Books

Contemporary novels

I haven't often written realistic stories about the way we live now. I enjoy reading books like that, and I envy and admire the talents of those who write them – people such as Anne Fine, Jan Mark, Jacqueline Wilson. But occasionally I have ideas that would only work in a realistic way, although they might be melodramatic at the edges, so to speak. These are two books of that sort.

The Broken Bridge

The Broken Bridge is the story of Ginny Howard, 15 years old, who lives with her widowed father in a little village in North Wales. Her mother came from Haiti, and Ginny's half-African heritage marks her out from most of her friends; (more...)

The Butterfly Tattoo

The Butterfly Tattoo is a tragedy. I wanted to write a love story in which believable characters in a modern setting could encounter love and death in a realistic way. (more...)