Around the World in 80 Books discussion

Hi to all,

My novel, Conviction, is published today. I have made it free for the next five days and invite you to enjoy what I feel is an intriguing story about one of the forgotten heroes of democracy, Thomas Muir, one of the Scottish Martyrs who strove for people's freedoms in the 1790s.

First and foremost I want to share the story with you in the hope that you'll find it enjoyable, and if you do I'd love it if you could write a review to support the book's journey so it is read by as many people as possible.

If you go Amazon and find that it is not free, then just wait until tomorrow and the free window will definitely have started.

I've included the blurb and a sample below.
Thanks in advance,
Olly Wyatt

Conviction

Conviction

One escape. One trial. One forbidden love.

Scotland, 1792. As revolution sparks across Europe, Thomas Muir dares to challenge the British Empire with a radical idea: that ordinary people deserve a say in their government. His bold words ignite a movement—but also mark him for ruin.

Tried for sedition and exiled to the penal colonies of Australia, Muir’s journey takes him from the courts of Edinburgh to a prison camp in Botany Bay. Alongside Jane Lambert - a poor client he represented back in Glasgow - Muir faces betrayal, injustice, and the harsh realities of life in the colonies. Until, that is, they decide to escape...

Based on actual events, Conviction is a gripping tale of political defiance, personal sacrifice, and a love tested by time and tyranny. Set against the backdrop of revolution and exile, this atmospheric novel explores the cost of truth, the power of conviction—and the price paid by those brave enough to speak it. Ideal for readers of Robert Harris, Conviction brings history to life with urgency, passion, and an unforgettable journey of survival and resistance.

"Waves clawed at the boat, each one slamming harder than the last. Jane’s oar slipped from her hands, and she cried out as it vanished into the frothing sea. Muir moved to help, but the boat pitched violently. A rogue wave loomed above them like a fist.

"Hold on!" he shouted, but the impact tore the words from his lips.

The world flipped. Water engulfed them, icy and merciless. Muir fought his way back to the surface, gasping for air. The boat had turned turtle, its upturned hull bobbing like a cork in the chaos. He found Jane, coughing and spluttering, clinging to the edge. Together, they clawed their way beneath the hull, finding an air pocket.

“It’s not safe here,” Jane rasped.

“Stay,” Muir snapped. His tone was harsher than he intended, but panic thrummed in his chest like a drumbeat. “We ride this out.”

The storm roared on, the boat their only fragile refuge. Hours stretched into an eternity. Cold seeped into their bones, and the air grew stale. Jane’s breathing grew shallow, and Muir checked her every few minutes, fearing the worst. When she stirred, his relief was short-lived. A memory surfaced unbidden: sharks. He shoved the thought away, focusing on the here and now. The boat rocked violently, and the air pocket grew smaller with every surge.

“We need to get out,” Jane said finally, her voice hollow. “Or we die in here.”

Muir nodded. Together, they forced their way out and onto the hull. The storm had eased slightly, but the sea was still a churning mass of whitecaps and swells. They clung to the slick surface, the cold biting at their fingers.

Then, on the horizon—a sail.

Muir squinted, heart pounding. Two masts? Their ship?

But what if it wasn’t? What if it was HMS Providence, the gallows waiting for them in its hold?

“Jane, look.”

Her head snapped up, hope flaring briefly in her eyes before doubt snuffed it out. “Is it them?”

Muir didn’t answer. Instead, he plunged into the water, ignoring the searing cold. He dove beneath the hull, fumbling for the remaining oar. Tangled in rope, his hands worked quickly, muscle memory kicking in. He surfaced, gasping, and hauled himself back onto the hull.

Jane took off her jacket, hanging it over the oar as a makeshift flag. They raised it, the weight dragging the boat lower in the water.

The sail on the horizon didn’t change course.

Hours passed. Their boat sank lower. Water seeped into the buoyancy tanks. Then, the boat gave a final lurch. The oar slipped from their grip, vanishing into the sea. Water surged over the hull, and they were forced back into the waves.

The horizon was empty."