Five days to go

Publication of my fourth novel and eleventh book, ‘Diamond Val’, is due on May 28th, in five days’ time. I suppose, after this many publications, it might be likely that it will be rather a lesser event than it used to be. However, that’s not how I feel about it. Seeing your own work in print, even allowing for the long processes of proof reading and alterations which usually precedes publication, is a thrill and an encouragement which stands the test of time.  People have likened it to giving birth; as a male, I’m nervous about such an analogy, but it’s undoubtedly a satisfying feeling that an addition to the great catalogue of human artistic endeavour has been made in your name.

Diamond Val is centred on a woman who believes that business must retain an element of humanity if it is to be worth doing, even as she recognises that it can demand a heavy price of time and commitment if it is to be done properly, as her own husband discovers to his cost. But the story is as much about families as it is about business, and part of Val’s aim for the Gilard Corporation is that it might act as a unifier for her diverse and divided family. How well she succeeds in bringing this about, and what price she personally has to pay for it, are themes reflected in the narrative of the book.

For anyone looking for an interesting read to take with them on their holidays and keep their mind occupied during their leisure time, ‘Diamond Val’ must be a prime candidate. Look out for it on the Book Guild site and the sites of most of the major U.K. publishers.