The Final Proofread
Posted on: 11 July 2025
One of the most satisfying moments in writing a novel is completing the final proofreading and sending it off to the publisher, knowing your work is done. When someone else takes over, it feels like entrusting your baby to a babysitter, only to have a stunning cover and a box of freshly printed books arrive at your doorstep several weeks later.
It’s only then that you realise the immense effort involved in creating a masterpiece. Four years ago, The Trail to Freedom was born. I spent countless hours researching World War II and even travelled to Strathpeffer in Scotland. I had afternoon tea on the old station platform; the station was just as I had described in the book and this was my first visit. Sitting there, sipping tea, I reflected on the troops who arrived at the station and marched through the village during the early 1940s. I learned about the Lumberjills, the women who worked in the forests, sawing wood and felling trees. The buildings described in the book remain intact and in use today. Strathpeffer is a charming spot with the stunning backdrop of Ben Wyvis.
Saltburn-by-the-Sea in Yorkshire, also mentioned in the book, had its charm before the war began. However, it became one of the heavily bombed places on the east coast, with the local infants’ school being completely destroyed.
I wrote this book with ‘Lest we forget’ in mind. I think that the new generation of those born in the late 1970s and 80s and beyond need to understand what happened and the reason why we keep the story alive. When I read my father’s war letters I realised what he had been through and felt it was important to use my writing as an educational tool as well as a fictional novel. The book is based on a true story.
We hope to have The Trail to Freedom out in November, there is still a lot of work to be done by the publisher so it’s not all straightforward. These things take time.
In the meantime, while you wait for the release of this novel, have a look at my other two books which can be ordered via the website.
Please leave a review both on Amazon and here as well.
