Writer and TV actor strikes Gold with first novel
Added: (Tue Nov 30 2021)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
Award-winning actor and screenplay-writer Stephen Bill has just completed his longest-running project – his debut novel.
The 73-year-old, who starred in classic TV films such as Spend, Spend, Spend, Nuts in May and Days at the Beach, has spent the past two decades researching and writing Percheron Gold.
And he has his acting buddy, Larry Lamb, to thank for introducing him to the original story that was to inspire the novel.
Stephen explained: “Percheron Gold has been over 20 years in the making, commissioned originally as a screenplay and researched in America, France and the UK.
“I lived in France for several years and it was my good friend Larry, who also had a home in France, who first introduced me to the story.
“Indeed, in the early days we travelled to Illinois and Kansas together in pursuit of the magnificent Percheron horses.”
Percheron Gold is a stunning novel spanning the final decade of the 19th century when American entrepreneurs descended on a small French town to buy Percheron horses.
Stephen’s fictional protagonist, Irwin Gurd, enters real-life events and meets real-life characters who were involved in the clash of cultures
While Percheron Gold is an incredible account of a dramatic period in history, it is also a compelling love story.
Stephen added: “The book celebrates the relationship between man and horse as seen through Irwin’s gift as a born horseman.
“It takes place before the internal combustion engine when the Percheron heavy horse was destined to be the horse that powered America - the animal favoured by the teamsters in the burgeoning cities and the corporations buying up and ploughing up the vast grasslands.
“I was attracted to the story because it involves the New World meeting with the Old, the repression of women, which is still as relevant today, and the determination of the young to break free.
“There’s a love story and above all it’s one man’s odyssey, overcoming all odds on the way to redeeming his reputation and saving his family’s farm.”
Among the famous making cameo appearances in Percheron Gold are the world’s greatest animal painter, Rosa Bonheur, Bill Cody, of Wild West Show fame, and the irrepressible Annie Oakley.”
Since the recent release of Percheron Gold, it has attracted entirely five-star reviews from the critics.
Stephen’s debut novel has been described as ‘an epic story’, ‘delightful’ and ‘extremely enjoyable’.
Reviewer Pete Groom stated: “A genuine page turner that gallops along at a fair old pace.”
Prior to writing Percheron Gold, Stephen had been the resident writer at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, and he has won many awards for both his stage- and screen-plays.
His most successful play, Curtains, has been performed all over the world, including London’s West End and New York.
And his television writing credits include Darling Buds of May, Broke and Maise Raine.
For more information visit Amazon and search for Stephen Bill, where the Kindle and paperback versions of Percheron Gold are 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 2,500 books in a variety of genres for clients throughout the world.
For more details on PublishNation, visit their website at www.publishnation.co.uk