Four years ago Manston dad-of-two Gary Wright self-published his first book – ticking it off his bucket list as a post heart attack achievement.
That book – A Parent Apart – received a five star rating for its “compelling” plot delving into the consequences of a choice that leads to the tragic death of a child and a police investigation.
Gary- best known as Gaz – had set writing a novel as a target following his retirement from a ten year career with Kent Police due to suffering a cardiac arrest aged just 29. It was caused by Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, or ARVC, which is a type of cardiomyopathy that affects the pumping chambers of the heart and causes abnormal heart rhythms.
The former Dane Court student underwent operations to fit three ICDs (implantable cardioverter defibrillators) and had a complete change of career with the opening of The Coffee Shack on Ramsgate seafront in 2014.
The book, written by combining Gary’s love of the coast, life as a parent to children Florence and Sully, now aged seven and five, and experience from the police force, marked another ‘life-changing’ event and a new career.
Gaz and wife Naomi sold up the shack in 2022 so he could concentrate on writing and it has proved to be the right decision.
In March last year Gaz, 41, was snapped up for a two-book deal by Avon Books with A Parent Apart going through an editing process which resulted in a new chapter structure and new ending.
It was released last August under the title After The Storm.
The second book, Into The Fire, is due to be released this June 5th and is also based in the setting of Beachbrook with some of the same characters from After The Storm., including DS Sue Willmott.
It tells the story of a man who rescues a baby from a burning house, becoming an unexpected national hero, but is then accused of being responsible for an unsolved murder in the seaside town years earlier.
Now Gaz – author name GD Wright- has been signed by Avon (HarperCollins) for two further novels also based in Beachbrook and featuring DS Sue Willmott.
The first of the new novels, which has not yet been titled, will be out in 2026, with the second to follow in 2027.
Gaz said: “Bringing my Beachbrook series to life with Avon has been a dream come true.
“Book three is going through the first round of structural edits and book four is written in rough form.
“I’ve mapped out in my head where we can go next and will be getting my head down to write book five after the summer.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the whole (publishing) team, with special praise to my editor Rachel Hart.”
Rachel Hart, senior commissioning editor, said: “Gary’s writing is some of the most propulsive and emotional I’ve ever read and I’ve been utterly blown away by the responses from readers and authors to his debut, After the Storm, which we published last summer.
“I’m looking forward to building on his highly acclaimed Beachbrook series with books three and four, which I know readers are going to love.”
Find Gary’s books at: https://harpercollins.co.uk/blogs/authors/g-d-wright
I enjoyed the first one so I’ll be buying the second when it comes out in June.