Books

 Trust Me, I'm a Liar

2023



As this is so different from everything else I've written, I struggled with whether or not to release it under a pen-name and start over. But then I looked at IMDB and how actors can't hide from past movies, so why should I hide from past books (well, Col, there's that Amazon Algorithm...) Yeah... bit annoying that. But this is something I want to stick with, so ya-boo-sucks to algorithms. 

Right now, the book is sitting quietly earning very little, but that's okay, because the sequel is on it's way. As soon as that's out, I might start pushing this.

Cover Blurb:
Hannah seems to attract con men, from her rat of an ex to the mystery saboteur trying to destroy her career. To make matters worse, the only way to keep her head above water is by catering to the eccentric demands of an overbearing, and quite possibly insane boss.

In short, Hannah is trapped.

And then she meets Adrian, a fake medium who relies on trickery and special effects to fool his audience. Adrian claims to have the perfect solution for Hannah. All she has to do is trust him. What Hannah doesn’t know is that Adrian has his own problems bubbling away beneath the surface. And thanks to a little white lie, those problems are about to boil over.

Trust Me, I'm a Liar is a romantic comedy of love, lies and landscape gardening.



THE WISHING BRICK

2021


I was never very happy with this book for so many reasons: the cover, the characters, the character arcs, plot, point of view and a very weak underlying theme - so pretty much everything. A perfect example of why you should really be sure when it comes to putting work out there. I took it down and set about completely rewriting it. It took eighteen months to get it right and republish.




THE GROTESQUE ILLUSIONS
OF AUBREY MANSON

2020



1888. While London is baking in a heatwave, Felix Carver is struggling to keep his small theatre afloat. With local villains taking bigger and bigger cuts, he is facing financial ruin. When Aubrey Manson turns up with an act guaranteed to fill the theatre, Carver has a serious dilemma. Manson's offer comes with certain strict conditions - conditions that run the risk of provoking those who already have Carver by the throat.

A Victorian thriller and an original take on vampire fiction. This was originally written under a pseudonym. I thought I'd give it a new cover and my own name.




CAMP TOMBSTONE:
NIGHT OF THE PICKLED DONUT

2020



Comedy horror for children, targeted at Key Stage 2 readers. Fun little project with a tongue-in-cheek nod to one of my favourite goth/metal bands. 



BUTTERCUP SUNSHINE

2018 / 2019



Buttercup Sunshine was meant to be a four-book series. Unfortunately, the series was cut short, leaving readers (and author!) frustrated. Unfortunately, that's the reality of publishing. Publishers take risks when they try something new and sometimes it doesn't pay off. 




HERE IN THE POISON GARDEN

2017


This YA thriller, told through four characters, was bought by the same publisher as Arabesque. Unfortunately, the publisher hit financial difficulties and despite having a release date, the book never made it to the shelves. When the rights reverted, I brought it out independently. 




THE BOY WHO BURIED DEAD THINGS

2015


A YA crime thriller/murder mystery. My agent absolutely loved this but couldn't find a suitable home. In the end, I brought it out myself just to have a play with self publishing and see if was as much fun as it looked. I had a blast.




ARABESQUE

2012


My second YA crime thriller focused on two teenage gymnasts involved in a botched kidnapping. When one of the girls manages to disarm the leader of a larger criminal gang, his response is more interest than alarm. He could use a girl like that.  




CLASH

2011


The book that started my writing career. Having been told that writing comedy would get me nowhere, I tried writing crime. I never even knew what Young Adult fiction was, I just wrote a story about an eleven-year-old boy who gets on the wrong side of the class psycho. Essentially a coming-of-age novel with elements of comedy, horror and crime. I never imagined it would be taken on; in fact, I only sent it out to agents because I didn't know what else to do with it. An agent got back to me within a week. Soon I had the best editor ever on board and the book went from strength to strength. 

The launch party was a blast. I booked the local Arts Centre. Because of one of the themes in the book, a fire crew (with a fire engine) turned up in support. We had a teen rock called Hell's Marauders playing while I signed books - they even got me up on stage to sing Anarchy in the UK. Childhood dream come true!




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