Press Release
Backstories – Where Mystery Meets Nostalgia
A first-time author has come up with an ingenious idea for his debut book. ‘Backstories’, described as ‘fourteen familiar souls stripped naked’, tells the stories of famous heroes and villains at key moments in their lives - but the secret twist, the little piece of magic that makes it all work – is that the writer does not reveal their identities. He leaves it to the reader to 'unravel the truth' for themselves, leading to those explosive moments of discovery when you realise who each story is about.
Backstories, by Newcastle based writer, Simon Van der Velde, will be released on March 25 in paperback, ebook and audiobook formats - so you can listen to the vivid descriptions while you try to identify these - 'dreamers, singers, heroes and killers'. Simon, 53, came up with the idea of writing about the people who fascinated and inspired him in childhood. "These are people you know, but not as you know them," he said. "I was born in 67, and the musicians, activists and murderers of the time really caught my imagination. In Backstories, I aim to get behind the image. I want to highlight the pivotal moments in their lives, to explore that paper-thin line between success and failure.
"The first story is about an iconic musician who was nearly destroyed because of his background and religion. But I also write about actors, politicians, criminals - all-sorts.” There are 14 in the first collection of 'Backstories', and another volume ready to be published.
Simon added: "Most of these characters are from my lifetime, so there’s a strong nostalgia element for anyone of my era. A chance to rediscover people you thought you knew. It’s my take on how things would have been for my heroes and villains. The most important thing for the reader, though, is that I don’t tell you who these people are. I drop clues, and let the reader solve the mystery for themselves – leading to those Eureka moments of realisation.”
Backstories, published by Smoke and Mirrors Press on March 25 and will be available on Amazon; £7.99 on audio or paperback, or £2.99 on eBook. Simon worked variously as a barman, labourer, teacher, caterer and lawyer, whilst researching his award-winning stories. His work has won and been shortlisted for numerous awards including; The Yeovil Literary Prize, (twice), The Wasafiri New Writing Prize and The Luke Bitmead Bursary.
Find this lost little boy and claim your reward
No doubt about it, he was a bright kid, talented even. He was quick on his feet and with his mouth too, and he could smack a baseball out of the park. But he was a Jew, and he was short. I mean like really short. The kid was the size of your average third-grader when he was twelve years old…
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To win a free copy of Backstories, sign up here and try the Backstories challenge.