A Word In Your Ear - January 18, 2017

These short, wintry days can be depressing and it struck me what a profound difference light and dark bring. Walking past our award-winning Stanley Park late one night was unnerving, with only faint moonlight playing on its lake and shadowy woodlands nearby; yet, come daylight, it is a place to play and of beauty.

There is an ugly side of life – or any big town – contrasting with its good or salubrious other side. We all know which we prefer, but reality encompasses both. There again, our individual approach to life may be optimistic and hopeful, or not; like a glass half-full, or being seen as half-empty.

This rather brooding wintry mood inspired me in a new book, entitled On The Dark Side, set here on our Fylde coast. Its hero is the handsome but troubled reporter/writer Sam Stone (no resemblance to oneself, I can assure you). He has already proved popular in two previous novels. Like them, this is a light thriller and romance but, I hope, more than just that.

It was written with the intention of not only entertaining on drab winter days, but also spreading some of that hope and optimism which make up the brighter side of life.

To a writer, or regular reader, fictional characters can become as real as living people, affecting our thoughts, even inspiring how we behave. That’s why it’s good to have a hero who keeps returning; just as we can rely on spring, then summer, to brighten our lives.

On The Dark Side is partly set in public parks or gardens along our coast, where a serial killer and vigilante is feared to be operating. However, in the end, it is goodwill which proves to be strongest.

We can all, I believe, give our own lives happier endings, and more exciting chapters, by showing some positive thought - and faith in goodness.

• For Roy’s books visit www.royedmonds-blackpool.com.