Over the last 40 years or so in media I’ve covered police, education, city hall, the rise, and fall, of Mayors, Prime Ministers and Presidents, I’ve been a medical writer, a war correspondent, a columnist, a travel writer, a publisher, a creative writing teacher…

…I’ve written about heart transplants, airplane crashes, wars (Iraq, former Yugoslavia and Romania, not to mention my very own native northern Ireland), I’ve survived earthquakes and tropical storms and a few other catastrophes (some of my very own making)… but completing my first novel, ‘Pretty Ugly,’ recently linking Ireland (Belfast and Donegal) and the US (Kansas City, Boston, New York and Washington) beats them all for sheer challenge.

‘Pretty Ugly’ has been a few years in the writing, and I wish I could say it was all plain sailing, but as probably most first-time novelists will tell you, “It wasn’t.”

I crashed into some plot rocks, found myself diverted by a few wayward literary waves and was even capsized mid-story and tossed into the opaque waters of writers’ block without a literary lifebelt. And if that wasn’t enough, I then had to throw a lot of ballast overboard in a desperate attempt to save the whole kit and caboodle from going under (100,000 words in total), with only myself on the poop deck waving a sad farewell.

The GOOD news, however, is that it’s DONE! And boy, am I PROUD – not about ‘Pretty Ugly’ being a success. That decision I leave to others more astute and objective than I, which includes you. But about finishing it, just the way I wanted.

Now all I need is appreciative book-lovers to read what I’ve written. In fact, as many such readers as I can possibly muster. More than that, some of those fine people to kindly, generously, selflessly, write a short comment on the Amazon page below. Around 50 words is enough. I’ll even settle for 10. Even one, preferably ‘Great.’

I know it’s a lot to ask. In today’s fast-moving world, there seems barely enough time for even the ‘must-do’ things in daily life than to pen a few words to help an aspiring author. But following the timeworn advice, ‘if you don’t ask, you don’t get,’ I’m asking. Not quite with cap in hand, but with one knee slightly bent (lopsided, probably from playing too much football as a young man).

So, here goes…

PRETTY UGLY in print

PRETTY UGLY in kindle

Far be it from me to say, ‘Pretty Ugly’ would make an excellent Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year or birthday gift for book-reading friends and family, but think of it this way. It has a pretty cover, it’s a pretty good read and it’s a pretty size so it’s bound to look extremely pretty wrapped up with nice colorful paper or inside a seasonal red stocking. What about the ugly bit, you ask? Always keep in mind, ‘Beauty is in the mind of the beholder.’

Who knows, maybe the land and seascape descriptions and dramatic action in ‘Pretty Ugly’ that take place in west Donegal including Gola and Tory Islands, Dunlewey, the Poisoned Glen, Gaoth Dobhair, Cnoc Fola (Bloody Foreland), Bunbeg, Teac Jack, Teac Hiudái Beag’s and many other places, will kick-start literary tourism here in the northwest.

If it could but emulate a fraction of what Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ‘The House of the Seven Gables’ and ‘The Crucible’ by Arthur Miller did for Salem, Massachusetts; Anne Rice’s ‘Interview With A Vampire’ did for New Orleans, Lousiana; John Berendt’s ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’ for Savannah, Georgia; an even George R. R. Martin’s fantasy novel ‘A Song of Ice and Fire,’ more popularly known as ‘Game of Thrones,’ did for northern Irish tourism, then the rewards would be rich. A flood of international visitors would come to the area creating stronger business for local cafes, restaurants, pubs, B&Bs’ and hotels, as well as greater support for community and cultural activities.

Why, ‘Pretty Ugly,’ even contains words and phrases as Gaeilge, therefore supporting development of the Irish language and scenes involving traditional Irish music seisiún and that most ancient of skin rejuvenation treatments – bog turf.

Anyway, please take a look and see what you think. Then leave a one-word or ten-word review on Amazon. I’d be much obliged.

Go raibh maith agat. Is mise le meas mor.