My
Other Books
  Creepers
Shortlisted for the Guardian Fiction Award
This
was my first published book. I wrote it when I was 21, with the
aim of writing a modern ‘boys-own’ kind of story.
The type of adventure anybody could have - no spies or aliens
or monsters. It all happens in your neighbour’s back garden.
It’s also a story about friendship and loyalty, themes which
run through most of my books.
‘Creeping’ is a
dangerous sport, taken extremely seriously by the ‘Creepers’
themselves; rules have to be followed, there’s a strict
code of practice. Because losing doesn’t just mean loss
of face, it can bring heavy punishment too…
This is still one of my favourite books. It only took about three
months to write, and I think this shows in the pace of the story.
It has a really raw feeling to it.
Buy Creepers from
amazon.co.uk
 From
Blood: Two Brothers
Another story about friendship, but a little later in life than
Creepers. The two books are very close in ideas and theme (and
this could almost be a sequel) except From Blood has a happy
ending. There’s more jokes in this one too.
Chris and Paul are 18, and at the end of their school years. They
become blood brothers to seal their friendship, and gain an extraordinary,
unsettling power.
Looking back I really enjoyed writing
this book. In places I think Chris and Paul are closer to my
friend Steve and I than I’d like to admit. It originally
started as a short-story when I was 17, but grew into a full novel by the time
I was 24. So I must have enjoyed it if I stuck with the idea for so long.
Buy From
Blood: Two Brothers from
amazon.co.uk
 Hunting
The Cat
I’ve always been a huge horror fan, and this was my attempt
at something scary. I like the slow, atmospheric build-up, the
gory bits in the middle, and the ambiguous ending. I know several
people who’ve had trouble sleeping at night after reading
it, so I guess it works.
It’s
based around the legends of the Durham Puma, and the Beast of
Bodmin Moor. Do these big cats actually exist? Are they really
cats, or something a whole lot more supernatural? Joseph and his
father are on a reunion camping trip when they get caught up in
the hunt for one of these creatures. And obviously there are tears
before bedtime.
This is the darkest book I’ve ever written. If you are the
kind of person who likes happy, Disney-style endings, then best
avoid this one.
Buy Hunting
the cat from amazon.co.uk
 Dead
Trouble
Originally called Six Bullets,
this was an idea pinched from one of my all-time favourite authors,
Robert Westall. (I hope
he doesn’t mind).
Sean and Jarrod feel they lack control
of their lives, because adults are always in charge. They find
a pistol, and for a short
while believe it will bring them some kind of power or control.
Several librarians have told me they
won’t stock this book
because of its subject matter. I think this is a particularly ignorant
attitude. If they bothered to read the book they might just get
the point…
Buy Dead
Trouble from
amazon.co.uk
 The
Runner
Winner of a Smarties Silver Award
and
Special Mention Winner in the 'Sankei Cultural Publishing Prize'
from Japan
This
one is a favourite with a lot of younger readers, and has a cracking
twist at the end.
Jason is fed up with his parents’ constant squabbling and bickering and
runs away to stay with his older brother in Liverpool. On the way he gets involved
with a boy called Jam who claims there’s a whole host of runaways living
on trains, travelling all around the country, always on the move. And Jason
wonders if this could be the life for him too.
I like the character Jam a lot. I
like his energy and imagination. And a quick secret is that he
is actually the forerunner of the Canner character
in my
longer novel Warehouse.
Buy The
Runner from
amazon.co.uk
 £10,000
Don’t get me wrong,
I honestly believe this is a pretty good story, but personally
it’s my least favourite book.
Twin
brothers, Nick and Eddie, find a lottery scratchcard and discover
they’ve won £10,000. They don’t, however, want
to share their winnings with their parents or older sister, so
come up with a plan to keep it all for themselves.
I think it’s a neat idea, and I like Nick and Eddie a lot - the way they
talk and interact with each other. I just believe I could have written it better.
It feels more like a first draft than proper finished book to me.
Buy £10,000 from
amazon.co.uk
 Before
Night Falls
Another go at horror, and another camping
trip, but it’s vampires this time. This
was an attempt to write something spooky, rather than gory. Yes,
it’s a vampire story, but there are no vampires. You’ll
have to read it to see what I mean.
I like horror that’s in the mind. I like to freak readers
out rather than gross them out. This is a short, sharp story that
hopefully packs a punch.
It’s
also another story dealing with friendship, loyalty being tested
above and beyond the usual call of duty. What would you do if
your girlfriend had been bitten by a vampire? And what if your
best mate wanted to stake her there and then?
Buy Before
Night Falls from
amazon.co.uk
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