Leamington author puts one of town's landmarks at the beginning of new novel
A Leamington author has put one of the town’s landmarks at the beginning of his new novel.
Crying From One Eye, by Pete Waterhouse, starts at the plaque commemorating the Midland Oak.
According to the inscription on the plaque, an oak tree that used to grow nearby was once reputed to be the centre of England.
Pete, who lives near the landmark, said: “I’ve walked past the Midland Oak Park many times.
"I thought it would make an interesting location, and I wondered if I could do anything with the place.
"‘There aren’t too many novels set in Leamington and especially Lillington.
"So, I thought it was about time there was.
"Mind you, I’ve had to invent some places for narrative reasons.”
The novel is a psychological thriller, the story of someone who moves to Leamington to hide from their past, but – as always – it catches up with them.
Pete has also just published a collection of short stories called Unintended Consequences.
He said: “‘I wanted the stories to all be very different, so that you never know what’s going to be next. It could be amusing, or chilling, or scary, or maybe all three.”
“One story, as a challenge to myself, is just 150 words long.
"Another is 30 pages in length.
"They’re all different in length and tone.
"I hope, however, for those who like bite-sized fiction, that they’re all enjoyable.”
Pete and his wife moved from Surrey to Leamington in 2012.
He says the town is “a lovely, welcoming, place”.
Once settled in the area, he took the opportunity to study for an MA in writing at Warwick University.
He said: “I really enjoyed the course and the creativity.
"Once the course was over, some of us graduates formed a writing group.
"We critique each other’s work.
"I wouldn’t have published these two books without their feedback.
“Pete works as an editor of academic books and journals, and can often be seen jogging around the streets of Leamington.
He said he finds the exercise useful, especially when contemplating future stories.
The books are available from thegreatbritishbookshop.co.uk and on Amazon.