Lis McDermott, a Royal Wootton Bassett-based author and poet, has released her fourth novel ‘Honey’, the first in a series The Beaconsbury Forest Series.
Following the success of her debut novel, He is Not Worthy in 2022), she’s gone on to write two more novels and now has finished her fourth ‘Honey’ which follows the story of a young girl who grows up in a tight-knit community around a forest called Beaconsbury.
Lis said: “This novel is rather different from my other ones and is the first in a series of three following the lives of a mother and daughter from 1954 right up to 2024. I’m already knee deep in the second book which will come out later this year.
“I love characters and I wanted to write about two main characters from their point of view over a long period of their lives. The first character is Honey who lives a sheltered life with her mother and grandmother. She marries at a young age, makes a bad decision which leads to a secret which has far-reaching consequences across many years.”
Lis, who lives in Royal Wootton Bassett, launched her book at an event at Stanton House Hotel recently (June 18). She’s loosely based Beaconsbury Forest on the Forest of Dean where she lived many years ago and she visits often.
“I wanted the ‘place’ to be very pivotal to this book and the two others in the series. It has its own community which is very tight-knit and almost has its own voice. Living in the forest impacts on characters in very different ways. For some, the forest is magical, warm and welcoming, but for other’s it appears insular and claustrophobic. The strong sense of the forest community develops as the series continues.”
Early feedback from beta readers has been overwhelmingly positive:
“Your use of conversation to convey the story line is compelling. Lots of twists and turns kept me reading and the mysterious murders added extra excitement.” – Carolyne
“The opening sentence of Chapter 2 is fab – it definitely hooked me in – I wanted to know why she always felt guilty and knew something interesting would come out of that.” – Nicki
“I started this book in the afternoon and only put it down to cook dinner and eat. I can’t wait for the next book, it really got me gripped. The people seem real and I could actually feel as though Honey’s life was mine. I laughed and cried!” – Bobbie
“Lis’ way of describing relationships makes you feel as though you are living in the story Reading this was like a rollercoaster of emotions. I couldn’t put it down and devoured it within a weekend. I’m counting the days until I can read book 2.” – Hannah
As a prolific writer, Lis’s literary repertoire includes novels, four poetry collections, and two factual books. Beyond her own work, she mentors aspiring authors, guiding them through the publishing process. To learn more about Lis and her latest novel visit https://lismcdermottauthor.co.uk/
Photograph taken by Fran Robinson of Photography by Fran: https://www.photographybyfran.co.uk/
Article from Scott Media
