Stephen Henning's Blog, page 4
January 8, 2020
Who are the Class Heroes? Meet the characters, part 3: Lolly Rosewood
Lauren Rosewood (known as Lolly) is introduced right at the beginning of book 1, and she’s something of an unknown. We see her in action doing some pretty classic ‘pyscho’ things to Samantha and James, such as blowing up their school bus.
She also plays a big role in book 2, What Happened in Witches Wood, where again she is the main instrument of torture for the twins, but even at this point we don’t really get an insight into what makes Lolly tick. We can only define her by her actions, which primarily consist of violence, destruction and loyalty to her father’s machinations.
Lolly comes into her own in book 3, Where’s Lolly?, where for the first time we see events unfold through her own eyes. This is the story where we truly begin to understand what motivates Lolly, get an insight into her emotional conflicts, and glimpse the beginnings of an unexpected (and ill-advised) relationship with James Blake.
After Where’s Lolly? things will never be the same again for Miss Rosewood, as we discover by her reappearance in book 4, London Belongs to the Alchemist. In this story, we see the continuation of Lolly’s emotional journey that began in the previous book.
So there you go, a spoiler-free, potted history of Lolly Rosewood. And for fans of the fatal femme, rest assured she’ll be returning in books 5 and 6.
In the meantime, why not see her in action, facing off against an MI6 agent.
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December 17, 2019
Who are the Class Heroes? Meet the characters, part 2: James Blake
In part 2 of the ‘Meet the Characters’ articles, its Samantha’s twin brother, James Blake.
James is 14 in the first book of the series (A Class Apart). He’s more hot-headed than his sister, and when he discovers he has superpowers, he really goes for it!!!
There’s peer pressure from his mates, his body is pumped up with energy and the excitement of new abilities, and he’s not going to listen to the warnings from his sister about what might happen if he uses his powers unchecked.
Thrown into the mix are James’s encounters with an older girl who also has special abilities. Lolly Rosewood is the daughter of a billionaire genetics mogul called Sir Michael Rosewood. From their first encounter, there is a spark between James and Lolly; but the Rosewoods’ sinister agenda and their violent methods set the stage for a clash between the two families.
Watch James’s story…
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December 9, 2019
Who are the Class Heroes? Meet the characters, part 1: Samantha Blake
In my mind, the Class Heroes books are a bit of a genre mash up. Predominantly, they are superhero fantasy/superhero science fiction books. But mainly they are character-based books. The main characters are ordinary teenagers who have had something extraordinary happen to them.
They don’t wear costumes. I mean… who’d want to wear a costume? Fancy-dress parties, Halloween, maybe cosplay events (I’m not talking about myself here, by the way) I can understand, but who seriously would want to wear a costume if you’re doing anything other than going on a good night out and could guarantee the toilets were going to be ok?
So who are these characters, I hear you idly wondering whilst tapping on your phone? OK. You forced my hand. Here goes. The cast list, now we’re up to four books is growing, but I’m going to start posting some background on each of them. This week, we’ll start with Samantha Blake.
Samantha Blake
Twin sister of James Blake, 14 years old in book 1 – A Class Apart, Sam is kind, fun-loving, determined and enjoys her life. She goes to school in South Ealing, London, and she enjoys running, mucking about with her friends, and having arguments with her brother.
Sam is caught up in a bomb explosion in London. When she wakes up in hospital, she slowly realises she has some amazing new abilities. She’s now 20 times stronger, can heal rapidly, and has an uncanny ability to control fire.
She’s got it made, right? Ahhhh, no. Why are things never that easy? Imagine if you had that kind of power. Would people think you were a freak? Would your friends suddenly be scared of you? What if you hurt someone? That’s a lot of power to keep under control.
What’s worse is how other people might perceive your value. Forget being an X-Factor winner — this kind of celebrity status would exceed that ‘enjoyed’ by royalty or world leaders. And that makes you prime fodder for exploitation. So good luck, Sam… You’re going to need it.
Listen to Sam’s story in her own words.
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November 27, 2019
A response from NSFT Chief Executive on the future of Walker Close in Ipswich
Jonathan Warren, the Chief Executive of the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT — the organisation in charge of mental health provision in the region) has pledged to safeguard the future of inpatient learning disability (LD) provision in Ipswich. Specifically, this refers to the future of Walker Close, Ipswich’s only inpatient LD facility. I’ve placed emphasis on the word ‘inpatient’, because it’s a vital part of the overall service of supporting people with learning disabilities who have also experienced mental health problems.
There has been a lot of speculation over the future of Walker Close. Speaking from first-hand experience, Walker Close is very much a success story, and I’d like to praise Mr Warren’s team at Walker Close for their exceptional work. They are caring for vulnerable adults who often have been detained under the Mental Health Act for their own protection and safety. So clearly, there will always be a need for a local, safe and secure inpatient environment for patients.
NSFT previously announced in July 2019 that the site would be closed in 2021. However, in a letter to me, Mr Warren does say:
‘There is a commitment to continue to have available appropriate inpatient services for learning disabled people but also a recognition that the current buildings at Walker Close are no longer fit for purpose and future provision may be based elsewhere. Walker Close will continue to operate in its current form until any new services are operational.’
I’d like to thank James Cartlidge, Member of Parliament for South Suffolk, for writing to Mr Warren on my behalf to get this clarification, and thank Mr Warren for his reply. Here’s a copy of the letter in full:
I will be very interested to see what the plan is for a new facility, if that is what is decided. Of course it could be that they might simply upgrade Walker Close itself. Mr Warren does use the phrase ‘future provision may be based elsewhere’. So who knows, Walker Close may continue but in a much improved form. I’m sure the staff and other patients/families will be relieved to know that there is this commitment from NSFT to both maintain and improve the excellent care that is currently being delivered.
My brother has been in Walker Close since May 2019. It’s no exaggeration to say that his admittance to Walker Close prompted an immediate improvement in his physical and mental wellbeing and, while it has been a very long, hard road, he continues to get better and for that I praise the staff. My goodness… It’s actually hard to find the right words here because we are talking about such wonderful people. People whose patience, professionalism and kindness seems to know no bounds. Humbling is the only real word for it. You could never pay someone enough to do the work these people do.
Thanks to their work, my brother is finally at the point where he has been able to make supervised visits to Genesis (Orwell Mencap); and come to my house and my parents’ house for lunch. We’re looking forward to the time when he is ready to be discharged. It’s always a concern that he may one day need the services of Walker Close again. I really hope not but, even if he doesn’t, there are other vulnerable adults who unfortunately will.
I had an interesting conversation with current Ipswich MP Sandy Martin on my doorstep last week, and he promised to continue a dialogue with NSFT to ensure mental health provision in Ipswich sufficiently serves the community. I am grateful to Mr Martin for his support.
So I thank NSFT and Mr Warren again for the assurances about continued inpatient LD provision. Please know that it is appreciated by the families.
And please give your fantastic staff a Christmas bonus. They deserve it.
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November 22, 2019
A re-introduction to Class Heroes (and some nonsense about blogging)
Following on from my previous blog post, I thought now is the time for a re-introduction to my Class Heroes book series.
It’s hard writing a sentence like that, you know. Imagine if I said that in conversation… like… I hadn’t seen you for weeks, and the first thing I came out with was, “Following on from my previous conversation with you, I thought now is the time for a re-introduction to my Class Heroes book series.” The kind of hand gestures you’d be making at me would probably result in you needing extensive physiotherapy. And I don’t need that kind of guilt.
Blogging is odd. To write a blog post, I have to overcome my natural inhibitions. I have to believe that you are actually interested in what I have to say. It reminds me of a quote I once read (one I now cannot find or verify), which I think was from the comedian Bob Monkhouse about chat show interviews. He (may have) said, “An interview is two people conducting an unnatural act in public.” Here’s perhaps a good example:
I know what Bob Monkhouse means. There’s an artifice that you have to get past in order for it to feel natural. In the case of blogging, I want to tell you something about what I’m doing whilst seemingly not giving a flying fig about your life. And it’s taken me three paragraphs to get around to it. Very British. And now I’m going to mention a second golden-age comedian and say I’m like Ronnie Corbett in prevaricating my way to the punchline. (It’s not the story about the aeroplane with the outside toilet. I just hope the Producer has flushed.)
So let’s go. If you’re still with me, thank you. And now I’ll bring you up to speed with Class Heroes. Book 5 will be out in early 2020, and I really want you to like it. (Not in a needy way. I won’t follow you home.) Without giving away any major plot spoilers in case you’re a wonderful person who’s just starting book 1, or thinking about downloading it, here’s a short precis of what the series is all about:
Class Heroes, at heart, is a drama about families. First there’s the Blake family. 14-year-old twins Samantha and James live with their mum and dad in London, they go to school, and everything is pretty cool and normal — right up until the twins’ school bus is caught up in a bombing. They wake up in hospital, and gradually realise they can do some pretty unusual stuff. In a nutshell — you guessed it — they now have super powers.
Class Heroes is, to borrow a phrase from the TV series ‘Smallville’, a ‘no flights, no tights’ type of superhero story. It isn’t about costumes, or using your powers to either fight crime or be a villain, or destiny, or being the chosen one, etc. It’s about the family. It’s about two kids who are suddenly more powerful than their parents, their friends, and (almost) everyone else on the planet. No pressure, then!
So what do you do with those powers? Maybe you are stronger than other people, but that’s only so useful. What if you hit someone too hard and kill them? You still have to live in society. You still want to have fun with your friends, fall in love, do family things. You have the potential to be the most famous person on the planet. Imagine how many Likes you’d get on social media!
But is that what you want? Maybe, just maybe, you just want to get on with your normal, ‘boring’ life.
Maybe that’s what I’ve written. ‘Boring Superhero Fiction.’ Not a category of book I’ve come across on Amazon, to be honest. ‘Out now, the latest in this Boring Superhero Series.’
Well, I hope it isn’t boring. Over the course of the first four books, Samantha and James have exciting adventures whether they want them or not. They meet some mysterious, dangerous, and desperate people who threaten to blow the Blake family’s lives apart.
Have I tempted you? Want more? Errr, I can add in some cute cats, if you like?
Watch this short trailer for the series. It will tell you pretty much all you need to know. Really, I should have put this right at the top. But once again, thank you very much for reading 
November 18, 2019
Book Review: The Holiday by TM Logan
The Holiday by T.M. Logan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a really good, page turning book. I picked it up for a look in my local Waterstones, flicked a couple of pages, and decided it was the kind of book I like. You’re straight into the story with a very quick feel for the characters and their situation. Everything feels very realistic and familiar – a group of friends going away on holiday.
The author has a really engaging writing style and manages to immerse you into the southern French holiday location. Tensions simmer and rise as the book progresses and there is a satisfying, logical denouement.
If I had to make a criticism (which I don’t… so I don’t know why I am), it was that the main POV character’s (highly understandable) preoccupation with her suspicions of her husband’s affair got a bit wearing. It’s totally plausible, and very much in-keeping with the claustrophobic ratcheting up of tensions, but I did find myself skipping some of those paragraphs. Kind of like hearing someone moan a lot – you start out feeling sympathetic and then just wishing they’d shut up and do something about it.
The setup is simple and clever. Kate has been friends with Jen, Izzy and Rowan for years. And they have an annual holiday with their respective families. Except this year, it’s all gone a bit wrong. Kate quickly suspects Sean of having an affair, and starts trying to work out which of her friends he’s doing the dirty deed with. If that sounds like it doesn’t have enough steam to fill out a novel, the author always ends a chapter with a new plot development, twist or turn to keep the action moving right to the end.
I kind of wish I’d read it on holiday, but finishing it on a cold, rainy Saturday night in October was equally satisfying.
View all my reviews
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November 16, 2019
Making time to write (and then actually being able to do it)
Or ‘Making time to write with a full time job’. Or ‘Making time to write with a baby / young children / all the other stuff in our busy lives.’ Whatever. If you really, really enjoy something, then no matter how achingly frustrating it might be sometimes, you just have to dig in and do it. Keep writing. There will always be something that gets in the way.
There. I really should be a motivational speaker! Simples. Except… I’ve been writing a book for the last 5 years!
The trouble is — at least for me — it wasn’t just about finding the time to write, it was about finding the inspiration of exactly what to write! Sometimes the ideas just won’t come when you really need them to. When the clock is ticking and you’ve only got a limited amount of time to be productive, you can start to panic.
To put all this in context, I started writing my Class Heroes book series back in 2011. This was before my wife and I had our baby. I had a lot more free time and I used it productively. By 2014 I had written four books in the series, created two websites to support the books, blogged, marketed, and made a few short videos.
In 2014 we had our baby. I was fully prepared to not have a fraction of the free time that I’d previously had available. I was happy that writing Class Heroes 5 would be a long process. That didn’t bother me at all. I didn’t want to miss out on my daughter’s childhood just to write a book that might drown in the colossal number of books published on Amazon every day. So I just took the free time when I could, and kept writing, kept chipping away.
But it was hard. Really hard. Work, nappy changes, sleepless nights, and all sorts of family activities mean that you don’t get the sustained period of concentration you need to tackle plot problems, character development, etc.
If all this sounds like I’m moaning, I’m not. Because I specifically make time for that, too. (I’ve scheduled 15 mins later this evening, if you must know.)
You know how you might wake up at 3:37 am, and your alarm is set for 7:00 am, and you think to yourself: ‘If I go back to sleep now, I’ll still get at least another three hours’ sleep’? An hour later, you’re still desperate to get to sleep but now you’ll only get two hours, but even that is better than nothing! You’re a bit panicky… and that keeps you awake… until 6.42 when you finally get to sleep.
Well, that’s a bit like how I felt when trying to write, in the first couple of years after our baby was born: racing against the clock.
If she’d gone for a nap, or if it was her bedtime, and there weren’t tons of other tasks or chores to do (like our house renovation), and I didn’t feel totally like dirt, then I’d think: ‘Ok! I have some time. I can actually do some writing now. Come on. Come on. Laptop out. I can do this. Right… where was I? Oh yes… Samantha discovers the body… But how is that going to tie in with what happens later? Wouldn’t the police get involved? If so, how does that fit with the overall tone and where the other plot threads are going? Won’t it just slow things down?’
And so I’d think through these plot problems. And think. And I’d be painfully aware of the minutes ticking by. And nothing satisfactory would come… Still nothing… Check the clock. Aaaargghh. I’d want to write any old thing just so I had something to show for the time! Then I’d get a grip, concentrate, close my eyes to let my imagination kick in… and fall asleep.
(Did I mention we also have cats? Bet you saw that first photo in this blog and your first thought was about my posture and back pain, no? Well let me assure you, my chronic back pain has nothing to do with my sitting position. Really.)
So anyway, I stuck with my writing, and you know what… those years of just chipping away at the book, bit by bit, have paid off. And in fact not only will there soon be Class Heroes 5, but Class Heroes 6 too. It’s funny looking back at early chapters, chunks that I’ve removed, storylines that I’ve changed, and — right in the middle of sentences — letters typed by my daughter as she sat beside me while I wrote. Just random characters at first, but now proper words. And now she wants to write her own stories! Watch out for her Teddy and Rabbit magnum opus!
Five years have flown by in the blink of an eye. But in a funny way some of it is encapsulated in the chapters of my books. I can remember the strong feelings and emotions that I’d invested in specific scenes. Despite the frustrations, there were times when it all came together and the writing just flowed. It’s just such a great feeling. So rewarding. There’s almost nothing better. Almost! But you do need patience. And perseverance. And you just have to love what you do.
It kind of reminds me of this scene from Peter Capaldi’s Doctor Who:
All the effort, all those five minutes of working here and there, it’s all finally coming together to create a finished product. Stay tuned for more information on release dates. And thanks for reading
October 16, 2019
Class Heroes Collection
Class Heroes Books 1 – 4
The box set of books 1 to 4 in the exciting CLASS HEROES superhero series. This collection features the first 4 books in the Class Heroes series.
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London Belongs to the Alchemist
Class Heroes Book 4
Sam and James meet underground DJ Al Lester – AKA the Alchemist. Al’s special powers attract the interest of a London drug lord and the Russian mafia, placing the twins and their family in terrible danger. And to make matters worse, Lolly Rosewood is back in their lives, and she’ll do anything to find and free her father from prison.
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Where’s Lolly?
Class Heroes Book 3
Lolly Rosewood is on the run in London without her awesome super powers. Lolly must learn to survive on her wits as agents from MI5 are closing in. This is a short story in the Class Heroes series.
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