The Books of Ball & Quill

Two Books.
Two Very Different Journeys.

My first book, Take a Trip Along Life's Runway, looks back across the journey that has brought me to where I am today. My second book, Shadows Beneath the Wake, takes readers somewhere completely different, aboard a luxury cruise liner where beneath the glamour and excitement, secrets are waiting to be discovered.

Real Experiences. Fictional Adventures.

The Books of Ball & Quill

One is the story of a life lived. The other is a mystery born from imagination. Together, they represent the two sides of Ball & Quill, real experiences and fictional adventures, both written to entertain, intrigue and take the reader somewhere new.

Take a Trip Along Life's Runway by Nick Ball
01

Book One · Memoir

A story of life and memories

Take a Trip Along Life's Runway

My Life. My Memories. My Journey.

Take a Trip Along Life's Runway is my memoir, a humorous, honest and sometimes emotional look back at the journey that has brought me to where I am today.

Life doesn't come with a departure board, a boarding pass or a guaranteed arrival time. Mine has certainly had its share of delays, diversions, turbulence and unexpected changes of destination!

Across the pages, I look back at the experiences that have shaped my life, childhood memories, family, friendships, work, adventures, travel, challenges, achievements and the everyday moments that can often become the stories we remember most.

There is laughter, frustration, determination and plenty of situations that, with hindsight, are probably funnier than they were at the time!

From my working life and the experiences gained along the way to travelling and seeing some remarkable parts of the world, the memoir reflects the highs and lows of an ordinary life that turned out to be anything but ordinary.

But this isn't simply a book about looking backwards. It is also about looking forwards.

Because reaching sixty doesn't mean the journey has finished. Far from it. There are still places to visit, experiences to enjoy, people to meet and, most importantly, more pages waiting to be written.

The runway may have been long, but there is still plenty of runway ahead.

Shadows Beneath the Wake
02

Book Two · Mystery Drama

A voyage full of secrets

Shadows Beneath the Wake

Every voyage has a destination. Not every secret is meant to arrive there.

With Shadows Beneath the Wake, I leave the world of memoir behind and take readers into the world of fiction, mystery and suspense.

Step aboard the luxurious cruise liner Elysian Sky, where passengers expect beautiful surroundings, first-class service, exciting destinations and a voyage they will remember for all the right reasons.

But beneath the polished surface, something isn't right.

A disappearance raises questions. Strange events begin to unfold. Secrets lurk beneath the glamour, and the further the voyage progresses, the more difficult it becomes to know who can be trusted.

What begins as a luxury cruise gradually develops into a mystery in which appearances cannot always be trusted.

The ocean may look calm from the deck, but beneath the surface something much darker is moving.

As the passengers and crew continue their journey, questions begin to emerge.

What really happened?
Who knows more than they are saying?
How far will someone go to make sure the truth remains hidden?

Shadows Beneath the Wake is a mystery drama designed to keep readers turning the pages, looking for clues and wondering what might happen next.

And just when you think you've worked it out...
Think again.

Different Stories. Same Passion.

Two Books. Two Journeys.

Two very different stories, each taking the reader on a journey of its own.

Book One · Memoir

Take a Trip Along Life's Runway

About life.

Book Two · Mystery

Shadows Beneath the Wake

About secrets.

One looks back at the journey I've travelled. The other takes you somewhere entirely fictional.

But both share the same Ball & Quill philosophy:

Every story has a beginning. Every journey has a destination. And every good story should leave you wanting to know what happens next.

A Message from Nick Ball

I Want People to Enjoy Reading Them

I also want Ball & Quill to become somewhere readers can follow the journey discovering new stories, finding out what happens behind the scenes, meeting characters, exploring ideas and seeing what I decide to write next.

Because one thing I've learned is that reaching one destination doesn't necessarily mean the journey is over.

There are still plenty of pages left to write.

So, take a look around.

Discover the books.

Discover the stories.

Discover a little more about me.

And perhaps, along the way, you'll discover a story that makes you laugh, keeps you guessing, reminds you of something from your own life, or simply makes you want to turn the page.