It’s New Year. The Christmas tree is in the hoover, the baubles and fairy lights are in the loft and the cards are in the recycling box. The fridge is devoid of any seasonal treats (verified by my bulging midriff) and Dry January has begun.
It’s January 2nd; which has a certain ring to it. Second. Second chance. Second coming. “I second that motion”. The motion to be happy, grateful, patient; traits that do not come naturally and which I must work at, eschewing melancholy, regret and irritation. Must try harder (as my school report was wont to say).
Second chance: another crack at writing – intelligent, entertaining, absorbing fiction. Something new, different, challenging. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I am categorically and clinically fond of my first two books Seeking Eden and Eden Interrupted – and grateful to Urbane Publications, who gave me my first break. I also know there’s a third Eden book to come; too many readers have begged for one to complete the circle, the trilogy. Ah, but to write something new – outside my comfort zone; it’s scary and exhilarating but it must be done.
Perhaps “The Godson” is my second chance. Or perhaps it’s merely a red herring – a transition. It’s my third completed novel (although I’ve started several others and have all sorts of partial manuscripts hidden in the bowels of my laptop).
The Godson is my first psychological thriller and a complete departure from my two published novels. It’s twisty, mysterious and dark in places. The premise is a simple one:
Three forty-something women borrow a friend’s villa in Italy for the summer, each having experienced upsetting life events. Desperate for a break, Susanne, Dale and Evie want nothing more than to relax and regroup in the glorious Tuscan sunshine. But the villa comes with a housemate: Harry, the owner’s Godson – a spoilt, wealthy twenty-four-year-old, ostensibly there to learn Italian while enjoying a final blast of freedom before starting a financial job in London.
Clever, handsome and manipulative, Harry has his own agenda: top of which is to flatter and seduce beautiful divorced-mother, Susanne. But lesbian drama teacher, Dale, is suspicious of Harry’s motives from the outset. Meanwhile, shy Evie remains neutral, keen to dispel tensions between Susanne and Dale, while nursing the recent loss of her mother in private. But as the secrets and lies escalate and Harry’s behaviour becomes increasingly bizarre, the women’s Tuscan dream becomes a nightmare.
And so, having taken The Godson as far as I’m able, I am looking for a publisher and the dreaded ‘querying’ process has begun. The publishers I am targeting form a select and revered list; I have either read and loved their books, or I’ve heard wonderful things from authors who already write for them. Having been through the process before, I know it will be a tense, frustrating and um, quiet period (I was amazed by the number of agents who simply ignored my emails three years ago, rendering the rejection letters a luxury).
So, maybe The Godson is my second chance. My second coming as a writer. But if not, it doesn’t matter; it’s only words on a page and I will moan, learn from the experience and move on – write something else. Because to a writer, there’s nothing more daunting or more exciting than a blank page.
Wishing friends, family, readers and the writing community a very HAPPY, HEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.
Let 2020 be a second chance for all of us 🙂
In recent years, he has walked thousands of miles for charity, raising awareness of the little-known disease Spinocerebellar Ataxia, following his own diagnosis in March 2015.
But has Ataxia slowed him down? Well, not so you’d notice. During the progression of his illness, Iain has clocked up thousands of miles, raising money and awareness for the condition; dozens of routes that kicked off with the London City Bridges Challenge for Ataxia UK in September 2015, (his first kilted-walk) followed by his 50th birthday walk in Hyde Park, and ended with a “stroll” along the French Riviera from Monte Carlo to Cannes; walking (with an ever-increasing reliance on his walking stick) in Paris, Nice, Cannes, Milan, Parma, Pisa, Florence, Ljubljana, Amsterdam, 500 miles along the Mediterranean coast of Spain, a 4-day walk around the coast of Isle of Arran (an island just off Iain’s beloved Scotland), and a walk along the Canal Du Midi in France along the way: this ‘walk’ first signalled the end of Iain’s walking days when he sustained a heavy fall near Toulouse, suffering knee-ligament damage.
But enough from me. You get the picture; Iain McGeachin is a very busy man who likes a challenge, so let’s find out more in his own words…
The Blurb : 1960s New York, and Emma Bowden seems to have it all – a glamorous Manhattan apartment, a loving husband, and a successful writing career. But while Emma and her husband Jonathan are on vacation at the Hamptons, a child drowns in the sea, and suspicion falls on Emma. As her picture-perfect life spirals out of control, and old wounds resurface, a persistent and monotonous voice in Emma’s head threatens to destroy all that she has worked for… Taut, elegant and mesmerising, Don’t Think a Single Thought lays bare a marriage, and a woman, and examines the decisions – and mistakes – that shape all of our lives.
Julie was born in East London but now lives a rural life in North Essex. She is married with two children. Her working life has seen her have a variety of jobs, including running her own publishing company. She is the author of the children’s book Poppy and the Garden Monster. Julie writes endlessly and when not writing she is reading. Other interests include theatre, music and running. Besides her family, the only thing she loves more than books is Bruce Springsteen.
No Way Out is the third book in Cara Hunter’s brilliant DI Adam Fawley thriller series and it’s been creeping up my #TBR list all summer.
I loved Maria in the Moon by Louise Beech and was excited by the idea of the deliciously titled Call Me Star Girl which has been creeping up my TBR list since it launched. I was not disappointed.
#Review: “Another beautifully crafted piece of life drama by the talented author of Seeking Eden. I’m in awe of this writer’s ability to see into the minds of such a diverse cast…I loved every page. This is a compelling page turning read, a must to take on holiday.”
It’s nerve wracking, too. Will anyone like it? Will anyone review it? Will anyone even read the darn thing?! There are no guarantees, except that it’s out there in the ether now, and I feel as naked as a bare lady on a nudist beach – but more about my holidays later.
Having read and enjoyed another of Mark Mayes’ novels, The Blue Box, I expected The Grass Below to come alive with original and stylish prose and to contain an element of fantasy or magic. But whilst the former is true, his latest novel is filled with a gritty and visceral realism that at times left me breathless.