’ll never plug my books on here, but if I do it’ll be because it’s connected to the subject of my blogs. Also, they’ll probably be a kitten picture to apologise!

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM ME?

History: All of my books are in some way history related. I’ve always had a keen interest in legends and mysteries, so this will probably be pretty common.

Philosophy: What writer doesn’t think of themselves as a philosopher, right?

Writing: I’ve been a published non-fiction author since 2009 and a thriller author since 2011. In 2012 my first thriller became a Top 20 UK bestseller and in 2016 I finally had a bestseller in the US. This doesn’t mean I’m an expert or even good, but I hope I’ll be able to bring some of my experience to this platform. Sadly the internet is plagued by 'success coachs' offering newbie writers the Holy Grail in exchange for signing up for their perfect course, despite the fact they’ve never even written anything themselves. Anything I do share will be what’s worked for me. Never forget to DYOR! That and to persist!

Travel: I am lucky to have visited some pretty cool places (all photos are either my own, or taken by whoever was with me and used with their permission) but there’s far more I’d love to see. Reading about people’s travels inspires me!

Crypto: Just kidding! I still don’t understand block chain and the price swings have been known to make me cry!

Life: I'll probably throw in a few surprises along the way. Also, if anything I share saves a few people from making the same mistakes I did, that’s also a bonus!

Thanks in advance for reading and for taking the time to get to know me. Comments et cetera are very much appreciated. Feel free to follow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/unknown_templar?lang=en and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/officiallyjpd/?hl=en. One thing you will see with every post is inspiration. Always remember, the best is yet to come!

Peace and Love, Brothers and Sisters!