The Candlemaker's Affair

After his wife enters the menopause, Trevor, a well-respected member of the community falls for the charms of an oriental prostitute.
After deciding to establish his girlfriend in her own brothel, he sets them both on a terrible course.
During a recent interview, Stephen said “Sex is in the book, after all, it’s called The Candlemaker’s Affair, not The Candlemaker’s game of Ludo, but its character driven.”
“It’s a story about relationships, and the consequences of Trevor’s actions for his wife and family.
“It’s aimed at the sandwich generation, those good people looking after ageing parents, and their young adult children just starting out.”
“Some elements of the story come from my own experiences – there’s plenty in the story that should resonate with the readers.”
Set in Bracknell, Basingstoke, Frome and Bristol, it tells the disastrous tale of a man led by passion to follow a dangerous path of destruction.
This is not a sex book. Sex, or the lack thereof, is the fuel that powers this vehicle, but it is not the journey nor the destination. I wanted to create something to commemorate a fading generation, before they are consigned to life’s scrap heap.
This book will resonate with those fine, upstanding folks born in the twenty-five years after World War Two. They may now have silver in their hair, but they surely have gold in their hearts. They are the jam in the middle of the sandwich generation, probably still supporting their grown-up children, whilst caring for their elderly relatives.
Their rocket may be high in the sky, but it is no longer in the ascendency. They may now work for a younger boss, someone whom they may even have hired themselves. They may have faced redundancy, possibly on more than one occasion. They may be wondering if their pension will be sufficient for a happy retirement, or will they have to downsize their home and tighten their belts?
If they are lucky, they might still be in a loving and rewarding relationship. The passage of time can change married people, altering their relationship, possibly leading to the making of decisions which they may later come to regret. This book is about one such couple and the ramifications of when their boat was rocked. Weaving many background personal memories and anecdotes into this story made me laugh and cry in equal measure, as I let them flow to my keyboard. I hope that you have a similar experience as you read it.