My Story
I was born in Doncaster, Yorkshire in 1964 into a working class family. A grounded upbringing provided stability although a lack of siblings left gaps in experience that affected my feelings throughout my life. On leaving University I moved to London qualifying as an accountant and have worked in industry in that role ever since albeit in my own business since 2016. I am married and live in Hitchin in Hertfordshire.
My passion for writing and exploring emotion through poetry has been a constant, driven by events both experienced and denied. I have written many stories, virtually all in verse, consisting of a simple rhyming structure focussing more on the emotions and feelings of the characters than the technical structure of the verse. None of my books are fully autobiographical but many draw on experiences I have had often positioned in relevant, if not directly comparable, situations.
My Books
Escape
Escape is my first non-fiction book and looks at 1970's Labour MP John Stonehouse. Much has been written about his life especially his attempt to fake his own death but nothing has considered what drove him to such a desperate act.
His desire to help people who had no other support manifested itself in Africa in his fight against colonialism and in Bangladesh, where he was instrumental in securing that country's independence. These fights too their toll on his mental health.
Escape documents the events leading up to his fateful decision highlighting the pressures put upon him and highlights he made certain decisions. It also compares the environment within which Stonehouse lived and asks whether it has advanced in the last 50 years.
ISBN 978-1-83563-173-7
£7.99
The Boy with Three Mothers
An autobiographical look at the life of the author through the relationship with the three matriarchs in his life. Firstly, his birth mother who, whilst not having a direct influence on his day-to-day existence, her decision to put him up for adoption had an overarching influence on how he viewed his life and its events. Secondly his adopted mother, who had the most direct influence during his formative years and who brought her own emotionless relationship with her parents to bear on her parenting. Finally, her sister who, despite sharing the same stilted childhood relationship took a very different mental approach to her life which took a very different path as a consequence. She had a strong influence on him in a much more positive way.
The book looks at how all three of these influences affected his life and determined when and how he became a man.
ISBN 978-1-80031-164-0
£7.99
Chances
Told in the form of a verse novel, Chances is the story of John, a shy, self-conscious individual who spends much of his time alone. Despite his paralysing shyness and awkwardness, he meets Helen, his first love and cannot believe his luck. He totally falls for her and she seems taken by him and, together, their love develops through their teenage experiences. However, he has his heart broken as Helen falls for another and finds himself alone once again. Despite many meets and encounters he can never get over that first love.
Thirty five years later he attends a school reunion, where his first love seeks him out and tries to rekindle their love. Will things work out? Will her tragic life experience persuade him to give their relationship another chance after all these years? Is he prepared to risk having his Heartbroken a second time?
ISBN 978-1-80031-164-0
£7.99
The End of Beginnings
ISBN 978-0-244-21414-2
£6.99 (including £1.00 donation to Alzheimer's society)
Born into a working-class family in the heart of Sheffield's steel industry, Brian worked tirelessly to provide for his family. Selfless and stoic, he took every shift available to make life better for his wife and children. Until tragedy struck.
However, he picked himself up and started again to rebuild a life and a home. The End of Beginnings takes the reader on Brian's journey overcoming tragedy early in his married life, through to his fight with dementia. It explores not only his own deterioration, but also the impact upon his wife and family.
The Woman at No.44
Having lived his whole life wondering about his real entrance into the world, Andrew, adopted at birth, decides to search for his blood mother.
On finding her, he discovers with traumatic consequences the circumstances surrounding why his mother put him up for adoption and has happened to her since.
The Woman at No.44 takes us through his experience and describes his mother's early years up to the point when they finally meet.
ISBN 978-1-326-39824-8
£5.99
Family Fortunes
Intended to be read from beginning to end, Family Fortunes is a book length poem of the unhappy stories of three siblings from a broken home; two sisters, Suzannah and Emma, and brother, Daniel, and their individual, seemingly futile and ultimately tragic, pursuits of love and happiness.
Daniel's quest for love and children took a tragic twist, Suzannah pursued love with a married man and Emma faced the same decision as her mother being married to an alcoholic.
ISBN 978-1-909932-45-4
£9.99
ALZHEIMER'S SOCIETY
I am very proud to say that the book launch of The End of Beginnings was held in partnership with Alzheimer's Society.
A contribution will be made from every book sold and opportunity for further donations is available at:
BOOK LAUNCH
