1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing? 

I was born in Hastings but grew up in North West Wales, mainly living rurally. I started writing when I got the urge out of nowhere to learn how to write screenplays, slowly after getting tired of struggling to get any of these made or funded – other than those that could be done on a micro budget – I decided to give it a go converting some of them into novels. One of which became my first novel One Visit‘.  

2) What inspired you to write your book?

A lot of my own experiences of living in poverty, seeing people routinely being let down by the system, and different mental health issues I’ve both suffered and seen others suffer with. 

3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

That if you see signs of abusive parenting, even if said parents appear like respectable people through glib charm then do everything possible to help those children before their well-being becomes permanently affected. Also hopefully they’ll take away and have sympathy for the riveting affect and trauma of having your house taken over by drug dealers.

4) What drew you into this particular genre?

I love the raw nature of kitchen sink drama and have always found books/films that portray poverty in a relatable way fascinating. Having a way of highlighting often misunderstood stigmas around mental health and addiction while being able to hopefully contribute in some way also drew me to this genre. 

5) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?

Both Instagram and Facebook are decent. Facebook’s litany of different book sharing groups are invaluable, especially when you have a free promotion on. Reddit is especially good as well when a free promotion is on your book. 

6) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?

Don’t get beaten down by your first draft and its imperfections. That was the hardest thing for me to get over before going through the process enough to be able to power through the first draft while aiming for momentum more than perfection.

7) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?

I am nearly through the first draft of my second novel Spurious Scrapper, a revenge drama also set in rural north west Wales. Once that is finished, I aim to write a novel comprised of a few short stories loosely intertwined and set in North Wales, all centring around the inequality of modern-day Tory induced poverty.  

About the Author

I grew up in rural North West Wales, where hardships and a lack of opportunities spurred my passion for tackling tough subjects, such as poverty, addiction and mental health. Currently studying a masters degree in screenwriting at the University of South Wales, I’ve written and directed three short films. One Visit was the first feature-length screenplay I ever wrote, and through the exposure of this novel, I hope to garner interest and funding to turn it into a film one day. For news regarding my future novels and films, follow @vecks_gems_productions on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/vecks_gems_productions