My grandmother told me I read too much. I remember walking in the garden when I was small, telling myself stories.
I started writing novels on holiday in 2012. Our Child of the Stars began as a short story I wrote for Halloween in 2013. I became obsessed with Gene and Molly, and Cory, the little boy from the stars that they adopt, under such challenging circumstances. It was published in the UK end of 2019, got some lovely reviews, and was out in the States and Canada in March 2020 – in time for the pandemic.
The knockout sequel, Our Child of Two Worlds is now out both sides of the Atlantic. The two books conclude the story originally conceived although the universe of the books – “the Coryverse” may have more tales to tell.
I’m interested in strong, believable characters and their relationships. I like writing to have hope and humour, and to recognise the dark and unfair side of life. The stories are driven by the people as well as the ideas. Usually, my work has some speculative or fantastical elements, but I am not interested in strict barriers between genres.
I spent nearly all my childhood in Bristol, and I’m now an adoptive Londoner. I have a partner and two adult children who still come back from time to time. I’m a professional communicator, a science PhD dropout, a recovering poet, and a Quaker.
I’m active in the All Good Bookshop Writing Group. I read the first third of Our Child of the Stars to them in a former incarnation, and they gave me the encouragement it might be quite good.
I write about my experience as an author not in the belief I have unique insight, but just to help other people and give a bit of the flavour of how it was for me. Hence the backstage tag for posts.
Name buddies
I’m Stephen (Peter) Cox, British author, not the sculptor, the American Libertarian and expert on Jane Austen, or the guy who wrote a book about the Munchkins.
There’s a page for sorting us all out.
I’m certainly not anyone who spells Stephen with a ‘v’ or chooses to be called Steve. Your mileage on that may vary.