A few weeks ago, I had the honour of being a guest author at an event hosted by Redcar and Cleveland Libraries. I grew up in Redcar and set my comedy/horror novella, Rock Zombie, there. It is my hometown, it is where I went to school, and where most of my family still live. I love the place. I was contacted by the lovely Debbie, who found my book and asked if I would be interested in giving a little talk at an event for local authors. I was thrilled. But then the reality of logistics kind of got in the way… ten thousand miles’ worth of ‘logistics’ that is.

I live in Australia now but the idea of giving a talk in my local library was too good to pass up. Thankfully, Debbie is a legend and quickly got to work organising a Zoom/Skype/Teams/Whatever-it’s-called alternative to an in-person show… we even had a little practice the night before… and then it was time for the big day.

I can’t tell you how much this meant to me.

Actually, that’s bollocks. I should at least try, I am a writer after all!

It meant a lot.

I was one of those kids who just didn’t really know where I fit in. The 90s was a bizarre time to be a teenager and I was, in my own words, a bit of a gobshite. I danced that precarious teenage dance of trying to fit in everywhere, and with everyone, and never quite getting any of it right. I flitted about all over town, between all the different groups and substrata of society, but always at the centre of this maelstrom of angst, hormones, Nirvana, and Spice Girls, there was Redcar Library.

The funny thing is, Redcar Library as I remember it sadly no longer exists, and the ‘local author’ event actually took place in Loftus, a few miles away… which also happens to be where my dad lives. I’ll be honest, I was a bit gutted about this, as I think some small part of me had always dreamed about returning to that original library as an author, but that’s a bit hard to do after it’s been knocked down!

I was also getting cold feet before the event because I wondered how many people would actually turn up. Due to the time difference, my slot was midday (9pm for me) and, let’s be honest, I am absolutely NOT suitable for kids! Plus, most of my friends and family were on holiday so I genuinely thought there was a good chance it would just be me, Debbie, and Dad.

When the camera turned on… it was indeed me, Debbie, and Dad, but also my Uncle Mike (who I dedicated the third Arthur Crazy novel to (The Saint and the Shadowman), and another lady whose name I (disgracefully) forget. A few minutes later we were joined by a few more and we got going.

And then a giant red-headed Viking walked in.

My best friend from school… Phil… turned up and sat at the back… my phone buzzed…

I relaxed then (the wine helped!) and had a bloody great hour chatting away with lovely people while trying to keep some of those embarrassing teenage secrets still secret from my dad and uncle. Phil, of course, asked how much of the book was based on personal experiences because only the absolute best of mates have zero hesitation dropping you right in it!

At one point, I confessed to ‘killing real people’ in Rock Zombie by taking surnames and forenames of people who pissed me off and putting them together. There was a titter of laughter from the crowd, a few seconds of pause, and then Phil burst out laughing when he worked two of them out!

I read a short passage in which the main character, Rob, runs through Redcar (after a horde of zombies, of course) and retraces his childhood memories. Most of those childhood memories were my own, and it was bloody wonderful seeing my dad and uncle in the front row nodding along (and laughing in all the right places!)

Debbie MC’d wonderfully and there were lots of insightful questions from her and the people in the room. It’s funny, but if I was asked them again I would probably give different answers. Phil, who knows me well, asked, “Apart from Terry Pratchett and Stephen King which other authors have inspired you?” I talked about Roald Dahl and loving his genius ability to craft a story… usually by putting the main character in danger and getting rid of the safety-nets. It’s an answer I stand by but I could have talked about anyone from a lifetime of reading… Cornwell, Gemmell, Blyton, Morrison, Tolkien, Herriot, Bryson, Le Guin, Stoker, Shelley, Lee, Hinton. The list goes on.

My uncle asked me if I plan my stories out and I had to confess that I barely know what is going to happen before the words appear on the screen. There are some occasions when I know the end, or the beginning, or a scene, but it is rarely – if ever – something I can control. And that’s my absolute favourite thing about the whole writing experience. The simple fact is, I do not see twists coming… even when I write them. That’s magic!

One of the highlights of the chat though was the lovely lady (a photographer) who told a story of being on South Gare (near the sea) and suddenly finding herself in the midst of a horde of zombies! Apparently, there is a decent sized cosplay/roleplay group in the local area. I’ll have to get in touch!

This was a really wonderful and unique experience and I’m incredibly grateful to Debbie for organising it and for everyone who came to listen and have a chat.

Thanks for reading!

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