Books

A brief run through of my various attempts at being an author.

CLASH - 2011

I never really wrote Clash with the intention of writing Young Adult. For me, it was just the story of two eleven year old boys who are thrown together. Each has a particular talent. Kyle is an artist; Alex is a cage fighter. The story is a gritty urban crime thriller. It received some fabulous reviews.

ARABESQUE - 2012

Again, a crime thriller, this time focused on two teenage girls, each a talented gymnast and best friends. But when they are involved in a botched kidnapping, the leader of a larger criminal gang takes interest in why one of the girls is not only capable of disarming him, but she clearly knows how to use a gun.  

THE BOY WHO BURIED DEAD THINGS

A YA crime thriller / murder mystery inspired by my own teenage years of hanging round the fairground and the bays and beaches of South Shields. Brought out independently just to have a play with self publishing and see if was as much fun as it looked. And while it is fun, it doesn't have the same buzz of a traditional deal. 

HERE IN THE POISON GARDEN

This, my last YA thriller, told through four characters, was bought by the same publisher as Arabesque. Unfortunately, it never made it to the shelves. When the rights reverted, I brought it out independently as it was dedicated to a family friend and I had been looking forward to giving her a copy. 

BUTTERCUP SUNSHINE

Two books written with my son, Matthew in mind. He loved silly, slapstick comedy and fast paced stories. Buttercup Sunshine is over-the-top comedy horror. The first is a zombie attack on a fairytale cottage, the second is Buttercup going off in the hope of finding a cure from the local mad scientist. I never expected these books to be taken on, but Maverick Children's Books snapped them up. 

I was also lucky enough to do the illustrations for each book. That was a lot of fun.