Radio Merseyside - If I Was To Tell You Something - Peter Farrell

Peter Farrell is the author of a novel called "If I Was To Tell You Something." The story revolves around a couple who win the lottery and face the dilemma of who to tell about their newfound wealth. The novel is set in both New York and Liverpool, highlighting the special relationship between the two cities. Peter wrote the book during lockdown and found the early morning hours to be the best time for writing. The story follows Brian and Linda, who move to New York after winning the lottery but encounter trouble there. The book explores the challenges of handling sudden wealth and the consequences of keeping it a secret. Peter sought advice from experienced writers and had the book edited before publishing it on Amazon. Many readers have suggested that the story would make a great TV program. Overall, the novel delves into the complexities of winning the lottery and the impact it has on relationships and life in general. I'm chatting to an author on the show today called Peter Farrell. He's wrote a novel called If I Was To Tell You Something, and it's an intriguing one, this, because it's all about a couple who've won a lot of money, and then the subject of the story is really, who do you tell? Who would you tell? Who wouldn't you tell? Would you tell anyone? Very interesting. Now, would you tell anyone if you won the lottery? What an interesting subject this is. The subject of my next guest book is called If I Was To Tell You Something. It's a transatlantic New York-Liverpool thriller, plenty of unexplained twists and turns, highlighting a special relationship between the two cities. It's an addictive page-turner, this one, and Peter Farrell has popped in to tell us all about it. Peter, how are you? I'm fine, thanks, Sean. Yeah, I mean, it's one of them subjects, and it's one of them questions I suppose a lot of people have thought to themselves, do you know if I won big, who would I tell? Would I tell anyone? It's an intriguing question, isn't it? Well, it's a discussion I've had for years, and it probably gets discussed worldwide every single day. And it got me thinking during lockdown, because I've never seen this subject broached in a book, or even on TV. And I just decided to write the story and do something about it. And that's why I decided to write a novel. So this was your lockdown project, then? Yeah, it was actually, yeah, yeah. Although, I started writing it last year, took about 12 months to write. And what were you like as a writer? Did you discipline yourself to certain hours of the day? Yeah, yeah. Six o'clock in the morning, best time. Much more alert. Just seemed to be better, you know, different times for different people. But I found very early in the morning was better for me. Because you've got to be disciplined, if you write a book, you want to get it out there, don't you? And it was done over what period of time? About 12 months. But some days, Sean, you wouldn't be able to do it. You know, it's like every day. Nothing alone. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So, yeah, you get good days and bad days. So give us a brief synopsis. Obviously, no plot spoiling here, but a brief synopsis. This couple win the lottery, don't they? Well, Brian and Linda. Brian is from Liverpool. His wife, Linda, is from New York. They met in Concert Square. She moved to Liverpool. They're struggling to raise two young children when one day their lives take a dramatic turn when they win the lottery. Brian subsequently gets himself into a bit of trouble. And he says to Linda, we can go to your family in New York, basically, to get out the way. But the trouble they had in Liverpool is nothing that awaits them in New York. So kind of jumping out the frying pan and into the fire. But it's interesting to do it across two massive cities, isn't it? Because that's what the interesting part is, isn't it? Well, you know, you touched on it yourself, Sean, when you said the links with New York and Liverpool. Obviously, John Lennon springs to mind, the two beautiful waterfronts. But I've spoken to people in the States who've said, you know, this is interesting on both sides of the Atlantic. You know, there's a few more links that will be revealed. Did you seek advice when you were setting out to write? I know you've written another book, it was a football book, but this is your first novel as such, isn't it? Well, to be honest, Sean, I've had loads of encouragement. Jimmy McGovern has been great. He gave me some really, really great. Yeah, fantastic. Frank, who you had early on this morning, Frank Cotter of Voice, he gave me some great encouragement. And Dave Kirby, who obviously we all know from Brick Up the Mersey Tunnel. Dave's been very kind to me over the years. Yeah, yeah. So we're blessed with a lot of talent, you know, on the Mersey side. And these people are helpful, you know, and they have been helpful to me. So what did you do? Did you have the expertise to actually put it structured in the book yourself or did you have to get somebody else to do that? Well, I put it together. Obviously, I had somebody editing, helping me edit in the book. And she paid me a great compliment by saying she'd been editing 30 years. And she said, honestly, I haven't come across a story like it. And she said, it's quite unique. And I said, it's surprising nobody has done something like this before, because it is a fascinating subject. Do you know when you're writing it, if I was writing a book or a novel or a story, I would have in my mind characters, maybe actors, maybe family members. Who were you thinking of as the characters when you were writing it? You can't help it. You can't help thinking of Stephen Graham as Brian. You can't help but think actors and actresses. You do think of characters. But you know, it's like everything else. So were you a big reader? Yeah. Yeah. I love reading. I love writing. Yeah. Yeah. So what were you like? Did you go back to school as far as that's concerned? Were you good at school as far as writing was concerned? You could say I was a late developer. I probably didn't do as good as I should have done. You know, there's a lot of people like that, though, isn't it? Yeah. I was I read, you know, Peter, do you remember Viv Nicholson won the pools? Do you remember? And she said in interview, what are you going to do? And she said, spend, spend, spend. Yeah. Yeah. It went on to be a musical. Spend, spend, spend. Right. Well, it was in 1963. Yeah. It was massive news. Do you know how much she won? It was one hundred and fifty two grand she won. Yeah. Now, that wouldn't even make the stock press in any paper. No, no, no equivalent. I looked it up this morning or Lisa looked it up. The equivalent today, when she won that in 1963 will be three million two hundred and two thousand seven hundred and forty seven quid. Yeah. So the difference and she just she couldn't wait to tell everyone she was the total opposite. You know, I mean, you know what I think, Sean? I mean, I've always thought if you're not used to big money, how do you deal with something like this? And then you've got the second problem. Who do you actually tell? Because there's a story here inside inside this book, basically, where he's become an obsessed Brian of not telling anybody. And his wife, Linda, can't understand why he's so secretive. Yeah. And she's wondering, is it because of begging letters? Is it that? And he said, that's the least of our problems. And without spoiling it. No, he's trying to tell her there's something else that's not quite right. But it's interesting that creates a dilemma. If he doesn't want to tell anyone and she does. Yes. Well, that that creates almost a break in the in the relationship. Absolutely. And there's one interesting point where the lottery people go around to confirm the win and she asks them if they go in public. And Linda says, what would you do? And she said, well, if you're the outgoing type, I'd publicize it. And Linda replies, I never asked you that. She said, I asked you, what would you do personally? And she said, oh, me. And this is this is quite interesting for later on, because she says. If it was me, I wouldn't tell anybody, including family. She said that's off the record. And later on in the story, Brian reminds Linda, he says, do you remember? And he's very upset at this stage. And he says, do you remember what she said? She wouldn't even tell family. And it's quite an interesting point that a few people have raised to me because it does come back to haunt them. Yeah, well, it's very hard not to tell you if you're if you're Tommy's getting a Rolex for Christmas and last year it was a pair of socks. Yeah. He's got to say what's going on here. Yeah. Well, my my daughter said to me, she said, I wouldn't tell anybody that. I said, well, I think I've demonstrated in the book. It's impossible. You cannot keep something like this no matter how much. Because there was another part where Brian wants to send anonymous gifts to people. And Linda thinks he's lost the plot, which there is another story there. And of course, you know, he wants to send gifts to people. And if somebody needs a car, we'll send them a car. If somebody needs a house and we have to send ourselves something, she says, so they don't suspect it came from us. And there's all kinds of different scenarios. An interesting one, you know, as far as the begging matters, if I won the lottery, I'd just carry on sending them. Yeah. Yeah. Well, where can we get the book? If I was to tell you something is on Amazon. Peter Farrell. Peter Farrell. It's called if I was to tell you something. Yeah. I can see this is a television program, you know, three parts. A few people have said that. Yeah, I can. I absolutely can. Because it's a subject that it gets people talking. And that's what it's all about. If you're and we've all we've done this before. I remember, you know, when I lost my face came out, I used to do Sunday morning with Willie, my mate. And we had a lad in from Blackpool who won. He won early. He's one of the early winners. It was only a young lad, really good looking kid as well. And I said, what's the main difference now? And he said, the main difference is I used to drive around my girlfriend. We see a house and go, God, look at that. So we don't do that anymore. Yeah, no, we could we could build one of them. So it changes your whole outlook and your dynamic. So it's an interesting one. You know, sorry. I'm sorry, Sean. I'm just going back to what we said before. It's if you're not used to, as I say, big money, it could also disrupt your life apart from helping, which, you know, would be a massive, massive help to me, to you, to a lot of people. But it could also go the other way. And this is what I try to create that situation, you know, in the story. But I don't know if I can also say there's a sequel to this. If I was to tell you something else, because I'm the third one to be COVID, you hear this. I remember Billy Connolly got interviewed once. He said, I can't really win. He said, because I'm well known. If I go into a bar and I buy everyone a drink, I'm a big head. Yeah. Look at him. Who does he think he is? Yeah. I don't buy anyone a drink. I'm a tight wood. Yeah. Tight. So I've never even got anyone a drink. Yeah. He said, you can't win. No. And it's the same scenario with this. Exactly. Exactly. It's on Amazon, is it? It's on Amazon. If I was to tell you something. If I was to tell you something. Check it out, a really interesting story. There's a great novel set across Liverpool and New York. You know, I've got my copy of Canway to read the rest. I've read it in snippets. But Peter, thanks for coming in and good luck with it. I know you're working on the sequel at the moment. Keep us posted, mate. I will. And thanks, Sean. If I can put it on the Radio Merseyside Twitter, now X, if people want to have a look there. Anyway, I can get it out there. But Sean, thank you for inviting me in. Thanks for coming in, Pete. My pleasure. My pleasure. All right. Cheers, Sean.