EVENTS overtook Poole-born author Mark Turley when, in the late summer of 2001, he started drafting his debut novel about a terrorist attack on London.

He had no inkling that just around the corner the world's worst terrorist attack was about to be unleashed on New York and Washington DC.

For the past three years Londoners have lived in the shadow of fear that a similar blow could be struck against the British capital.

Mark, 31, was born in Poole and lived in the town until he was three. He is now a supply teacher in London, juggling his time between writing and other work.

Before completing his novel, entitled The Rainbow Maker, he had successfully published a number of short stories in magazines.

The idea of a terrorist thriller, linking secret laboratories, the Yemen and London, had interested Mark for some time.

"By August 2001 I had written three-quarters of the idea and then September 11 happened and it threw me aback," said Mark.

But he eventually decided to continue with the novel and finally found a publisher in UKA Press.

"Terrorism is something that people are scared about, but people reading my book will realise it was not written as a direct result of 9/11," he added.

"I hope it captures people's imagination."

The book is officially published on November 5, but orders can now be placed with the publisher UKA Press and online at Amazon.

First published: September 16