Christmas Giveaway Authors: Huw Thomas and Stephen Gallup

Today we meet Huw Thomas and Stephen Gallup, both of whom are offering copies of their books in our Christmas giveaway. Enter to win a huge bundle of Kindle books on my Facebook page. Huw is also offering fiver runner-ups a copy of The Tale of Findo Gask and his latest title, Pagan's Spinx written under the penname William Webster as part of the bundle.
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Findo Gask is a thief: born in a ditch, raised in a slum and educated by the underworld.

As an unregistered child with no official identity, Findo learns early on how to keep his head down, slip in and out of places unobserved - and run from trouble: perfect talents for a thief.

To begin with, Findo steals to survive but - as he gets older and his exploits more audacious - theft becomes a form of self-expression, a way of asserting his identity and shouting out his name to a world that doesn’t seem to care.

‘The Tale Of Findo Gask’ is a story about a boy who has no identity but a burning desire to prove himself; someone who does what others would love to do if they had no morals… or weren’t frightened of getting caught.

From pinching cigarettes in a corner shop to an armed raid on a security firm, from saving drowning dogs to stealing a diva’s tiara, ‘The Tale Of Findo Gask’ is the story of a rollercoaster life in the underbelly of modern Britain.

It’s not a crime novel but the story of an unconventional life: a book about alienation, love and a desperate search for acceptance and purpose.

"The Tale of Findo Gask" was national winner of the Undiscovered Authors General Fiction Prize for 2006.

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Writer, traveller, cyclist and gardener: I've always been a dreamer - I wrote my first 'book' while at primary school and making up stories has long been one of my favourite occupations.

I was born in Southampton, England, in 1965 and grew up in a small market town called Romsey.

Over the years that followed I worked as a journalist, PR consultant, gardener and, most recently, teaching English in Portugal.

My first novel - The Tale Of Findo Gask - was published in 2006 after winning the national final of a UK competition to discover new authors. I've also written several other books and published a collection of short stories.

Author's Blog: hdthomas.wordpress.com
Facebook: Huw Thomas
Amazon.com: Author's Page
Find out more about Pagan's Spinx here.

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Nobody knew what hurt little Joseph, and no one was offering a way to help him. He cried most of the time, and thrashed about as if in pain. He wasn't learning how to crawl, talk, or interact normally. Doctors told his parents to seek counseling, because nothing could help their son, and the quality of their own lives was at risk. Refusal to accept that advice changed their lives forever. WHAT ABOUT THE BOY? A Father's Pledge to His Disabled Son chronicles a family's rejection of hopelessness and their commitment to the pursuit of normalcy.
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Stephen Gallup grew up in North Carolina and Virginia. He studied at NC State University, earning a bachelor's degree in the life sciences, and then at the University of Virginia, where he received a master’s in English. 

Although he remains a Southerner at heart, he now lives in California with his family.

Beginning in 1977, he worked in various roles in technical communication in the aerospace and wireless telecommunications industries, with projects ranging from proposals for satellite launches and feasibility studies of space missions, to user guides for trendy new cell phones. In the early years, he wrote occasional short fiction on the side, and features for newspapers. 

Gallup’s life changed dramatically with the birth of his son Joseph in 1985. Upon learning that there was a problem, he applied his energies to a pursuit of answers that he felt certain must exist. After a year of consulting with physicians to no effect, he located other resources. For the next four years, he and his wife Judy implemented an intensive two-pronged treatment campaign that resulted in dramatic improvements in Joseph’s condition. 

His memoir What About the Boy? shows what the family did, and what happened next. The book has twice won "Best Memoir" in the San Diego Book Awards competitions, once in the Unpublished category (2007) and again following publication in 2011.

What About the Boy? is available to purchase on Amazon.
Find out more about Stephen on his website.