Forbidden, by Claire Wright with GP Taylor (Authentic Media, £7.99) (From York Press)

Forbidden, by Claire Wright with GP Taylor (Authentic Media, £7.99)

11:48am Saturday 14th January 2012 in Books By Stephen Lewis

STEPHEN LEWIS talks to former North Yorkshire vicar turned bestselling author GP Taylor about his latest book – an erotic modern take on the biblical story of David and Bathsheba.

GRAHAM Taylor has never been one to shirk controversy.

A former North Yorkshire vicar, since turning bestselling author he has chosen to write about an evil vicar who challenges the power of God (Shadowmancer); a comet that threatens to end the world (Wormwood); a hotel that seems to have a life of its own (Mariah Mundi); and vampires (the Vampyre Labyrinth trilogy).

His books are dark, and peopled with demons, and spirits, and slimy, writhing things – as well as people who are sometimes darker than all of these put together.

A few years ago, in partnership with Scarborough single mum Claire Connor, he branched out in a new direction: chick-lit. This being Mr Taylor, however, this was chick-lit with a difference – and with a Christian twist.

The ‘Lipstick Confessions’ series aimed to update some of the best-known stories from the Old Testament and make them relevant to modern times.

The first – Rosie: Note to Self – was a retelling of the Book of Ruth. The third in the series – still written with Claire, though she’s Claire Wright now, having ‘found love on a train’ and got married, Mr Taylor jokes – tackles the altogether more controversial story of David and his lustful, adulterous and ultimately murderous love for Bathsheba.

In Forbidden, the pair’s modern – and ‘very steamy’ – take on the story, David is the hugely rich and powerful David Samuel, chairman of Globe Oil. The Bathsheba part is taken by Beth: the beautiful, alluring wife of David’s best friend, Rich.

David, who is still mourning the death of his wife Carlotta, first meets Beth on a train, is irresistibly drawn to her, and ultimately decides he must have her, at all costs.

In the biblical story of David, the King of Israel sends Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah the Hittite, off to the wars, with instructions to his general Joab that Uriah be abandoned on the battlefield.

“He [David] was a serial adulterer and ultimately a murderer,” Mr Taylor says.

So how far does his modern David go in pursuit of the woman he lusts after?

That would be telling. But, as the blurb on the back of the book puts it, this David – like his Biblical ancestor – is a “man who is used to getting what he wants”.

Mr Taylor makes no apology for the book being so racy. It is about love, and lust, and betrayal, and the demons that can grip a man. To be convincing, it had to be honest and frank, he says.

But it is a story that is worth updating and making relevant to readers today. “It is a very powerful story, of love and betrayal. What I try to do is retell this story, which has never been properly told in a modern setting. It is a very steamy morality tale, but these sorts of things have been happening for thousands of years.”

He fully expects the book to be controversial, he cheerfully admits, even though he didn’t go out of his way to offend anyone. “But there will be some Christians who loathe it, while others will like it.”

• Forbidden, by Claire Wright with GP Taylor, will be published at the start of next month by Authentic Media, priced £7.99.