It’s been a long time in the making, but finally I’m there: novel number three is at last finished. Thanks to everyone who read the draft. I’ve been encouraged that the feedback was so positive, and am grateful for all the suggestions that helped me to polish the manuscript and, hopefully, pick up the last of the typos and grammatical inconsistencies.

Fitting writing a novel around a busy life, particularly when you have another, full-time job, is difficult. Each time you feel you’re making significant progress, other aspects of life cut in to hold you up. This novel took around three and a half years from start to finish, but I didn’t want to rush it – getting it right is the most important thing. Now comes the task of finding an agent – not an easy thing to do when there are so many people writing.

Looking at agent’s websites, I’m struck by how prescriptive they are about what they’re looking for. In a way, it’s reassuring, because in many cases, I think the book I’ve written might just fit. All the same, it seems a little back-to-front. Do galleries dictate to artists what they should paint, and how, I wonder? The creative process is surely the preserve of the artist and writer, and agents should be keeping their minds open.

So what is the book about? Well, it’s a rather different take on an aspect of life that seems to be becoming ever more frequent. It deals with a terrorist attack in a crowded city centre. There’s action and intrigue, as well as a good measure of plotting, but my main focus is the on how the attack affects one of the survivors.

The central character, Amber Jennings, is a no-nonsense Salford girl, with a husband and two children. She’s survived the attack, but she can’t escape its consequences, and the aftermath promises to turn her life upside down. Amber was at the scene of the crime for a lunch date with an old flame. Both recognised the gunman as someone they knew at school. While Amber ran, her date challenged their old friend, and both ended up dead.

Amber is left in shock, unable to grieve openly, and struggling to cope with the trauma. The book interweaves the earlier three-way relationship between Amber and her two friends from school, with contemporary events, and in particular, Amber’s attempts to work out what caused one of them to become a mass murderer. Oh, but I’m telling you the plot!

Despite the frustrations due to lack of time, I really enjoyed writing this book. I feel my writing has advanced, and I’ve produced a work that deserves to be widely read. Now, I just need to persuade the agents. Wish me luck!