AN author who battled for 23 years to get his first book published has now brought out his third novel.

Malcolm Roscow, who lives in Branksome Park, received a staggering 219 rejection letters before finding a publisher for his first story, Another Boring Day In Paradise, which was released by Austin Macauley in 2015.

He first began writing the book in 1992 after selling his international paper pulping business, moving to Florida with his wife to hunt for a new retirement venture in the Bahamas and being conned by a criminal - a tale which inspired his story.

Malcolm then spent 22 years re-writing the novel before it was finally picked up by a publisher.

He went on to have a second book published and is now celebrating the release of his third novel, Harry, a tale of internet grooming.

Malcolm said: "“I’m very positive-thinking. I set my mind on getting published. Every time I got a letter I took it as saying my writing was not up to standard. So rather than keep writing a new one, I went back to the old ones and improved them.

“I listen to people who have been saying all the time I’ve been writing ‘if you can write well and can write a good story, don’t give up because one day it will get published’. But you have to have tenacity and the will to continue. I think it’s an occupation that you never stop learning about, I’m learning all the time."

Malcolm is now working on a screenplay for his first novel.