Cumbernauld writer Mike Kernan has written a follow up to The Fenian!

Stopping to Rain is the sequel to Mike Kernan’s acclaimed debut novel, The Fenian, which told of a group of teenagers growing up in a thinly disguised version of Cumbernauld in the 1970s.

He had no plans for a follow-up but the response from readers – particularly locals – prompted a rethink.

The former Our Lady’s High School pupil, 66, whose family home was in Lochlea Road, Kildrum, explained: “The Fenian was supposed to be a one-off but I started to wonder how many more untold stories there were from the time.

“The first one that came to mind was about someone in a street near us whose kitchen door got damaged on the day they were moving into their new house.

“The story goes that the dad waited till the middle of the night, carted the broken door to a house that was still empty, and swapped it with one in there.

“I was told that tale as a kid then read something similar on a local social media page a couple of years ago.

"I wondered if by chance it was someone from the same family or just a local legend that had stood the test of time.

"Either way, it sparked off a whole host of memories of characters and incidents that have made it into the new book.”

Like Mike’s hugely popular first novel, Stopping To Rain is a nostalgia fest for anyone who grew up in the early days of Cumbernauld.

It features a cast of characters who wander to the legendary Scan bookshop for coffee and Kunzle cake, the Vineyard for underage carry-outs and the Abetone for chips.

Mike who is a former journalist and lecturer added said: “It’s great fun using these familiar locations as backdrops for the drama of the gang’s adventures.

“A lot of people who grew up in Cumbernauld have told me that The Fenian was like reading their own life history."

"Stopping To Rain is more of the same but with a new cast and a fresh plot that readers will hopefully find gripping, moving and funny.”

Stopping To Rain is available on Amazon.