The Blurb:
Traumatised by the tragic death of her twin brother, Brianna falls into a state of deep depression, isolating herself from the world and all those that care about her. When a twist of fate reveals that she has a half-sister she finds a new purpose in her life and sets out to find her sibling, desperately hoping she can fill the void left in her world.
Poppy has not enjoyed the same privileged lifestyle as her sister while growing up. Abandoned into the care system at the age of eight, she has encountered both physical and sexual abuse for most of her life. Passing through the hands of more care homes and foster families than she can remember, the damaged product of a broken upbringing, Poppy has never found a place to feel truly safe. Kicking back at society, she turns to drug abuse and acts of extreme violence to escape from reality.
When the two siblings are finally united, they discover that they have much more in common than their DNA. Their paths are shrouded with sinister secrets of betrayal and regret and both girls share a deep-rooted hatred for one of their parents. As the dark truths of their lives are unveiled they realise that nothing can ever be the same again...
House of Straw was published by Matador on 20th November 2018 and you can purchase it here.
Extract:
Poppy shivered as she sat on the cold floor of the kitchen in her flat. Her eyes were still fixed on the dark sky between those grubby torn curtains. That plane was probably half-way to its destination by now, its passengers filled with eager anticipation of the holiday ahead of them. As she touched her scalded neck a strange thought crossed her mind, not for the first time. Why did the Houghtons’ daughter move so far away from them? Maybe it was a handsome young man she had met or perhaps it was an exciting new job that took her all the way to Canada. Or maybe, she simply moved away because she knew the kind of man her father really was. Maybe, like Poppy, she did not like wearing those short dresses on Sundays either.
The sun could be seen rising in the distance. Poppy did not
know how long she had been sprawled out on that grease-covered floor, but she was sure that Cameron would be asleep now. So, if she had some piano wire here, right now, maybe in one of those kitchen drawers, she knew what she would do. She would make him pay for all the pain she was suffering. She would wrap that wire so tightly round his neck and pull is so hard and for so long that his face would turn blue and his eyes would pop out of his head. She would be too strong for him this time, she wouldn’t let go, not until he was gone, not until she was sure he was dead. She knew if he was gone for good, she would not have to forgive him the next morning. Forgive him, like she had done so many times in the past. If he was gone, she could start again. Maybe, she thought, there might be a better life for her out there after all.
But there was no wire in those drawers. Poppy laid her head
back down on the dirt-stained floor and closed her eyes.
The Author:
Marc Scott was born and bred in the heart of East London. His dark and gritty writing style has earned him much praise with readers.
He worked in the film and video industry for more than twenty years, the highlight of which was spending twelve months based in Hollywood, organising marketing campaigns for a UK film distributor.
More recently he spent several years working with young offenders as part of his role associated with the court service. It was during this time he became deeply moved by the tragic story of one young girl who was struggling to come to terms with the neglect and abuse she had suffered throughout her life. Her tragic case inspired him to write his first novel House of Straw.
The book has already received excellent reviews from bloggers and buyers and his second book is planned for release at the end of 2020.
His favourite book is Birdy by William Wharton, which he confesses to have read at least half a dozen times. He also enjoys the works of Kazuo Ishiguro. ‘I love authors that can find something that is extraordinary in ordinary people’ he says. ‘A reader wants to feel like a bystander all through the journey and that only happens if they can feel an emotional attachment to the main characters’.
Marc lives in Buckinghamshire and has three grown-up children George, Marissa and Amie. He says his daughters have been the main motivation behind his love of writing. ‘I always run everything past them. Their honest appraisals definitely keep me on the right track’ he says.
He is a keen sports fan and has an undying passion for Leyton Orient Football Club.
You can find him on Twitter @MARCO1918253109
Thanks for closing off the blog tour today Suze x
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure. x
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