Substack – New Book – New House

I hope you’re all well.

I’m excited to tell you that I’ve decided to enter into the world of Substack.

It just feels like the right thing to do. So that’s where I’ll be posting news and updates. I’m not entirely sure what’s going to become of my website, but I imagine the purpose of it will change. Perhaps it will be focused more on my books, than my blog.

If you’re on Substack, you can find me here. It would be great to have you on board.

*

A week before Xmas, we moved house. Now we have a garden. It feels like a new character to write about. B and I have never had a garden before, so we’re looking forward to getting to know it, and seeing what it will teach us.

*

On the writing front, I’ve just this morning reached 11,000 words on my new novel. I’m feeling really good about it. It’s a story I originally wrote as a screenplay. It was to be a silent animation, set in the UK during WW2. I couldn’t get any traction for it, so I put it one side and worked on other material.

That was around 4 years ago. Perhaps longer. And throughout that time, the story kept on coming back to me. It didn’t want to be ignored. It had to be told. So towards the end of November, last year, I began to adapt it into a novel. It’s a truly enjoyable process. And I’ve cried so many times!

Honestly, I’ve never written anything before that has had such an emotional impact on me. It’s like the characters were once real people, breathing and feeling, and they’re whispering in my ear, ‘This is what happened. This is how we felt.’

Strangely, even when I wrote the screenplay, I started the story with the words, ‘Possibly based on true events.’ I’ve started the novel with them too.

I’m hoping to have it finished this year, ready to send out to agents.

*

I’m also pleased to add, that The Girl with the Green-Tinted Hair has garnered nearly 2000 reviews on Amazon. As far as I can see, this is the most recent review, from a kind person called Keeley:

It is a simple story with a powerful message. I intend to write a scheme of learning around this for the SEND/SEMH students I teach. There are many lessons within this fable.

My thanks to the author. The idea for this story came to him in a doctors waiting room. I read it while waiting in A&E with a friend. As I began the final chapter, snow began to fall. I shall take that as a sign.

A highly recommended read.

How nice is that! It made me smile. I find it amazing how a book I wrote over 10 years ago is still finding new people, and touching their hearts.

I still entertain the wish of having it illustrated and traditionally published.

One day…

All the best.

G