New book set in North Devon blends crime thriller with self-improvement

North Devon is the setting for a new book which combines crime fiction with a large dose of self-help.

The Process by Robbie Steinhouse is set in a fictional retreat somewhere between Barnstaple and Exmoor and is peppered with local references, including Chivenor airfield and even the Fullam Chinese restaurant!

The book sees five delegates assembled to face up to their issues by undergoing a week of therapy known as the Process.

In the background is Jacob, its mysterious creator, whose dark past has, up until now, been largely undetected. But technological changes are fast catching up with the other side of his 'creativity'. What will happen if his two worlds collide?

The book’s author is a leading authority on NLP – neurolinguistic programming – a branch of psychology which explores the connection between a person's thoughts, language and behaviour to change patterns and achieve specific goals. It is widely used in business coaching and self-improvement.

Speaking exclusively to the North Devon Gazette, Robbie Steinhouse explained why he chose to set the novel in this area.

“I started coming to North Devon maybe about 30 years ago,” he said, “and discovered the rather pleasant Saunton Sands Hotel. And then, basically, after that, discovered the area.

“So, we bought a home there, for when my children were very young, in Croyde and came and spent a lot of time there over many, many years.”

The London-based author added: “I think one of the things they say in writing a book is it's good to talk about something you know about, rather than talk about some miscellaneous area. And it's also such a beautiful place.”

Starting in the 1980’s, Robbie built and ran businesses in recruitment, property and insurance. He then moved into the area of NLP training, and delivers all of the training at NLP School in London and is also on the faculty at NLP University in California.

He says The Process is a way of bringing NLP to a wider audience, who may not normally pick up a self-help book.

“I think those books can be a little dull,” he said.

“I sometimes felt some of them could be summarised into a sentence.

“So what I thought was, could you create a kind of murder mystery - although there's not murder in it - but that thriller genre?”

How important to the overall narrative of the book was the choice of North Devon as a setting?

“I think partially it's this idea of having an opportunity to have a retreat, an escape from the large cities, especially London, obviously,” said Robbie.

“I think it's one of the most beautiful parts of the country, but it also has a kind of wild ruggedness.

“And I think it gives people an opportunity to sort of settle down a bit and have a sense of tranquillity. Because, I suppose, ultimately therapy can become a bit of a self-perpetuating process. I mean, in some senses, the tools can kind of blunt the objective, which is to live a happier and more tranquil life.

“And I think that there is a sort of happiness and tranquillity going on in North Devon, which I think, also, hopefully is part of it. So, I think it is very significant.”

Was ‘the Hall’ – the fictional retreat featured in The Process – based on any real retreat in North Devon?

Robbie said: “Not specifically, no. Although I did once visit a chap who owned a home, a kind of mansion. He was a wealthy chap who did like meditation retreats at home.

“But he sold that, maybe 20 years ago. So it could have been that, maybe his home.”

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In writing The Process, Robbie wanted to show how people who create great things can also be very flawed individuals.

“I believe everyone wants to live a happy life but are often unsure how,” he said.

“I wanted to create something for readers that would provide some of these benefits without having to attend a retreat like the Process, which can be costly and time-consuming.

“I wanted them to enjoy a cracking good read too! I wanted to see if I could make a self-help book a fun, engaging and exciting read. I set myself this target: self-help in a pacy thriller.

“I hope that many readers will identify with some of the problems the characters face in the book, and have a vicarious healing journey along with, as I've said, a pacy and fun read.”

Robbie is the author of several books published by Pearson, including How to Coach with NLP. Robbie also teaches internationally, including as a faculty member of the NLP University in California and as a guest lecturer at UCL. He also runs transformative NLP sessions for both individuals, groups and organisations.

The Process is available now from Troubador Publishing, priced £10.99. Find out more at https://theprocessbook.co.uk