My semi-autobiographical novel Muslamic Ray Gun was written about seven years ago, and published in 2017, towards the end of perhaps my most productive period of writing. I’ve made no secret of the fact that there are some autobiographical elements … Continue reading The uncomfortable truth of “Muslamic Ray Gun”
So what exactly is young adult fiction? Recently, I asked some of my followers on Twitter – or X, or whatever the hell it’s called now – to define young adult fiction, and for some reason many of them decided … Continue reading For the Love of the Devil. Original young adult horror love story.
As a multi-genre writer, and a writer of a couple of different series of books, one might expect there to be certain recurring themes – the Nazis in the Greater German Reich for example – but there are also a number of other, more subtle, recurring themes. Prisons There have been frequent prison scenes within a few of my novels. Muslamic Ray Gun had perhaps half of the novel – at least – devoted to prison life, as the lead character was incarcerated for a number of years. Maggie’s Children featured a few scenes – again, the lead character was … Continue reading The recurring themes in my novels
My novel Maggie’s Children is a book without a blurb. I’ve always been rubbish at writing blurbs, and I’ve known for a long time that this particular novel does not have a blurb which adequately sells it. So what’s Maggie’s … Continue reading Maggie’s Children: A story without a blurb
Besotted was a tough novel to write. A modern-day “Lolita”, an alcoholic writer with cancer, and a bizarre, perhaps stomach-churning twist, the journey from the first few lines through to completion was eventful and inspiring. I initially wanted to write … Continue reading The story behind “Besotted”
My first published science fiction novel, “The God of the Dead”, is due out on 17th July 2023, and it’s been a long time in the making. As my longest novel to date – at 180,000 words – work began … Continue reading The God of the Dead
There is a woman by the name of Louise James who bears the distinction of having appeared on more of my book covers than anyone else has. Okay, so considering real life models have been used sparingly in my book … Continue reading Who is Louise James?
When I thought about writing a detective novel, a police procedural, I wanted to write something different. I didn’t want to write about a divorced police detective with a drinking problem – I’ve already written too many characters with drinking … Continue reading “Genesis” – the birth of a new character and a new pen name.
In the late 1990s, I wrote a 150,000 word manuscript called “Dark Satanic Mills” set slightly in the future and based around a civil war in the UK. Though the first draft was completed, I didn’t do anything else with … Continue reading England’s Pleasant Pastures
When I write a character, I generally have this person in my head, what he looks like, how he acts, what his personality is like. They usually become my best friends. Rob Murgatroyd, Benjamin Beerenwinkel, Saul Castle, even Alex Savage. Some say that there is something of me in every one of the lead characters I’ve written, and perhaps there is. But here’s the thing. Though I create these lead characters, I have no idea how other people will perceive them. Benjamin Beerenwinkel, for example, was one of my favourites. He was a writer with cancer. His coping mechanism? Alcohol … Continue reading Characters
Shaun Stafford's Putrid Underbelly 