Welcome to 2018. "HAPPY NEW YEAR"
With the start of a new year, so begins the return to writing of the second book in my "Memoir Series." What with School Holidays, noisy and over-excited youths running around the house in anticipation of Santa's impending visit, and festive trips to visit relatives; my writing progress has had to take a back-seat. But that is all in the past. The kids are back at school, all is quiet again, and I am able to concentrate; reliving memories of my police days in Lincolnshire.
With 52 thousand words of the first draft now complete, I have covered a lot of ground so far. Many a funny anecdote has been included. But it is not all light-reading; I am currently working on a chapter dealing with the many aspects of DEATH that police officers have to cope with.
But do not worry, it is not all doom-and-gloom; the funny and interesting chapters far outweigh the darker ones. That being said, it is meant to be a TRUE account of life as a police officer, so expect the not-so-pleasant as well as the high-octane, adrenaline-fuelled excitement of life policing rural Lincolnshire (Did I exaggerate it a tad in that description??).
Apart from chronicling my time in the force, I am also devoting specific chapters to individual aspects of police service. I won't go into too much detail at this stage (You'll just have to read the book once it is finished), but suffice it to say, pretty much every area of police life that I encountered will be covered to a lesser or greater extent.
I am anticipating that the book will be in the region of 300-400 pages (paperback) once done, however this is flexible at the moment as, even at this stage, I am choosing to omit certain stories; and there are still loads more to add. After the first draft is complete, I'll have a better idea of its length. Then in the editing stages, I'm sure it will reduce in size still further. We shall see...
As an estimate, I am looking at May 2018 as the predicted publishing date - fingers crossed.
Don't forget, this is only book two in the series. Book one, "Beyond the Waves: My Royal Navy Adventures" is still (and will remain) on sale. If you've read it and enjoyed it, spread the word. Recommend it to friends and family, share my posts on your Social Media pages - You'd be surprised how many people you know who are "closet fans of the RN and navy stories."
Book three, to be started mid-2018, will be more of a travel journal; detailing my adventures above and below the waves as I travel and work as a diving instructor all around the world. It will certainly be in contrast to the more structured and formal stories written thus far.
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