Welsh author launches first of three novels

A woman from South Wales is about to launch her debut novel on Thursday, 26th August this year.

Nicola Jane John hails from the fishing port of Aberaeron, West Wales, and currently lives in Cwmbrân. She has both written and, unusually, illustrated her work ‘The Weed Man’ which is published by the international publishing house Pegasus Elliot MacKenzie Ltd.

She was inspired to put pen to paper during the recent Covid-19 virus lock down out of sheer frustration at not being able to swim regularly, her life-long passion. The story is based on her brother-in-law, her husband’s not so identical twin brother. His obsession with weeding his beautifully manicured lawns twice a day took Nicola by surprise during a short stay with the family in Cleveland last year. She was in disbelief when early one morning Dr Glyn John asked her to join him on his infamous ‘Weed walk.’

‘I was quite honestly flabbergasted and in a state of shock. Why on earth was this highly intelligent and respected retired industrial Chemist doing this? Too much time on his hands I supposed.’

‘Several months later we all became subject to the imposed restrictions of the pandemic.’

However, something quite remarkable occurred during this uncertain time.

Nicola kept pacing the floor trying to put her mind to something positive. Her laid back husband Professor Gareth John was fast losing patience which was so out of character. Yet he conjured up a cunning plan to provide himself with at least some peace and quiet for a few hours.

‘Oh yes, I had the perfect solution to my wife’s frustration,’ he said, his face beaming with the satisfaction. ‘I sneaked into our office, pulled down the blinds and prepared for action stations.’

‘There were plenty of pens and note pads, so I rounded up Mrs J and escorted her to our massive library full to the ceiling with books from Shakespeare to many of my published works.’

‘Right. Now my darling I have a chilled bottle of your favourite Chardonnay and a large wine glass,’ he said. ‘I know you can write so I want you to put that grey matter of yours to good use. Have some vino and get those creative juices flowing. Do a short feature for the local rag, the Argus.’

With that he shut the door and bolted it. On the outside!

‘Just call me on the mobile when you’ve finished.’ he added.

‘Six hours later I made a call to let me out.’

‘What have you been up to all this time?’ Gareth asked. ‘I was beginning to worry. I thought you might have fallen asleep after a tipsy writing session.’

‘Oh no,’ I told him. ‘Far from it. I haven’t touched a drop. This is what I’ve written,’ I said with the contented look of a pussy cat. ‘And handed him 16 pages of A4 hand written text. Just read it, please, knowing only too well he would tear it apart.’

‘I went back into the office and poured myself a large, well–deserved glass of wine. Sat back and waited for what I thought would be his inevitable response.’

‘Half an hour later Dr J called me into the lounge and started waving the manuscript around like a man possessed.’

‘This is fantastic love,’ he said wrapping his arms around me.

‘You have the makings of a best seller here,’ he added with my mouth wide open in disbelief.

The rest is history in the making…