A Case of Conviction…

… is the story of Chloe Nightingale, a brave and talented young lawyer who has departed London for the Hampshire countryside, determined to survive her journey through grief with dignity, alone, and start her life afresh after a tragic loss.

This is a tale of justice and the need for retribution, whether within the boundaries of the law or without. Is the man Chloe has so passionately defended guilty or not guilty of murder? Was he right to take another’s life to preserve his own? And what of the victim’s rights? The stakes could not be higher in an incandescent Crown Court where velvet-fisted senior judge Annabelle Bramwell presides.

It is the tale of one woman’s strength, grit and growing wisdom; her independent spirit, her fragility; her need to lean on family and friends, her will to live.

This is a story of love across the confines of time. When Chloe’s heart begins to beat for a charming young journalist investigating her cases, will she betray her lost love? Can she even risk a relationship again? Joe himself is haunted by ghosts from the past. Can he step up and find the courage he believes he lacks?

This is a tale of good and evil, of wrong versus right. But how to be sure who is on the right side? For as the murder conspiracy advances, Joe unearths evidence that Chloe herself may be caught in its web. And the police, led by charismatic DCI Colin Hunt, could be one step behind…

This is a novel for readers who love legal drama and suspenseful romance, with a cast of characters of all ages confronting some of life’s toughest choices and challenges.

#debutnovel #legalthriller #allypreece

#romanticsuspense #acaseofconviction

Debut novel by Ally Preece

What does it take to complete a debut novel?

Many qualities proved crucial, over more years than I am willing to reveal. Resilience and grit are top of my list, sheer unwillingness to surrender. Other essentials include:

• a lifelong love of reading novels and true belief in the importance of this art form;

• the urge to write long and deep into a story that will not be silenced or curtailed in your imagination;

• writing what you need to say because it may be significant; and believing that somewhere out there are readers who may be moved by your story;

• a genuine love of learning; patience and humility in discovering and practising the writing craft; research capabilities.

Why are you self-publishing?

After several years of the above endeavour, I spent six months accruing four rejections and two stony silences from handpicked London literary agents. Not long, comparatively. But enough for me to realise the dire truth: seeking an agent (who would in turn seek a traditional publisher on my behalf) was taking the enjoyment out of my bid to publish a novel. My sense of adventure and achievement at the feat of writing this book, the years of learning and craft channeled into it, and the valuable help I’d received from family, friends and professionals, were being diminished by a slow, disheartening process where I had no control over the outcome.

Empowerment, in a word, is why I decided to self-publish my debut novel, riding on the wave of the new technology that has enabled independent publishing to blossom. Being an indie author is no easy option: it’s a proactive, cooperative, innovative and exciting one.

Now let my readers be the judge!