Story Behind The Book
The memoir charts the origins of Mellor’s enduring obsession with the cruel and manipulative Pennie Fenton. Born into a world on the brink of global catastrophe and into a household characterised by mild religious tension; it was perhaps inevitable that he would be end up being regarded as a slightly nervous lad with an unusual imagination. Numerous house moves and a couple of enforced periods of incarceration didn’t help matters, nor the absurd encounters with two melancholy dwarves. Overlay this turbulent back story with a dark secret about a family member who could never be discussed and you begin to understand why Mellor was unknowingly drawn towards… unconventional relationships. The most dysfunctional of all these associations was the one he had with Ms Fenton. Mellor originally met her as an impressionable teenager, but got to know her much better during his twenties and thirties. Ominously, the first time they were introduced to each other he experienced an incredible sense of déjà vu, followed by an unstoppable nosebleed. Things went quickly downhill from there. Fate conspired against him to ensure their paths crossed too many times to be able to forget his alluring old flame. Every few years he would bump into her in the unlikeliest of places. Each time he saw her he grew increasingly attracted to her corrupting ways. Ms Fenton managed to skilfully ingratiate herself with his wife and family and even persuaded Mellor to let her move into his spare room so that she could begin a duplicitous campaign to dismantle everything he held dear. It would take the advice of an ostracised friend, the love of a destructive daughter and an unambiguous threat from members of the criminal underworld for him to finally realise that he must extricate himself from her formidable control. Ultimately, Drowning in the Shallow End is a story about the importance of free-will. A timely reminder that that no matter what happens to us, we can always turn it around - sometimes literally at the press of a (gigantic red) button.
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Reviews
<p><strong>REVIEWS: </strong></p> <p><em>‘Cohesive and heartfelt. A confident and well-crafted book’ – </em>BubbleCow.</p> <p><em>‘Mellor writes with a deft hand, his comedy has a light, wry touch, combined with a self-depreciating sense of irony that is utterly endearing’ - </em>Alan Strong, US book blogger.</p> <p><em>‘Acerbic, absurd and addictive’ - </em>The GoodBook Guru.</p> <p><em>‘Here at last, is a long overdue love letter to the much maligned steeltown of Scunthorpe’ – </em>Jeremy Ainsley, Exec Producer, When Julie Met Toby, BBC TV.</p> <p><em>‘An excellent narrative… controlled and skilful’ - </em>LJB, British Literary<em> Agents. </em></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>READER COMMENTS:</strong></p> <p><em>‘Conclusive proof that real life really is stranger than fiction’.</em></p> <p><em>‘Amusing and engaging. Full of intrigue… the hints at the drama to come work well to build to… an absolute shock for the reader. The twist in the plot is both clever and unexpected’.</em></p> <p><em>‘Full of sharp, beady-eyed observations about the human condition’.</em></p> <p><em>‘Slow burning, quirky and surprisingly touching’. </em></p> <p> </p> <p>If you enjoy<strong> well written true life stories with a twist in the tale</strong>, download your free sample or scroll up and grab a copy of Drowning in the Shallow End today.</p>