Roy McCarthy

Now retired, I am fortunate to live in the beautiful island of Jersey, Channel Islands. After returning to the Island in 2010 after a couple of years away I found myself with a little time on my hands. Accordingly my first novel Barry was born - a real vanity project but one which I thoroughly enjoyed completing.

Whilst running around my home island I got the idea of writing a local historical novel with a parallel story set in modern times. The result was A Jersey Midsummer Tale set on two Midsummer days 80 years apart.

For my novel Tess of Portelet Manor I picked up the protagonist from my previous book and built the story of the German Occupation around her. I loved writing this book - Tess is my favourite main character and at times I felt that she was doing the writing for me.

There followed A West Cork Mystery and A Contract of Honour, both inspired by Ireland and its thin veil between an alternative dimension and our human one. Barry2 was a light-hearted follow-on to my first book and was crashed out during NaNoWriMo.

Along the way I collected together some random short stories which became Aspirations of a Sheep.

Finally (so far) came Supply and Demand. My first seven books were quickly published almost at first draft stage (I've little interest in editing, revising etc). This last one was different. A heart-breaking and very real issue was one I was determined to do my best, do justice to. If there's one book of mine you should read it is this.

If not working part-time for Jersey Heritage, or writing, you'll find me somewhere on the roads and in the lanes of Jersey, running and racing, staying ahead of the Reaper.