East Sussex writers' Collective offer family saga Driven By Desire

Group spokesman Tony Flood said: “This gripping 1920s drama, set in Italy in the aftermath of World War One, tells how five d'Bergamasco brothers and sisters inherit their father's business with ambitions to create a range of automobiles that will become the envy of an expanding global industry.”

Editor John Newton explained: “The family's aim is to lead the way in designing cars with style, elegance and performance, but they have to cope with betrayal, lust and kidnap as well as the rapid rise of fascism and the emergence of Mussolini. Each sibling has their own burning desire and ambition that forge both harmony and conflict in their lives. The rifts that begin to appear are compounded by a crooked politician, illicit affairs and the arrival of an enigmatic Italian/American billionaire, bringing with him secrets of their father's unknown past. Pursuing their respective goals draws contrasting attention from silver screen stardom for the eldest daughter Isabella to a Mafia kidnapping of the second son Salvatore that holds the entire family to ransom when it is already on the brink of financial collapse.”

The seven individual authors, five of them members of Eastbourne group Anderida Writers, each wrote with the persona of a single strong character, giving their own a unique perspective and personal voice. They include four published authors in The Collective's oldest member 88-year-old John Newton, Tim Purcell, Tony Flood and Francis Wait plus another experienced writer in Karen Glennon and new writing talents Deane Smith and Richard Rewell.

Tim has been a screenwriter, investigative journalist, published author, publisher, film director and producer of corporate and music videos, documentaries, TV series and feature films in the UK and Mauritius. John has written 12 successful books including White Sunrise, Kitchen Gangster and The Assassination Diaries. Former journalist and Sky Television executive Tony Flood has written three crime thrillers in Triple Tease, Stitch Up! and Fall Guy. He has written in other genres as well. Francis Wait is the second oldest member of The Collective at 84. Like Tony, he has won the Anderida Writers Short Story award on three occasions, and his books include The Survivalist, Android Affair and fantasy adventure The Magical Pendant of Perdania, under the pen name Frances Jaycee. Deane Smith and Richard Rewell are also members of Anderida Writers. Karen Glennon wrote for The Maynooth Newsletter, County Kildare, Ireland.

Tony said: “Driven by Desire, an idea which came to John Newton when he woke up last Christmas Eve, is unique. The Collective is a good mix of writers.”