Tag: Authors

Cleveleys based Michael Davies Publishes his Debut Novel

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Michael Davies is a versatile writer whose work spans stage, screen, radio, online platforms, and print. In October 2024, he released Thin Ice, the latest instalment in the Bill Kemp series, following Outback, which was published by HarperCollins in May 2023. The series features the protagonist Bill Kemp—described by Jeffrey Deaver as “part James Bond, part Philip Marlowe, and all hero”. Kemp originally appeared in Desmond Bagley’s posthumously published thriller Domino Island, which Michael was commissioned to complete in 2019. Outback serves as a spiritual sequel, honouring Bagley’s legacy in the centenary year of his birth. Desmond Bagley himself had… Read more »

Will Cribb Publishes his Memoirs

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Will Cribb has been living in Lytham for most of his life and decided to get Alan Whelan to help him write and publish his memoirs in 2015. This is his story: an idyllic childhood, his father’s early death, a mother’s indifference, a ten-year banishment by his stepfather to a boarding school thousands of miles away in the foothills of the Himalayas, and the shy boy’s efforts to cope with the school’s barefoot regime and tough bullies. However, this is no misery memoir. It is also about how the growing boy realises his dream of travelling to England — a… Read more »

Ed Christiano Ditches Hollywood for Blackpool

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Ed Christiano left Hollywood for Blackpool in 1988. He was born in Rochester, New York and moved with his family to Florida when he was 11. His mother worked in events and his father was a renowned electronic engineer who designed audio systems for US Navy warships and submarines. Ed got a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts with honours, concentrating in Cinematography, from the University of South Florida. One of his first jobs in Hollywood was as a sound recordist on a film called Violet (1981), which won an Academy Award for Best Short Film. He worked on several feature… Read more »

David Hogarth Launches His Second Book

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Local writer David Hogarth hosted a soft launch of his memoir recounting his life growing up in Blackpool. David Simper popped along to find out more. After a little bus confusion due to one company’s real time information system announcing a bus that doesn’t exist, I caught the alternative service 61 down to town and walked down to the Tea Amantes cafe and gallery, for local author David Hogarth’s book launch. The word had certainly got round for this one and by the time I got there, the place was packed. I recognised David as a regular at the excellent… Read more »

Margaret Thornton Gets Her First Book Published

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Margaret Thornton was born 21 June 1934 in a boarding house on Pleasant Street, Blackpool and lived in the town all her life. She had two children and five grandchildren, and was a qualified teacher at Grange Park, Mereside and Devonshire Road (background image) junior schools. She left teaching in her early 50s in order to concentrate on her writing and wrote short stories before turning her hand to full-length novels with her debut, It’s a Lovely Day Tomorrow, in 1992. Her son got her a computer but she only used it as a word processor and didn’t use it… Read more »

David Slattery-Christy – Ivor Novello Consultant for Gosford Park

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David Slattery-Christy, who writes both fiction and nonfiction, was born in 1959 and brought up in Oxford. His parents moved to Blackpool in the late 1960s to run hotel businesses so he has spent many years living in Blackpool. The house David lives in on Whitegate Drive has an ongoing connection with Hollywood and the theatre. The house was also home to Hollywood actress Janet Munro – her stepmother Lilias Munro, who owned the house at that time, was also the make up artist for the BBC TV series The Good Old Days. He graduated for London’s City University with… Read more »

Marilyn Chapman Releases First Book

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Marilyn began her career in 1967 as a trainee journalist on the Lytham St Annes Express – part of the Gazette’s empire, later being promoted to Women’s Page Editor. On leaving the Express she became co-director of HB Publishing and PR Associates, Lytham, along with her father, Harry Brown, former Public Relations Officer of The Football League, St Annes, and founder of the Football League Review. In 2014 Marilyn was shortlisted for the Festival of Romance New Talent Award with her first novel Baggy Pants and Bootees, set in World War Two. A member of The Society of Authors, she… Read more »

Alan Whelan Publishes His First Novel

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Alan Whelan’s first novel, African Brew Ha-Ha, was published on 31 May 2012. African Brew Ha Ha: A Motorcycle Quest from Lancashire to Cape Town Tea-drinking is a ritual that binds people together. Alan Whelan was on a unique quest: to find the people at the hidden heart of Africa… and sit down for a nice cup of tea with them. On the 14,000-mile solo journey through Morocco, Mauritania, Mali and all the way to Cape Town across deserts and the toughest roads imaginable, he met sporting legends and ministers, peacekeepers and outlaws, and countless people who shared their last… Read more »

Nigel Hanson Publishes His First Novel

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Nigel Hanson lives on the Fylde Coast and published his first book Murder Mapped Out on 30 October 2022. It’s part of a series of three books, which are all available on Amazon. Aside from being a terrific writer, Nigel has had a great influence on Blackpool, both with the Town Centre Forum and Blackpool BID. MURDER MAPPED OUT On his stroll through the estate grounds, his beagle alongside him, Selwyn sniffed the air and looked about with a rapturous smile. ‘A good wife, if a bit spirited, a gorgeous son, good staff, all this – and, of course, you.’… Read more »