Are you bored? Need something fresh?

Do something more exciting. Get your tickets now!

https://filmfreeway.com/StratfordonAvonFilmFestival/tickets

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. 

SALE! SALE! Grab a bargain...

Sale Sale Sale... 

Jigsaw Girl is currently 99p, for a limited time only. 

Get your copy now!

About the release of The Boy Who Rescues Pigeons

 A lot of people have asked me why it's taken me so long to release The Boy Who Rescues Pigeons. The answer is simple and yet exceptionally emotionally complex. 

I wrote the book back in 2009 or thereabouts and edited it ready for publication. But I didn't publish it. I couldn't. I wasn't emotionally ready. But I am now. 

The story centres around Lucas Reverential Pertwee - an unusual boy in an unusual situation. Lucas finds and takes in an injured pigeon and in caring for and helping to heal the bird, he manages to emotionally heal himself. The character of Lucas is based upon me and my eldest child, Ryan. We are both raw, bleeding hearts when it comes to animals. 

But the core of the story is actually about my dad. Or rather my step-dad, Gerald McCammick. He took me in as his daughter when I was six and strove to provide a physically safe environment for me. I make the distinction here because ours was not always an easy relationship. Both of us were emotionally scarred by life and there are things that regardless of how hard you try, you never fully recover from. So we trundled along with the occasional drunken rage on his part and teenage truculent slamming of doors on mine. 

I'm not seeking to trivialise these moments. They were part of our lives. A big part. But they also never really shook the bedrock that our made-family was founded upon. We both knew we loved each other. 

Of course there is much more to this story than I've put down upon this page. But that is for another time. Or perhaps never. 

When I wrote the book I told my dad that I was dedicating it to him. He just smiled and said, "Oh aye, very good Carmen." But I know how much it meant to him. It didn't matter that I couldn't bring myself to publish it for so long. We both knew the dedication was forged in each line of text I'd written. Publishing the book wouldn't give it any more validation than it existing in the first place. And when my dad died a few years ago, it didn't matter that I still hadn't brought out the book. The time wasn't yet right. 

So what made the time right now? I don't honestly know, except that deep inside I recognised the change. I'm 56... and six. I'm still that little girl. I still rescue pigeons. 

The Boy Who Rescues Pigeons is available from June 1st, in time for ordering for Father's Day. Take a look at all my books here.

x

Coming very soon...

I'm thrilled to announce that The Boy Who Rescues Pigeons will be coming soon. Keep your eyes peeled!

Who am I?

I'm Carmen Capuano. When I was five years old I saw my father smash my mother’s front teeth right out of her mouth. And the saddest part of that statement, is that I’d already seen it all before.

I’m a survivor.

One of life’s hanger-on’s, a refuser of taking the easy-way out; I’m the one who won’t give up. The one who will keep fighting, even when others would admit defeat. Because if I do, if I actually give up, I’m not sure what will be left for me.

Maybe nothing. So that’s why I write.

I write to prove I’m still alive.

Jigsaw Girl is, I believe, one of the finest and most heart-rending books I have written. Every line of dialogue, every situation she finds herself in, every time she has to fight just for survival, these are the hallmarks of her life. And I understand them so well.

I’m neither black nor Asian, but I was raised in poverty, dragged up in the unforgiving streets of Glasgow, daughter of an Italian, wife-beating, gambling father, and an ineffectual mother. You think misery belongs to the ethnic minorities? I’ll tell you now that it doesn’t.

But I don’t tell you this to garner your pity; I tell you to let you see who I am. These are my qualifications for writing this story, my badges of dishonour.

Look at me, look at my pictures – you will only see what I allow you to. But read my stories and you are let into the depths of my soul. It may not be a nice place to be, but God help me, it’s real. 

To date I have written 27 books, only six of which I have published. They cover most genres because that’s how real life is – hard and gritty but also bizarre and full of unexpected twists and turns.

So why should you chose me, out of all the writers out there? Maybe because I can tell a good story. Maybe because I’m a workaholic. Or just maybe because I’m a tortured soul.

And if there’s one thing human nature loves, it’s vicariously experiencing someone else’s misery - viewed from a safe distance of course.

Roll up, roll up, come see the freak show.

But that’s not all of me. I’m deeper than that, at least.

You will find me charming, honest, hard-working and conscientious. The raw terror at life is hidden, the pain subsumed, condensed, spat out onto the pristine page.

You want to know how real life can get?

The book is open, all you have to do is read…

Welcome to Jigsaw Girl.     

 

 Another review for The Owners is just in: -

The Owners: Alone

Carmen Capuano

Carmen Capuano brings us a different kind of sci fi dystopian adventure with The Owners: Alone!  In an effort to save her young hatchling friend’s freewill, fourteen year old Loni sets out on a dangerous journey.  Little do they know, there is someone across the world that shares their reservations about their society, someone that will change their fate forever.  Capuano’s sci fi dystopian drama instantly felt fresh with its interesting world lore and loveable characters!  I especially connected with Loni and Little’s bond and the overall exploration of the value of humanity.  If you love dystopian fiction with depth and a more upbeat message, definitely come check out The Owners: Alone!

https://diabolicshrimp.com/reviews-10/

Free audio drama...

 Funded by Arts Council and written by me - here's a little late Halloween Treat for you... Just click on the link.

Scream To Go Faster...   

An interview with the Script Sirens

As you might be aware, I'm one of the Script Sirens.

Click here to watch an interview with me and the rest of the Sirens. But be warned  - I gurn!

Men In Sheds and other news.

Hello everyone!

Well we're still in January... doesn't it go on? Cold, dark drizzly days almost without end.

So we all need a bit of cheering up, right? Luckily I've got lots of news!

As you know, I've always got lots of different projects on at once, so to save me typing a long list, and you trudging your way through it, I'll update you only on the things that are moving more swiftly.

I have an eight part podcast coming shortly with brilliant co-writer Alexandra Taylor. Beneath The Waves is based on a true and current situation and is set in Wales. It's a drama but has humour there too and just the tiniest possibility of a blooming romance... you're gonna love it.

I have also been asked to write a TV/Netflix series set in the 80s so I'm currently researching this (and yes, I was around then, thank you, but not in the location the series is set in).

My BFI Network supported film is currently with the director and I hope things will soon be moving on that, and yesterday I signed a collaborative agreement with the very lovely and visionary Michele Lammas, in order to turn her children's book into a screenplay.

On top of that I have another big project with director Ben Bloore which is coming along really well.

As well as the zillions of other TV/film/animations I have ongoing...

But what I really wanted to mention in this post, is men. Older men. Things have changed a lot since I was a child, and now there are as many men as women who take and collect kids from school, make dinners, load washing machines.

But for the 60 plus generation, this wasn't something that came naturally. Consequently, these men, once their working lives are over, often feel misplaced in society, redundant - useless. Women, the lynchpin of most families, continue generally to do what they always did - care for children, emotionally support the family... but their men folk are being left behind.

That's why The Shed is such a great concept. Providing a place for men to meet, share expertise and help each other over a cuppa, it gives men not just somewhere to go, but a support group to turn to.

As a woman myself, I've seen what happened when my own parents retired from work. My mother found numerous new hobbies (and indeed a new husband along the way, but that's a different story entirely)  while my dad became isolated and lonely.

So take a look at the clip below. And if either yourself or a loved one fancies popping along to see what it's all about, I'm sure they'd be very welcome.

Until then - happy reading! x

Men In Sheds - Bromsgrove

The Pros and Cons Of Being A Writer - Part One

The reality of being a writer is usually far from what people expect.

Generally, people assume that it's a glamorous job, that my days are filled with excitement, my evenings star-studded. 

It's seldom like that. For me, anyway.

The path to being published or produced is a hard and rocky one. There is more rejection than acceptance, and there are times when you will want to quit, and times when the idea of quitting seems impossible. The publishing industry is a hard nut to crack and the TV and film industry is a daunting thing to attempt to infiltrate.

And I choose my words carefully. There are helpful people in  these industries but there are also many who will rip you or your idea off, at the slightest opportunity. 

Most days, you will tread the slim line between quitting and persevering at least forty or fifty times... depending on what your latest review has come back saying; whether your agent is free to take your call or not; and generally, whichever way the wind is blowing...

From this, I think you will get my point. In an up and down world, being a writer is one of the most fragile of mindsets you can possible hold and not go totally insane (if you're lucky, and if you have people at your side to hold your feet on the ground).

So let's take each point one at a time. 

DREAM  - well you'll have plenty of those. Both in the sense of actual sleeping dreams and hopes and aspirations. 

Of the actual sleeping dreams, expect these to be peppered with all your fears and anxieties, not only about your own life, but about everything and everyone you encountered that particular day. 

My dreams are so vivid that often I wake up, convinced that the world really has been taken over by aliens; that I can fly; that I did win the lottery; that I've entered another reality… etcetera, etcetera...

These dreams have to be taken with a pinch of salt, and unfortunately, although they might have seemed riveting when your unconscious brain was rolling them out on the widescreen of your sleeping inner mind, they will be so riddled with plot holes and weird inconsistencies, that there's no way they will make interesting books or films. 

So dreams are not the lazy way into writing. 

As for the sorts of dreams that are hopes and aspirations… well these can also be problematic. 

It's possible that you will be  a billionaire upon the launch of your first book. Possible - but highly unlikely. 

What you might be, is a few pounds better or worse off, depending on your publishing situation. 

Readers will not flock to your door, demanding more of the same... indeed your readers many not even leave you a review, even if they loved your book. 

That is of course, assuming that any readers manage to stumble upon your book in the first place. There are now millions of books for sale on Amazon, with the growing popularity of the idea  that everyone has at least one book in them. 

You can call me a pessimist if you like, but I stand by my belief that there are many people who don't even have one book in them, let alone more. 

And why should they? We are all different and  our experiences within life are all different, ergo why should we all  have the same story telling skill?

So when it comes to hopes and aspirations, being grounded is the key. 

If you want to write, you must ask yourself why. And you must be truthful in your answer. 

If it's to get famous, then forget it. If it's to give yourself enjoyment and perhaps spread that enjoyment to others, then maybe test the waters. But don't ask your family's opinion of anything you write. They love you, so can't be objective. 

If, on the other hand, stories and characters burn bright inside your mind, then you really have no choice but to write and let them out. 

So, before you put pen to paper, think hard - it may just save your sanity!

Next time we'll cover Not A Real Job, and Connecting With Others. 

Happy reading! x

A quick catch-up.

With Christmas fast approaching, I'm working hard to get the three films I have been writing, finished and signed off.

Of course in this industry, nothing is ever actually signed-off until it is made into film, and even then scenes may be lost to the cutting room floor, or new ones inserted.

Part of the reason for this, is because making a film is like asking a bunch of theoretical scientists to all agree on a particular theory. Everyone has their own version, no matter how minutely different that is from everyone else's ideas. So it is with film.

Even the most brilliant scripts will be moulded to fit a director's mindscape, diverging from the original idea as conceived by the screenwriter. It's inevitable. It's just a question of how much really.

But I am very lucky in the quality of the teams I am working with - top notch directors and producers - people who really know their stuff, and who are happy to let me get on with my side of things.

So, after Christmas, what are the plans?

I will be working on two brand new films. One of which is set in Cyprus.

I'm really looking forward to getting my teeth stuck into this one, not least because of the rich tapestry of the story I will create, but because of how different it is to things I've written before.

So until I catch up with you again - have fun, eat well and happy reading.

Carmen. x

Just Charlie

Last night I went to a special showing of the film, Just Charlie. 

I had read that the film had received awards and was aware that the story was about a transgender teen and his/her struggle to be the person he/she felt inside. 

But not for one second was I prepared for how beautiful and powerful the film was. 

We live in a world very changed from previous decades. Inter-racial marriages no longer raise an eyebrow, there are just as many single parents as there are married ones, being gay is considered a third gender and we all cheer on the Paralympic athletes. 

Yet transgender kids seems to strike a different note somehow. It is, I believe, the last taboo. And that's very strange. 

We have personalised sex dolls now flooding the market, quite recently I heard that a man had professed to being in an active sexual relationship with his car, and if lots of reality shows are to be believed, it seems that everyone under the age of 25 has slept with everyone else under the age of 25. 

Yet we have difficulty accepting that someone who looks on the outside like a boy or girl, may feel that on the inside, they are the opposite gender. 

I guess the best way of explaining it is that when we cut open an apple, we don't expect there to be an orange inside. 

But that's exactly what these kids are. They effectively have the wrong wrapper on them. 

And if you raised your eyebrows at my explanation, think on this. We all have wrappers. 

We all are different on the inside to how the world perceives us. It's one of the reasons, I believe, that we have depression and suicide within society. 

Wouldn't the world be a happier place if we could all just be how we truly want to be, as long as no harm was caused to others?

Ah but therein lies the crux of the problem. 

As Rebekah Fortune, the director of Just Charlie explained after the showing, the situation with transgender kids is not just about them, it's about their families and friends, even the ripples which lead out - diminished, but still there - to the wider community. 

A transgender person makes us question how we really feel about the situation. And that's exactly what this brave and wonderful film does. 

Showing not only Charlie's psychological pain, it shows his parents' pain and fears. Fears not only that Charlie is mistaken about how 'he' feels, but that he is choosing a path in life that will lead only to pain and humiliation. 

And let's be honest, most of us as parents would baulk at the idea of our child changing sex. Not just because we'd feel that perhaps we never really knew them if we hadn't noticed something different... but that because as parents, we are hard-wired by nature to protect our offspring. 

So whatever you have to do, to get to see this film which is available on Sky Cinema, whether it's to drop in unexpectedly on friends who have Sky, or to stand in the TV section of your local electrical retailer, I strongly advise you to do it. 

You won't regret it. 

Carmen. x

Exam results!

To all the teens and their families who are anxiously awaiting exam results today - I wish them the very best of luck.

But whatever happens, just remember that your families will ALWAYS love you, whether you go off to university or not. 

There are always other avenues to explore, other doors which will open for you. 

Stay safe. You are loved regardless of what life throws at you. x

Old workaholic me!

At the moment I am working on a number of projects - books, films and documentaries.

I was asked yesterday how confused I got with all the different characters and plots that go on simultaneously in my head. The truth is that I'm not confused at all. All of the characters are so clear, so individually and precisely drawn, that there is no mistaking one for another. Likewise the plots are distinct, and each has not only it's own storyline, but it's own feel to how the narrative plays out.

Of particular interest at the moment is the screenplay which I am close to finishing. It's a real thriller and I think it will have viewers on the edge of their seats. Drawn from real life, there are characters you will love to hate, and ones you will empathise with.

I may not always like all of my characters but they are compelling and I hope that's what comes across to readers and viewers.

Here's what the latest reviewer of Split Decision had to say:

5 Stars
I went in not knowing what to expect, but boy was this an edge of your seat ride!!! It was one of those great ones you don't realize how great till the end! Carmen does a brilliant job with character building as well as keeping it intriguing till the end. Well done! - M. Krugel. [AMAZON.COM]

Never a dull moment.

Today I'm writing the last few scenes of my second screenplay and then I'll be working on my current books. These projects are all very different but equally enjoyable. It's great to be caught up in  the fervour and pace of the play as it reaches its climax, yet the sweetness of the unfolding stories within the books holds great appeal too.

Anyway, whatever you are doing today, have a great one!

Happy reading!

Back to work I go...

Today I have started back to work and am so relieved. As I told you before, I have to edit a couple of books already written prior to their publication, but I also want to write a book I started some time ago. The story is about a woman whose husband dies of cancer. But just before he does, he reveals something which tears her whole world apart...

Here is a little snippet:-

The Letter

Chapter 1

The house sucked at her energy. It drained her like a thirsty hiker on a hot summer’s day. She could feel it pulling at the blood in her veins, causing tidal waves of that vibrant red life-force to course through her to a never-achieved destination, moving ever onwards, ceaselessly searching out its well-worn pathway.

But of course it was not the house which drained her so. It was the situation within in.

Jim waited for her in another room. Weak and tired, waiting was what he did best now. Waiting was actually all that was left to him. Fran wondered what was left to her. What would be left when Jim was finally gone? A thin smell of sickness which seemed to have pervaded the entire house? The ripe smell of a cancer unchecked, which had permeated the paint and wallpaper of their bedroom? Was that all there would be?

Or would there be memories too? Memories which would linger to haunt her as if the images and sounds were captured within the porous brickwork and plaster, ready to be replayed whenever the whim took them?

It didn’t bear thinking about.  But she didn’t really need to ponder on it. The situation played itself out and she was just a bit player in every scene, the one who was necessary to breathe a little life into each act, to make it real and believable. The only one who would be left standing after the credits rolled and the curtains closed for that final time.

Funny how even after all these months it still didn’t seem real. She flicked the switch on the kettle and waited for it to boil. The kitchen seemed darker than usual and she glanced at the wall clock by the side of the back door. It was in the shape of a cow, mottled black and white paint depicting its legs and head, its torso taken up by the clockface which showed the hour to be six. But six am or pm? She genuinely did not know. The months and weeks since Jim’s diagnosis had blurred into one and in these last few days even the days and nights seemed interchangeable.

So if you enjoyed that little bit, take a look at the books I have already published - you won't regret it.

 

Happy Reading!

I'm going to give you what you want.

For a long time, as long as I have been writing novels, there has been a story lodged at the back of my head.

I have wanted to write it and I know that lots of you have expressed a desire to read it - but up until now, I wasn't ready to commit it to the page. I am now.

Different to my other books, this one will be very hard-hitting and gritty. But I think there will be moments of mirth, of dark humour in amongst all the tragedy and pathos. And yes there will be elements within it, where some of you might recognise bits of your own lives, your own insecurities, your own worries.

Will you enjoy it? Of course you will. But don't think that it will be easy reading. It will make you think. Will it also make you view your life differently? Perhaps. I know that's something that seems to come through in most of my books, so I guess it might in this one too.

As ever I'll post snippets and keep you informed of progress.

Until then - Happy Reading!

Saving Grace

There's a soundtrack that's running through my head. It goes a little like this...

"Where do I begin
To tell the story of how great a love can be?
The true love story
That is true of you and me?...

Where do I start?"

Do you recognise it? It is the theme from the film Love Story. Perhaps the words are a little wrong but the sentiment isn't.

And yet the story I'm working on isn't a love story - it's the exact opposite in fact. It's a story about how one little girl is striving to cope with the breakdown of her parents' marriage. But the sentiment of that song is what is bursting forth from her heart and it has impaled me, as her creator, with its hurt.

Poor Grace is utterly, emotionally lost. I only hope she can find her way out of the wilderness and into the light...