Troon man Tom puts pen to paper and travels back seven generations for first novel.

Dec 30 2011 by Lisa Boyle, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

HE’S spent his career in IT travelling the world.

But computer expert turned author Tom McKerley now spends his time on a journey through the ages.

Tom’s first novel travels through 450 years and seven generations of the Macpherson family history.

Bloodlines – Touch Not The Cat takes readers through an exciting mystery.

American homicide detective Cathy is reluctantly drawn into the mystery of a Laird who went missing more than 100 years ago.

The investigation takes her back to her roots at Ballindalloch Castle in the Scottish Highlands.

The details of the 450-year-old unsolved mystery are told in flashbacks from the present day.

Although the book has only been on sale since August, it’s already getting rave reviews from across the world including from Geneva, the USA and Japan.

That’s something that has taken Troon man Tom and his Dutch co-author Ingrid Schippers by surprise.

Tom explained: “I lived in Holland for 10 years and I met Ingrid through a yoga class I went to. She had written several books and after learning about my background she asked if I’d be her project manager.

“At one of our meetings, she told me about a dream she had where she went back in time and met her ancestors. By chance I had done a bit of research into my family background so that’s where the idea came from.”

But Tom and his wife Joyce decided to move back to Scotland and so it was thanks to the wonders of technology the plan to write a book went ahead across continents.

“Thank God for Skype”, explained Tom.

“The whole thing was done electronically through emailing chapters back and forward and meetings over Skype.”

But throughout the two year process, Tom went back to Holland several times and Ingrid came to Scotland to visit the Highlands.

Writing a book has been a complete change of direction for Tom, who spent years working for Digital on the outskirts of Ayr.

After spending years working all over the world, the 59-year-old has now settled in Troon where he is lapping up his new roll as doting grandfather to five-month-old Jessica.

But Bloodlines is never far from his mind.

Just this week he received a Christmas card from the current Laird of Ballindalloch Castle offering him use of the castle for a launch.

Tom added: “We wanted to leave things open for a sequel. So that could be on the way in 2012.”

Bloodlines – Touch Not The Cat is available on Amazon and Waterstones in Ayr priced at £8.99.

For more information log on to www.touchnotthecat.com