A DEDICATED Houghton Green author has published his second book which he wrote alongside the birth of his first son.

Neal Sutton’s debut novel was published just last year. And now, his thriller sequel Nine Lives has been released.

The 31-year-old welcomed his son into the world in February 2022 and since then, he has managed to balance writing with raising his son, working a full-time recruitment job, and watching his football team live.

But Neal says sacrificing his time was worth it.

His novel is set in Greece. He was inspired to set it there following a trip to the country with his girlfriend in 2019.

He told the Warrington Guardian: “I fell in love with Athens and thoroughly enjoyed the historical aspect, but also the hipster vibes.

“Most importantly, I love Greek food.”

He also travelled to Crete during the Covid summer of July 2020, which features towards the end of the book.

“I loved writing this book because I loved the location, so when describing the different places, I would say that was my favourite part,” Neal added.

Inspiration for the novel came from a ‘Cats of Thissio’ AirBnB experience Neal did in Athens, run by patrons who feed around 70 cats in the city centre every day to keep them happy and healthy and grant them their nine lives – the book title.

Neal’s own beloved black cat Evie led to his choice of front cover.

Apart from crime, the novel explores struggles to speak out about mental health and accepting when to seek help through its main character, Ted.

Neal said: “I feel a personal connection to Ted in this book, more so than my debut novel.

“Some of his troubles within the book are some of those I’ve experienced.

“Not fighting crime, but his feelings and difficulties.”

This time round, Neal decided to self-publish his book.

He explained: “I found that the help and support I got through the publisher, I could get more effectively on my own.

“I tried to send both novels to agents, but that was rejection after rejection, which is the case for so many writers, so I didn’t expect anything.

“After getting advice off many people, I found the way to release my sequel by myself.”

Neal believes ‘you’re only as good as your last book,’ and hopes that his readers will see the improvements in his writing since his last novel.

He hopes his book will reach a wide readership and is already planning his third book which may be the last instalment to the series.

“The ending could well be open to more books around the detective Ted Chester if the series caught on and became a success,” Neal added.

“I may also continue if I feel motivated to do so as a hobby, so there is an open door either way for more.”

His first novel Eye of the Hawk is currently being turned into a screenplay and Neale aspires for it to reach the big screen.

You can find more information about the book at: https://www.nealrsutton.com/blog/guyu73rp8yfbz9rszrail4ktoxwrcp.