Bulwell man celebrates publishing his first novel at the age of 70

Charles Towlson has published the book Fallen Roads and it was enthusiastically received by a large turnout at the launch event at the Bulls Well micropub in the town.

Charles,aged 70, has been a writer all his life but Fallen Roads is his first published work, and he is now working on a sequel.

During his life Charles has had a range of jobs, being an accounts clerk in Nottingham, a gardener in Corfu, a doorman in London and a chess teacher at a private school.

A man of many talents, he also invented the Gambler board game.

He said: All this time though, I have never put down my notebook and pen and I now spend most of my time writing, which I enjoy most of all."

Strangely, Charles's son, Zak, aged 22, is already a published author with an autobiographical work, Lost In The Woods Of School.

Charles quipped: "We now have a family argument as to who is the better author, father or son – time will tell.”

Fallen Roads is the name of an English village where nothing is quite what it seems.

The central character is Noel Falards, a young drifter whose arrival in the village sparks a mysterious chain of events, involving a pair of paranormal investigators.

The short opening chapter sets the scene with the chilling portrayal of a witch named Margana Enid Camp.

She influences everything that happens thereafter, leading to a climax which comes as a sensational surprise.

Former Dispatch chief reporter Denis Robinson, who is a friend of Charles, said: "The novel is a compulsive page-turner, a bit like Stephen King and laced with touches of humour.

"I could hardly put the book down once I had started reading it."

"In fact, I am named as a character in Fallen Roads and at the book launch people were asking for my autograph as well as that of Charles."

Published by Austin Macauley, Fallen Roads is priced at £8.99 and available to buy now from any booksellers and also available online at austinmacauley.com/book/fallen-roads