Q: Where can I buy Purple?

A: You can order Purple by Graham J. Sharpe from Amazon. Available in paperback and Kindle formats. It's also available from Kindle Unlimited.

Q: Is your new book out yet?

A: Not yet, but it's coming! I'm currently finishing my second novel. Written for adult readers it's inspired by real-life childhood experiences and explores identity, longing and loss through the lens of auto-fiction. A short story drawn from the early chapters is published in Queer Life, Queer Love Vol. 3 by Muswell Press (2025).

Q: What was the inspiration for Purple?

A: Several things. I left home at the age of sixteen after a massive row with my parents. At the time it felt like all the adults in the world had abandoned me. The emotions were intense. Our teenage years can be an incredibly lonely and difficult time. I wanted to write something that celebrates resilience and the power of friendship. I also wanted to address the state of the planet and the lack of love that is causing so much destruction around the world. Can’t say much more without revealing the plot! 

 

Also, there's a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge that has stayed with me for years. It’s beautiful and eerie and full of longing

 

What if you slept?
And what if, in your sleep, you dreamed?
And what if, in your dream, you went to heaven
and there plucked a strange and beautiful flower?
And what if, when you awoke,
you had the flower in your hand?
Ah, what then?

 

The idea that something impossible could be real, that a dream might leave evidence. That line between waking and dreaming, truth and invention…it’s right at the heart of Purple.

Q: Where can I read your latest work?

A: My short story appears in Queer Life, Queer Love Vol. 3, available from Muswell Press in 2025. Updates about future work will always be shared on this site and via my socials.

Q. Are you a slow writer?

A. Possibly! Purple took ten years from start to finish. The idea evolved slowly, and I was writing while working full-time for an airline. My second novel (nearly done!) has taken five years. I love the writing process when I give myself space to reflect, tinker, and follow unexpected threads. So yes, slow. But intentional.

Q. You said your new book is auto-fiction. What is that, exactly?

A. Auto-fiction is a blend of autobiography and fiction. It’s rooted in real experiences, but shaped by storytelling. Think of it like this: I borrow from my own life, people, places, memories, and then blur the lines to serve the emotional truth of the story. Names are changed. Events are rearranged. It’s not a diary, but its pulse matches my own.