I keep the draft paperback versions of my books in the bookcase in our hallway. I rarely look at them but, when I do, I am sometimes surprised that there are so many of them and even that they’re there at all.  I only took up writing as a sort of pain therapy but it seems to have taken on a curious life of its own. At year’s end it’s the usual custom to reflect on the events of the past year and to look forward to what the new year might bring. I’ll attempt to do that in this short post.

Looking back I’m almost surprised to discover that I’ve published three books this year; a paranormal thriller called The Black Vaults Experiment and numbers seven and eight in the Mac Maguire detective series, The Match of the Day Murders and The Chancer. It’s been the most productive year for me in terms of my writing and that probably has something to do with the fact that I retired last April. I’ve been writing full-time for nearly eight months now and I’m finding it really rewarding. It’s also a lot less stressful now that I no longer have the demands of work deadlines to deal with.

Looking forward I find that I’m about halfway through the next Mac Maguire novel. It will be the ninth in the series and its working title is A Tiger in Winter. It’s set in Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and London so Mac doesn’t do so much travelling this time. I’m also planning to return to the Black Vaults and write the second in the series. I had planned to write a Mac Maguire book that’s set at Christmas and publish it this month but, unfortunately, I ran out of time. I’d still like to write a Christmas book so I’m going to start on it during the summer to make sure that it will be ready with plenty of time to spare.

I also did some research in Cyprus this year for what will hopefully be the tenth Mac Maguire novel. It hasn’t got a title yet but I’ve already got an outline of the story in my head. I’ve been to Larnaca several times now and I think it will make a great location for the book. I’m hoping to publish it around the middle of the year.

So I’ve published three books this year and I’m hoping to go one better and do four next year. However, I’m aware that every year brings it’s own surprises but it’s my hope that there will be a lot more nice ones than bad ones for us all.

I’d finally like to wish a Happy New Year to everyone and most especially to all my readers. Please keep letting me know what you think through reviewing my books on Amazon or by contacting me via email at publisher@gardencityink.com