Camac Johnson

I grew up in Northern Ireland – a wonderful place for youngsters interested in nature. There are mountains, rivers, lakes and a beautiful and varied coastline of rugged cliffs and sandy beaches. My father was an expert fly-fisherman and I held a rod in my hands before I learned to use a pen. I birdwatched and played rugby and golf.

I wanted to see Africa by driving overland to South Africa. But the Rhodesian Bush War/ Zimbabwean Independence War was at its height and so I chose the next best option: the sea route. My first glimpse of Africa was Table Mountain at daybreak.

Farm management work brought me my first experiences with snakes. Fascinating creatures – they feature in my forthcoming illustrated children’s novel Klipspringer Hill. I ran my own food processing business before taking up a contract in Saudi Arabia. A spell selling property in Tenerife followed, before a move back to the UK, near London. I’m an aficionado of Ernest Hemingway, man and writer. And my knowledge of social upheavals in Africa and Northern Ireland has inspired some of my fiction writing.

My short story A Night at the River was included in the 2013 anthology, Tales of Tremendous Tragicide, available from Amazon. 
My self-published novels are:

​Zambezi Seduction by Tamara Cape (pen name), a romance.
The Pink Pigeon, a short 58-page children’s story.
Hemingway Quest, mainstream/general fiction.
Klipspringer Hill, children's fiction, plus a crime novel titled (for now) Perfect Killing, plus two short stories.

I enjoy the camaraderie of the writing community, the friendship of fellow scribes in different countries.

Zambezi Seduction

Contemporary Romance

Little does English air stewardess Kerry Stephens know what she is letting herself in for when she agrees to accompany world-renowned South African wildlife artist Chad Lindsay on a field trip to a remote game reserve.

A charging elephant, hungry lion and car breakdown are just some of the challenges she faces. There’s also her companion. Chad is an independent, at times arrogant, womanizer who makes no secret of his intention to add her to his list of conquests. To compound her problems, Kerry falls ill with fever. Her dream holiday is in danger of turning into a nightmare.

But as she recovers she sees a softer, more caring side to the artist. Shared adventures have created a bond between them. And by the beautiful Zambezi River Kerry finds her feelings changing.

The Pink Pigeon

Children's fiction

A girl fights to keep her dream alive . . . 

Nine-year-old Leena arrives in Mauritius ready for her holiday adventure: a search for the island’s rare pink pigeons. However, the grown-ups are focused on a family wedding and her pleas are ignored. Dejected, she considers running away to the birds’ forest home. 

Finally, her uncle agrees to take her. But nothing goes according to plan. She ends up in trouble for continuing the search in the rain. With the holiday about to end, they make one last try but see no sign of the beautiful birds. Leena is dismayed: she has failed in her quest. 

Then something extraordinary occurs – leaving her certain that her pleas must have reached a wider audience.

Hemingway Quest

General/mainstream fiction

Kyle, a London bookseller, has women problems. There’s Mallika, his flirtatious, married Asian flatmate, and Janice his ex – now a bitter, emotional wreck. Kyle’s Hemingway obsession leads him to Cuba. There he uncovers a shocking truth about his own family, and enjoys a fling with a troubled tourist. After her partner falls to his death, Kyle is stunned to find himself suspected of murder. 

Shaken, he arrives home where Mallika now treats him as a low-caste pariah. Is she serious or playing another of her teasing games? 

Following a business meeting with an American entrepreneur, Kyle’s future looks bright. But trouble is brewing. Mallika receives unwelcome attention from within her family – a man who holds a grudge against Kyle. Janice, too, is out for revenge.

Allegations and blood flow as, once again, Kyle fights to clear his name. 

Double Cross

Crime short story

Gaines is down on his luck in London, broke and disillusioned with life, his ex-wife's taunts of 'loser' ringing in his ears. Then he hits on the idea of robbing the clients of a high-class prostitute. Simple. Easy money. He needs a partner and turns to Blanche. Blanche knows a thing or two about thieving - she's a prolific shoplifter with a history of drugging and stealing from businessmen in hotel rooms.

One by one, punters enter their carefully laid trap - and end up like the call girl and her maid: bound and gagged and relieved of their valuables. As the cash pile grows, Gaines can't resist pocketing more than his agreed share whenever Blanche's back is turned. 

She is suspicious and senses his betrayal. She's not the type to let him get away with it. But there's a more serious problem to overcome. The prostitute's irate Albanian pimp is on the phone asking awkward questions. Before Gaines and Blanche can get away the pimp and a burly minder arrive at the flat. 

The two thieves will need all their cunning to talk their way out of this one. 

Hat Girl

YA short story

During her childhood Juliette wears a hat to help combat asthma attacks. She grows into a healthy cultured young woman. She studies fashion design at college – a choice that delights her French-born mother.

Through her mother’s contacts Juliette lands a job at a Paris haute couture house. For the young designer it’s a dream come true.

However, the good feeling soon wears off. Although fluent in French, Juliette is seen as an outsider by colleagues. They scoff at her qualifications and treat her abominably. She decides to quit and takes leave in order to inform her parents in England. But while at home she has a change of heart. She will stay and fight for acceptance. 

Back in Paris it’s crisis time at the fashion house. An important buyer has rejected their winter range designs. Juliette’s boss informs everyone that they have two days to save their jobs. As the deadline approaches, Juliette is the only one without ideas. She knows she’ll be first to face the sack. Then with time running out she finds inspiration from her own experiences. That night she works late …

Klipspringer Hill

Children's fiction

His dad is missing … Little Squirt is determined to find him.

The young egg-eater snake must cross the wild Kalahari to reach the Chicken Farm. Danger lurks everywhere. Along the way he forges new friendships and avoids foes.

But there’s no avoiding Rooster at the farm. Injured in the big bully’s sneak attack, Little Squirt is captured by humans. Pain turns to joy when he is reunited with his dad, Bold Hunter.

The young snake dreams of escape and taking revenge on Rooster. But his dad has become fat and lazy in captivity. If they are ever to see friends and loved ones again on Klipspringer Hill, it’s Little Squirt who must take command...

This exciting tale is packed full of adventure. Meet aardvark, ostrich, honey badger, springhare and many more animal characters on their home ground - Africa's wild Kalahari region. The story's aimed at 7-10 year-olds but will be enjoyed by adults too.

Pursuit

Thriller

Once hounded from the RUC over his past friendship with an IRA volunteer, an exiled ex-detective suddenly finds his services in demand by his former chief tormentor, now desperate to gather intelligence on a ruthless dissident planning to bomb London.