Dee Gordon Writer - Dee Gordon's Books

Coming soon!

Watch this space for another History press publication about The East End planned for the pre-Christmas market 2010.

If you are interested in local history, these websites are good sources of information:

THE FIRST BOOK

It took me just three months to write Meat Market, a novel that recounts two days in the lives and loves of a London recruitment agency. An obvious choice of subject, easy to write, with an Essex "heroine" and a multiple viewpoint approach – but it took two years to find a publisher (with very limited marketing).

Meat Market is for you if you enjoy office politics or if you’ve ever wondered about the attraction of toy-boys...
197pp, £6.99 RRP, Vanguard Press, 2004
Available for purchase

AND THEN

Obviously, I did not want to spend so much time "placing" a book, especially when marketing budgets for novels are spent on established authors who don’t need it, rather than beginners... an interesting dichotomy.

So what next? My son, of all people, provided an answer. He likes “list” books and couldn’t find a list of “famous” people from the area we live in – Southend-on-Sea. So I approached some non-fiction publishers and managed to get some interest for this project … the result, the first of my local history books, now out of print, so contact me if you are having trouble getting hold of a copy.

People who Mattered in Southend and Beyond (from King Canute to Dr Feelgood) looks back at the people who made the town what it is today. Writers, actors, a mountaineer, a cartoonist, a murderer...
124pp, illustrated, £9.95 RRP Ian Henry Publishing, 2006

One thing certainly leads to another. As I gained experience in writing, in researching, in approaching editors, more local history books followed in reasonably rapid succession. In 2008 I did self-publish an anthology of poetry about infamous women written over a number of years (Bad Girls) because poetry is even harder to place than novels! This book, too, is available by contacting me direct.

Southend Memories - a nostalgic look back at the 50s and 60s, the town’s heyday.
156pp, lavishly illustrated, £12.99 RRP Sutton Publishing 2006
Available for purchase from Amazon, Waterstones, W.H. Smith, The History Press and from all good bookshops.
Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths in and around Southend-on-Sea looks at real life crime in the area from the 13th to 20th century. 168pp, extensively illustrated, £10.99 RRP, Pen and Sword Books, 2008
168pp, extensively illustrated, £10.99 RRP, Pen and Sword Books, 2008
Available for purchase from Pen and Sword Books and from all good bookshops.
Bad Girls - An anthology in praise of the notorious, the naughty, but not omitting the downright nasty...
152pp, £7.99 RRP Troubador Publishing, 2008
Available for purchase from Troubadour as well as from me.
Infamous Essex Women - Royal mistresses, murderers and the rest.
122pp, lavishly illustrated, £12.99 RRP The History Press, 2009
Available for purchase from Amazon, Waterstones, W.H. Smith, The History Press and from all good bookshops.
Essex’s Own - Contemporary and historic figures who spent their formative years in the county – including a few surprises.
128pp, illustrated, £12.99 RRP The History Press, 2009
Available for purchase from Amazon, Waterstones, W. H. Smith, The History Press and from all good bookshops.
Little Book of Essex - Entertaining bite-sized pieces of historic and contemporary trivia... Be amused and amazed at the stories and history of Essex's landscape, towns, villages, heritage, buildings and, above all, its people.

192pp, £9.99 RRP The History Press Ltd, Oct 2009
Available for purchase from Amazon, Waterstones, W. H. Smith, The History Press and from all good bookshops.
Voices of Stepney - Anyone who knows Stepney, as resident, visitor, or ex-resident, will be amused and entertained, surprised and moved by these stories of the 50s and 60s.

127pp, extensively illustrated, £12.99 RRP The History Press Ltd, June 2010
Available for purchase from Amazon, Waterstones, W. H. Smith, The History Press and from all good bookshops.
Southend at War - Vivid memories are recounted within these pages - with Land Army girls, evacuees and members of the forces and the Home Guard, plus memories passed down through the generations recalling WW1 in Southend. This book looks at how the town was affected during both wars of the 20th century.

127pp, extensively illustrated with new material, £12.99 RRP The History Press Ltd, July 2010
Available for purchase from Amazon, Waterstones, W. H. Smith, The History Press and from all good bookshops.

COMPLETED BUT CURRENTLY UNPUBLISHED WORK

My Best Friend is Deaf – picture book for pre-schoolers, one of a planned series.
My Little Brother, My Little Life – novel about a woman with an autistic brother, and her lifelong guilt at not doing what she perceives to be "her best" for him.

BOOK REVIEWS

Meat Market

"I was hooked from the first page... great story... a novel that I couldn’t put down… I would definitely recommend it... must read for all lovers of chicklit... something that almost anyone will enjoy."
(The Supplement)

"Fascinating new book... highly recommended."
(The Times Group)

"Inventive style... well-written work... a light, entertaining read."
(Sesame)

"An enjoyable romp"
(Recruitment Consultant Magazine)

People who Mattered in Southend-on-Sea

"fascinating stories"
(Southend Times)

Southend Memories

"something to interest them [readers] from start to finish"
(The Times Group)

"Wonderful book... fascinating comparisons"
(Essex Life)

"heart-warming stories... fascinating snapshot... endearing black-and-white photographs"
(Southend Standard)

Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths in and around Southend-on-Sea

"a triumph... a gripping account..."
(Leigh Times)

"fascinating... an insight into society..."
(Essex Life)

Bad Girls

"Difficult to choose a favourite... excellent collection ... not treated too seriously ... one of my favourite poetry books of the year - highly recommended!"
(The Supplement)

Infamous Essex Women

"an insightful look at the role of Essex women"
(Essex Life)

"shows the Essex Girl in a different light"
(Southend Yellow Advertiser)

Essex’s Own

"Dee’s catalogue of Essex personalities... is long and heavy enough to squash any outsider who regards Essex greatness as a contradiction in terms"
(Southend Echo)

"a rich bounty"
(Essex Life)

The Little Book of Essex

"This great little book includes everything you ever wanted to know about Essex ... in entertaining bite-sized pieces ... wacky facts ... some authentically bizarre bits of historic trivia."
(Step Ahead)