My heart for "Best Forgotten"

"Best Forgotten" is my brand new fiction title. I've loved the challenge of writing every single one of my novels but in this one, I've tried to weave together elements of mystery, suspense and redemption in a way I've never done before.

A young accident victim wakes up in hospital and can't remember who he is. He finds that not only does he have nothing in common with his family but he develops an aversion to the person he used to be. He just can't understand or relate to the way he used to behave or the choices he made. The more he learns about himself, the more puzzled and upset he feels.

He finds out that his best friend had disappeared without a trace on the night of his own accident. The more he tries to investigate, the more likely it appears that he was involved in something really shady. And he's terrified that something bad is after him. So he's torn between wanting to find out and being terrified that he'll have to face horrible consequences when he does.

When you, readers, find out the mystery, hopefully you'll let out a dramatic gasp and cry out, "Oh wow, I never saw that one coming!" That was my intention, anyway :)

As a theme, I've been fascinated for a long time by the relationship between our thinking patterns and what we make of our lives. How much is a person's personality shaped by their sum of experiences? To what extent do the thoughts we choose make us into the people we are? Do the small, apparently random choices we make during our daily lives have the impact to come back when least expected and influence the rest of our lives?

I love it when a work of fiction not only entertains readers but changes us at the core too, by getting us to think about how what we've read within the pages may also have bearing on our own lives and apply to us. These are the stories we like to remember, lend to others and call really special. It's a quest I've tried to take seriously. Novelists have the responsibility to readers to offer the very best and that's what I hope I've achieved.

When you visit your local Koorong store, please remember to pick up "Best Forgotten" (I couldn't resist the chance to work in this pun.) It is also available from other good regional Christian bookstores. Please remember "Best Forgotten" when you're wondering what present to give a book-loving friend. Its plot and theme should be of wide general appeal. If you've ever read and enjoyed any of my books before, I'm appealing to you to get hold of a copy of this, because readers have a responsibility toward authors too. If Koorong don't make good sales, they will not buy any of my future titles :( That would make me very sad because I'd have to stop writing :( Hopefully it would make some of you sad too. But I won't worry about that happening because I trust people will remember "Best Forgotten" and my other titles too.

For Aussie and international readers alike, the book is also available directly from my website, www.appleleafbooks.com and also from Amazon.com.