A LOCAL author is ready to strike a chord with music fans on his latest book.

Dave Watson's Cuttin' Heads is about a band from Inverclyde and the weird things that happen to them after a smooth-talking producer promises to make their dreams come true.

This is the 41-year-old's third publication and he says it is inspired by his own experiences

Dave said: "It's based on my own experiences playing in bands, and encompasses various bits and pieces of existing rock n roll and blues mythology.

"It should go down a treat with anyone who's ever been in a band. "

The title makes references to an old Blues busking custom when one musician competes with another.

Dave's first two books - In the Devil's Name and Wolves of Langabahat - were styled in a horror genre and they have sold thousands of copies.

He juggles writing with his job as a web officer with Police Scotland and is already working on his fourth book, a western crime thriller.

Dave, who lives in Inverkip with his wife and young son, quipped: "One of the ideas could probably be best described as Hellraiser meets Die Hard.

"I've also been toying with the idea of a post office robbery gone horribly horribly wrong."

Dave recently joined the Greenock Writers' Group and won a trophy.

His work based on Tam O' Shanter was runner up in the Robert Burns Competition in Dunedin and he took first prize in the Your Best Shot Storytelling Festival in Falkirk.

He is also taking to the stage at Burnsfest in Rozelle Park in Ayr today.

Cuttin' Heads is published by Creativia and is available in the shops now.