Ethan Lee was born in Fleetwood, Lancashire and educated at Baines Grammar School. He worked for many years in the advertising industry in an around his home town and also York, Manchester and London.
Ethan has also been a freelance writer and journalist for the past fifteen years and is a qualified counsellor. He has travelled extensively throughout Europe to research novels, spending time in Transylvania in 2001 whilst writing Beyond the Forest.
Ethan Lee still lives on the Fylde Coast with his three cats, Wembley, Susan & Thomas.
I suppose I have wanted to write for as long as I can remember. I was always fascinated with the written word and used to cherish the Ladybird books I read as a child. Imagine my delight one Christmas when I opened a typewriter which was a gift from my parents.
I was away immediately started to pen my first novel at the tender age of thirteen. Of course, it was never published but this didn't deter me. I continued to write passionately into adulthood and eventually, having worked for several years in the advertising industry, I set up my own publishing company which produced glossy magazines throughout Lancashire.
It wasnt long before I decided to try again to write a novel. The result was Joe & Me. The inspiration of the book came from a good friend of mine who died because, out of fear, he refused treatment for testicular cancer, having already ignored the early symptoms for about a year. It was a tragic loss of a very young life, and so unnecessary. The rest of the idea for the story, and the final character of Joe were completely the products of my own vivid imagination, but the tribute must still go to my friend Andrew. I still miss him.
That story took eleven years to write, and even then I was not happy with it. I shelved it several times, finally completing it in the autumn of 2001. There were many times I nearly gave up and had it not been for the continuing encouragement of my dear friend, Quentin Crisp, I probably would have done. He liked what I had written and simply told me not to stop. He said most people never achieve their dreams because they give up before they get there.
I think that's true. And it's been one of the best pieces of advice I've ever been given.
"A delicious novel about the contradictions of real love and human morality.
Mr Lee has created something very special - it's the most I've cried in ninety
years..."
Quentin Crisp
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"I''ll bet you've had lots of boyfriends, a good looking lad like you working in the hotel industry."
"I'm not saying I haven't had my chances, but I value my freedom."
All Radu wants is the freedom to be himself and love whomever he choses, but in post Ceausescu Romania that's impossible unless he is prepared to face up to five years imprisionment. He has to live his life carefully concealing his sexuality from all who know him.
John Mark is tired of Manchester's gay scene and relatiionships that never seem to go anywhere. He dreams of meeting his perfect partner and living a fairytale exsistence in a romantic land, however unlikely the reality of that may be.
Abandoning the idea, he travels to a remote part of Transylvania on a holiday of adventure and discovery. After meeting Radu, it seems as if his dream has at last come true, but their lives disintegrate into a dark and lonely nightmare when they find themselves at the mercy of Romanian officials.
Set in Manchester and Poiana Brasov in Transylvania, Beyond the Forest is a haunting story of love, courage and determination in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
bananas & cream
on the road to giggleswick
boats to ceylon
If you have any comments of feedback on any of Ethan Lee's novels you can e-mail him via: ethan@ethan-lee.com
Order your personally signed copy of Joe & Me at just £6.99 (including postage & packaging) and all proceeds go directly to BBCs Children in Need Appeal 2003 (excluding £1 donation to Orchid Cancer Appeal). Please send your cheque or postal order made payable to: Freebird Media to Freebird Media Books Division, Lancashire, united Kingdom, FY5 2XE. Don't forget to include your name and address and any message you require.