From Sugar And Spice to The Tearaway: The recent works of northern Lincolnshire's talented authors

SELF-CONFESSED former Grimsby thug Dean Williams has recently made local headlines following the publication of his book, The Tearaway.

The novel, which describes his abusive upbringing and how he became a football hooligan following Grimsby Town, has amassed a wealth of positive reviews from readers who turned up in droves for a book signing at Waterstones in Grimsby on Saturday.

Mr Williams now joins an increasing number of authors from the North East Lincolnshire area who have made their own contributions to the world of books over the past couple of years.

A selection of these local success stories are featured here:

 

- Shaun Allan, of Grimsby, spent ten years working on Sin, a psychological thriller with a haunting paranormal twist, which was compared to the writing of suspense masters Dean Koontz and Stephen King.

Critics described the novel, which is partly set in Grimsby, as “incredible” and “a masterpiece of genuine creativity”.

 

- The incredible story of a secretive unit dropped behind enemy lines and left with no option but to fight their way out is the subject of Captain David Blakeley’s extraordinary book, Pathfinder.

Captain Blakeley, of Market Rasen, became the Army’s youngest captain since Sir Ranulph Fiennes when he was 21 and served in many of the world’s troubles spots including Sierra Leone, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Northern Ireland. His thrilling book documents the dangers he faced whilst on duty and, on its release, sold out on Amazon within five minutes.

 

- Earlier this year, Jessica Simmons, who is originally from Grimsby, published a collection of vintage Women’s Institute recipes gathered from old magazines and cookbooks.

The book, Vintage Teatime, was described by Jessica as “a real labour of love” and features recipes for all sorts of tasty treats from Lemon Drizzle Cake to Maids of Honour.

 

- Fotherby author Susan Dodd created two magical children’s books which she was inspired to write from spending time in her father’s workshop in Louth.

Susan took fond memories from this setting to develop a fantastical story, Benson And The Wishing Machine, which tells the tale of a man who discovers an old, dismantled wishing machine that he repairs and uses to give his cat, Benson, the power of speech.

Susan’s second book, Benson Wishes Again, continues the story of the mischievous feline and was dedicated to her late friend Michael Raftery.

 

- Allen Hall, of Laceby, spent several years writing the two-book series, The Wizard Master Chronicles.

This fantasy adventure is set in the local area during an apocalyptic future where a young computer games designer is mysteriously transported into his own creation.

 

- Paranormal writer and broadcaster Jason Day was raised in Scunthorpe but, for his fourth book, decided to tell the story of Haunted Grimsby.

Among the strange occurrences documented in the pages of this creepy volume are tales of a hotel haunted by shadowy ghost children, a boat manned by phantom crewmen and the alleged haunting of an Asda supermarket in Grimsby.

 

- In 2011, former Matthew Humberstone School teacher Graham Buckby published Shades of Smoke with Alan Denham, who taught at the former Immingham Comprehensive.

The book, which bridges the gap between fantasy and science fiction, follows the exploits of a magician in an alternate universe.

 

- The Origins of Louth – Archaeology and History in East Lincolnshire 400,000 BC–AD 1086 details the early history and evolution of the town and its surrounding villages from the first human inhabitants to the time of the Domesday Book.

It was written by Tom Green, who was a pupil at the former Cordeaux and King Edward VI Grammar School.

 

- Grimsby mum Kristy Brown published her first e-book, Kiera’s Quest: Awakenings, after it received rave reviews on Facebook.

It follows Kiera, a normal teenage girl, who is transported into another dimension and tasked with rescuing a young prince named Zakk.

A follow-up is due to be published this year.

 

- The story of one teenager’s tumultuous journey into adulthood is told in Grimsby author Abigail Tarttelin’s debut novel Flick.

The book’s main character, Will Flick, is a 15-year-old who realises he doesn’t have many options in life after falling in love with a girl who seems to have many. It has received glowing reviews and has been described as an “exhilarating, heady rush” that “perfectly captures the illicit thrills of adolescence”.

 

- Sugar And Spice, which was co-written by Laceby Acres author Sarah Griffiths under the pseudonym Saffina Desforges, was something of a sensation when it went on sale in November 2010.

This ‘psycho-sexual crime thriller’ was deemed “too controversial for the British market” and has since gone on to sell over 175,000 copies making it the 11th most purchased e-Book in the UK in 2011.

 

- Market Rasen author Georgia Twynham received national recognition when her first self-published book, The Thirteenth, was reviewed by TV’s Syfy.

It follows the story of Val, a teenage girl who discovers that she has been chosen to carry the burden and blessing of mysterious magical abilities, sometimes beyond her control.

 

- Well-known local farmer Ralph Needham put pen to paper to describe the changing face of the English countryside in his book Conscience Hill.

It offers a candid account of a life growing up and working on Hall Farm in South Cockerington and how Britain’s farming practices have been revolutionised over the years.

 

All of the books mentioned above are available now, either from local stockists or to download electronically in Kindle format from Amazon.co.uk