Outlines of 4 of my Published Books

Book Outlines

Stories for Cash

This is collection of eleven short stories, all based on songs by Johnny Cash. The reason I have written this collection is to try and raise some money for Alzheimer’s Society. That is in honour of my Dad who had Alzheimer's for years before he died, and Johnny Cash was his favourite music artist.

The stories do not all follow the same exact same theme, but they all feature authentic characters facing real world situations.

Characters include a young female poker playing Goth, who uses her exceptional mathematical ability to help her make a living from playing cards. Her dream is to raise enough money to go to Vegas and take on the best poker players in the world. A mega star actress who longs for a sense of normality and to be able to find a special connection with another human. There is a single man in his forties who maintains that his romantic nature and high standards in what he is looking for are what keeps him single. An obsessive Rugby League fan who finally meets a woman for whom his love for matches the love of his team. A mysterious prisoner who uses his time inside to follow his own personal development plan methodically and consistently. Then there is a homeless woman with a past that she does not want to talk about, and fears will catch up with her one day.

One broad theme that does run through many of the stories is the lives of young people and how they can often be let down by the society provided to them by adults, and how their struggles can often fall on deaf ears. We get an insight into what it is like to be a moody teenager in one story. There is also the perspective of a young man who gets caught up in a knife fight. Another story features a teacher desperately trying to support one of her greatly misunderstood pupils. There is a young man who is constantly fighting a world that is trying to crush his dream of being an artist. We also get an insight into what it is like for a young woman to be looking for support with her mental health, and how the systems in place to offer support often do nothing to improve how she is feeling.

To buy this collection of short stories: follow this link -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0D8FTTLFB

Fastest Girl on the Track.

Raven loves to run. In primary school, sports day was her favourite day of the year. She loved proving that she was the fastest girl on the track. Inspired by her dad’s love of middle-distance running, Raven becomes an 800metre runner.

Raven takes us through her life, from those primary school sports day, all the way to the Olympic Games. Along the way she lives through much drama on and off the track. She gets bullied in high school. Her beloved Dad is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease whilst she is still a teenager. On top of all that there is another trauma that takes Raven years to tell anyone about.

Despite all her troubles, Raven becomes a world class 800metre runner. Making a name for herself in international junior competitions, before making the transition to become a professional athlete. She loves racing with and competing against the best women in the world, and enjoys the travelling around the world. One thing motivates her more than any other though and that is the dream of an Olympic gold medal.

Raven’s dedication and commitment are second to none. Her obsession with her fitness is always borderline unhealthy. As soon as she becomes a professional, Raven becomes known for giving refreshingly honest interviews to the press. That openness leads to her openly standing up against drug cheats in the sport, something that does not endear her to several of her fellow athletes. As her career develops, so does a rivalry with a brash American called Buffy, who is just as prickly a competitor as Raven.

A strong independence streak sees Raven reluctant to be coached in her sport, and leaves her only ever having one boyfriend, a relationship that always looked likely to end sooner rather than later. To achieve her ultimate goal, Raven needs to be the fastest girl on the track when it matters most. To achieve that, she may have to acknowledge that she will need some help along the way.

To buy this novel follow this link:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0D4VL81V6

Description of Lupine Dreams

The story follows a fictional Warrington Wolves Rugby League team as they attempt to end the club’s long wait to be Champions. Bill is their old coach who has been at the club for five years, Challenge Cup wins in his first two years are beginning to seem like a distant memory as the pressure on his job and rumours of him being sacked continue to grow. After the latest season that ended with another disappointing defeat in the play-offs, Bill takes some time to re-evaluate his coaching style. Over the last few years Bill had become an angry coach that had tried to earn respect of players by being increasingly tough on them. Now he decides to coach with more of his natural personality, much more empathetic and friendly towards his players. He also opts to risk his job and some ridicule by reverting to using an off-the-cuff, expansive style of play that his teams in lower divisions used to employ.

Bill’s first and biggest challenge is to convince all his players to fully commit to his change of playing style. He has an exceptional group of players at his disposal, but they are all dealing with their own demons off the pitch. Including a maverick halfback whose childhood trauma has led him to struggles substance misuse and service some prison time just before this coming season. A world class superstar who is fighting an addiction to pain killers and a broken heart. A young captain whose reputation as a player with the ladies hides an inner turmoil that he struggles to talk to anyone about. An aggressive second row forward who left high school without any qualifications and is unable to read. A loner of a fullback who hides his depression. A couple of old legends who want to show they have got one more great season left in them, and are terrified of what life will hold for them after retirement.

In order to give themselves a chance of living out their ultimate sporting dreams, this eclectic group of characters have to all pull together in the same direction, following their old coaches lead in his final season.

To buy this novel, following this link:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0D4VLTVS7

Nurture

Nurture is a story about how much of a positive influence people can have on the life of another person. The story follows Shelly and Frankie who at the beginning of the story are both fifteen years old and growing up in Warrington in Northwest England. Shelly’s Mum has cancer and she dies early on in the story, what her mother and no one else knew was that Shelly’s mother’s boyfriend has been raping her frequently for almost two years. After her mother’s death Shelly is put into foster care and her mother’s boyfriend disappears from her life. Frankie’s Dad and older brother are in and out of prison because of violent crimes, whilst his mother is an alcoholic and drug addict who prostitutes herself. At the start of the story Frankie is already heading down a life of crime himself, particularly stealing cars, and he is also suffering from psychosis, hearing his Dad’s voice in his head.

In both their stories there is a split and two parallel dimensions play out. One dimension sees them get no help at all, whereas the other dimension sees them get help from a few individuals just when they need it most. Without help both get caught in a spiral of negativity that never stops. It causes addiction, violence and time in prison. Each dimension sees Shelly and Frankie become a couple and parents. The influence of the people who helped them is felt by the next generation too.

To buy this novel, follow this link:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0D4VJMV2J