A nice surprise!

 It's always so lovely to find a new review on Amazon. 

Most of my books only have a few reviews but every single one of them is genuine and not a paid-for service. 

So check out Invisible now. 

Get ready for it...

I'm reposting a post from a few years ago because I have just finished editing this book, ready for release. 

The Owners Volume 5 - coming soon. 

I have got to stop crying!

I have just written chapter seventeen, where one of my most beloved characters dies and I am heart broken. I didn't want him to die and I even tried to resuscitate him but his death was central to the plot and unavoidable.

And so I am grieving.

Unfortunately  this is not the only time in the past week I have cried. I watched the film District 9 the other night and it had me in floods of tears as well!

So now I have to add that to the list of film I can't watch without having a blubber. Here are my top ten...and in no particular order.

1. King Kong - I LOVE that hairy beast!
2. Truly, madly, deeply - the actors are so real and it gets me every time,
3. Dirty Dancing - I figure that's a kind of odd one here, but I cry!
4. District 9 - obviously!
5. Ghost - there's a definite Patrick Swayze theme here [ahem!]
6. The Lion King - yes I do know it's animation but when the daddy lion holds the cub up....
7. The notebook - oh my God I cried from start to end
8. I am legend - just because he is so alone [and the dog dies]
9. Schindler's list - they almost had to remove me from the cinema
 and finally,
10. Up - another animation which my children did not entirely understand in all its subtleties but I did.

There are of course many, many others, some of which have yet to be written.

But the hardest of all are the ones you write for yourself...

Have a great weekend and do something fun. I sure hope to.

Hear all about it!

Today I will be on Black Country Radio, on the Leigh Perry Drive Time Show, around 3pm.  I'll be talking about AutoAngels, why we do what we do and how you can get involved. 

I hope you can catch it. xx

First Review In

I'm thrilled by the first review for Invisible. And it has two lots of 5 STARS as well!!!

To read the first chapter, click above. 

Finalists announced!

I'm thrilled to be announcing that AutoAngels is a finalist for this amazing award.

To be recognised for the work we are doing, and so soon after our launch is just amazing. Keep your fingers crossed for us! 

OUT NOW!

I am delighted to say that Volume 4 of the Owners series is out now and available as an ebook and in paperback.

Bigger and bolder than before!

This year our film festivals are bigger and better than ever. Stratford on Avon Film Festival now has an evening awards ceremony with buffet and free drink from the bar for an incredible £22.

Not to be outdone, Birmingham Horror Film Festival now boasts a horror convention alongside the film festival and has even more news to come.

There is still time to submit films to both festivals and for traders to book the last few remaining tables - but be quick!

Hear me talk about my books and other projects.

This Sunday at midday you can hear me talk about my most recent books, films and other projects on the Listen with Lee show on Black Country Radio.

http://www.blackcountryradio.co.uk/.../black-country-xtra/

It's also available on demand at https://www.blackcountryradio.co.uk/.../black.../on-demand/

Thanks to Lee Benson for being an amazing interviewer and for inviting me onto his show.

Are you bored? Need something fresh?

Do something more exciting. Get your tickets now!

https://filmfreeway.com/StratfordonAvonFilmFestival/tickets

Earlybird submissions still open

Love science fiction and fantasy? So do we! 

That's why we run Envisage International Film Festival - a WHOLE FESTIVAL dedicated to the very best independent science fiction and fantasy films. Hosted in the amazing Millennium Point, it's set to be a festival that will thrill and delight audiences. 

So if you have a feature, short or micro short, submit it now. Earlybird submissions are still open and you might just end up being the proud owner of one of these...

And don't forget we also have a horror festival and convention, Birmingham Horror Film Festival and the all genre festival, Stratford on Avon Film Festival. 

So get submitting now!

Dreaming Big

Several years ago I bought a house which was in a really bad state of repair. I knew it would be a tonne of work. But I had no idea of the nightmares that would arise in what appeared to be an idyllic spot. 

Follow the journey with me in posts coming soon. 

 

             

Stratford on Avon Film Festival

Have we got an event for you, coming up! 

Nestled right in the centre of historic Stratford-Upon-Avon is the Stratford on Avon Film Festival, and this year it's going to be bigger and better than ever. 

A ticket for a block of films is just £3.50 or you can immerse yourself in film for the whole day for just £12. 

Tickets to the awards event are priced at £22 per person and include a finger buffet and drink from the bar. Book your tickets here.

Happy World Book Day!

 

I had intended to publish another book, Volume 4 of this series in fact, for World Book Day - in other words, today. 

But if you've scrolled through these blog posts, you'll have seen how busy I've been. And the truth is that what you are seeing here, is only a fraction of the projects I have underway. 

So hold onto your hats as there's more to come. And I promise Volumes 4 and 5 of this series will be out soon. 

WE HAVE LAUNCHED!!

 For the past two years I have had to keep something under wraps as we filmed episodes and prepared for the big reveal. 

Yesterday we went live. 

AutoAngels means so much to me. The ethos of helping people and giving back to the community is at the heart of nearly everything I do. But it's not just about fixing cars for people, it's about encouraging people to enter the world of mechanics and STEM in general. 

So please take a look, subscribe and share - because we all need some angels in our lives. 

Come talk to me about my latest book releases.

Tickets can be purchased here or via Facebook.

 

Sci-fi, Horror and Film Memorabilia Traders Wanted

Thanks to Solihull College and University Centre

A couple of days ago I did a talk at Solihull College and University Centre to a group of young filmmakers. Talking with them, their grasp of the industry was clear as was their enthusiasm, and I believe that their futures are bright. 

But there is no denying that this is a tough industry to crack. That's why our team at  Envisage International Film Festival, Birmingham Horror Film Festival and Stratford-upon-Avon Film Festival are so keen to promote student films and indie filmmakers. 

Keep your eyes peeled for our big news coming soon. 

College and school talks

In the coming months I will be popping up here, there and everywhere, as I give talks at a number of schools and colleges about writing, publishing books, writing for film and TV, and running film festivals. I'm absolutely thrilled to be encouraging and ushering a new generation of  creatives into the industry. 

People have a skewed idea of what working in this industry is like. Some think it's a never-ending barrel of laughs, like the blooper reels from films and TV series we see so often on social media. Some think it's a hard, hostile, dog-eat-dog environment, and others think it's all champagne, red carpet events and glamour. The truth is of course, a lot more complex. 

I personally have gone full circle, more or less. When I was at school I wanted to be an actress and so at eighteen I left for London and the glamour that supposedly waited there. I never imagined that all these years later I'd be working on the other side of the camera, and that in 2025 I'd be busier than ever. 

New book release.

Well I promised you big things this year, and I like to keep my word. 

Girl Displaced is a book I thought I might never actually finish. I started it several years ago and I think I only got as far as the first few paragraphs before I had to put it aside to write a film for a client. When I managed to get back to it I completed the first few pages before I had to put it aside again. 

It was years before I returned, just last year. I was determined to sit down and write it. So I cleared my schedule for a few weeks and wrote hard and fast. The result is the book you see today. 

Girl Displaced marries two worlds I know so well - Birmingham and the Ayrshire coast - and tells a tale of a girl who no longer rightfully belongs in either. I hope you enjoy it. x

New year, old me...

Well 2025 has started with a roar and I'm working as hard as I ever do. But more news on that later. 

 Here's the first new book for this year. I hope you enjoy it. You can find it on Amazon here.