Day Dreams

This short selection of poems and stories includes some poems from 'Rhymes for no Reason' which I published earlier this year.

My main aim when writing poetry or short prose works is either to amuse my readers or to tell a story or point a moral.

I have never been able to see the sense in writing beautiful English just for the use of language alone. Hence this selection includes humour, love, sadness, spiritual works bordering on prayers and tales which concentrate on how human emotions affect or are manipulated by different people. I must admit, however, that if some of the works appear forced or unusual I have experimented with different types of rhyming in places.

For example, the format in the 'Arranging a Rendez-Vous' was in answer to a challenge that I could not do it. And some of the wistful memories evoked in the stories and verse are based on true events in my life.

However, 'What turns him on' is entirely fictional and was written for a flash fiction contest about erotic experiences without using any specifically erotic words. And I am not protesting too much! If anyone were to ask me, however, the secret to writing a particular type of poem or story I cannot help them.

With the exception of acrostics, where I write the first letters of each line vertically first and then compose the poem, I have no set way of approaching any writing.

My novel James and Jacqueline, which is coming out later this year, is a classic example of someone writing a romance very close to the truth, especially in its theme and setting, but also very obviously a fictitious story.

This perhaps best sums up all my work. But as long as you have fun thumbing through this book and reading extracts at random - please don't try and read it straight through - and wanting to re-read at least a quarter of them, then I will be happy.