When I was little, my dad used to sit and write. Not in a big dramatic “author” way, where he’d have a brainwave and be writing through the nights, but just quietly, working away on stories that, at the time, felt like they’d always just be there in the background.
It was one of those things you don’t really think much about as a kid. I always knew he was slowly tinkering away on the computer and as I grew, I would ask about it. Then when I was old enough, he would let me read the chapters he had finished. This is probably where my love for reading and writing began, come to think about it.
So, in hindsight, my dad planted the creative writing seed into my head. That realisation has just hit me while writing this post, and it’s made me feel overwhelmingly grateful for him being my dad. Forever a Daddy’s girl!
Over the years, he didn’t just start one book… he had a few on the go. Different ideas, different stories, all “almost-finished” but never forgotten.
Life carried on, as it does. We all got older, busier, and those stories stayed where they were for a long time… waiting.
Fast forward to now, and at 73, my dad decided he was finally going to finish one of them.
And he did.
Not only that, but he went and self-published it too. Which, if you ask me, is pretty amazing. Because how many of us have things we’ve started and never quite gone back to?
This one is called The Little Boy Under The Stairs by Tom Riley, and seeing it as an actual, physical book feels a bit surreal. Like something that’s been part of my life for years has suddenly become real.
And the best part? It’s not the only one.
He’s got other stories there too, ones that still need editing, sorting, and publishing when the time (and let’s be honest, the patience and budget) allows. So this feels like just the beginning really.
It’s his story. His words. Something he started years ago and finally finished. And I couldn’t be prouder of him for that.
If you fancy having a little read (or supporting a very proud daughter and her dad’s dream), you can find it here:
👉 https://amzn.to/4sZmZMS
And if nothing else, let this be your reminder that it’s never too late to finish something you started… even if life gets in the way for a while.
