And The Journey Begins...

Brighton Beach 2010 (Photo by Rae Gee)

Yesterday "Mars on the Rise" finally hit the (electronic, for the moment) bookshelves. It was quite strange seeing it, and the effect has yet to wear off. It's odd to sit here with Amazon's page open and see my name and book for sale on the World Wide Web.

It's been a long journey for me, from stopping writing back in the early 2000's due to drug addiction, to finally picking it up again in 2007. Those years of not writing were some of the hardest of my life. Yet no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get brain and hands to co-operate. Thankfully, through letters to friends, and, later on, writing websites, I was finally able to begin again. I didn't want to waste any time and, in early 2009 while sitting on a train at Crewe station, I began "Mars on the Rise". It was inspired by something a friend of mine had said shortly before I boarded the train. Curled up at a table seat (a luxury for those who know Virgin Trains), I jotted down what is now the prologue. It was supposed to remain at that, a short piece for my friend to illustrate. But, a few days later, I had a bit of a "Eureka!" moment while sitting on Brighton beach and, well, they rest, they say, is history.

What I didn't know at the time was that it would become popular among my friends, passed around via emails and my blog. To be truthful, it was the one thing that kept me writing. Without the comments, emails and gentle (sometimes not so gentle!) prodding, "Mars on the Rise" would have gone the same way as some other pieces and lingered in half-written hell.

Now I'm working on editing Book 2 and Book 3 is about 25,000 words so far. I'm sure that, somewhere behind me, my friends have got the prodding sticks out! Better get back to work!!

Mars on the Rise is now available from Torquere Press