LETTING the train take the strain has been just the ticket for a villager on track to achieve his ambition of becoming an author. Jeremy Garner from Gamlingay had his first novel published last week and every word was written while he commuted from Biggle

LETTING the train take the strain has been just the ticket for a villager on track to achieve his ambition of becoming an author.

Jeremy Garner from Gamlingay had his first novel published last week and every word was written while he commuted from Biggleswade station to work in London.

Whether he finds a seat or has to sit on the floor Mr Garner, 35, always pulls out his laptop and taps out another few lines of a novel.

He says he finds travelling on the train therapeutic and inspiring as he watches the countryside flash past the window and seeing so many different characters.

"It all started in 2002 when I decided to write a novel and to use the dead time I spent on the train," said Mr Garner, whose first novel The Blood Partnership is a thriller set between Cambridgeshire and London and penned under the name of Seth Garner.

"It may sound hard to believe but I am inspired when I commute on the train and when I get home and the family has gone to bed I tidy up my work or continue working.

"I aim to write 500 words on every journey. Then, of course, I have to do the editing and going over the draft. After I wrote my first novel I had to rewrite the whole thing on the advice of my agent who also suggested I changed my Christian name. He gave me a list and I chose Seth and he found a publisher very quickly.

"For years when I commuted I just read novels or did the crossword.

"Now I start writing as soon as I get on the train."

Mr Garner has already completed his second novel, Broken Surface, and in his third, which is already at mid point, Sandy station will get a mention.

But after writing his first novel finding a publisher was not easy. He touted it around several publishers but eventually found an agent who took him on and he is now hoping one day commuting will be just a memory and he will work full time at home where he lives with his wife and two small children.

"Perhaps one day I will give up my job in advertising and write novels full time. That is what I would like to do. That is my dream," added Mr Garner.

"Already there has been interest in my first novel from a production company in Monaco but at this stage I have no thoughts of walking down a red carpet.

"The only red carpet I am likely to walk down at the moment is in Carpet Right."

To learn more about Mr Garner's books you can get more information from his website on www.sethgarner.co.uk