A CREATIVE commuter has put his morning journeys to good use by penning a novel about bounty hunters in early 1900s America.

Part-time author Martin Marais, from Freeland, near Witney, is celebrating after self-publishing his second adventure.

And he has credited the Oxford Tube with providing him time to think while on the way to London to work as an asset optimisation manager.

Mr Marais boards the 6.10am coach every weekday from Thornhill park-and-ride in Oxford and has spent the past 18 months drafting four more novels for a planned five-book series.

The first volume, a 122-page paperback, called The Bounty Hunters, is now available to buy on Amazon and Lulu.com.

Mr Marais, 53, from Witney, said: “The coach gave me the perfect space to research, read and write.

“The commute into London took around 90 minutes and more often than not a seat with a table was available, so I knew I could have the space I needed to put pen to paper.

“Even though the coach was travelling up and down the M40 I could easily take myself back to early 1900s America.

“My imagination on the coach just seemed to come alive and I would look forward to my journey to and from work each day, immersing myself into an unknown fantasy world.”

The story is based around two bounty hunters who meet unexpectedly after months of avoiding each other. Suspicions boil over and a tale of bluff and intrigue follows.

It is Mr Marais’ second novel.

In June 2014 he published a 400-page book called The Battle of Paardeberg: Lord Robert’s Gambit.

Oxford Tube managing director Martin Sutton said: “We love hearing about our passengers and the stories behind their journeys.

“This is definitely one of the most exciting. We pride ourselves on providing a comfortable and reliable service, and by offering wi-fi we strive to make the journey for everyone, particularly commuters, as productive as possible.

“We’re looking forward to seeing what the next four books have in store and wonder if one may be set on a bus.”

The Bounty Hunters is available as a paperback and there is a Kindle edition on Amazon.

Mr Marais hopes to turn his writing into a full-time career in the near future.