Head doorman Bill Conrad is losing control of his nightclub – and his life – as a football hooligan firm seeks to impose a protection racket.
Promising international footballer Angelo Thompson stands accused of a city centre assault, but claims he is a scapegoat as the real villains run free.
Meanwhile, his barrister Anthony Steele harbours a dark secret that could ruin everything.
Rich Man, Poor Man delves into the prejudices of Britain’s deep-rooted class system as the worlds of narrators Bill and Anthony collide – blowing apart everything they thought sacred.
Targeted Age Group:: 18-30
What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
A love of crafting stories, and of losing myself in a fictional world – the same reason I love to read fiction.
How Did You Come up With Your Characters?
I love to examine the motivations of my characters, discovering them for myself as de facto ‘first reader’. In this tale I wanted to use them as a mirror for class prejudice. My idea was to have an upper middle class protagonist and one of the working class, for each of them to harbour a deep-rooted fear of the other’s world and each embark upon an uncomfortable journey leading – perhaps – to greater understanding. The story revolves around an ‘upstart’ footballer on trial for assault who himself undergoes something of an enlightenment.
Book Sample
So I pack the essentials into a small case: clothes, smellies, wallet, passport, an old MP3 player which should still have music on it and runs off batteries. I can’t take the mobile, or they’ll track it.
I take a train, leave the car for Bully. I change at New Street and make the short journey to Birmingham International.
I check in, buy a paper and some food, keep my face well away from any cameras and under a baseball cap and watch out for police.
I go through security to the gate at the last minute, take off my belt and watch so I don’t set off the alarm. It goes off anyway and I hold my arms up and let them search me, try not to panic. Sweat’s pouring off me.
I look the stewardesses in the eye when I say hello before I board, try to ignore these latest uniforms, badges, fake smiles; try to ignore the hand of the man behind them, reaching out through them to grab me, pull me in, throw me in jail.
I board and fly to Barcelona to set up a new life, leaving behind, without a single word of explanation, my mum, Bully, Becky. Everyone I love.
No way, I think, turning on my phone. I couldn’t put everyone through that – least of all me.
About the Author:
I work as a general editor on the Daily Mirror’s website and in a previous life specialised in sports journalism.
In my spare time I prefer to write fiction which examines our psychological mindsets and deep-rooted divisions within society.
My passions are literature – obviously – sports and computer games. I consider the Commodore Amiga the king of retro computers.
A father to two little boys, I love to cook – but cannot abide washing up.
Links to Purchase eBooks
Link To Buy Rich Man, Poor Man On Amazon
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