“Scarlett has awoken in hospital, she has no memory of the accident, no recollection of events leading up to it. But she remembers Travis – or is he a mere figment of her imagination? Makayla thinks so. Strange things, unexplainable happenings begin to torment Scarlett. Is she losing her mind? Others, including Makayla, suspect this is so. But her vision of Travis is unequivocal, he must be real, he is real. Is Scarlett the only one who believes this?”

I was attracted to this book, Phantom Footprints: An Electric Eclectic Book by Ian Welch, by both the title and the fantastic cover. The idea of a girl who awakens in a hospital with no memory of how she got there is intriguing. As soon as I started reading, I was hooked.

The story begins with Scarlett walking along a beach when she is suddenly aware of someone following her. When she turns around, she sees two sets of footprints in the sand, but no one is there. This is a real attention grabber! Although Scarlett is convinced the mysterious footprints have been left by a mysterious man named Travis who she barely remembers.

When she awoke in the hospital her family and best friend, Makayla, are there. When Scarlett asks about Travis, no one knows who he is. No one has met him, and he hasn’t been at the hospital to visit her. Makayla believes Travis is a false memory Scarlett created while she was unconscious. Makayla encourages Scarlett to begin dating, getting her life back to normal, but Scarlett can’t forget Travis.

What follows is a tale of mystery and romance. Makayla remains at her side throughout. Eventually, as circumstances change, Makayla believes what Scarlett has told her. It seems the story is resolved. But, Welch has a shock in store for the reader.

In the end, what began as a love story, sometimes mysterious and sometimes heart breaking, becomes a bizarre tale.

There are some misspellings and missed words in the book, but they in no way interfere with reading.

Ian Welch is a story teller. He usually has several story concepts swirling around in his head at any one time. After submitting several articles to local publications and receiving an enthusiastic response, he was approached to submit more. A logical progression was to write a novel.
Some comments received:
• “An intriguing plot and the characters are as equally intriguing.” – Staci Taylor Lazy-day publishing.
• The author has skillfully constructed an intriguing plot line full of twists and turns which kept me guessing until the end. A well written and engrossing story which I found difficult to put down. Matt Abraham, author.

Everyone knows the ingredients required for a captivating novel. An author with an active imagination and the ability to construct a compelling plot. Plus the ability to express all this in everyday easy reading language. Easy isn’t it? No, it takes practice and patience and perhaps a fair dose of natural flair. You are the judge and jury.
Ian’s novels encompass all of the above and are designed to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. His short foray into writing has already received critical acclaim from fellow writers and several publishing houses.

Now with five completed novels and another in the pipeline the momentum is building. Writing has progressed from a hobby to an obsession.