MARTIN Bone’s life changed forever when he was hit by a car and left fighting for life at just nine-years-old.

Now 27, the Mauchline man has published his first book, called The One Sided Story which is inspired by true events that have happened since his horrific accident.

It was launched at Fairburn Hotel in Mauchline and released on Kindle, with some positive feedback already made by readers.

Although the story is fictional, Martin explained he created it based on first-hand feelings as he put his innermost thoughts on paper.

He said: “I felt that people did not understand the emotional side of disability and wrote the book to get that across.

“I was knocked down by a car when I was nine, which has left me with paralysis down my left-hand side. It is all about growing up and going from the person I was to the one I am now.

“Also the person who I could have become – which is part of the struggle to achieve what I thought I could have achieved, had I not been knocked down.

“The book is about teaching people of the consequences of their actions and attitude towards people like myself. Incidents like when I am sitting in a bar or a club but, when I stand up and walk towards people, you see the change in their face.”

Because it happens so often, Martin can recognise this in people, albeit thankfully it is not an issue among friends and family.

Although he feels he could have put a lot more of his own experiences into the book, Martin did not want it to be just a downward spiral of things that have happened to him.

Following the accident, he was in a coma for months and understandably remembers little of what was going on, so was unable to start his fictional account with his trauma.

In the future, he may write about that time but, explaining the title of the book, he said that it is not only about his own “side of the story”.

Martin said: “As well as my disability I have written about relationships which I have wanted to continue, but others haven’t – so their side of the story is also given.

“I also try to get across that the childhood sweetheart in the story has a boyfriend, so it appears that she has it all. But it turns out that she has a problem with the boyfriend, so we then hear her side of the story.

“Even though the book is not about myself, I based a lot on my own experiences.”

His book was been a labour of love, with the first draft taking around 14 months to write and a further 22 months trimming it down to size, representing three years from the day it started until it was released.

English was not his best subject at school, but Martin revealed he has a good imagination, while he had some help from Ayr Writers Group as well.

Comments on the book include: “Five lives brought together by one. Each one broken in different ways. Fabulous” and “Enjoyed this book very much. An entertaining story with a few unexpected twists which kept me turning the pages into the wee hours”.

See www.amazon.co.uk/One-Sided-Story-Martin-Bone-ebook for more details.