Hobnail Books

02/07/2025

Considering he was only a young man himself, Wedge’s father brought him up as best as he could. Along the way, he taught his boy a few rules to get by in life: never get into debt if you can avoid it, always look after your woman as best as you can, and always, always, help your mates when they need you.
But what are mates? Wedge knows: ‘Mates’ can either be your true mates, as in the expression, “I’m meeting me mates later,” or some blokes you’ve only just met that very night while you were waiting for your mates to turn up, which naturally means they’ve just become your mates. And when your true mates arrive and ask, “Who’re yer mates, then?” well, you may not know their names, but they’d still be your mates.
As a shy, shoegazing bloke from an ordinary northern town, all Wedge wanted was to ride his bike, listen to music, and enjoy a quiet life in the company of his beloved Gillian … even if that meant being dragged around town every weekend.
But after a chance meeting with the charming Benny on a carpet-covered footstool in a clothes shop one Saturday morning, things would slowly but surely change.

This is the first (of EIGHT) book in the HOBNAIL SERIES and is available on Kindle or in a printed edition ... browse through Amazon and please spread the word to all and sundry.
Cheers

02/07/2025

Alex Matterson reckoned everything exists somewhere on a continuum: good and evil, clean and dirty, black and white, but once you understand the game’s rules, you see the grey in between.
Jonty was quite happy in his chemical cocoon, content to do whatever he had to do until Mickey ripped him off. But faced with either prison or treatment, he took the lesser of the two evils, or so he thought.
But isn’t change supposed to be good?
Aunty Cathy and her team worked in a no man’s land doing a job so the rest of society could perhaps feel a little cleaner when they walked past on market day; after all, someone has to empty your bins every week. Don’t they?
And it was a privileged place for the folk who worked there, but like Jonty said, how can you be a Jedi without the Dark Side?
There are no absolutes in the game; only change, whether you like it or not!

Doggy is the first (of three) books based on my years of working with the real Drug Service situated in, well, Doggy, for those of you familiar with the North Ormesby area of Middlesbrough. Naturally, I've changed the names and some of the stories to protect the real people who flowed through the doors, but the feelings are genuine (honestly, folks).
Available for Kindle or as a printed copy through Amazon.
Please share far and wide.
Cheers

25/06/2025

... and The Doggy Trio have been checked, buffed, and re-released for Kindle today.
But I'm getting some mind grumbling about the "Doggy 4" story arc. Dammit!!
Anyhow, the original three are available on Amazon for a measly 2.99 quid apiece.
Buy early for Christmas

22/06/2025

I've scampered through the complete Hobnail Series (Hobnail, A Slack Handful of Symmetry, Acid Plus Base Equals Salt Plus Water, Snapdragon, Incorporation, A Fistful of Loyalty Cards, Twisted Willow, and Grey Angel) to check for Kindle formatting. Everything seems to be fine and dandy ...

Each is £2.99, but if you have Kindle Unlimited, they are included in the package.

Be the first on your block, as we kids used to say... honest, guv.

Now on to the Doggy Series before I dip into pastures new.

21/06/2025

I knew it was a risky gambit but I've reread Acid Plus Base Equals Salt Plus Water for a quick Kindle clean up ... now onto Snapdragon. Fool that I am ... go on ... tell yer chums ;)

11/06/2025

I've just re listed "A Slack Handful Of Symmetry" for Kindle ... I'd forgotten how much fun it was to write. People say you shouldn't laugh at your own jokes but I will admit to a few sniggers ...
Anyway, you know what to do.
Please spread the word ... cheers

10/06/2025

Well, we're back from the Homeland and our feet are slowly recovering from our very moist West Highland Way experience.
I'd mentioned before that I was rereading Hobnail and found a few glitches. Anyroad, after a fun time convincing Amazon that I wasn't plagiarising myself, Hobnail is back on the Kindle racks and hopefully sorted.
It's available (again) from Amazon.co.uk for a paltry sum ... tell yer mates!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09F8BZ8W7?binding=kindle_edition&qid=1749518195&sr=8-1&ref=dbs_dp_awt_sb_pc_tkin

Sign up to Amazon Prime for unlimited free delivery. Low prices at Amazon on digital cameras, MP3, sports, books, music, DVDs, video games, home & garden and much more.

23/05/2025

So, here I am, sitting on a sofa in a lovely borrowed cottage in Hobnail land, biding my time until a friend's wedding in Middlesbrough tomorrow.

It's peculiar to be driving around the streets and countryside that inspired the series. Especially sitting in a cocktail bar a short throw from where the fictional Gibson's Deli is situated.

But, I'd forgotten to pack any books to read so I switched on my Kindle and began to read the book that started all this rigmarole.

I'd forgotten how much fun it was to write Hobnail (not to mention the time it took) but I'm astonished to discover the version I'd downloaded isn't the latest!

This has inspired me to examine the version available through Amazon and give it a tweak. The formatting on my Kindle is horrorshow and needs a metaphorical kick up the arse! Paragraphs and page breaks have buggered up the flow and I've also spotted a few Americanisms that will not do.

So, basically, I'm apologizing if any electronic copies are bo****ks. I shall endeavor to get it sorted toot sweet.

In other news, the latest work in progress (Doggy 4) is slowly moving along. More to follow.

In the words of the great Stan Lee ... Excelsior!

13/03/2025

So, for our dinner the other day, we had sardines on toast, which sparked off a memory of the "slids topping" narrative from Acid Plus Base Equals Salt Plus Water ... possibly my favourite book from the Hobnail series. In other news "Doggy 4" is grumbling along in my spare moments of inspiration. Watch this space.

29/10/2024

An early teaser ;) Doggy 4 is in progress!

26/10/2024

Grey Angel is now available in PRINT. Here's a link to the Amazon UK site:

Grey Angel (The Hobnail Series)

26/10/2024

Grey Angel is now in PRINT. Here's a link to the Amazon UK site:

Grey Angel (The Hobnail Series) eBook : Norton, Andrew: Amazon.co.uk: Books