Glasgow writer’s LGBT hit debut novel
Added: (Fri Apr 16 2021)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
What began as a mid-life crisis has turned a new Glasgow writer into an LGBT sensation with her five-star debut novel.
Angela McKenna from Rutherglen got a tattoo, bought a SUV and began writing her first novel after reaching her 50s.
The civil servant has been rewarded with five tattoos, plenty of sight-seeing holidays and, now, a book that has just reached number three in the charts.
The Visitor is gripping psychological lesbian love story that has also earned a growing string of five-star reviews.
Enthusiastic readers have described the 53-year-old’s stunning first novel as ‘mesmerising’, ‘moving’, and ‘the best book I have read in a very long time’.
Angela, who is influenced by authors such as Chris Brookmyre, Stephen King and Bill Bryson, admits writing The Visitor initially acted as therapy as she came to terms with her age.
She explained: “In the summer of 2019 I had a mid-life crisis which precipitated a visit to a tattoo parlour, the purchase of a big SUV, and the urge to grow my hair longer.
“As you can no doubt imagine, my thought processes at that time were somewhat erratic and for some reason, they solidified around a story about an older lady who was rather put upon by her family.
“Over several months it morphed into the story I wrote as The Visitor.
“I started The Visitor on January 1, 2020 and the first draft was finished before Covid 19 struck.”
The Visitor is a beautifully observed character study of a visiting professor from America and her older landlady in Gravesend.
Family disputes, sexual prejudices and unexpected romance are all explored in the highly accomplished novel.
Although the main thread of the deeply engrossing story is lesbian attraction, Angela believes her story is appealing to readers of any sexual orientation.
She added: “As this is ultimately an LGBT romance, I mixed my test audience - two readers are not gay and one is.
“All of them loved it, through the various drafts and the feedback I received was that it had pace, intrigue, likeable characters and that the nature of the romance was coincidental and did not detract from other parts of the story.”
As well as reaching number three in Amazon’s Lesbian Fiction chart, The Visitor has so far received more than 40 five-star reviews.
Critic Jan Simson stated: “With twists and turns at every corner, and a very interesting outcome, I was gripped from start to finish.”
Angela, who was first encouraged to write as a pupil at Spittal Primary School, plans to continue as a novelist in her spare time.
Although readers are already calling for a sequel to The Visitor, Angela remains unsure if she will bring back the characters.
For more details, visit Amazon and search for Angela McKenna, where the paperback and Kindle formats of The Visitor are both available.
Notes to the Editor
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