The author, Sarah Tipper, was born in Oxford in 1974, she has enjoyed writing from a young age and has been a metal fan since the age of thirteen. Sarah studied Psychology at Reading University and also has a masters in Health Psychology, done at Coventry University. Her first novel was “Eviscerated Panda”, followed up by a sequel in 2013, entitled ‘Eviscerated Panda – Back In Bamboo’ (which was reviewed by Metal Shock Finland’s Diane Roberts, here)

Today we want to introduce you Sarah’s new book “The Very Metal Diary Of Cleo Howard”:

“The year is 1997. Cleo Howard is at a very awkward age, she’s sure she’s an adult, so why won’t everyone realise this? Why won’t her chest realise this? Why is Maths so hard? When will she stop feeling sad that her Dad doesn’t live with her and her Mum? When will people realise that metal isn’t just a phase she’s going to grow out of? Music and men are Cleo’s twin fascinations and she thanks Almighty Lemmy for metal and for her mates. Her diary, which you can read and share, is home to her deepest thoughts and fondest wishes.

It’s a book about growing up in Reading, England and loving metal! Read some diary entries below.

Get your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Very-Metal-Diary-Cleo-Howard-ebook/dp/B00JFBDVC4

“The Very Metal Diary Of Cleo Howard” also exists on Soundcloud as an audiobook:

Watch Sarah Tipper reading “The Very Metal Diary Of Cleo Howard” on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClmfyi98vMxGE-JN45Yge1g

More information at: https://sarahtipper.blog

Read some diary entries here:

Monday 6th January

Back to school today. I wore the leather biker jacket I got for Christmas. Tyrannosaurus Reg from the year above admired it. He felt my shoulder to see if it was real leather! He touched me for about three whole seconds! I think he got aftershave for Christmas because he smelt really pungent. It was nice but I think your eyes would water if you stood too close to him for long. I could sort of feel it in the back of my throat. I sniffed the shoulder of my jacket at home later but I couldn’t smell anything except leather.

Mum doesn’t work on Mondays, Dear Diary, so she expects me home unless I have a really good excuse. I sometimes do homework on Mondays but we didn’t get any today. I watched my Dusk Til Dawn video. I hope I grow boobs like Santanico Pandemonium.

Wednesday 22nd January

I went round to Ian’s after school. Mum is at work until eight. Ian’s Dad Terry made us cheese toasties then we sat in Ian’s room and listened to Bolt Thrower’s In Battle There Is No Law album. I wish I was Jo Bench. I really need to learn how to play bass guitar.

Bass guitar plan:

1.       Get bass guitar
2.       Borrow book on how to play bass guitar from library
3.       Practice loads (except Saturdays, pub time is sacred, but Maths homework time can be better spent learning to play bass)
4.       World tour with my band, supporting Alice Cooper or Megadeth
5.       Rehab
6.       Marry Pete Steele after chance meeting somewhere exotic

I won’t forget Mum when I’m famous. I’ll send her postcards and she’ll admit she was wrong to say I couldn’t wear my Slayer T-shirt to school. I’ll buy her cakes which aren’t squashed. I’ll invite Dad to come and see me play.

Monday 10th February

For a Monday today has been very acceptable. School was good. I never really mind school except for getting up early, P.E., Maths and when Carina Norman is acting up. Today Carina Norman wasn’t there (she is the class bitch, Dear Diary, a total and utter nasty piece of work, as Nanny Howard would say), we did some aerobics in P.E. with a supply teacher and Maths was about angles which I can understand. Ian made me a mix tape. I saw T-Reg in shorts. I made macaroni cheese for tea and it was the best I’ve ever made, with a really smooth cheese sauce. Mum had some when she got in from work and said it was perfect.

My mix tape from Ian:

Side One:

She-Wolf – Megadeth
Where Next To Conquer – Bolt-Thrower
This Maniac’s In Love With You – Alice Cooper
Lady Lust – Venom
Beethoven On Speed – The Great Kat
Die By The Sword – Slayer
L.O.V.E. Machine – WASP
All Men Play On 10 – Manowar
Hammerhead – Flotsam and Jetsam
Sacrifice – Motörhead
Alcohol – Gang Green
Social Sterility – Napalm Death

Side Two:

The Metallian – Iron Angel
You’re My Temptation – Alice Cooper
Shoot From The Hip – WASP
Bleed For Me – Dismember
Temptation – Slayer
My Own Worst Enemy – Napalm Death
Voices Carry – Gang Green
Live Like An Angel – Venom
Pleasure Slave – Manowar
Refuse/Resist – Sepultura
Legs – ZZ Top
Beer Drinkers And Hellraisers – Motörhead

There’s a bit in L.O.V.E Machine where it sounds like Blackie Lawless is singing “My dick runs through my fingers”! But actually it’s “magic runs through my fingers”. I like Venom and without them we wouldn’t have Slayer but a lot of their stuff sounds like it’s been recorded in a cupboard in a hurry.

Sunday 2nd March

I listened to Ozzy Osbourne’s “I Just Want You” a load of times today. I thought about T-Reg a bit, but mostly I thought about Danzig. One of the things I like about Danzig is that he’s not too tall so you would be able to snog him easily if you were standing up. He is five foot three, the exact same height as me.

I finished reading Ben Elton’s This Other Eden. The bit where Jurgen Thor and Rosalie have sex is beautiful but not informative.

Saturday 11th October

Mum said some of my pants were getting tatty so she gave me some money to buy some more. Me and Jenni went to C&A and I got some red lace ones and some black lace ones. You can sort of see my pubes through them! Mum made a really strange face when I showed them her. She said she thought I was going to get some cotton ones, like the ones that have got tatty. I wore my new pants to the pub.

Shot looked amazing tonight. She was wearing a customised Dr and the Crippens T-shirt, a leather skirt and lime green fishnet tights. Bob said he’d love to get caught in Shot’s fishnets. She said she prefers men not boys! Wendy O Williams dated Lemmy and I bet if he’d been in the Green Man tonight Lemmy would have fancied Shot.

Dazza said Goths and black metal heads are compatible but black metal heads and Bon Jovi fans are not (although I happen to know he has snogged Ella). Ella wasn’t out tonight. She has a date with the cute guy who works in HMV and wears nail varnish and eyeliner.