Gately’s Storybook To Be Released
The story, Tree Of Seasons, described as a magical fantasy, was virtually completed by singer, actor and television presenter Stephen Gately when he died last month unexpectedly aged 33. One of his last comments on his Twitter page was that he was working on the story in the hope of having it completed in time for a Christmas release. Mark Booth, working for publisher Hodder & Stoughton, has now obtained the rights for the novel.
The story will now be published in hardback in the UK in April 2010. A separate deal has been reached with another company in Ireland.
Gately’s husband, Andrew Cowles, has been working to complete the Tree Of Seasons alongside Stephens bandmates from popgroup Boyzone – who were aware of how the fantasy tale was to pan out from conversations with Gately prior to his October 10th death.
Music icon Sir Elton John, who became a friend of Stephen in the early 2000s, has been asked to write the foreword. It is believed Boyzone will promote the book next year along with the final album with Gately vocals included.
When Josh, Michael and Beth Lotts catch sight of some mysterious lights one summer’s evening, they are drawn into a dense forest near their home where no one dares ever go. What they find there is incredible.
The Tree of Seasons is a doorway into another world. There are four kingdoms in this world, each forever stuck in spring, summer, autumn and winter and each with its own ruler. The tree and the world it conceals have existed for hundreds of years and have never been uncovered by anyone, until now.
The Lotts find that peace has been shattered in this magical world. One ruler, who bears a remarkable resemblance to their aunt is intent on power at all costs. She causes destruction and suffering that threaten to tear worlds apart. Josh, Michael and Beth have arrived just in time to take part in the battle that the other three kingdoms have to fight in order to survive.
The Tree of Seasons is a beautiful story of good and evil and a vividly imagined portrait of a world beyond our own..
The album includes a song recorded in 2008 which was dropped from the previous Boyzone release as songwriter and performer Mika wanted the track to release himself; he has now allowed the Irish boyband to add it to their forthcoming album. The last song Gately recorded, Little Drummer Boy, is currently on-sale as part of fellow bandmate Ronan Keatings solo album, Winter Songs.