Cathy Hopkins

For the [[The Apprentice (UK) candidate, see Katie Hopkins

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Cathy Hopkins was born in Manchester in 1953 and then went to Kenya where she lived until she was eleven. When she was eighteen, her parents returned to Africa and she went to Manchester Art College. Dropped out after a year and joined a rock and roll band – Driving Rock and the Rockettes, she was a Rockette. They toured the local colleges and Universities as the warm up band to groups like Wizard and the Average White Band. She also worked in a hippie shop called On the Eighth Day. Her parents left Cathy and her elder brother in charge of their Manchester house (known as '355') with the idea that they let the spare rooms. Half of Manchester lived there at one time or another as they let the rooms to assorted mates, musicians and maniacs. It was a great era.

Later, Cathy worked as an occupational therapist in a mental hospital then went back to college and got a degree in comparative religion. She started writing books in 1986 and trained as an aromatherapist to supplement her writing. She wrote sixteen non-fiction books on various subjects ranging from health to humour. To supplement the feast or famine of writing, she read scripts for the comedy department at the BBC and did a two year stint reviewing the newspapers every Friday on Sky News. In 2001, she started writing teenage fiction and felt at last the she'd found her niche. Cathy now lives in North London with her husband Steve and three cats, each with different personality disorders (the cats that is) and feels very lucky and happy to at last be a full time author. To date (2007), she has had 42 books published, which are also published in 25 different countries.

Cathy's books for teenagers include:

Titles

The Mates Dates Series

Titles are the same in the U.S. and Britain unless otherwise noted.

Mates, Dates and Inflatable Bras- A turning point has come in Lucy's life but she doesn't want it. Her best friend Izzie seems to be becoming way too close to new-girl Nesta and she feels increasingly pushed out. But then Wonder-boy crosses the street and her whole life begins to change.
Mates, Dates and Cosmic Kisses- The cool and kooky Izzie is getting desperate as the divine Mark never returns her calls when he says he will. Izzie begins to lose her perspective of things and her sense of fun. Her best friends Lucy and Nesta try to bring her out of it but will she like what she hears?
Mates, Dates and Portobello Princesses (Designer Divas in the U.S.) - Nesta meets the perfect Simon on a train-from hell. But she runs in problems as he comes from a rich, upperclass background and she feels out of her league. To top it all there is Cressida, the ice queen who sneers at her clothes and her life. Can Nesta see what really matters?
Mates, Dates and Sleepover Secrets- This book shows TJ's debut as she slowly becomes friends with Lucy. But problems arise as she is running for editor of the school magazine and so is classmate Wendy Roberts who has it in for her. Will Izzie and Nesta accept her and will her problem of always being "one of the guys" be resolved? And what happens with her crush on the next door neighbor?
Mates, Dates and Sole Survivors- Lucy seems to going through a tumultuous time. When she finally wants to go out with Tony, he already has a girlfriend. But then at a spa weekend she meets Daniel. He seems perfect, good looking, in to fashion and reliable. But she begins to feel as he is taking over her life. Maybe being single isn't so bad.
Mates, Dates and Mad Mistakes- Izzie is sick of being treated like a kid so she makes some changes in her life. But is she not ready to face the consequences as new bad boy Josh comes into her life and her mother is against the whole new Izzie.
Mates, Dates and Pulling Power (Sequin Smiles in the U.S.) - The stunningly beautiful Nesta is in agony. She has to have a brace. And this happens to be at the time at which she meets Luke a sizzingly hot young actor like her. In this book Nesta learns more about her family's history and about herself.
Mates, Dates and Tempting Trouble- TJ is getting hot under the collar as Nesta's boyfriend Luke declares passionate love for her. Can Nesta's and TJ's friendship continue and what will TJ's boyfriend Steve say?
Mates, Dates and Great Escapes- Tony, Lucy's boyfriend keeps wanting to get serious while Lucy wants to cool down. So a school trip to Florence seems the perfect escape. There she meets Teddy, a cute and sophisticated American who seems the perfect gentleman. But will she be able to forget Tony?
Mates, Dates and Chocolate Cheats- Izzie, who is usually on top of the world is feeling down. None of her clothes fit. She tries many diets but none of them seem to work and she loses her confidence and starts to become obsessive about losing weight. Can her mates help her out of this hole or will she keep digging herself down?
Mates, Dates and Diamond Destiny- Nesta is sick of being thought shallow so raising money for charity seems a god-sent way of banishing those comments. But there she meets William, friend of her former flame, love-rat Luke. But can she bring herself to trust him?
Mates, Dates and Sizzling Summers- TJ is resigned to being single when two boys come along at the same time! She is torn between them and comes off looking like a two-timer. With the support of her friends can she overcome this?
Mates, Dates Guide to Life

Characters

Nesta Williams, a mix between Jamaican and Italian since her dad is Italian while her mum is Jamaican. Is considered very beautiful by her friends and by all the guys. Her ambition is to become an actress or model. Has an older brother, Tony who is her half brother who is considered very good looking and he knows it. Dates William.

Lucy Lovering, sweet and friendly and is four feet eight inches of height (Later five feet). Has two older brothers, Steve and Lal. Dates her good friend Nesta's brother, Tony, on and off. Her ambition is to become a fashion designer.

Izzie Foster, is the spritiual one of the group. Her ambition is to become a singer/songwriter. She is in to astrology and believes in destiny.

TJ (Theresa Joanne) Watts, the brainbox babe of the group. She dated Lucy's older brother, Steve. Later dates Luke.

Steve Lovering, Lucy's older brother. Is dating his sisters good friend, TJ.

Tony Williams, Nesta's half brother. Fancies Lucy who he dates later on.

The Truth Dare Series

1 White Lies & Barefaced Truths- ‘Dear Squidge, I really like you but…’ I ripped the letter up. Pathetic. ‘Oh how am I going to do this Bec? Help me.’ Becca’s face clouded. ‘He’s going to be devastated. He adores you.’ Cat’s always been the perfect girl next door. Thoughtful friend. Supportive girlfriend. Surrogate mother to her three younger siblings, a great help to her dad since her mum died. But now Cat’s facing some major dilemmas. A game of Truth, Dare, Kiss or Promise lands her in hot water when she’d asked a truth she can’t reveal. On top of this she doesn’t want to hurt her her boyfriend by telling him the truth but she knows it’s over between them. Is it right to tell lies to protect people or keep the peace? Can the truth be too hurtful? Cat tries to sort all of this out, and in doing so discovers a lot about herself and others…

2 Pop Princess- ‘Excellent,’ Squidge said, grinning as he pulled a piece of newspaper out of his back pocket. ‘I have un grando dare for Becca and Cat. You know this competition for Pop Prince and Pop Princess? Well, I dare you both to enter.’ He looked pointedly at me. And I mean both of you. Lia’s already promised to go. Mac and I are definitely up for it. Auditions are in Plymouth next Saturday. Becca missed the fun of the school production of Grease, and she has the reputation for being fickle, a dreamer, and not seeing things through. But the Pop Princess challenge makes her determined to try harder than she has ever tried before. She has the voice, but does she have the staying power?

3 Teen Queens & Has-beens- Lia has everything – a glamorous home and family, good friends, great looks and brains – and she has remained kind and unpretentious in spite of it! However, when after a game of Truth, Dare, Kiss or Promise, she pulls the school heart throb, she alienates ‘teen queen’ Kaylie who was after Jonno for herself. Kaylie and her friends then start a campaign of bullying against her – the nasty, underhand kind where rumours are spread, threats sent, secrets exposed and confidence undermined. Soon Lia begins to questions her whole life – who she is, why these girls have got it in for her and who her real friends are…
4 Starstruck- My heart was beating fast in my chest and I got the distinct feeling I was blushing as red as Savannah’s hair. And I’m not a bloke who blushes normally. I was with her in her superstar’s trailer and she didn’t want errands running. Oh no. She wanted to rehearse a scene from the film. With me taking the other actor’s part. And it wasn’t just any old scene she wanted to go through. It was a snogging scene. Oh. My. God. When Lia challenges Squidge in a game of Truth Dare, Kiss or Promise game, Squidge chooses the promise option. He has just started to go out with Lia, and he promises that he will be honest and totally faithful. But things get complicated when Squidge’s dream to work on a movie comes true. A film crew has come to the area and Savannah, the teenage star of the movie adopts Squidge as her personal runner. Will he be able to keep Savannah happy without breaking his promise to Lia?
5 Double Dare- What exactly do boys want? Asked Cat as we sat on the bus on our way to school. ‘I wish I could get into a boy’s head for just twenty four hours and see what goes on in there.’ ‘You wouldn’t find a lot,’ said Squidge, laughing. ‘Not in Mac’s head anyway.’ I punched him. ‘Oi, watch it, mate.’ Squidge laughed again. ‘The state of the environment, why are we here? Is there a God? I don’t think so. More like: see girl, good, mmm, hubba hubba. Want grub soon. Tired, me sleep through maths class. Ug.’ ‘And I call you a mate,’ I said. ‘You don’t appreciate my hidden depths.’ Mac has three secret wishes: 1) that before he finds true love, he can date as many girls as possible, 2) that he becomes a famous cartoonist, and 3) that his parents get back together so that he can live in London again. A double dare leads Mac into a series of dating disasters and a chance to prove his worth as a cartoonist for a magazine. However, he discovers that success, in love and work, sometimes comes at a high price. Is he ready to pay it?
6 Midsummer Meltdown- So what’s the big mystery surprise?’ asked Squidge. ‘Can’t say,’ I replied. ‘But don’t worry. It includes you.’ ‘All of us?’ asked Cat. ‘’Me, Squidge, Mac and Becca?’ ‘Oh yes. And you’re going to love it.’ Lia is over the moon because her friends have been invited to join her family in celebrating her mum’s fortieth birthday in a secret location. It’s going to be the party of the decade and Lia envisages romantic scenes in an exotic location with her boyfriend, Squidge. However, events don’t go exactly as planned, and the final guest list is full of surprises. Lia finds herself in an awkward position when an old flame turns up and makes a play for her. It’s midsummer, but does it mean meltdown for Lia and Squidge when the party’s over?
7 Love Lottery- I really really am through with boys,’ I said. ‘Relationships stink.’ ‘Why so cynical Becca?’ asked Cat. ‘You’re usually the most romantic of all of us.’ ‘Yeah. We’re not having you giving up are we guys?’ said Squidge. ‘Truth Dare Kiss Promise. Only you don’t get to choose. It’s kiss. You must kiss the next boy who comes onto the beach.’ Becca thinks she’s through with boys – that is until Squidge dares her to kiss the next one who walks onto the beach. The boy she picks has just arrived on holiday from London and is overwhelmed but happy at this welcome. As Becca stands back and sees him properly, she realises that she really quite fancies him. The rest of her life however is not without its complications. Her parents’ marriage is on the rocks and Becca becomes increasingly stressed about what is going to happen to her and her familiar family unit. She questions everything to do with relationships and with the support of her friends, she takes steps to discover what and who she truly values in her life.
8 All Mates Together- Oh! They’re not for me,’ said Jen with a light laugh as she read the card then held the bouquet out to me. ‘Cat. They’re for you.’ ‘For me!’ ‘Wow,’ said Becca. ‘Who are they from? They look like they cost a fortune.’ I took the card from Jen and read it. ‘To Cat. This is the first time I have bought flowers for a girl. White roses to say I think that you’re special. Wishing you many happy times in your new home. Love Jamie.’ Everything’s about to change for Cat. She’s moving house, so she’ll have a room of her own at last, and her dad’s about to marry Jen, which means a shopping trip to London and a chance to meet up with her new mates, Nesta, Lucy, Izzie and TJ (from the Mates Dates series), as well as see Jamie. But nothing goes as expected – Cat’s dream room looks like a non-starter, Jamie does a disappearing act, and wedding plans fall apart. How will Cat cope, and will she keep her promise to reveal a hidden secret to her friends.
9 Totally Brilliant- Out in June: Three brilliant Truth, Dare, Kiss or Promise titles in one fantastic volume!

The Cinnamon Girl series

1 This Way To Paradise- Meet India Jane – copper hair, amber eyes – known to her friends and big, chaotic family as Cinnamon Girl. Born in India, she’s lived all over the world. But what she really wants is to stop travelling and have a real home. Just when it looks as though she’ll get her wish, her father gets a job which means the family are on the move again. India Jane is sent away with her cousin to her aunt’s new age holiday centre. It should be paradise – but India Jane feels alone and confused. Should she party with her rebellious cousin, Kate? Or search for inner peace with the meditation crowd? And will mystery boy Joe help India Jane discover where her true happiness lies?
2 Starting Over- Out in October, 2007

The Zodiac Girl series

1. from Geek To Goddess. This book is about a girl named Gemma, her great Aunt died and left her a lot of money so what did her parents do with it?, they sent her to a bording school. Her roomie is like a mouse and hardly says 2 sentenses. But soon she finds out she is a Zodiac Girl. Does she take the advise a website gives her and a cute delivery guys advice? She is faced with a lot of problems. To find out if you have similar problems and how to solve them read the book you will not be disappointed. 2 Recipe For Rebellion- “Why me? Why am I a Zodiac girl?” “It’s a tough time for you. You’re at a turning point.” ‘D’er. Tell me something I don’t know...” Ever turned to your horoscope for help in a difficult time? Well, Zodiac Girls have something even better – they get personal guidance from the planets themselves! Pretty major, huh? But it’s not as easy as it sounds – it’s up to each girl to make the most of her time as a Zodiac Girl. Danu’s dad has gone abroad on an archaeological dig and left her to live with her cold, workaholic aunt who’s never at home. As a Sagittarian, Danu longs for space and the outdoors and company, none of which are apparent in her new life. She rebels at school and changes from an A star pupil into every teacher’s worst nightmare. When a website tells her she’s been picked as a Zodiac Girl at first she’s dubious but soon learns that when life deals you difficult cards, it’s how you play them that counts COMING SOON: 3 Discount Diva 4 Brat Princess We are not sure on the other books all we know is that there is going to be a book for every sign.

The Dead Dudes series

1 Dead Dudes- So you thought that ghosts were sad, scary, spookmeisters? Then you haven’t met the Dead Dudes, they’re happy, they’re hip and they’re here. Meet Dude Harris – one minute, he’s crowd surfing at a concert, next moment he’s a real dead rock star! Luckily, Dude’s not freaked out for long. His ghostly guide, Grey teaches him that being a ghost can be cool once you’ve grasped the rules. No scaring people without good cause. No hanging out in girl’s changing rooms. No watching people when they’re on the toilet. Dude realises that ghosts aren’t sad, scary spookmeisters, far from it, they’re hip, they’re happy and having a good time - at the movies, at the Mall, surfing the Net. Same as normal. Only they’re dead. No biggie. With his ghostly pals. Bella and Bogus, Dude settles in and it looks like the after life is going to be a blast. But where there’s a ghost, there’s always a ghostbuster. Enter Sid Wiper, a computer nerd and slimeball. Sid’s mission is to wipe out the ghost community. And he’s found a way to do it. Dude and his new pals set out to stop him. But is it too late? hi

Billy Hopkins

Cathy's father is Billy Hopkins, also a best selling author of titles:
Our Kid; High Hopes; Kate's Story; Going Places; Anything Goes and coming out in October 2007, Whatever Next!

External links