A Trio of Former Clients Publish Their Books

Andrew Heasman (Author)
Jul 17
4 min read

July has been a busy month for former editing clients of ProofwriteUK.

Following on from my last blog about "A Bond of Blood and Lavender" by Caroline Crews, the following three authors have published their books, all of which I have had some editorial input with. So, let's explore these new releases in more detail.

"Shadows Before Dawn" by Craig Austin.

The author initially approached me to do a sample edit of 1000 words of their fiction book. Happy with the outcome, I was asked to complete a full copyedit and proofread. Subsequently, I was asked to format the finished book for KDP Kindle, paperback, and hardback versions.

The author was clearly happy with my services, saying:

“Andrew edited a 75,000 word manuscript for me. He was exceptionally meticulous in his detailed and thoughtful recommendations. I give him credit in enhancing my novel with that final polish. He is a great communicator, very helpful and responsive to the brief. He understood it immediately and comprehensively and delivered his review ahead of schedule. I would definitely work with Andrew again. A credit for him in my forthcoming publication is well deserved and I look forward to the next time. Cheers!”

For those interested in the book itself, this is the concept of the story.

He’s a murder witness, political hostage, and estranged son. Events now force him to face his 'Shadows Before Dawn'.

Gary Travis, a Scottish thirty-five-year-old hospital scientist, finds himself caught up in Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. His time evading the armed forces is tense and claustrophobic, yet full of ingenuity and guile.

Eventually captured, he becomes one of Saddam Hussein’s human shields and is forcibly taken to the town of Basra in southern Iraq, along with a disparate group of international hostages.

In rural Scotland, Gary’s mother, Susan, is pursued by a journalist, intrigued by Gary’s situation. He correctly suspects there’s more hidden beneath her cold, unemotional, front. Mother and son remain distanced after witnessing the assassination of Gary’s father, Gordon, some thirty years earlier on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.

Throughout his hostage ordeal - full of adventure, pain, loneliness, depravity, tragedy, and even humour - Gary’s nightmares force him to revisit the murder through the eyes of his five-year-old self. However, he struggles to visualise the face of the killer. As Susan’s anguish towards her son’s now fragile existence grows, she opens up to the journalist about the events of 1960.

When Saddam eventually releases the captives, Gary is repatriated to the nearest British airbase in Cyprus. It is there that he seeks to piece together his three decade-old mystery in order to identify Gordon’s killer. Having survived his physical constraints, it is the psychological prison he occupies that presents the greatest danger; his thoughts assaulting him with all the rage of an uncensored nightmare.

To find out more, visit the book's UK sales page at "Shadows Before Dawn".

"The Pet Club Bureau" by Beezi Rivers.

This book is a children's mystery adventure and I was approached by the author to complete a full copyedit and proofread, paying particular attention to ensuring that all wording was age-appropriate for the target audience.

Again, feedback for my services was positive.

“Working with Andrew has been fantastic. He went above and beyond my expectations and picked up things I missed and gave a lot of good practical advice. I would definitely work with Andrew again and highly recommend his services to anyone, without a shadow of a doubt. Thank you for your professionalism and accuracy!”

This is what the author says about the plot.

A fun children's' adventure mystery aimed at lower middle-grade readers where the kids in the story; Grace, Mercy and William along with their fabulous funny pets, crack the mystery of the stolen pink diamond necklace. The kids learn some valuable life lessons about friendship, forgiveness and how to work as a team.

This is a family-friendly book that parents and teachers can be happy for children to read knowing the content is age-appropriate, inclusive and has valuable moral lessons for children that will amuse and grab the attention of even the most stubborn young reader. Filled with pets, ice creams, parties, fair and bags of trouble, this book will surely entertain in spades.

Want to get your young reader reading? Get yours today and watch them disappear into a world of fun and mystery!

To find out more, visit the book's UK sales page at "The Pet Club Bureau".

"RAF Halton to British Airways: DHL Night Freight Being Loaded" by Brian Clewlow.

This project was something slightly different. Before I became an editor, I'd written three memoirs of my own and three crime/fiction novels (see website for details). This author had read my memoirs and contacted me to ask advice about how to go about the process. They'd written a brief outline of their story, but it was just that; brief and a series of notes. They asked me to have a look and see what I thought.

I organised the "notes" into a book format, added chapters, and developed it into a readable form. I then offered advice about how to improve the concept. Over the years, I was given various reincarnations of the manuscript to give my opinions and advice on, and the book slowly developed.

The author chose to publish with a company offering a full service (including editing) so I didn't get to work on the finished article, but the author cites me as one of their influences, saying:

“I am overwhelmed with what you did to the memoir, and I’m very grateful, it makes more sense now.” “Thanks to you for giving up your time and patience which is much appreciated.”

The author says this about their memoir:

A vivid memoir chronicling Brian Clewlow’s extraordinary journey from a working-class boy in Stoke-on-Trent to a decorated RAF engineer and eventually a seasoned commercial flight engineer. Through war zones, global deployments, royal parades, civilian aviation, and personal anecdotes, Clewlow paints a compelling picture of service, resilience, and evolution in aviation over the 20th century.

To find out more, visit the book's UK sales page at "RAF Halton to British Airways".