You would be amazed at what goes on behind closed doors...
Hi there,
Most of us have been through the school system and either enjoyed it, tolerated it or hated it. I think that’s a fair assumption. I was one of those who enjoyed school and knew from being a teenager I would enter the profession. I was a teacher for almost 40 years and loved my career. It wasn’t easy, but it was rewarding in many respects. When I retired as a Headteacher, I missed it terribly, particularly the students and staff.
After a month, my chair of governors asked me to return to a consultative role for two or three days a week. I felt honoured to be invited back and nearly jumped at the opportunity. My wife took me to one side and we discussed the pros and cons and decided that this was my time and I should relax and enjoy retirement. My wife was right, (as usual).
Luckily, I had a great pastime to fall back on, golf, which got me through my temporary malaise. I played to a reasonable handicap and was determined to get down to single figures. You would have thought that was a possibility playing two or three times a week as opposed to just once a week on a Saturday when I was working. However, it never happened. To say that was a disappointment is an understatement. I still play twice a week, but as you age, you can't hit the ball as far. I still enjoy the game and the company of colleagues. There is also the added attraction of the 19th (drinks after the game}
As much as I loved playing golf, I still had too much time on my hands. I had to find another way of occupying myself. With no other hobbies such as gardening or DIY leanings, I had to put my creative hat on. What could I do? I penned several ideas on paper, but I wasn’t inspired.Â
In my study were numerous books, magazines and articles collected over the years and I began to look through them for ideas. My filing system wasn’t the best organised, but going through the files, I came across a children’s story I wrote years before called ‘The Adventures of Caravan Charlie’. I had forgotten all about it.
I read the half-finished book and experienced that ‘light bulb’ moment. I finished the story and added others. I thought I might become as famous as Wilbert Awdry, the author who created ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ in the 1940s. The problem was I couldn’t find an illustrator and hiring a professional was far too expensive. I regret it now, but I can always return to the stories later.Â
Meanwhile, the idea of writing stuck with me, but what could I write about? I searched the internet for ideas and discovered Amazon. I studied the various genres, and the only category that interested me was ‘Contemporary Romance.’ The deeper I researched, the more I read authors stating the obvious—if all else fails, write what you know about. In my case, this was: teaching, coaching and golf. I played around with all three ideas and wrote notes about each one. I almost chose a story about three golfers who met up twice a week for a round of golf and the shenanigans that went on during a game. There was more to it than that, but in the end, I didn’t have enough material to turn it into a novel. I turned my attention to ‘Contemporary Romance’ simply because, in a forty-year career, I saw firsthand romantic relationships developing and crushing.
You would be amazed at what goes on behind closed doors once students have left the school premises. Having taught in four different secondary school settings, I have witnessed it all: teacher affairs, inappropriate teacher-student liaisons, marriage breakups, and some incidents leading to internal disciplinary measures and warnings.Â
Thus, my writing career began. Rather than writing a standalone, I am writing a fictional series called ‘Tom Stevens’, based loosely on what I observed and my imagination. If you enjoy reading contemporary, steamy romance/suspense novels where the characters are captivating, engaging, interesting and relatable, give these books a try. I write books that readers want to read, can relate to and enjoy, and keep on coming back for more.
The books include friendships to lovers, second-chance romances, enemies to lovers, work relationships, and forbidden sex, so there is something for everyone.
Books published:-
An Educated Decision, Parts 1 & 2
An Educated Guess, Part 1Â
Soon to be published
An Educated Guess, Part 2
An Educated Vision, Parts 1 & 2
There is also a free eBook about one of the characters
All Books are Available on AmazonÂ
Until next time,
Happy reading
Mansel                 Â