5000 Words into Second Draft of Novel

"Happy Birthday"

This novel has 2 main characters.

A heroine and a villain.

1980;
Taylor Shelley: 13
Paul Greening: 15

2015;
Taylor gets her revenge for what happened during her school years and then destroys him for what happened hours before her 18th birthday,
Paul Greening who has transformed himself from skinhead bully, violent gang leader and gang rapist into a wealthy Tory MP.

Taylor tracks him down on Facebook, meets him and then executes him.

The gist of the story is based on real-life events but I got the idea after the historical abuse Trials of perverts like Jimmy Saville, Rolf Harris and Gary Glitter.

Why HAPPY BIRTHDAY ?

Why is it called "Happy Birthday" - A Story Of Revenge  ???


This is because although based on a true story - just as Gable Brook is a merger of 2 schools and the town is renamed Stanhope - the period changed to fit in the Mod Revival of 81.

I had to find a title that linked the 35 year year period.

The story starts weeks before a 13th birthday, moves to a different level hours before a 18th and ends days after a 48th.

I set it in 1981 because I wanted to feature the music of The Jam, Trojan Records, SKA and The Specials.

The timeline also allowed me to bring in The Stone Roses and Brit Pop.

The cast are people I have met and known over the years.

Some of the characters feature bits of me as a top writer advised "always write about what you know" and I know everything about all aspects of this story.

In my life I have met real people who all become parts of the characters featured in this book from Serial Killer Taylor Shelley, Tabloid Journo Rebekah Woods, East End Gangster Harry Harris to Lap Dancer Chloe Anderson to Cub Reporter Kelly Baxter and Tory MP Paul Greening.

1980 - 2015 Happy Birthday A Story Of Revenge

HAPPY BIRTHDAY - A STORY OF REVENGE


This novel starts in 1980 and based on a true story that started on a Essex housing estate about 5 miles from Basildon New Town.

The main victim is Taylor Shelley

The gang are;

Paul Greening , the skinhead leader

Paul Bishop  - his sidekick and Black Trojan skinhead & Two-tone fan

John Hunter - Mod & Boxing fan


Casey Newton - Multi-racial Mod

Peter Brown  - Mod

Richard Grimson  - Mod

David Reynolds - Mod

 Terry Reason     -  Mod

The soundtrack is;

The Jam
Ska
The Specials

The town of  Stanhope is 30 miles from London and 12 from Southend full of East End Cockneys who moved to the suburbs for a better life.

All events mentioned in the book happened in real-life but all names have been changed to protect the identities of the guilty and the innocent.

Other main characters.

Tabloid Journo Rebekah Woods, DI Charlotte Hawkins and East End Gangster Harry Harris.

SERIAL KILLER - A Story Of Revenge

The Synopsis:

"A Story Of Revenge"

Just finishing the first Draft of my novel set on the West Ham Estate in Stanhope Essex.

The story of a Mod gang with a Skinhead Leader.

A tale of revenge.

Set in Gable Brook School, The Youth Club, local park and a train ride between Stanhope and Southend.

The novel is slightly based on true stories but mainly on my vivid imagination.

 All names have been changed to protect the identities of the innocent - but those involved will recognise themselves!

The plot is like Quadrophenia meets A Clockwork Orange.

A X-rated story of teenage sex, drugs, gangs and revenge.

The two main characters are Taylor Shelley and Paul Greening

Greening is a bully boy thug and Taylor his main victim.

She has waited 30 years to get even.

Revenge for all that happened to her growing up on the West Ham estate.

It was reading about the historical sex crimes of perverts like Jimmy Saville, Rolf Harris and Gary Glitter that convinced her to act.

She`d left it to long to get justice in the Courts - but Taylor didn`t want justice in the courts - she wanted a `eye for an eye` form of justice.

Greening was now a respectable businessman and Tory MP and she wasn`t just going to destroy his reputation.

Taylor planned to kill him for what happened at various locations in and around Stanhope.

It had been 30 years but she tracked him down on Facebook.