Why would a grandfather with dodgy eyesight start writing novels at the age of 69? It shouldn’t happen, right? I beg to differ. Here’s why. There is something about a book in your hand? Where else do you have total control over your destiny? Turn the page when you want, bookmark when the eyes tire, and gently place the book aside for tomorrow. Then you return to your pleasant task and…behold!
‘’Scribbling creates that moment: just you, the page and the writer’s imagination.’’
I hope my four grandchildren will read my books one day, learn a valuable history lesson about small-town New Zealand while having a good chuckle.My ambition is to keep writing until the fingers, brain, or keyboard gives out, whichever comes first. I’m energized to write about the rural heartbeat of New Zealand.
‘’I have a benign cynicism about that makes The Land of the Long White Cloud tick.’’
My first two books, Proud (2019), Divine’s Choice (2021) and the third book I am working on, The Timid Bookseller, capture the essence of life in provincial New Zealand. Living overseas for 20 years has afforded me the luxury of casting an acutely quizzical eye over Kiwi culture. I have (perhaps, unfortunately) a benign cynicism about what makes The Land of the Long White Cloud tick. Family, rugby, writing, fitness and politics are all forces in my life. I am not keen on arrogance and dishonesty. Oh, and I love cats.
