A GARTOCHARN author, whose debut novel was published last year, has already put the finishing touches to its sequel. Denzil Meyrick, who writes under the name D.A Meyrick, released his novel Whisky From Small Glasses last year and has since enjoyed critical and commercial success. The former Glasgow policeman, used his experience to tell the story of D.C.I Jim Daley, the latest in a long line of Scottish sleuths, in the fictional rural town of Kinloch.

Denzil, who is moving to a new publisher before the end of the year, says writing his second novel, The Death Of Remembrance, was a different challenge to the first. He said: "It's a mixture of mercies to be honest, because you're writing to a deadline it's a lot more difficult than writing your first novel - kind of like the difficult second album for a band, there's a lot more pressure.

"At the same time, it's easier because you don't have to do as much work in establishing the characters because it's still DCI Jim Daly in Kinloch.

"It was great just to write again because I have spent so much time doing publicity over the last eight months, it can be hard trying to juggle writing a story and doing the other work.

Along with the different challenges of writing the novel, the author has also found his style has changed. He continued: "I wrote the last one much more incrementally I wasn't writing it necessarily for publishing, this time round I found myself trying to write a bit every day.

"I was surprised at how quickly I managed to write it in that way so kept going with it. I never really thought I wouldn't be able to not write more, even while I was writing I was getting other ideas for the other books. I always knew the character had legs but I was surprised at just how easy it was, it's incredibly gratifying."

Writing has also become something of a family affair for Denzil, as his stepdaughter Rachel Margaret Kennedy, 22, has also penned her first novel, a young adult 'chiller' provisionally titled I Know You. Denzil added: "She's been interested in writing all her life and I think the fact I have been published and I can give her advice on how to get published helped her decide to give it a go."