Small Fish Big Fish: A coming-of-age novel

It's easy to go down the wrong path. The descent to hell is gradual…

Scotland, 1965. Seventeen-year-old Stephen McBride has a dull, grey, average life in the impoverished town of Ferguslie Park. When he sees ten pounds on the floor of the corner shop, he takes a risk and spends the money on himself at the local fairground. He doesn't know it at the time, but his one dishonest decision changes the rest of his life.

Bully Archie Stewart and a gang of thugs corner Stephen at the fairground and grabs the money. When the gang leader later apologizes and takes Stephen under his wing, Stephen finds himself drawn into an escalating world of criminality from which he can't escape.

After the owner of the corner shop is found dead, Stephen knows Archie is the one responsible. If he comes clean, he'll clear his conscience, but he may lose his best friend, his family, and the girl he loves in the process.

Set in Scotland during the 1960s, Small Fish Big Fish is the gripping coming of age story of a young man finding his place in a difficult world. If you like gritty settings, compelling characters, suspenseful mystery thrillers, and a touch of young romance, then you'll love Jacob Carlisle's twist on the traditional coming of age tale.

Buy Small Fish Big Fish to start the well-written and riveting novel today! Interview with Jacob Carlisle Q. What's the story behind your latest book? I was born in the town of Paisley on the west coast of Scotland, near Glasgow. It was pretty rough going when I was a teenager—there was a lot of poverty, unemployment and petty crime in the locale, and not many fun outlets for young people. A lot of us ended up in gangs, and in trouble with the police. Not everyone was a crook—some of my neighbors were 'the salt of the earth', and there were a lot of unique characters around. In writing a young adult crime novel, I wanted to accurately represent this historical environment and the challenges faced by growing up there in a fresh way to this generation of readers. So many of the issues faced by Stephen are mirrored in today's society, such as bullying, friendship, romance, sex, self-confidence—just finding your own space in a complex world. Q.What is the greatest joy of writing for you? When I write, the world and everything in it fades away and there is nothing except creating my characters and stories. This total involvement in creating something that comes from my inner soul, is the reason I write and keep writing! Q. What do your fans mean to you? Everything! Without an audience for my work, what is the point? The more fans I have, the better I'll write. Q. What are you working on next? Actually, I'm working on a Science Fiction series under the name PJ McDermott that I'm really excited about. The first ebook, Avanaux: A Hickory Lace Adventure is already out, and book two will be published in November. It can be pre-ordered on Amazon. I'm also about half way through a sequel to Small Fish Big Fish. Q. Who are your favorite authors? Not an easy question to answer. There are so many! I enjoy reading gripping crime fiction especially murder mysteries. I loved Frank McCourt, Stieg Larsson, and Patrick O'Brien, and more recent writers such as Robyn Hobb, Graeme Simseon, JK Rowling, etc. but I also can't go past earlier authors like Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert L Stephenson, Charlotte and Emily Bronte, Dickens, and other British literary fiction writers.