Peter Tallon may have risen to director of a multi-million pound company in his work as a geologist.

But he has finally seen the efforts of his true passion come to fruition after getting his first fictional book published.

Mr Tallon, who lives in Shipmeadow, first began writing decades ago, but with career commitments he was never able to get it properly off the ground.

But after encouragement from his late agent Gerald Pollinger, Mr Tallon decided that The Lion and the Lily would be his first novel chosen to seek a publisher.

The story of murder, love and revenge, set in the early 1400s is now in bookshops across Norfolk and Suffolk.

He said: 'I was very keen to become an author, but in my 40s I changed jobs and work took up all my time, so there wasn't really time to write. Now I'm in my more mature years I'm still working part time, but there is time to sit and write again and time to start trying to get books I have written in the past published. My agent Gerald really liked this one and I was flattered he took it on. Sadly he passed away before anything really happened.'

The book, published by AuthorHouse UK, is set when the Lollard heresy, which believed that the Bible should be read in English, was being persecuted and innocent victims were burned at the stake.

It combines Mr Tallon's love of history and religion with his appreciation of Suffolk, which provides the backdrop for much of the story.

He said: 'I was born a Londoner, but I came up to Suffolk in 1979. It took me a year or two to get used to the fresh air, but it was Suffolk that helped inspire the story - the castles, coastline and countryside.'

Mr Tallon said he wanted to thank CD Computers in Beccles for their support.

• The book is available in Jarrolds, Norwich; Beccles Books; Wells of Southwold; Olland Bookshop in Bungay and Halesworth Books.

• If you would like a signed copy of the book email peter.tallon@outlook.com