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Linda's Ghost Writing
For me, ghost writing seemed like a natural progression from journalism. I often found when writing features that stories were simply ‘too big’ for them to be done justice within newspaper coverage. Condensing someone’s story to 1,200 words could be done - but was usually as frustrating for me as it was for the person interviewed. When I first met Donna Ford, she had just been through a horrific criminal trial in which she was a witness against her step mother who had abused her as a child.
Donna had never sought to prosecute this woman, but when she decided to help the police in their case, she had to face the demons she herself unleashed. Donna was considering giving her story to a newspaper I worked for, but she had concerns. Like many others in a similar position, she wondered how she could retain some control over what was said and how it was presented. With the best will in the world, a journalist can only promise so much. Editorial decisions, time pressures, space constraints can all affect a story so much that the person whose life story is being told barely recognises it.
There was so much of Donna’s story that hadn’t been told, and couldn’t be covered in any detail in a one-off feature. Two things made Donna’s story stand out as ideal for a book – firstly, she herself was keen to see it told in that format (but was unsure how it could be brought about), and secondly, we got on. From my first meeting with Donna it was obvious that, although she would be revisiting Hell as she told of her childhood years, we would make a good team.
Now, lots of very professional, very experienced ghost writers will probably say that is a huge mistake. They’ll say that you shouldn’t get too attached, you shouldn’t get too friendly, with your ‘subject.’ That might work for them, but I, personally, couldn’t see how you could ask someone to tell you the details of their life without making some attempt at batting for the same side. So, Donna talked, I listened. Donna opened her heart, and I wrote it all down. And it worked.
The Step-Child – a true story of a broken childhood
by Donna Ford
 This is the true story of Donna Ford, who between the ages of five and eleven was abused by her stepmother Helen. Labelled 'the bastard', the 'little witch' and 'the evil one'; beaten, isolated and afraid to even look at her own reflection, this beautiful little child was told she was lucky to be the victim of abuse - abuse which began as physical and mental, but progressed to the most appalling sexual attacks. Despite a horrendous early life, Donna is now a successful artist and mother of three with enormous enthusiasm and an optimism which completely belies her experiences. In 2003, Donna watched as her stepmother was found guilty of 'procuring a minor' for sexual abuse and sentenced to two years in prison. Beautifully written and savagely honest, "The Step Child" is Donna's story. It is an inspiring tribute to the resilience of the human spirit.
This is a harrowing story, but the difference between this account and the stories of so many others, is how Donna has chosen to live her life. She is an amazing woman with an enormous enthusiasm for life and an optimism which completely belies her experiences. The years she has spent restoring both herself and her memories have come together in this memoir which offers hope through almost unimaginable horror and truly shows the resilience of the human spirit.
A Sunday Times bestseller in hardback, and now a paperback bestseller, the book is a savagely honest memoir of one girl's abuse at the hands of her stepmother.
Amazon five star reviews for The Step Child
"I wish I could take that little girl's hand and free her from the hell she was living in. I would hold that precious little girl and tell her she is safe loved and no evil or harm will ever come to her again. She was so badly let down and abandoned by all around her. I have just finished the book and look at my little girl and shudder at the thought of any such pain and abuse that Donna endured all those years at the hands of a monster and many more abusers around her. She must be very proud of herself and her life and family I wish I could give that little girl a big hug."
Elizabeth A Wilson
"I read this book over a couple of days as I found I couldn't put it down. It was wonderfully written and the courage and strength of Donna Ford is unbelievable. It is hard to believe how the authorities or family members failed to notice what was going on but as moving and haunting as this is, I think it proves to us all that we need to be extra vigilant where children are concerned. I would highly recommend this book and will be loaning it out to family and friends."
M A Williams
"This book will haunt you - I know I found it really hard to forget it. This is a very upsetting and disturbing read. It is heartbreaking and I imagine that no one can really imagine the trauma Donna actually went through in the early part of her life. This is hard reading, it is so unbelievable you tell yourself that it cannot be true but IT IS. How did so many child services not help Donna when she was obviously in great need of adult care? Everyone just buried their head in the sand. Having said that, the book is an excellent read, well written and hard to put down - you think things can't get any worse for Donna but they always did! I hope Donna has found peace and moved on - from reading her book she seems to have turned herself around - what a courageous woman. Uplifting biography."
J Walker
May 2006 hardback; September 2007 paperback
Published by Ebury Press, a division of Random House
Unbreakable – my life with Paul; a story of extraordinary courage and love
by Lindsey Hunter
 Unbreakable tells Lindsey Hunter's moving and heartbreaking story. Lindsey is the widow of snooker star Paul Hunter, who died tragically aged only 27 after a battle with cancer in October 2006, leaving Lindsey and their one year-old daughter Evie bereft and alone.
Lindsey met Paul Hunter when she was 21 and he was 18. When they married seven years later, Paul had become a golden boy in the world of snooker, dubbed 'the Beckham of the baize,' having won the Masters trophy three times, and attained a world ranking of number four, and Lindsey's happiness looked assured. But tragedy struck when Paul was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer, neuro-endocrine tumours in his abdomen.
Aggressive chemotherapy appeared to work, and within six months Paul was competing in a major championship, with Lindsey cheering him on from the side-lines. More joy came when Lindsey gave birth to their daughter, Evie Rose. But tragically, Paul died in October 2006, 18 months after his diagnosis, leaving Lindsey a widow and single mother. Lindsey was determined to celebrate Paul's life rather than mourn his death, and has dealt with the loss of her young husband on the eve of their life together with strength. This is their story.
Amazon five star reviews for Unbreakable
"As a fan of Paul, and having met him and seen him play a few times, his death really did upset me at the time and when I saw last week that Lindsey had written this book, I was always going to buy it. It is effectively split into three parts, the first being when they met and their first few years, with Paul struggling to break away from his current partner and commit to Lindsey. The second, and sadly the shortest section is about the time when Paul and Lindsey were happiest, their wedding plans and the ceremony itself, which seems to have run perfectly. Then the third section, and ultimately half of the book, details his struggle with the illness, from the first diagnosis to the very end, and beyond. It's a beautifully written, but terribly sad story and really highlights how brave and courageous he was in fighting this battle, just as he was on the table. What is really shocking is how everything seemed to be going well and it sounds like he was recovering, then bang it's back and worse than ever, leading to a sharp decline in his condition. So to summarise, it's a tragic story, but for any fan of Paul, or snooker in general, it's a must-read. To be honest you don't even need to be one of those, it's a compelling read in itself."
Matt 2745
"This book really opens your eyes as to the courage of Paul Hunter and his family. I didn't find it too sad, just eye-opening as to how this terrible illness attacks you. The honest way that Lindsey describes the hospital visits and the treatments, makes you realise the nightmare they all must have been living. The fact that Lindsey still held a job down whilst caring for not only Paul her daughter and trying to help his parents cope, runs throughout the book, and this I feel, is the underlying story. I have always admired how Lindsey has coped and how strong she has been and this book is a testament to that."
JJM
September 2007 hardback; March 2008 paperback
Published by Harper Collins
Falling – the heartbreaking story of a boy who just wanted to be loved
by Jeff Randall
 'A few seconds ago I wanted to die. Now I know the reality is, I just don't want to live. I never have, from the moment I started falling, twenty-one-and-a-half years ago. I'm alive. Shit.'
Jeff Randall originally wrote his memoir by hand, the ink spattering on the page whenever he was writing about something painful and looping beautifully whenever he was recalling happier moments. He wrote it in a matter of weeks and delivered it to his estranged wife in an attempt to explain the demons that had haunted him for so long and that had been responsible for destroying their relationship.
"Falling" is the powerful true story of a boy whose tormented childhood was characterised by violence and neglect. From a young age, he yearned to escape but was sucked into an ever-decreasing spiral of bad choices. This brutally honest book charts the life of a boy who just wanted to be loved but when love eventually came he was too damaged to recognise it. Only by confronting the nightmare of his childhood and coming to terms with his past has he been able to stop his downward spiral.
May 2008
Published by Mainstream
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