Set in a dystopian seaside shanty town in North Wales, Plotlands tells the stories of its residents, most of whom have come there to escape the secrets of their past lives. Plotlands is a place of escape but the past has a way of catching up. Meet the bizarre, the ridiculous and the poignant in this collection of short stories. Order from Amazon here
Death comes in many forms and many unexpected ways. A chilling collection of short stories available here from Amazon and from bookshops.
Skelmersdale was the first new town in the second wave of new towns built in the 1970s.This book details the history of the town before it was chosen to become a new town, the reasons for this and the events that led up to the first bricks being laid in 1964. Learn the history of the British new towns policy, starting from the utopian visions from the 15th century on to the socialist ideals of the garden citites to the post war idealism of a brave new world for the city centres and the working classes. Available on Amazon.
The Haunting and beautifully crafted tale of a girl’s feral childhood in 1960s Lancashire, and her friend Jack’s search for the missing, homeless adult she becomes. Piecing together diaries, medical notes and media reports, Jack’s quest ultimately leads him to re-examine his own history and abandoned identity. Powerful and thought provoking, this debut novel uses unique language and devices to challenge perceptions of homelessness, identity and exclusion in modern society. (Impress Books.)
Questions for readers / reading groups are available from the publishers, Impress Books, http://www.impress-books.co.uk/images/liliesread.pdf
Consider the Lilies won the Impress Novel Prize 2007 and is published by Impress Books.
Available from all good bookshops price £7.99, ISBN:978 0 9556239 1 2 or buy now on Amazon.
Hear an extract on Youtube.
The life story of Gary Skyner, one of the first British thalidomide children. Born in 1956 Gary fought his way to adulthood in a tough area of inner city Liverpool to become a well-known stand up comic, motivational speaker and tireless campaigner for the rights of thalidomide victims worldwide. You will be shocked by the horrifying facts of the thalidomide scandal and the terrible way that its victims have been neglected and in some countries never compensated at all for injuries that were not their fault but caused by corporate greed and dishonesty. Despite the
facts this is a heartwarming story of a man with a big heart (and a big mouth) that will have you laughing through your tears. Published by Matador and available in bookshops and on Amazon
or from Gary Skyner’s website
A dark novel set in West Lancashire on the site of an ancient lake. The lake is gone, drained centuries earlier but for two families. who live at New Cut Farm, the lake is a presence that will one day return. A story of the hold land can take and what happens to those who go against their destiny.
Mere will be published on 21st June 2018 by Thunderpoint Publishing. Available to pre-order in e-book form now on Amazon, print version should be available for pre-order soon.