I’ve been away from my blog for a while, enjoying a busy summer of work at the day job and some family time. I haven’t been ignoring my writing completely though, and I’m delighted to announce I have signed a contract to have my next novel published in the UK by The Book Guild Ltd.

‘The Barra Boy’ is scheduled for release in June 2022. Look out for more announcements over the coming months. I have signed a ‘Partnership Publishing’ contract, which involves the publisher putting in the majority of the expense, while I make a financial contribution as well. For now, my part is done – the book is written! – and the publisher takes over to copy edit, typeset and design ahead of the planned release. Nearer the publication date next summer, there will be a marketing campaign. I’m under no illusion about the chances of making my initial investment back, but there are a few reasons why this felt like a chance worth taking.

The main advantage of going this way instead of self-publishing is access to the traditional publishing model, and hopefully getting my book into the shops and onto the websites of the main bookshops in the UK, alongside the Amazon website. I will also have author copies of the book to sell as signed copies. It’s a step closer to being able to walk into my local bookshop and see one of my books sitting on the shelf! On top of that, it is gratifying to have a publisher acknowledge that my writing is worth investing in, after months and years of effort.

‘The Barra Boy’ takes place on the remote island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. It’s a story that looks at the loss of innocence as childhood ends with exposure to the world of adults. There are themes of intolerance, adolescence and awakening, alongside dark secrets, broken lives, as well as a mysterious unexplained death and some adventure. I’m excited to share this story with you, but you’ll have to wait until next summer to read it all!

In the meantime, look out for further updates on here and on social media, and I hope to return to write the occasional bit of short fiction for my blog over the Autumn and Winter.