Bernard Taylor
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Bernard Taylor is a British author of horror and suspense. He wrote briefly for television and continues to write novels. He currently writes under the pseudonym Jess Foley.
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[edit] Biography
Bernard Taylor was born in 1936 in Wiltshire, but moved to London to study at the Chelsea School of Art, and then worked for several years as a painter and actor before beginning his writing career. He published ten novels between 1976 and 1999, after which he began writing under the pseudonym Jess Foley. Taylor currently lives in Blackheath, southeast London.
[edit] Adaptations
A film version of The Godsend was released in 1980. It was produced and directed by Gabrielle Beaumont and the screenplay was written by her husband Olaf Pooley. The plot stayed relatively true to the novel, but the ending was changed completely. The film was not well received, however Cyd Hayman received an award for best actress at the Catalonian International Film Festival for her role as Kate Marlowe.
In 1994, Yves Simoneau directed a film version of Mother's Boys which stared Jamie Lee Curtis. With the exception of character names, this film was little or nothing like the novel in which it was based on. Many critics felt that Simoneau borrow from numerous other stalker dramas and attempted to ratchet the action to a feverish pitch in the conclusion. Most critics found Mother's Boys an unconvincing, often over-the-top psychodrama. The film underperformed drastically at the box office and has since faded into obscurity.
[edit] Work in Television
Bernard Taylor wrote the pilot for a BBC television series entitled Maggie: It's Me. The plot revolved around a character named Allie who wanted to change her life, so she dumps her boyfriend to "teach him a lesson" and moves in with her friend Maggie. Frances de la Tour was cast as Maggie, and Rosemary Martin was cast as Allie. The half hour pilot aired on May 3rd. 1977 but BBC ultimately passed on the series. [1] [2]
[edit] Books
[edit] Horror/Suspense
- The Godsend, 1976
- Sweetheart, Sweetheart, 1977
- The Reaping, 1980
- The Moorstone Sickness, 1981
- The Kindness of Strangers, 1985
- Madeleine, 1987
- Mother's Boys, 1988
- Charmed Life, 1989
- Evil Intent, 1994
- Since Ruby, 1999
[edit] Works of Non Fiction
- Cruelly Murdered, 1979
- Perfect Murder (with Stephen Knight), 1987
- Murder At the Priory (with Kate Clarke) , 1988
[edit] Works written under the pseudonym Jess Foley
- So Long at the Fair, 2002
- Too Close to the Sun, 2002
- Wait for the Dawn, 2004
- Saddle the Wind, 2004
- No Wings to Fly, 2006
