Why I Wrote "A Curious Chemistry"

Hello, book lovers! Welcome to my next "Why I Wrote" blog entry. I’m thrilled to share my thoughts with you!

A Whimsical Blend of Fantasy and Reality

Are you ready for a comic rom-com featuring leather bars, bikers, a dilapidated town, and eco-warriors? Look no further! This novel is a delightful mix of fantasy and reality that will keep you entertained from start to finish.

When people around the world think of England, they often picture the Lake District with its stunning mountains, walking trails, and charming tea shops. Or perhaps they envision Stratford-Upon-Avon, with its beautiful half-timbered houses and Shakespeare’s legacy. Then there’s Windsor Castle, with its majestic grounds and the Queen in her carriage. These are beautiful places that stir the senses and revitalise the mind.

But the town I was born and grew up in is not one of those places.

A Town with a Troubled Past

One hundred years ago, my hometown was filled with chemical factories belching black smoke. The air was thick with pollution, and the landscape was dotted with dead trees. Workers suffered from terrible diseases. Even by the 1970s, factories and crumbling industry were everywhere. I remember playing beside a canal that was a putrid yellow and smelled like a sulphur pit. The animal bone rendering factory had a particularly pungent odour.

But not all smells were awful! The crisp factory emitted something into the atmosphere that meant when it was about to rain, you got a strong whiff of synthetic, smoky bacon flavours. It was a strange mix of delightful and dreadful!

The Decline of Industry

By the 1990s, most of the factories had disappeared, and the old sites had been landscaped over. But even then, there were problems. The golf course was closed forever when arsenic was discovered seeping out of the ground. The supermarket became expensive because millions of pounds had to be spent on decontaminating the car park. A nature trail was avoided by dog owners when their dogs’ paws became inexplicably sore.

People tried to fight against the tide. When a phosgene gas plant was proposed for the town, a petition was circulated door-to-door to try to stop it. This potential monstrosity raised alarm after the massive deaths in the Indian Bhopal disaster. But the petition was quietly dropped when it was discovered we already had a phosgene gas plant a few miles away, and we were all within its blast radius.

The Birth of an Environmentalist

These memories of growing up may explain why I am today a committed environmentalist. I believe in recycling, renewable energy, and cleaning up the plastic in our oceans. With global warming looking inevitable, the crazy ethics of my hometown now seem set to go global.

I hope that when you read my novel, you will laugh at the fanciful ways of Grimes Chemicals and feel glad that this is merely a work of fiction. But I must point out that what’s inside this book is partly based on fact. Enjoy!

Dive Into "A Curious Chemistry"

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Final Thoughts

Writing this novel has been a journey for me. It’s a blend of my past experiences and my hopes for the future. I want to entertain you while also making you think about the world we live in. So, grab a copy, dive into the quirky world of Grimes Chemicals, and let’s embark on this adventure together!

Thank you for joining me on this literary journey. I can’t wait to hear what you think!