Ready to Discover Summer Nemesis?
The debut novel by Adrian Harris is available now in the following formats:
About the Author.
Adrian Harris
Adrian lives in the town where the book is set. He moved to Budleigh Salterton in 2018 and plays an active part in the local community. Having previously served as a town councillor for two years, he is now a keen member of the bowls club and a frequent visitor to the Feathers public house, which features in the story.
The Journey to Summer
Adrian grew up in north west London and after developing a keen interest in motor sport he spent three years competing in Formula Ford and saloon car racing, alongside working in the motor industry. In 2002 his life changed direction when he turned his part-time service in the Royal Navy Reserve into a full-time occupation, serving in Sierra Leone, Somalia and Afghanistan. After moving to Devon in 2009, he worked at the Britannia Royal Naval College, instructing future Royal Navy officers, before completing his working life at the Commando Training Centre, retiring in 2024.
A keen sportsman, in addition to his motor sport exploits, Adrian competed in ocean yacht racing, and ski racing, alongside being an enthusiastic football fan, which continues to bring joy and misery in equal measure to this day.
VISUAL NARRATIVE
The Landscape of Budleigh Salterton
The novel’s setting is inspired by beauty of the rugged Devonshire coastline, in particular the uniqueness of the rounded pebbles that make up the beach of Budleigh Salterton, a small town set within the Jurassic Coast.
The Process
Timeline to Publication
Inspiration
It was while watching the 2006 Italian Grand Prix at Monza that I found myself sitting on a patch of grass, my 11-year-old daughter beside me. Whilst relaxing under the shade of some tall trees, I noticed several wasps circling around a soft drink can and as we watched the insects buzzing around, I began to think about their lives and what they did and even what purpose they served. The idea of writing a book about wasps flashed into my head.
The First Draft
So it was a week after my retirement in 2024 I first put pen to paper (fingers on a keyboard really). The plot had been developing in my head for 8 years, some ideas considered but soon discarded, others retained and further developed. Just over four months after writing the opening paragraph I had completed the first draft.
Revisions
Through a series of editorial reviews the manuscript shed over 15,000 words and the structure of the book went through several transformations until the final version was finally ready, 15 months after the first draft had been completed. Nothing is ever perfect and I could have continued to make changes for years into the future, but the reworked project was sent for proofreading and typesetting and the novel was ready.
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