Many thanks for supporting the 2nd
Woking Writers’ Week. You will have seen, Woking has a wealth of writing
talent and these authors, I am sure, are all grateful for your support.
The authors’ books are mostly available on
Amazon or via their independent websites. Many of the books are also available
in the Lionsheart Bookshop, at Commercial Way in Woking.
I would like to thank all the authors for
their participation and support and would urge any local writers, who have not
been included on the blog to get in
touch.
The Woking Writers' Collective is here to
support the work of all local authors!
Best Wishes, Mal Foster (Blog Admin)
Sunny Angel author of 'Wings'
WEBSITE
Sunny Angel Bio: My name is Sunny Angel, I changed my name via deed poll so I could share my story to safeguard others. I now have a new life as well as a new name. I’m 42, I was born in England and I live in Woking, Surrey, the outskirts of London.
Ever since I was diagnosed with Atrial Septal Defect (Hole in the Heart) my mission was to tell my story before I die, to help inspire others to heal. I didn't want my pain to be wasted. I'm thankful my experiences have helped safeguard many others. I believe Life is for living, not just surviving or existing.
I was sexually abused as a child. At 17, I had a stalker who groomed me through fear of hurting my Family. He raped and tortured me in a locked house for 6 months. Following my escape, my Parents allowed me back only to get rid of me via a Forced Marriage. I wasn’t ready for marriage, so I left to go to a homeless shelter where I did an overdose and attempted suicide. I woke up in the hospital realising death had rejected me too. My Parents then coerced and forced my marriage to a man with disabilities. The Groom’s family wanted ‘Dowry’ and gave me and my family abuse. My Parents collected me after 4 months of marriage and it ended in divorce.
Now, I am a Speaker, Campaigner, Author and Survivor Ambassador. I wrote my Book ‘Wings’ with my friend Paul King. I have had the honour of doing speeches with Nazir Afzal OBE, Jasvinder Sanghera CBE, Family Division Judges of the High Court, Lord and Lady Justices of Appeal, Barristers, Multi-Agency, Social Workers, Drs, Hospital staff, Teachers, University Students, School Parents, Major Crime Unit, Several police forces, Multi-Faith, Inter-Faith and Charities.
I have worked with seven Universities.
I am a Finalist for the Heroine of the Year Award (Domestic Violence) 2017, Nominated for Author of the Year WLA 2017, Finalist for the British Indian Awards 2018 (Arts & Cultural Awareness), Winner for the Beautiful Survivors World of Honours – Ladies of All Nations International 2018, Winner of the She Inspires Award 2018 and True Honour Award 2019.
‘Wings’ has featured in various Newspapers, National and International. TV, Radios and Documentaries.
Lelita Baldock author of 'Where the Gulls Fall Silent'
WEBSITE
Lelita Baldock Bio: Woking-based Lelita Baldock is an author of historical fiction and crime fiction. She has a passion for dark stories, with an unexpected twist.
It was during her years studying English Literature at University that Lelita discovered her love of all things reading and writing. But it would be another 15 years before she took up the challenge and wrote her own novel.
Her debut novel, the historical fiction Widow's Lace, is an Amazon best-seller.
Her follow up, The Unsound Sister, saw her take a different direction in her writing, trying her hand at crime fiction and has been warmly received globally.
Her third novel, Where the Gulls Fall Silent, a return to historical fiction is available to pre-order now.
Lelita also runs a blog and newsletter featuring fellow authors and other creatives.
JRC Cox Bio. I work in the
video games industry by day and write for fun in my spare time. Kings of the Land is my first full novel and is the
beginning of an action-adventure series I have planned out. Before that, I
warmed up with writing three children's books with my daughter, set in our Farland Valley universe.
Alan Dale author of 'Theta Double Dot'
WEBSITE
Alan
Dale Bio: Alan Dale is a graduate
mechanical engineer, with project management experience in the petrochemical
industry. He began writing a few years ago, in his fifties, by enrolling on the
Writers Bureau Comprehensive Writing Course. Alan has since had short stories,
articles and features published in magazines and online. He lives in Surrey and
is a member of the Woking Writers’ Circle.
Mal Foster Bio: Very much a self-proclaimed “writer of the ordinary man,” Mal Foster was born in 1956 and grew up in Camberley, Surrey before moving to nearby Knaphill in the late 1980s. He had left school just before his sixteenth birthday in 1972 to help support his single mother and younger brother. Around this time he began writing poetry, and indeed, his first poems were published soon after.
Now semi-retired, Mal counts his time as a local journalist as a career highlight.
Since 2015, Mal has gone on to publish five novels, from which he has enjoyed some great feedback and exposure. His latest, 'Fluke's Cradle', a psychological thriller, was published in April 2022.
Greg Freeman Bio: Greg Freeman is
a former newspaper sub-editor, and now the news and reviews editor for the
poetry website Write Out Loud. His debut pamphlet collection, Trainspotters, was published by Indigo Dreams in 2015. He
co-runs a monthly open mic poetry night in Woking, Surrey. He watched the
second half of England's World Cup drubbing against Germany in a pub in Ludlow
with the-then poet laureate, Carol Ann Duffy; and with hundreds of others,
contributed vocals on Chuck Berry's no 1 hit, My Ding-A-Ling. Greg's latest poetry collection, The Fall of Singapore is now also available (See website)
Jacquelynn Luben author of 'Lost Innocents'
WEBSITE N/A
Jacquelynn Luben Bio: Jacquelynn Luben has been writing for more than thirty years, and has brought out six books - two non-fiction, one children’s book and three novels, her most recent being a crime thriller, Lost Innocents. It was the death of her second child, a baby daughter, that made writing imperative at that time, and important ever since.
Although originally a Londoner, she now lives in Surrey in the house which she and her husband built and, in which they lived for six months without laid on gas or electricity, as described in her autobiographical book, The Fruit of the Tree.
Jackie always wanted to write, and had imagined herself sitting with her notepad, her children frolicking around her feet as she scribbled, but instead, she was seduced into office work by three weeks’ paid holiday and luncheon vouchers (who remembers them?), failing to find the magical job which would lead her to a writing career.
Jackie left London for married life in Surrey, and for many years, was her husband’s reluctant secretary/bookkeeper. She dealt with all the administration from home, but she occasionally managed to escape to attend creative writing courses, and eventually, gained a BA (Combined Studies) from Surrey University as a mature student, with a dissertation on the Harry Potter series and other children's books. She now belongs to a reading circle made up of fellow graduates. She strongly believes that writers need to read the work of others, and she sometimes reviews her current choice of book on Amazon (under the penname Minijax) and Goodreads.
Apart from writing, she has also occasionally participated in writing workshops and used to give talks to various organisations on writing topics, prior to the pandemic.
With her children, having fled the nest, she now quite enjoys cooking for two. She also loves her garden, particularly planning what new plants should be tried out, whilst leaving the labour to others, more energetic.
In addition to her published books, Jackie Luben has written many articles and short stories. More than twenty of her short stories are available as Kindle books - some of which are published by Untreed Reads www.untreedreads.com
Sue Mackender author of 'Girl on the Hill'
WEBSITE
Sue Mackender Bio: Sue Mackender sold her successful recruitment business after 29 years to follow her lifelong passion for books and begin a new career as a writer. Sue is often termed as a Grit-Lit writer of Commercial Fiction. She places her heroines in impossible situations where they need to fight their corner to survive.
Her first two novels, Accident of Fate and Accident of Birth have been firm favourites with Book Club readers. She has also been published in America in the Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies. The Girl on the Hill is Sue’s third novel. In 2019 Sue was awarded the coveted Katie Fforde bursary.
Sue lives with her husband in Surrey United Kingdom.
Harriet Steel author of 'Cold Case in Nuala'
WEBSITE
Harriet Steel Bio: Educated in the New Forest and London and subsequently graduating from
Cambridge with a BA in Law. I practised for many years as a solicitor before
becoming a writer. I published several historical novels and a collection of
short stories before turning to crime with The Inspector de Silva Mysteries. I live in Surrey with my husband and when I’m not writing,
I like to visit art galleries and read about history, activities that inspire
my writing. I’m also a keen traveller (although of course, that has to be of
the armchair variety at the moment) and an enthusiastic gardener.
