Grief-stricken mother turned author launches publishing firm
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Nicola Simpson’s daughter Abigail was killed in 2007 when the Ford Fiesta belonging to Castletown’s Scott Manson smashed into a pillar on the Thurso to Castletown road – just days after he passed his driving test.
A grief-stricken Nicola found forgiveness by confronting the young man last year and also through writing down her thoughts in the heart-wrenching aftermath of her loss.
Having typed up the emotional notes, she found herself in possession of a book – Abigail’s Rainbow – and she was then faced with the daunting task of finding a publisher.
After a valiant attempt at pursuing agents and publishers, Nicola recently decided she would continue with the DIY approach.
“I met with an agent who gave me all the information and advice to do it myself,” she told the John O’Groat Journal.
“So I have now set up a publishing company called Yellow Rose Publishing Ltd, named by someone in Caithness.”
The name came from a competition Nicola ran on social networking site Facebook as she struggled to find a name that wasn’t associated with herself or Abigail’s memory.
“The young lady said she had a yellow rose in her garden that made her smile,” Nicola said.
“In reading her story I smiled too, so that was the decision made.”
The inspiration behind the company’s name is Nic Macaulay, a cook at the Dunbar Hospital, Thurso.
Nicola hopes to meet her when the book is launched in Caithness six days after the anniversary of Abigail’s death next month.
The launch takes place in The Flower Shop, Breadalbane Terrace, Wick, on October 12 from 6pm to 8pm before moving west on October 13 for another event in the High Street branch of the shop in Thurso.
With other interested parties already contacting Nicola about publishing their books, it could be that what started as a therapeutic exercise has turned into a new career.
At a friend’s suggestion, Nicola spent two years jotting down feelings and reliving some of her darkest times including the High Court case where Mr Manson described the lead-up to Abigail’s death and where he was given his subsequent prison sentence.
The book covers Nicola’s journey from when Abigail died right through to her life today – in Cyprus where she and her family moved to from Caithness in 2010 following what would have been Abigail’s 18th birthday.
“It doesn’t give you a step-by-step guide in how you are going to deal with the loss of someone in your life,” she said.
“It’s just my process from the moment I got the knock on my door to tell me my daughter had died, through to the funeral and court case and then what helped me – spiritual healing, yoga and things like that.”
When previously speaking to the Groat, Nicola said penning the 267-page book was “hell”, especially reliving many of the terrible emotions in the days and months after losing her daughter.
“It’s been quite a tough journey and it’s been hard to relive,” said Nicola. “But my drive has always been to help one other person to know that these feelings are okay. There’s someone else out there that needs this.”
More information on Abigail’s Rainbow can be found at www.abigailsrainbow.com
