HOWE ROTARIAN LAUNCHES DEBUT NOVEL

University lecturer turned crime novelist Dr Amanda Fleet recently launched her first published novel Wrong Kind of Clouds at Waterstones Book Store, St Andrews.

On hand to listen to Amanda read an extract from her book was a crowd of family and friends, as well as a large contingent of Amanda's fellow Rotarians from the Rotary Club of the Howe of Fife.

A former part-time lecturer at St Andrews University teaching science and medical undergraduates, Amanda used her days off to practise and hone the art of writing. Now she has given up the day job, Amanda describes herself as 'a physiologist by training and a writer at heart'; she also remarks that she 'now uses her academic knowledge to work out how to kill people – in books, of course'.

The dramatic opening of Wrong Kind of Clouds certainly whetted listeners’ appetites to read more. Howe Rotarians were also intrigued to learn their club has a ‘walk-on’ part in the novel, as does Chimewemwe, the Malawian charity for street children supported by Amanda and the Rotary Club of the Howe of Fife.

Amanda followed her reading with an interesting question-and-answer session, when she revealed her preferred writing modus operandi: individual scenes listed, a copious use of post-its to add detail, and the general direction of travel for the plot mapped out.  Amanda did confess, however, that occasionally she finds herself writing a scene and wondering where it will end up!

Sales of the book were brisk, all signed by Amanda’s fair hand. Those unable to make the book signing can obtain a copy of Wrong Kind of Clouds at Waterstones Book Stores or from NetGallery http://buff.ly/1YaKeB9. 

You can find out more news about Amanda at www.amandafleet.co.uk.  Alternatively, you can meet Amanda and other Rotarians by coming along to the Rotary Club of the Howe of Fife at 5.45 pm on Tuesdays at the Pitlessie Village Inn.