Fareham man publishes debut novel he has worked on for 28 years
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He started writing the book at just 17
A Fareham man published a novel he has been working on for over 28 years, having started writing the book as a teenager.
Lee Knight started writing Timeline (The Boy in the Lake), a time travel romance novel, in 1998.
“It's over 20 years in the making,” said Mr Knight. “I wrote it originally when I was 17, so it's been a massive work in progress. I’m 45 now.
“I’ve had a lack of confidence over the years, despite being screamed at by many people to release it. It's easier now to get things out there with the internet and stuff, because back then I didn't really have that kind of reach.
“I was just a typical troubled teen. I used to go to the Fareham, the Fareham Creek under the rail bridge, and I'd sit there and I was inspired by stories such as Titanic, HG Wells, the Time Machine.
“I just put pen to paper one day and thought, I'm going to write a story. And it progressed over the months. I added a love interest and brought other characters into it, and they were based on real people I know in my life.
“It just developed out of a way of escaping my teenage life. It was like my little escape.
I always love creative writing. I always felt very, very creative.”
The novel is a historical time travel story set between 1906 and 1998, following sixteen year old Ryan Blake, whose life takes an extraordinary turn when he finds himself transported from 1998 into the world of 1906.
“Fareham has always been an important part of my life, and it's also played a big part in inspiring the fictional setting of Fernham in the book,” said Mr Knight. “In many ways, the story has come full circle, starting in Fareham all those years ago and now being shared with readers in the area.
“I just thought, ‘Before I get too old, I need to get this book out here. I've been planning to do it for years.’
“I work for Fatface now doing emails, so I work from home so it's given me that opportunity working from home to be able to work on this book.”
Timeline (The Boy in the Lake) is self published by Mr Knight, and is now available to buy on Amazon here.