Hit Berkshire writer takes readers on African journey
Added: (Tue Apr 30 2024)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
Five-star rated Berkshire author Tom Wheeler is taking readers back to the cold isolation of the Falkland Islands with the gripping follow-up to his smash-hit debut.
The former construction manager’s ability to blend fact and fiction made The Lads from the Pleasant B-Team are runaway success.
And now the 68-year-old has returned with another thrilling novel based on his own globe-trotting experiences of rebuilding the Falklands.
Frome Ice to Sand has already been described by critics as ‘engrossing’, ‘well written’, and ‘a real page turner’.
While his debut was entirely set within the wind-swept islands following the 1980s conflict, this latest offering follows the construction workers from the southern Atlantic to north Africa.
Tom explained: “From Ice to Sand is the second book in a series of four – snow, sand, school, and stress – where the workers move from the snow to the sand.
“It is a fact/fiction account of the workers employed on the construction of the Mount Pleasant airfield in the Falkland Islands after the conflict.
“It follows their fortunes as they move on to work in the warmer climes of Algeria.”
Throughout Tom’s 50-year career in the construction industry, he maintained a daily journal from the job sites around the world.
Many of those diary entries have provided the plots, characters and imagery for his epic adventure novels.
While The Lads from the Pleasant B-Team explored the aftermath of a war through the eyes of workers some 8,000 miles from home, his sequel probes the contrasts between freezing isolation and the claustrophobic heat of Algeria.
Having written for pleasure and to entertain his children throughout the decades, Tom’s practice is evident in his perfect pacing, engaging characterisation and thrilling plot twists.
He added: “I used my daily diary for much of the writing and did deeper research into the locations and the projects.
“The Lads from the Pleasant B-Team is a story of conflict with management who are running the high-pressured project which included tales of work-related deaths, a hostile climate and mental health issues, but it is also a project helped by humour, camaraderie and much more.
“While the backdrop of the first novel is construction, it is more a story of human endeavour.
“From Ice to Sand captures the contrast the workers endure - from the isolation, cold and remoteness of the Falkland Islands to the heat and dust of the North African country.
“It takes the reader, from Ice to Sand.”
Away from writing Tom has visited every football league ground in England, as well as attending performances at all 42 London West End theatres.
The father-of-four has also done voluntary work in Namibia, where he helped build school classrooms.
For more details, visit Amazon and search for Tom Wheeler, where the paperback and Kindle formats of From Ice to Sand are both available.
Notes to the Editor
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