On March 14th we were due to host a Local Authors Book Festival. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 situation we have postponed the festival, but we’d encourage you to still find out about the authors who had been due to attend including:
Stephen Roberts
Associate Professor Stephen Roberts is the author of more than twenty books. He has written and edited books about the Chartists for an academic audience and has recently moved into the field of ‘public history’ with a series of books aimed at local people with a thirst for knowledge about the history of Birmingham. He and Carl Chinn are old friends.
You can find out more about Stephen’s local history books at www.birmingham-biographies.co.uk
Louise Malhi
Louise released her debut novel Forged Purity, a young adult dystopian novel last year, following ten years of writing. The book is set in a futuristic West Midlands, and was inspired by the advancements of technology and media spyware. You can find out more about her on her website: https://www.louiserachelmalhi.co.uk/
Madeleine Purslow
Madeleine Purslow is a Sutton Coldfield based author who will be joining us at our Local Authors Book Festival on the 14th of March. She writes Kit Lit – ‘Serious stories with cats at their very heart’.
Madeleine Purslow has also had stories and articles published in major magazine such as Yours.
https://www.facebook.com/maddiepurs/
Rachel McLean
Rachel McLean writes thrillers that make you think: books designed to get the heart racing and the brain ticking. As RE McLean, she also writes geeky mysteries, featuring the Multiverse Investigations Unit and Schrödinger the quantum cat.
She’s lived in Sutton Coldfield most of her life and has written books set in and around the area (as well as in other locations as diverse as Texas, Gretna Green and the Multiverse).
Thriller website: https://rachelmclean.com/
Mystery website: https://multiverse-investigations.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachelmcleanwrites/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rachelmcwrites
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelmcwrites/
Sally Jenkins
Sally is the author of two psychological thrillers set in north Birmingham: ‘The Promise’ and ‘Bedsit Three’. She loves to ponder how our secrets from the past can re-emerge with devastating consequences. When not thinking dark thoughts, she rings church bells in Boldmere and runs a book group in Sutton library.
Find out more on her website: https://sally-jenkins.com/
Jane O’Connor
Jane O’Connor is a writer and academic who lives in Sutton Coldfield. Her debut novel NEEDLEMOUSE was the runner up in the Tibor Jones Pageturner competition and was published by Ebury in 2019. She has had short stories published in national magazines including My Weekly. Jane has two young sons and works at Birmingham City University, and will be joining us at our Local Authors Book Festival on the 14th of March.
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/111/1117363/needlemouse/9781529103281.html
You can follow Jane on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaneOConnor100
Heide Goody
Heide Goody is part of a team with Iain Grant and together they have written more than fifteen comedy novels together. Their best-known work features Jeremy Clovenhoof who is Satan, made redundant from Hell and sent to live in Sutton Coldfield.
You can find out lots more on their website or social media pages:
http://www.pigeonparkpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Clovenhoof-Books-285544508177333/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2098850213744767/
https://twitter.com/IainMGrant
https://twitter.com/HeideGoody
Patrick Hayes
Patrick Hayes (https://phayessite.wordpress.com/) is an award winning playwright and living and working in Birmingham. A former lecturer at the local FE college Patrick has written extensively on supernatural happenings in the Royal Borough in his books ‘Ghost Stories of Sutton Coldfield’ and ‘One Morning in May’ which tells the strange story of the Mary Ashford mystery. His latest book is entitled, ‘Tales yet to be Told,’ narrated by Father Michael and Dr Florence, two psychic investigators.
Deryk Whitfield
Deryk Whitfield is a local historian who will be joining us at our Local Authors Book Festival later this month. He has written two books, one on Rubery and the other on Wylde Green. You can find out more on his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/derykwhitfield/
Simon Fairbanks
Simon has self-published two fantasy novels in his Nephos series, two short story collections, and a choose-your-own-adventure novel. Simon is co-chair of the Birmingham Writers’ Group.
You can find out more on his website: http://www.simonfairbanks.com/ or by following him on Twitter https://twitter.com/simon_fairbanks
Simon offers writing advice on his blog, including how to self-publish and market a book. He is also a committee member for the Birmingham Writers’ Group.
Martin Tracey
Martin Tracey is an author who likes to push the boundaries of reality. Sutton Coldfield features in three of his four novels….including placing the world’s first vampire as being buried in Sutton Park! Before writing novels he wrote songs and music remains a constant feature in his work.
Martin will be joining us at our Local Authors Book Festival on March 14, where you will be able to talk with him about his books, buy his books, and listen to panel discussions with other authors and more.
We’re really looking forward to Martin joining us on the day but in the meantime you can find out more about him on his website http://www.martintracey.co.uk/, on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Martin-Tracey-Author-162311767171904/, Twitter https://twitter.com/MartinTracey1 or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/martinofmolineux/.
