A Hard Act - the Origins of a Book
- R.C.Blyth
- Jan 1
- 3 min read
Newsletter 6. January. 2026
Read behind the scenes, and learn about the writer—author's journey—progress through the art of communication.
This month, the back story is revealed - - A HARD ACT TO FOLLOW — an updated version of Podiatrist on a Mission.
This latest book was released on 14th April, 2025, which seems ages ago, now we are in 2026. There is always pleasure in creating a plot and a storyline, writing, and then making the book yourself in different formats. This new version offers an eBook option as well as a paperback.
A Story About People
It was one thing to tell a story with a chronology. Although this made complete sense, it was essential to make this more of a novel than an autobiography. Being privileged to have known many academics, it came down to talking about people and characters embroidered to represent the heart of the tale.
Then, there was factual evidence. Should I use real names or not? After all, they all existed. Then there were the locations. My career took me all over the UK, and it seemed important to focus on one central location.
It would be impossible to fit a career spanning forty years into one book, so I decided to focus on the path to becoming a qualified foot surgeon with the advent of British podiatry.
Original Publication
My book had taken years to achieve a draft that I felt provided justice for my efforts but as much a profession which today has had a stellar rise. After many deliberations, the title, PODIATRIST ON A MISSION, was agreed upon. The original cover reflected the man I had been, ironically, a picture taken at the top of the Empire State Building (building not shown) in 1981.
As my career drove the book, should the protagonist be ME—David, or should I be someone else? Or, should my author’s name be Tollafield or someone else? My editor, Brit Collins, did a brilliant job on developmental editing, crafting my ideas, making them better, and shaping the style. It was my story, but the fine-tuning was great.
The book went out on Amazon KDP in January 2021, but by March, I decided on a change in the prologue and cover.
Events that Affect Decisions
The book was re-published in March 2024 under Austin-Macauley but as a hydrid publisher I went back to my own edition and republished Mission under my official name. Unfortunately, Amazon could not reassign my ebook version, only the paperback and hardback. Worse still, some nasty organised crime group cloned the books. This was something I was acutely aware of, having been down that road before.
I decided on a new route: to keep the original in circulation and write a slightly updated version, entitled A Hard Act to Follow, using Chris Harwood as the protagonist.
A Hard Act
The expanded book reached 93,000 words with a colourful epilogue, plus - a great cover thanks to Adam Hay.
Having published a book of short stories in October 2024, I decided to switch to a fictional name - R.C.Blyth.
A Hard Act to Follow is dedicated to the same man, Robert Charles Blyth (1886-1941), my grandfather, whom I had never met. His only surviving daughter, Ann, now lives in Canada, and proudly gave her consent.
I feel as an author I have come full circle, but in the end, I think launch day still gave me the buzz, having completed my first major novel, albeit not fictional, but based on real events.
How much is fact and how much fiction, I'll let the reader decide. What I can tell you is that my next book will be a first, full, fictional crime thriller set in the heart of New York (Caught in the Crossfire). Watch this space...
A HARD ACT TO FOLLOW is now available from Amazon Books and published by Busypencilcase Communications & Publishing. E-book and paperback.
Please Note
PODIATRIST ON A MISSION is still available in hardback and paperback only. Reviews can be seen on my other author website - davidtollafieldauthor.com
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