A Floral Ghost Story

    Let's rewind 100 years.

    The "roaring 20's" had just begun, and we see that decade now as a time of freedom and expression akin to the 1960's. There was a new liberation in attitudes and an artistic awakening occurring, which has been the setting for many a murder-mystery and ripping yarn of playboys and bounders and cads and flappers.

    I wanted to write a story that was not quite so set amongst the glitz and glamour of our perception of that period. And so Violence and Lavender came into being. My usual method of writing has always been to plant the seeds and let the garden grow. But on this occasion I planned my beds well in advance, I lay down turf, and weeded, and pruned the trees and sculpted what grew into a shape and vibrancy I had carefully planned. This was a new way of writing for me, and it was a very interesting exercise.

    Two years, it took to write this story, with a big gap at the half-way point to concentrate on other creative projects. And here it is! Flowering beautifully, with fleshy leaves and delicate thorns.

    Violence and Lavender was inspired by The Berlin Novels of Isherwood, Shabby Tiger by Howard Spring, and the spooky stories of E F Benson. There are ghosts, flappers, drag balls and a great deal of mystery. This is Manchester in the roaring 20s as seen by its low-lifes and down-and-outs, and those who don't fit in. The characters are a vivid collection of LGBT+ individuals, and their world is highly textured. I hope you enjoy this step into my 'reality adjacent' version of this great city.

Violence and Lavender can be purchased HERE