By Carlena Knight
A Montserratian who resides in Antigua and Barbuda is hoping to bring some much-needed attention to the Caribbean region through his first book.
Al Flemming, a food critic and accountant, joins a long list of Caribbean authors with his fictional thriller “Trouble in Paradise” which takes readers on an adventure in the island of Nevis.
“It follows the choices of a retired detective who thought that Nevis would be a quiet place to retire. While there, he is bombarded by a streak of criminal activities that test how great his ability is to truly ignore injustice and stay retired,” Flemming explained.
The 26-year-old resident of Gambles revealed that his love for reading inspired him to write a book of his own.
“Growing up, my parents encouraged my sister and [me] to read regularly and do book reports. The first book series that I fell in love with was The Hardy Boys, and then in high school, I graduated to the Alex Cross series by James Patterson. I believe that my family’s guidance and inspiration by James Patterson were the greatest influences in writing my novel,” Flemming shared.
The author is wasting no time in adding more books to his resume as he revealed that, currently, he is moving away from the direction of his first book, and is working on a romance novel.
“I am really excited about it. It will highlight a myriad of feelings and challenges faced by individuals searching for that special someone. I am also doing a poetry anthology that is near completion,” he added.
The University of the West Indies graduate is also hoping that through his work, younger authors will be inspired to write books of their own.
He is advising them to believe in themselves and not let anyone deter them.
“For every individual who is desirous of becoming an author, I’d like to say, believe in yourself. Never tell yourself that you can’t do it, you’re not good enough, or you’re too young. It’s good to be your biggest critic, to some extent, but never allow your inner voice to restrict your ambition.
“There are billions of persons in the world but no writing style is exactly the same. My advice to you is pray about it, believe in yourself, take the risk and keep writing. Challenge yourself to be better than you were yesterday,” He added.
“Trouble in Paradise” is available at the Best of Books Bookstore on St Mary’s Street or on Amazon.