It was almost by chance that I began writing. In my late forties I read a couple of articles, one on space tourism, the other on the demise of the dinosaurs and for some inexplicable reason, I wrote down a prologue for a short story. With little or no intention of taking the idea any further, I showed it to a couple of friends who were so encouraging, I decided to continue developing the theme.
With absolutely no idea of what I was doing, what started as a short story with few details ended up as a full-blown novel and over the next few years, I acquired a passion for creating characters and storylines.
By the time I retired in 2009, I had completed three novels and with little or no expectations, decided to publish the first one, No Turning Back. I began contacting agents and although the replies were invariably polite, the manuscript was always rejected.
A little disappointed but not altogether surprised, I asked a number of trusted friends to go through the draft and to give me their honest opinion, no matter how negative. To my delight, there seemed genuine enthusiasm, both about the storyline and way the book grew on them. There were also however, some critical comments and a few recommendations as to how I could improve the read, so I undertook a rewriting of the manuscript.
Once finished, I then made the decision to self-publish.
Self-publishing has definitely proved challenging, not least because the time needed to sell books often leaves little or no time for actually writing. The majority of my sales come from my own efforts, but having said that, it has been an absolute pleasure. Since the publication of No Turning Back in 2013, I have met an assortment of the most interesting and supportive people possible and with sales exceeding my expectations, I decided to self-publish my second novel, The Betrayal of Innocence.
I am frequently asked where my ideas originate but in all honesty, I have no idea. Whereas No Turning Back is set in the near future, in and around Bristol and is apocalyptic, my second, The Betrayal of Innocence, is a historic novel covering 1880 Armenia through to 1960 Italy.
Just to prove there is little or no method in my madness, my third novel From the Smallest of Beginnings is a modern day conspiracy thriller set in Somerset and northern France and my recently released fourth novel, The Second Coming of Eve, is volume one of a trilogy set in a post-apocalyptic world.
Self-publishing certainly requires the help and backing of a large number of people, far too many to mention. Nevertheless, I would like to send my special thanks to Daniel, David and Sam at New Generation Publishing, James Hooper for this excellent website and to friends and family members who over the years have been so encouraging and supportive.