with every turn of the page...

There`s something immensely satisfying in coming up with an idea, putting pen to paper, and then actually reading it in print. Add to that the delightful feedback that seems to flow from readers who`ve obliged by reading the book and then offering a review or comment. When you later discover that folk have found it inspirational in some way, then the circle is surely complete.  

A good start is in having something that you really want to say of course, whether it be a story or something more factual. Giving it shape and structure, character and flow, then sets the writing into action. Add a bit of passion and personal experience to the mix and you are beginning to get the flavour for Peter`s modest but very rewarding writing output.  

​

There are of course the elitist critics who measure all by great literary standards. But Peter says, “good luck to them”, because he knows that’s not what he`s about. His aspirations are worthwhile and modest, and to add the words `published author` to his CV will do just fine – even at his age, particularly when taken with the feedback received. The personal satisfaction in having published works, copies sold, and evidence of some public enjoyment thereby, is reward enough.  

​

We`ve all heard so many people say `I`ve book I`m going to write`. Sadly, for most, it just never happens. Peter knows all too well that it takes time, commitment, vision and creativity, so he built himself a writing shed at the bottom of the garden, shut himself away, and got busy. “I was very fortunate that Luath Press was willing to take me on for the first three books – the Ribbon of Wildness trilogy. But when it came to the fiction that followed, I`d to turn to self-publishing with Lulu.com. The technical side of this really stretched me, but there’s no harm in that. Learning a new skill is such a positive experience, especially when the outcome is in the form of a printed book popping through the letter box. “Perhaps I can up my skills in this sphere”, he says optimistically, because “There`s folk who`ve ventured that they are sitting on the edge of their chairs, impatient to receive the sequel to Where Sings the Skylark.” 

​

The word `inspirational` seems to appear quite frequently from the Ribbon of Wildness trilogy. This has motivated at least 8 people covering a wide age range to variously walk or even run the entire geographic Watershed. The photos of tentative departure from Peel Fell in the south, to a triumphant journey`s end in the north at Duncansby Head are an ongoing testament to the existing and promising appeal of this newly discovered 1,200km epic of bog, rock, mountain, moor and forest. Others have contributed in their own ways, but Peter has set his mark, given it a tag in print and publicity, by defining the route and the challenge that lies ahead. Central to it has also been the human element woven into the tapestry of the landscapes.