Keeping it noir

I had been banging on about writing a book for years when my daughter bought me a subscription to Writing Magazine and told me to “get on with it”, writes subscriber Seamus Connolly.

I realised I could follow the advice being given by the experts to begin to get the story and characters swirling around in my head down on paper.

A number of years later and my first novel, Black is the Colour, was completed, self-published and available to the population. To say I was nervous was an understatement as I finally exposed my writing to the public. I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the feedback and the reviews the novel has received so far. I even received a card from a member of the public telling me how much they loved the book while berating me for killing their favourite character.

The book is a noir crime thriller set in the 1980s in

Paisley against a backdrop of de-industrialisation and the slash-and-burn policies of Thatcher’s Britain.

The story follows high flying lawyer, Cal Lynch, and his quest to avenge the murder of his father two decades previously while also bringing into focus the challenges of unemployment, disabilities and keeping your family on the straight and narrow. Throw into the mix an orchestra, good humour, love and tears with plenty of twists and turns and readers won’t be disappointed, I hope.

I was fortunate enough that the book has subsequently been picked up and republished by Spellbound Books and a two-book contract signed to include a sequel.

I’m always looking for feedback on my writing and can be contacted on Twitter @seamusconnolly_ and Instagram @seamusgconnolly.

The book is available to order at all libraries, which is fantastic, and also via bookstores and Amazon.