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My latest novel, Renn, is based on a legendary Chinese hero called Wēngzhòng.   He was the bodyguard of the first Chinese Emperor, Qín Shǐhuáng. According to legend, by the age of ten  , Wēngzhòng was already six feet tall and enormously strong. He had such a huge appetite that his family had difficulty feeding him. When imperial soldiers came recruiting, they lied about his age so that he could enlist and give the army the problem of providing him with enough to eat. 

He soon gained a reputation as a fearsome warrior. His future was assured when he saved Qín Shǐhuáng's life. Legend has it that the emperor was walking in the forest deep in thought, trying to work out strategies for his next military campaign, when a tiger attacked. Wēngzhòng leapt to his defence and killed the beast. It was after this that the emperor made him his personal bodyguard. 

Not happy with being a simple bodyguard, Wēngzhòng persuaded his master to let him lead his armies in a campaign against a fearsome tribe threatening the northwestern borders of the empire. It is said he had such prodigious strength that he threw the heavy Chinese spears into the ranks of the enemy to kill them. Until this time, the spear was seen only as a weapon of hand-to-hand combat and was never thrown. According to the myth, he was so effective that the soldiers under his command queued up to hand him their spears to kill the enemy. 

It is said that when he died, the emperor had a statue carved in his likeness placed in front of the entrance to his palace so he could protect him even after death.  Jade pendants carved in the likeness of  Wēngzhòng have been worn as a protective amulet by Chinese people for more than 2,000 years.  In addition to being an author, I make a living as the only foreigner working as a master jade carver in China. The Wēngzhòng amulet in pure white jade is one of my favourite designs.