Herts writer’s book helped him cope with mental health
Added: (Fri Nov 06 2020)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
A stunning new psychological thriller has helped a Hertfordshire author overcome his mental health problems, as well as achieve his dream.
Arron Hickman has already earned plaudits and encouraging reviews for his poetry, short stories and film scripts.
But the 41-year-old refused to consider himself a proper writer until he finally finished and published his debut novel.
Sebastian is a powerful, and thoroughly convincing, study of friendship, mental health and creative barriers.
Arron, who lives in Bishop Stortford with his long-term partner, admits his first full-length book is partly autobiographical.
He explained: “I suffer with a mental health disorder myself, and for a long time it kept me from seeing my self-worth, and I would write down my frustrations.
“One day I decided that enough was enough, and I would write the novel I have always wanted to write.
“I wanted to create a story in which I could talk about my emotions and frustrations through the characters that I created.
“Both Adam and Sebastian represent those differing emotions I deal with, and how often those very same emotions play off against each other.
“Before long I was able to come up with a storyline which I felt represented this ongoing battle.
“I also wanted to prove that I could do this, not only for myself, but for others who may suffer from a lack of courage to do something similar.”
Sebastian follows the challenges faced by budding author Adam.
Fear of failure and an unshakeable self-doubt haunt his every page, until schoolfriend Sebastian unexpectedly turns up.
Arron’s novel is both honest and uplifting in its portrayal of the psychology which prevents people achieve their full worth.
His first anthology of poetry, Sounds of a Broken Radio, reached the top three in Amazon’s charts when it was released in 2016.
And his short films have been screened at festivals in Europe.
Although Arron is now concentrating on becoming a full-time writer, he reveals that his first attempt at being an author was not widely appreciated.
Arron, who includes Haruki Murakami and Fyodor Dostoevsky among his influences, added: “My mother taught me to read from a very young age, I must have been about three years old.
“I first started writing stories when I was about eight - but one story I wrote around then got me in trouble with the teachers at school for being a bit too near-the-knuckle.”
For more details, visit Amazon and search for Arron Hickman, where the paperback and Kindle formats of Sebastian are both available.
Notes to the editor
PublishNation was formed in London in 2011 to provide high quality services to writers at affordable prices.
Since its launch, the company has assisted in the publication of around 2,000 books in a variety of genres for clients throughout the world.
For more details on PublishNation, visit their website at www.publishnation.co.uk