Lancashire dad’s book of scary stories for daughter
Added: (Fri Apr 21 2023)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
Satisfying his daughter’s appetite for scary stories has led a Lancashire IT specialist to become a published author.
Zak Bellingham has just released his first collection of children’s short stories to critical acclaim.
As well as attracting five-star reviews from captivated readers, Be Afraid has also just entered Amazon’s children’s charts.
The 45-year-old new author admits the idea for publishing stemmed from bedtime stories.
He said: “Some years ago, when my daughter was just seven she had a fascination with horror stories.
“As we had no actual children's horror books in the house I was forced to essentially make up stories on the spot, every evening - for years!
“After a year or so of inventing a story each night at bedtime, I told her that I would one day pick out the best stories and create a book.
“She responded by rolling her eyes at me.
“Just eight years later, I finally found enough free time to achieve the goal.”
Be Afraid contains 14 highly original scary stories aimed at children, including The Girl who Could Fly, Don’t Eat the Apples, and The Twin in the Cupboard.
While providing plenty of thrills and entertainment, Zak’s stories all have an underlying thread of young protagonists finding the courage to face up to their fears.
Several of the collection also tackle everyday issues such as grief and trauma, as well as bullying and mental health.
He hopes the collection will have a positive impact on his young readers, and encourage them to tackle their problems.
Zak, whose favourite authors include Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Roald Dahl, added: “Children’s mental health is something I think is very important.
“I’m passionate about helping kids and I’ve tried to incorporate into my stories, characters and scenarios where children overcome fears and adversity.
“I wanted to create a book containing characters and situations that children, in particular those who experience trauma, difficulties or mental health issues, can relate to and take inspiration from.”
Away from short stories, Zak enjoys spending time with family and friends with a keen interest in film and music.
Following the successful launch of Be Afraid, he is now planning to write a further two volumes of scary stories for children.
For more details, visit Amazon and search for Zak Bellingham, where the paperback and Kindle formats of Be Afraid are both available.
Notes to the editor
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