Rez

Upset, anxious and sad when their Mum dies, Rez learns the importance of being able to talk about how they are feeling during a bedtime conversation with their other parent, Mam.  Although she is also feeling very sad and distraught, Mam does her best to comfort Rez and together they realise the need to carry on with and make the most of life, despite experiencing such a devastating loss.       

Rhinoceros or the Beast's Biographer

Rhinoceros or the Beast’s Biographer is an alternative history set during the 16th century. The African Kikuyo tribe train the rhinoceros as a beast of war and invade ‘Yurop’.

Ode, the son of the Chief Elder, is trained as a Griot, a traditional ‘Afrik’ storyteller. His role is to witness and celebrate the actions of the rhino mounted warriors led by his father.

As the teller of stories, Ode is attracted to the drama of war. But he begins to wonder if history is anything more than the transcription of murder? And does his celebration and re-telling of violent events encourage their bloody quest and even support the tacit suggestion that killing is a natural and inevitable human endeavour.

Running counter to the violence is the love story between Ode, and Anna, a white Southern Yuropan. Anna, highly intelligent, and confrontational has spent her life trying to be heard in a culture that belittles intelligent women. Through their shared knowledge of the Latin tongue, and their profound loneliness, Ode and Anna, become friends and lovers.

The Beast’s Biographer is a story of love, duty, fraternity and bloody conquest.

Rhyme and Reason

Why was a baby in a treetop? Who was Georgie Porgie, the little boy blue, Mary Mary? Little Jack Horner’s family continued to enjoy the plum property he took from those intended for Henry VIII, until the 20th century.

The 20 rhymes in this book show how parliament and king battled over taxation, the authority of kings, religion. Humpty played a part in the English Civil War.

Gain an understanding of history from medieval times through to the 1700s through these rhymes and their stories.

Understand how a nursery rhyme we recite today started life as a political comment and was passed down through the years until now we have forgotten the politics.

Parents, grandparents, and teachers will find the origin of these rhymes fascinating.

Rhymes and Reasons

Poems of variety and inspiration fill this little book and are definitely food for thought. The poems will particularly appeal to those who don’t think poetry needs to be obscure and scholarly. You never know, there could be a message in here for even the fussiest of readers.

Riddlington

This story begins with Riddlington Rabbit wanting to see other things happening in a world outside the safe boundaries of his insular existence. As a rabbit, his life is spent, primarily, underground during the day, only coming out at night, under the protection of darkness, to find food.

His favourite Uncle Otto sparks Riddlington’s imagination of exploring, by telling stories of his own adventures. We follow Riddlington as he navigates his way to finding a perfect location, among people and other strange creatures, all living above ground.

We see how he adapts to situations outside his comfort zone; finds a wife who is willing to do likewise; befriends two human sisters; till the land rather than forage; navigate his way up a river; and become disturbed at land damage, urban development, and over population.

When he becomes a Father and witnesses an invasion of his territory, his new-found parental status, requires a reassessment of their living arrangements. They have little food, little protection, and little time.

Will they make it home? Will they be happy home? Will they be welcomed home? Will the youngsters adapt to underground living as Riddlington did to above ground living?

Ride The Wind

Set in Western Australia this tale of jealousy and revenge sees teenage sisters embark on a perilous ride through the outback. They must rely on the courage and devotion of their horses, Star, a black Arabian and Galaxy, a white Andalusian stallion to save them. A magic kingdom secretly existing deep in the bush harbours a bitter love triangle. The wicked fairy, Alba, will use all her dark arts to rid herself of her rival and the girls and their horses will be caught up in the crossfire. Only by seeking the help of an ancient Koori shaman can they hope to survive. The plot is exciting and contains almost every element any young girl would love, including fairies, horses, animals of every description, as well as magic, romance, and adventure in a world where girls are the ones who make the difference rather than ubiquitous boy heroes. The stories are a mix of reality and pure imagination, drawing on aboriginal mythology and traditional storytelling. They combine magical fantasy and adventure with historic evidence and theories based on modern-day fact and up-to-date research. In addition, factual details regarding the natural flora and fauna of this beautiful part of the world, make this a truly educational, exciting, and immersive read.

Rippleswade Hall

Taking the form of a legal witness statement in a civil action in the High Court and an expert report from a psychologist, Rippleswade Hall is the story of Barrington Whibley, who is appointed to investigate a suspicious fire at a grand family house. Whibley makes three separate visits to Rippleswade Hall, each recounted in detail in the witness statement. His last visit is to attend a special and lavish dinner on the summer solstice, hosted by Natalie Trelewyn-Digby, the heiress and sole occupant of Rippleswade Hall. Whibley begins to fall in love with both her and the hall. Some very strange events occur at the dinner party and Whibley becomes obsessed to know whether his recollections were real, drug-induced or a psychotic episode. An investigation into love and madness – Remains of the Day meets Twin Peaks.

Rise of the Maquis

With Europe in turmoil due to the tyrannical reign of Germany, a small group of brave resistance soldiers fight from the inside to save France from being taken over completely. Together, this ragtag group of individuals, including an English SOE, band together to form an alliance; this band of brothers is a family thrown together through necessity. Hiding in plain sight, they form a bond that no one, not even Hitler, can break. They even have the support of Pablo Picasso, but will it be enough to get through the war unscathed? With their black-market supplies and procured weapons at the ready, these men and women will fight for their country, for their freedom and for their lives.

Rivertown

The tragic accidental drowning of Thomas’ younger brother results in the decimation of his family. Thomas’ father, unable to deal with the loss, turns to violence and alcohol, and his mother, as an attempt to extricate herself from the abuse, makes a failed attempt to kill his father, sending her to prison.

Thomas spends the rest of his life attempting to assuage his guilt, as he blames himself for the death of his brother. He seeks peace initially through life in a monastery, subsequently moving to London where he meets Iris, through whom he achieves a partial healing.

The story of Rivertown reflects the meaningful contrast between hardship and prosperity in which the outcome of relative coexistence within such differences may result in an appreciation of natural truth and virtue.

Robin Hood - The New Evidence

The story of Robin Hood is very well known. Writers and historians have been reading and rewriting it, analysing and altering it since Ritson published his version in 1795, more than 200 years ago. The story has been published in many forms, including books, films, TV and radio programs, articles held in the World Wide Web and probably many others. As far as can be ascertained, they all have two things in common: they all contain many errors and they all fail to explain a number of mysteries.

In his book, Geoff Wilson has corrected many of the errors and has explained many of the mysteries. This he has done by accessing many surprising sources of evidence, including, for example, the British Geological Survey, aerial photography and by following on foot several of Robin Hood’s journeys described in the ballads. Practical tests were also carried out. The author’s sons (both quite young at the time) were encouraged to shout at the top of their voices in one particular location to test if sounds do in fact echo in the valleys. They do.

Among the mysteries solved are the identities of Sir Richard at the Lee and the location of Verysdale and the Village of Lee. The ‘fayre castell’ described in the Gest is also identified, as is the chapel in Barnsdale dedicated to Mary Magdalene and described in stanza 440 of the Gest. One mystery which remains unresolved, however, is the identity of Robin himself. Perhaps he is, after all, just a yeoman named Robin Hood, although the claims of an alternative candidate are seriously considered.

Rocking the Spinsterhood

Amelia is 49, fast approaching 50, single, long-term dateless and constantly brooding over a lost love of 25 years ago. She passes the years fantasising over Gary Guzzler, an aging rock star, whom she has loved and idolised since she was a teenager, and who has begun touring again after a long hiatus. She is forever daydreaming about meeting Gary and falling in love.

Laura, Amelia’s friend and total nymphomaniac, wants her to get over her lost love and unhealthy fascination with Gary Guzzler, so suggests she have a go at online dating because it is “cheaper than Botox, liposuction or counselling.” To get her started, Laura treats Amelia to a three-month online dating subscription for her 50^th birthday.

It is only for three months. What could possibly go wrong? Will she meet her dream man, or forever remain within her dreams?

Rogue Justice

Someone disillusioned with the criminal justice system has decided that there is only one option available to prevent the scales of justice from tilting in favour of those that carry out heinous crimes. Believing the system broken, he ruthlessly dispenses his own brand of retribution.

Cutting a swathe through a rural community, he subjects his hapless preys to unimaginable cruelty in twisted games of cat and mouse before executing them in escalating brutality.

Detectives Englund and Hicks are tasked with tracking down a killer amidst their close-knit community, seemingly without motive.

When a young girl is kidnapped, coinciding with the release of a notorious paedophile, Englund is forced to evaluate his own position and question what justice really means.

Will Englund and the enigmatic Hicks catch the killer before the town implodes and takes justice into its own hands?

Or will they become another statistic in an ever-increasing body count?