Wesley Baker's Blog

I’ve gathered some of the most frequently asked questions about Echoes of a Season and what’s coming next in Spanish Sunshine to share a deeper look behind the pages.

QUESTION: Is "Echoes of a Season" a true story?
ANSWER: Yes, this is my authentic memoir based on my real experiences as a Cosmos rep on the Costa Brava in 1992. The people, places, and events are genuine - though I've changed some names to protect privacy. Every sunset, every conversation with Sofia, every chaotic coach breakdown actually happened.

QUESTION: Are the characters real people?
ANSWER: Absolutely. Sofia, Lelena, Elisabeth, and all the guests were real people who shaped that incredible summer. I've used different names for most of them, but their personalities and our connections were exactly as I've written them.

QUESTION: How much did you change for the book?
ANSWER: Very little. I compressed some timelines for better storytelling flow, but the emotional truth and key events are exactly as they happened. That's what makes it so vivid - I lived every moment.

QUESTION: What happened to Sofia after that summer?
ANSWER: That's the beautiful mystery, isn't it? We lost touch after I returned to England - this was 1992, no social media, no easy way to reconnect. Sometimes the most profound connections exist perfectly in their moment. Her impact on my life was real and lasting, even if our time together was brief.

QUESTION: Did you ever try to find Sofia or Lelena again?
ANSWER: With Sofia, I've thought about it countless times over the years, but part of me believes some stories are meant to live in their perfect summer bubble. With Lelena, though, we actually reconnected after more than a decade! We're now good close friends. She's remarried several times and lives in Germany now. It's wonderful having that connection back.

QUESTION: Will we learn more about these relationships in "Spanish Sunshine"?
ANSWER: "Spanish Sunshine" is a companion book to "Echoes of a Season" - it covers untold stories from that same incredible 1992 summer and goes deeper into some of the experiences I touched on. So yes, you'll get more layers and stories from that transformative time on the Costa Brava.

QUESTION: Is this part of a series?
ANSWER: "Echoes of a Season" is the first book in my "Echoes of Travel" memoir series. "Spanish Sunshine: Untold Echoes from a 1992 Summer" is the companion book, diving deeper into stories I couldn't fit in the first book and exploring some experiences in much greater detail.

QUESTION: When is "Spanish Sunshine" coming out?
ANSWER: 12th September 2025! It'll be available on Amazon and all major booksellers. The audiobook version will follow shortly after. It covers the same magical summer of 1992 but tells untold stories and goes much deeper into some of the relationships and adventures I only touched on in "Echoes."

QUESTION: Will there be more books in the Echoes of Travel series?
ANSWER: Absolutely! I'm working on another memoir that's set before 1992 and will take readers through several destinations from my earlier travel experiences. The Echoes of Travel series will continue to explore different chapters of my journey through the travel industry.

QUESTION: What other books are you planning?
ANSWER: Beyond the memoir series, I have "The Spy Who Found Me" (an espionage thriller, Autumn 2025), a series of romance travel novels, and some travel industry business books in development. Lots of stories to tell across different genres!

QUESTION: What formats are available?
ANSWER: Both books are available in paperback, hardback, and eBook formats. The audiobook of "Echoes of a Season" launches in Autumn 2025, with "Spanish Sunshine" audiobook following shortly behind.

QUESTION: Do I need to read them in order?
ANSWER: "Echoes of a Season" and "Spanish Sunshine" can be read in any order since they're companions covering the same period. The upcoming pre-1992 memoir will work as a standalone, too, though starting with "Echoes" gives you the foundation.

QUESTION: How can I get a signed copy?
ANSWER: You can order signed copies directly from me! Just visit shop.wesleybaker.com or drop me a message. I personally sign each book and can include a personalised message if you'd like.

QUESTION: Where can I buy your books?
ANSWER: "Echoes of a Season" is available on Amazon and can be ordered from all major booksellers if not in stock (just ask them to order it for you). "Spanish Sunshine" will be available the same way from 12th September 2025. For signed copies, order directly from me. shop.wesleybaker.com

QUESTION: How did you remember so many details from 1992?
ANSWER: Some moments are so vivid they never fade - the taste of that morning coffee, the sound of Sofia's laugh, the chaos of a coach breakdown. I also kept journals and letters from that time. But honestly, when something changes your life that profoundly, you remember everything.

QUESTION: Are you planning to write about other travel destinations?
ANSWER: Absolutely! The upcoming "Echoes of Travel" memoir will cover several destinations from before 1992. I've got stories from different seasons and places that shaped my journey through the travel industry. Each destination taught me something different.

QUESTION: Do you still travel to Spain?
ANSWER: I do! Spain will always hold a special place in my heart. Walking through Lloret de Mar or Pineda now is like stepping back in time - though everything's changed, the essence of those places still calls to me.

QUESTION: Any advice for aspiring travel writers?
ANSWER: Live it first, write it second. Don't just visit places - immerse yourself. Learn the language, make local friends, get lost, make mistakes. The best travel stories come from genuine human connections, not tourist attractions.

In late 2024, my life changed forever. Not in some metaphorical way, but in the raw, life-on-the-line kind of way that stops everything and demands you take stock. I faced not one, but multiple near-death experiences that winter. A severe infection and large bowel perforation, hospitalisation, days where I was barely conscious, moments that felt like the edge. When something like that happens, everything else falls away. Your mind goes inward, then backward, seeking out meaning, connection, clarity. For me, it led to one unexpected yet powerful decision: to write. And not just to write anything, but to finally give voice to a summer that had lived quietly in my memory for more than three decades.

Echoes of a Season was born out of survival. As I lay recovering, I began to revisit the vivid imprint left by the summer of 1992, working as an overseas rep for Cosmos Holidays on the sun-drenched coast of Costa Brava. It had always been there in the background, a kind of emotional photograph album I flipped through from time to time. But in the aftermath of illness, those memories came back stronger, clearer, and somehow more urgent. That summer had changed me and was a huge changing point in my life and I could pinpoint it exactly, and now, so had this brush with mortality.

There’s something about being forced to stop that sharpens the past. I remembered the scent of pine trees drifting through hotel balconies. The chaos of transfer runs. The quiet moments after guests had gone to bed and the town fell into a still, warm silence. I remembered friendships, romances, mistakes, laughter, long nights and longer days. But most of all, I remembered how alive I felt back then. How I was living without filter or caution, just instinct, passion, and the pull of adventure. Writing about it was my way of reconnecting with that energy, of reminding myself that life is meant to be lived fully, deeply, and without apology.

The process of writing Echoes of a Season was as healing as it was demanding. Some chapters poured out of me, almost like the memories themselves had been waiting, tapping at the door for years. Others I had to coax, especially the more emotional ones. Saying goodbye to Spain, to the people I cared for, and to that chapter of my life brought a lump to my throat I hadn’t expected. It was one thing to remember those days; it was another to live them again on the page.

I didn’t want to write a generic travel memoir. I wanted it to move the way memory does — sometimes linear, sometimes scattered, always coloured by emotion. That’s why I layered in flashbacks to childhood, reflections on who I was becoming, and glimpses of where life was about to take me. Because no summer — no season — is ever just about what happens in the moment. It’s about how it shapes you. How it echoes long after the sun sets.

Publishing the book brought its own challenges, but I was determined. I worked with people I trusted, poured my energy into every stage, from editing to formatting to designing a cover that visually captured the warmth and melancholy of that time. I wanted readers to open it and feel transported into a novel type setting. Not just geographically, but emotionally. I wanted them to feel like they were there.

And the response… well, it’s been humbling. From old reps reaching out to say it took them back, to people who’ve never worked in travel telling me it stirred something personal in them— it’s been overwhelming in the best way. What started as a deeply personal act of recovery has become something far bigger than I expected. It’s a reminder that when we share our truths, others find pieces of themselves in them too.

I won’t pretend it was easy. Revisiting the past can be a beautifully brutal experience. But it was necessary. Because after facing the real possibility that I might not have had much time left, I knew I couldn’t put off telling this story any longer. Life doesn’t give us unlimited chances to say what we need to say.

Now, as I continue to recover and look ahead, I’m writing again. A companion follow-up, Spanish Sunshine, is complete and in final edit — capturing more of those untold stories from the same unforgettable summer. There’s also the spy novel, and a series of romantic novel books that I’m excited to bring to life. But none of this would be happening if it weren’t for those long, painful, reflective weeks in late 2024. If illness hadn’t stopped me, I might never have finally started.

Echoes of a Season isn’t just about Spain. It’s about the gift of memory, the pain of growing up, and the clarity that often only comes when life knocks you off your feet. I wrote it because I survived. And because I survived, I want to spend the rest of my days creating, sharing, and honouring the journeys — both joyful and difficult — that brought me here.

You can buy the book through Amazon at https://amzn.eu/d/8r37BIK if you would like a personally signed copy you can buy that direct from me at https://shop.wesleybaker.com

If you’d told me a few years ago that I’d be sitting here, reflecting on the success of my first published book, I probably would have laughed and asked, “Where on earth would I find the time?” But as life has shown me more than once, some stories demand to be told—regardless of timing, obstacles, or even doubt. Echoes of a Season was one of those stories.

What began as a personal project—part therapy, part nostalgia—has become something far greater than I imagined. Writing this book was never just about capturing my final season as a tour rep in Spain in 1992. It was about unearthing the moments that shape us, the people who leave lasting fingerprints on our lives, and the version of ourselves we sometimes forget existed. It’s been emotional, surprising, and, truthfully, one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.

The feedback has been overwhelming—in the very best sense. From old reps and colleagues who’ve messaged to say, “This brought it all flooding back,” to complete strangers who’ve reached out to tell me the book moved them, laughed with them, even made them cry. I never anticipated such a wave of affection. Echoes of a Season wasn’t written with commercial ambition; it was written with heart. But seeing how deeply it’s connected with readers has reminded me that authenticity matters. Honesty resonates.

That summer in Costa Brava was special in ways I didn’t fully realise at the time. I was young, hungry for life, immersed in sun-drenched days filled with laughter, chaos, guest complaints, secret romances, and long coach transfers. There was something magical about the camaraderie among reps, the rollercoaster of emotions, and the intensity of living abroad, where every week brought new arrivals and new goodbyes. At the time, it felt fleeting—now I know it was formative.

Writing the book took me back there in ways that no photograph ever could. It wasn’t just remembering events—it was reliving sensations. The smell of sun cream on coach seats. The sound of INXS playing at poolside bars. The salty air during stolen surf sessions. The tension of unexpected romance. And the quiet, unspoken weight of knowing a chapter of life was ending.

And yet, for all the joy of writing, I won’t lie—it wasn’t always easy. I had to sit with some uncomfortable truths. Reflect on mistakes. Acknowledge things I could have done differently. But in doing so, I rediscovered a younger version of myself—one filled with passion, curiosity, and, yes, a little naivety. I think we all carry that version with us, even if they grow quiet over time.

What’s touched me most is how readers have responded to the emotional honesty. I’ve had messages from people saying they saw themselves in the pages, or that they’d never thought anyone else felt the way they did about life overseas. It’s made me realise just how universal some of these experiences are—how many of us are searching for a time, a place, or a feeling we once had and never quite let go of.

The book launch in Whitstable was a moment I’ll never forget. To see people queuing for signed copies, to share stories and smiles with those who had already read the book—it was humbling. I never imagined giving public autographs would be something I’d do, let alone enjoy. But it didn’t feel like ego. It felt like connection. Like the story belonged to more than just me.

So what now? Well, the second book, Spanish Sunshine: Untold Echoes from a 1992 Summer, is already complete and being edited. It dives deeper into that same summer, sharing stories and experiences I left out the first time—some because I simply ran out of space, others because I wasn’t quite ready. But I am now. And after that, there’s more to come. A spy novel is underway, and I’m toying with a romantic fiction series set in destinations I know and love. Life as an author, it seems, is just beginning.

But Echoes of a Season will always be the book that started it all. A love letter to youth, to travel, to that chaotic, beautiful world of overseas reps. I’m proud of it. And deeply grateful to every single person who has read it, reviewed it, recommended it, or simply dropped me a message. You’ve made this journey richer than I ever imagined.

Thank you for walking back down memory lane with me. There’s more road ahead—and I can’t wait to keep walking it with you.

Echoes of a Season: Reflections from the summer that changed everything