Postcards From Pimlico

3 College friends from 2 different backgrounds and 1 dark secret. From wild times in 1980's London, 25 years later to a reunion in Cheshire. Reunited by tragedy for an evening they will never forget. It is a novel about belonging, loyalty and the fragility of friendship, a thought provoking and evocative account of the friendship of Charles, Monty and Ben.The 80's atmosphere is vividly bought back to life and there is palpable tension between the friends throughout. You feel the hidden vulnerability of the characters subtly emerging as they try and turn back the years. Is meeting up again a good idea? You'll have to read it to find out.Likened in style to David Nichols the book sits squarely within the parameters of commercial fiction, weaving past and present, but based on actual events. It is part of a Trilogy, the sequel Magnetic North is being penned with possibly a December 2016 release date. Authors NoteIt is a moving and compelling account of the relationship between three college friends: Charles and Monty, two public school boys, and their spiritual rock', Ben. I feel there is more to the novel than the limitless supply of anecdotes and nods to SW1 in that era, and my challenge was to weave a thought provoking mystery into the plot. I hope i've done a good job and my audience will be able to either, remember or relate to that period. There are obviously nods to the current movers and shakers around Sloane square but i wasn't fully focused on any particular comparisons when i started writing the book.Things have changed alot since then!'I felt compelled to write Postcards after a good friend suffered the loss of his twin brother. I knew I had three exceptional lead characters and I had a great recall for events, people and places in London at that time. Luckily as a writer I had literary licence to embellish the story with a few cliffhangers and reveals, and I liked the idea that a momentous event like a death, would bring old friends back together.I also like the idea that our past and present all linked by invisible threads. I had not planned the ending and it was the help of my editor Hilary Mander, who created the 'There was more, there was always more.' climax. I am very pleased with how it turned out and how the novel is essentially just three men in room telling their individual stories.I feel 'Postcards from Pimlico, ' should be read, if at all possible in one sitting. I have have never been on a creative writing course and i am self taught, although 10,000 hours practice should make you somewhat of an expert.
About the Author: Paul started writing in 2007. The trigger was a visit, while on a family holiday to a remote farmhouse in S.W. France . One of the rooms had been converted into a library that contained a diverse selection of both French and English literature. His early writing efforts were sent to a copy writer at Channel 4 who r said his work showed promise, but his comments spurred Paul on. He writes about people, places, and relationships. The underlying themes are a sense of mystery and the idea that our past and present are all inexplicably linked by invisible threads. Paul was born in Lambeth in 1961 and spent his formative years growing up in South London. In 1971 his parents moved to Surrey where he attended Ewell Castle School for Boys. Here he excelled at sport, especially tennis, cross country and football. At 15 he was given trials at Chelsea and played in the youth team for the next 12 months. He didn't pursue University and chose instead to start work at Courage(E)ltd in Purley A chance meeting with a windsurfing instructor in Italy pointed him in the direction of Hotel School and a degree in Hotel Management. He spent the next three years living in various flats in London while completing his course and increasing his knowledge in fine wines and gastronomy. But he wanted more. His passion was travel, and he discovered food and culture were not restricted to the UK. He spent 18 months travelling in Australia and ended up running the Bay Garden Restaurant on Magnetic Island, a stones throw from the Great Barrier Reef. He returned to the UK in the late eighties and decided he wanted to be an entrepreneur. He gained qualifications in wine and set up Epicurean an upmarket wine company that specialised in organic wines. He also worked as a consultant for Pizza Express. It was this role that, in 2002 led him to create Ecosteam an environmental cleaning company and you can guess who his first major client was. He ran Ecosteam until 2014 but during this hectic time he realized his true passions and skills lay elsewhere. His true passion for storytelling evolved alongside his sales career. He always felt that telling a story enhanced the whole sales process. He is married with two children and lives in Cheshire. He is an accomplished skier having skied most of the more challenging mountains in Europe. He still enjoys sport in his fifties and plays football and tennis. He has been an ardent Chelsea fan .