They say everyone has a book in them and David Crockett from GemLife Woodend agrees.
The Vietnam Veteran and retired dentist said the COVID lockdowns gave him the time he needed to finally put fingers to keyboard. However, the first manuscript David started was not the first he finished.
“I wasn’t happy with where that was going, so I shelved it for a number of years,” he said. “I wrote and finished a series of crime stories first.”
Thirty Days Has September, A Week is a Long Time, and A Dish Best Served Cold are centred on the fictional detective chief inspector Brian Cochran.
“He turned out to be a fascinating character to write,” said David.
“The first story wasn’t going to be about him particularly, but the more I wrote, the more central he became. I made him a Vietnam
veteran like me, and that informs how he goes about putting the pieces together and solves the cases.
David said he believes years of experience helps authors craft a better story.
“I’m 80 now so I was able to draw on 65 years of being an adult, which makes a big difference to how you plot and develop the characters,” he said.
Once those stories were complete, David returned to his first tale – a piece of speculative fiction called Memory.
“It started from the idea that every memory from every point in history is encoded in our DNA,” he said.
“What if ancient memories were preserved and retrievable? In Memory, the DNA of a young woman carries a coded message of an ancient talisman of unimaginable power.”
David’s other book is Destiny, which he describes as, “like Dan Brown but better written”. David’s novels are available from independent bookstores in Mornington where he is invited to meet readers and other authors.
The last of GemLife Woodend’s Final Stage home sites are selling now. Each site features one of a selection of three-bedroom home designs with between 187sqm to 212sqm of living space, a generous array of premium inclusions and designer finishes plus a 6-star energy rating.
Tel: 1800 931 188 | website: gemlife.com.au
