Books

TAG

Mistyann is fifteen, unpredictable, unreliable and violent. She's also gifted. And now she's on her way to Wales for a special residential course for talented youth. An American psychologist wants to unlock her potential, help her become the person that she's always dreamt of being. God help Wales. God help us all.

Part bleakly comic confession, part twisted romance, TAG is the fast-moving, at times shocking, story of two lives turned upside down by reckless moments and impulses that won't be denied. Think Lord of the Flies meets A Curious Incident... Full of wit, drama and an eye for the absurdities of the way we live now...  TAG is a memorable debut novel.

Order this book from Cinnamon Press or Amazon.

Praise for TAG

'…This is a fast-paced novel. At times it feels as though May chose to leave out conjunctions, opting instead for short sentences which communicate clearly and without superfluity the feelings and observations of the characters.

The writing is measured and controlled. May does not interpret characters or plot for his reader; he appears to trust us to understand. Indeed, part of the pleasure of this novel is the reader's changing relationships with Mistyann and Jonathan.

A strong and hopeful story written by a man in complete control of his text and his characters; and it is this which singles out TAG as a special book, entirely deserving of its place on the Wales Book of the Year longlist...' www.walesonline.com

'Though TAG is not a teenage novel any more than Catcher In The Rye is, the vivacity and iconoclasm of  Mistyann will surely particularly appeal to young adult readers in the way that Holden Caulfield did, while Jonathan Diamond's weary stoicism in the face of a world he is beginning not to understand should resonate with all ages. Both characters are the kind that get under your skin, and by the end of the book you find yourself rooting for them both.'
Ray French, author of Going Under.

'... A compelling and very readable first novel. May writes with a fresh, new voice that skips lightly between the two main characters even when the storyline gets very dark.'
Sue Brickay, Bedfordshire on Sunday

'Very funny and politically resonant.'
Katie Popplewell,  Manchester Evening News

Teach Yourself Creative Writing

Stephen May wrote the acclaimed new edition of this book for Hodder and Staughton and it was published in July 2008. It's intended as a practical guide for anyone who wants to explore all areas of writing. He was helped by many, many talented writers who contibuted ideas, exercises and thoughts during the writing of it. It's also intended as a helpful tool for teachers of writing.  Stephen said "I wrote it quickly, but I'm proud of it. It does what it says on the tin and I hope it's easy-to-read, accessible, entertaining and useful." It's selling steadily too. Order this book or from your local independent bookshop. There are lots of very positive comments from readers on www.amazon.co.uk