The houses on Disraeli Avenue all looked the same, the same shape, the same size but behind each coloured front door there was a story, a secret, a need.

Bill Williams is lost, Aunty Maggie longs to be young and attractive, Crystal is searching to find out more about Adam. Tales of debt, infidelity, incest, love and loss all combine and weave into a mosaic of working class life.

When In Search of Adam was published in 2007, I was overwhelmed by the response from readers. Exploring themes of sexual abuse and self-harm, the book prompted many people to contact and tell me of their own experiences. That’s when I realised that I needed to find a way to give something back to those whose lives have been hit by abuse.

In 2008, I released Disraeli Avenue. Within this spinoff novella (or possibly a short story collection) the minor characters featured within my debut novel In Search of Adam were given individual voices, with flashes into their lives.

Disraeli Avenue was written and offered as a free eBook (from my website). Although the eBook was free, there was the option for a voluntary donation to be made to my chosen charity. In two weeks, we raised over £1500 for the charity One in Four, a charity that offers support to survivors of sexual abuse. That money paid for a carpet in their group therapy room and other very much needed items. In that first month, Disraeli Avenue was downloaded over 30,000 times.

Fast forward to 2009, when I was thoroughly excited to be releasing a limited edition, signed paperback of Disraeli Avenue through a publisher, Bluechrome. Few were printed, all were signed and I personally sent them out. It was agreed that all profit from the books would go to One in Four, that I wasn’t to receive a penny from any of the sales, but no contract was issued as all rights for the book were to remain mine.

From January 2010, I tried emailing, phoning and begging the publisher to pay. He promised me that he would pay. And I trusted that he would. Then my emails to him bounced back and he disappeared. His website was removed and I was one of many authors left without their royalties. I was devastated.

Enter The Friday Project (on a white horse) and this new (and improved) edition of Disraeli Avenue being published. All of my royalties, for as long as this eBook is available, will go to charity and I’d very much appreciate your support.

If you can help me spread the word, that would be wonderful. Disraeli Avenue is available on Amazon for 2.48