Showing results by author "Julie Shaw" in All Categories

Coleen Nolan – singer, TV host and agony aunt is known for her warmth, straight-talking and compassion. But her empathy and warmth have been earned the hard way – formed by her own deeply-felt experiences of loss and grief. Written with accessibility, heart and fellow-feeling, this is not a guidebook but a companion, a friendly word in the darkest times, packed with advice, understanding and hope – a book to say you’re not alone.

The infamous Canterbury Estate in Bradford, a hotbed of crime, drink and drugs, was a law unto itself in the '70s. So when one of their own was wronged in any way, the community always had its own way of dealing with it. The first title in a series of gritty family sagas, Our Vinnie accounts the dramatic true story of a brother's determination to avenge his younger sister's rape. Josie was just 11 when her Vinnie, then 14, was taken away to a detention centre.

Behind the notorious Hudson men who dominated the Canterbury Estate for over 30 years were the girls, and my mam Shirley. Whether marrying into or determined to escape from it, the third installment of this gritty series recounts the incredible stories of the unflinching women behind the legendary Hudson family. The Canterbury Estate in Bradford during the '50s and '60s was a tight-knit community reared on poverty, crime and violence, and at the top of the heap were the infamous Hudson family.

Family is not always a place of safety. Kathleen was just eight years old when her mother was tragically killed in a car accident. And when her father remarries, it is to the bitter and resentful Irene, who has two children of her own and no space in her heart for another. Irene goes out of her way to make Kathleen's life as miserable as possible and will stop at nothing to get her out of their lives....

If you lived on the notorious Canterbury Estate in the ‘40s and ‘50s, then you knew there was one man you did not want to cross: Charlie Hudson. A solitary man, feared and respected by the gangsters of the time, Charlie was a boxer who never lost a fight, in or out of the ring - the most infamous of The Canterbury Warriors. My Uncle Charlie, the second title in the explosive series unravels a story of debauchery, crime and self-destruction. Charlie Hudson was a born leader.

It's 1983, and best friends Vicky and Lucy swear that they will always be there for each other, that they'll never let anyone come between them. But fast-forward four years, and life on the Canterbury Estate has gotten very messy. Lucy has fallen for local policeman's son Jimmy. And Vicky is madly in love with Paddy, the local bad boy. The boys are bitter enemies and determined to keep the two girls apart. But then Vicky is accused of murder, and even her drug-dealer boyfriend wants her mouth shut - permanently.

The explosive sequel to number one Sunday Times best seller Bad Blood. Set 18 years later, Hidden Sin is the story of Joey, his girlfriend, Paula, and Rasta Mo, the man he is to discover is his dad. Joey Parker is a young man with big dreams. Almost 18, he’s desperate to escape the shackles of his window cleaning round, so when he’s offered the chance to try out as a drummer in a local Blondie tribute band he jumps at the chance. But it isn’t just the music that moves him. It’s also the fact that Paula Foster is the lead singer.

It's Friday evening on the Canterbury Estate in Bradford, and Christine, who's been rushed to hospital by her friend, Josie, is on the maternity ward giving birth. She's 17 and terrified. Not just of the pain, which is ripping her in two, but because she knows that once the baby arrives, her family is never going to speak to her again. Her beautiful baby boy is about to start a chain of events that will lead to tragedy - and only her own family can save her.