Wasted On The Young

 I've decided to write a sequel to Holm Oak Lodge provisionally entitled Wasted On The Young. As I've indicated on the Amazon blurb and on my website as well as here on the blog, it wasn't a quick or easy decision. Although Holm Oak Lodge doesn't have thriller 'hooks', I intentionally left until the last line a conclusion that my readers might think or wonder about. I'll do my best not to reveal it now, although giving any information about the sequel will be difficult without giving you at least a clue as to the ending of Holm Oak Lodge.

So that's my challenge, but first I should tell you why I decided to write a sequel anyway. That's actually quite easy – I simply felt the story as it had developed to that point had 'legs', it had the potential to be developed further. The more difficult decision was whether to develop it as a sequel, to structure it as a completely new book or to withdraw Holm Oak Lodge as it stands and to continue writing the story and publish it as an single volume when it's reached its natural conclusion.

The first decision was easy – to discard the second option and not write a new book. I like the characters in Holm Oak Lodge and they'll be the important 'back story' for the new volume. Creating new characters for a new book was daft. So, a sequel or a rewrite?

A rewrite would effectively short-change all those readers who'd given me money or commitment by reading the present book; on the other hand, to enable the sequel to act as a standalone novel would mean repeating certain elements and characteristics of the characters who'd inhabit the new book. But that's a challenge for me not my reader, so that's what I've decided to do.

Finally, as not a few of my readers have kindly noted, most of my stories have rather sad endings, and if not sad, poignant at least. So, since I don't want to reveal any more of the detail I plan for the next volume, allow me to close this post with the news that I intend Wasted On The Young to end on an optimistic note.

Holm Oak Lodge

The title of this, my eighth novel, is the name of a hotel at which the story unravels. It starts as representatives of two families arrive at the hotel for quite separate meetings. I created this venue and a small cast to add to the challenge of writing a story that will start and end within a single 24-hour period. The circumstances are not unusual and, although the characters and their stories are imaginary, many readers will find themselves familiar with the situations. What I think readers will find engaging is the way the cast deal with those situations for, as everyone who's ever been there knows, there's never an easy solution.  

All three Corran sisters, Saoirse, Naimh and Philomena, are present since they buried their mother, Maureen, the previous day. They've met to read her will but unfortunately, it can't be found. The family's solicitor recalls Maureen and her late husband, Tagdh, making identical wills. Like many couples in that situation, the wills left an equal share of the surviving spouse's estate to their daughters. Now, it appears that Maureen didn't make a new will after her husband died and she technically died intestate.

Only one of the three Lockyear children is present at the other meeting, Gerard the older son. His brother has appointed a young junior partner in a firm of solicitors in Oxford while his sister, who lives in Jamaica, is represented by a firm of London solicitors. Gwen Lockyear's will is also missing though Gerard quickly discovers why – his scheming younger brother has persuaded their mother to alter her will, effectively leaving Gerard and his sister nothing.

As the London solicitor remarks, money often brings out the worst in families and these two meetings are no exception. In the course of the day Gerard Lockyear and Saoirse Corran become aware of each other and when the meetings are eventually concluded, each with a degree of agreement and compromise, the two find themselves dining together. Neither of them sought nor expected romance to arise but it does and the remainder of the story revolves around Gerard and Saoirse as they decide how they'll allow their lives, separately or together, to evolve. Their decision brings the tale to a conclusion and the reader must decide whether it's the right choice for either or both of them.