Author Patrick Easter has waited a long time for the publication of his first novel. A former policeman turned freelance journalist who has just turned 67, Patrick had dreamed of writing a novel for many years. But the catalyst proved to be a conversation at a dinner party with friends.

“The conversation turned to writing and how difficult it can be to get a project like a book off the ground; the hurdles that must be overcome.

“I’d been a policeman for many years, an occupation hardly designed to prepare one for the task of writing a full-length novel. Except in one important detail. It provided me with detailed knowledge of a particular field. Like everyone else, I knew something about something and that is what I wrote about – crime and policing. The fact that my novel is based in an era 250 years before I was born doesn’t matter. I know about policing and I know the mindset of policemen. It makes a huge difference.

“What I learned, particularly in my years as a journalist, is to stick to the subjects I knew about. It’s a lesson I’ve tried to adhere to as a writer. So when a friend at the dinner party suggested I should write about the river police (where I had spent part of my service), I thought it was a great idea.

“Of course, that’s only the beginning and many (happy) hours of research are needed before fingers can connect with keyboards. For me that meant frequent visits to the National Archives at Kew as well as nearly every major museum in London, the Jewish museum in north London, the Thames Police museum in Wapping and many, many others. I even spent time at the National Newspaper Museum in Collingwood.

“And when I’d finally written what I thought was a masterpiece it was left to the numerous agents to whom I sent the manuscript to let me know what a total mess I had made of the job. I have lost count of the number of times I have re-written the book. And even when it was finally accepted for publication, that was not the end of the writing.

“My editor – of whom I have the greatest admiration – promptly sent me no less than 26 pages of notes requiring two or three months of further work. It was a very steep learning curve. To (sort of) quote Winston Churchill, the book which had begun life as my mistress had developed into my mother-in-law. But the rewards in terms of a sense of achievement, have been immense.

“All I have to do now is finish the second book for which I am contracted, and do it in less time that it took me just to polish the first one.”

The Watermen, written by Patrick Easter and published by Quercus, was released today. You can order this excellent book through all the usual channels including Amazon, Waterstone’s and W.H. Smith.

He is currently about half-way through the writing of the 2nd novel in the series, River of Fire, which will be on the shelves in the Spring of 2012.
Editor, Third Age.