The Cottage

This novel by Cornelius Buckley, follows the two previous collections of poetry. The Last Irish Romantic, was launched by Gabriel Fitzmourice, the noted poet, at the Listowel literary festival. He described the collection as a striking series of works reminiscent of T. S Eliot and Michael Hartnett. The book was praised by the famous Dublin publisher and poet, Pat Boran, as a “truly distinctive debut volume”, and the noted British poet Bernard O’Donoghue described it as “brilliant”. Cornelius’s second collection, Poems from Heartlands, was published recently. It was uniquely innovative in that it contained both printed poems of note, but also hand-written poems woven into distinctive artwork by the author. The colour edition received fulsome praise. It has won the Pinnacle Book Achievement award, the San Francisco Literary Festival award for Poetry; the Author’s Circle award for novel of excellence, the Firebird book award, the Titan award, and the Outstanding Creator award. The Cottage continues that innovative approach. The poetry scattered throughout may seem extraneous, but it is an essential part of the character of the protagonist, a poet and lecturer in literature. It is partly autobiographical. But the novel also owes much to Agatha Christie as a mystery and as such should keep the reader guessing to the end. But it is more than that; the author feels that books should operate on different levels, and The Cottage also embodies literary riches and philosophies that should challenge the reader. It contains theological material also which some might shy away from, but it is part of the character of the author as a priest, and the protagonist as a deacon. The general quality of the work and its mystery should offset any criticism and make this a must-read, full of fascinating byways and twists of the imagination which make this a major work of literary excellence like the author’s previous praised and multi-award-winning poetic art.

 Cornelius is a graduate of St. Patrick’s College Maynooth, and has a doctorate from Oxford University, where he specialised in modern American poetry. He has already published two prose works, Wheels of Light and Learn from Me, and is busy finishing two further novels, The Mountain and The Island. They should be published soon by whatever lucky publisher takes them up.

The Cottage

When Jo inherits a neglected cottage on the Avon near Stratford, she steps into a world of hidden histories and family secrets. Left to her by her enigmatic Great Aunt Lily – better known for her estate in Cornwall – this humble cottage serves as the catalyst for a series of events that plunge Jo into danger, including an ominous figure from her past. As Jo delves into wartime diaries and heirlooms, she unravels a tangled web of loss, grief, and the devastating consequences of war and personal betrayals.

Aiding her in this journey is Al, the loyal gardener, who helps Jo tend to her aunt’s once-vibrant gardens. As the gardens flourish, so does Jo, finding strength and growth amid the blooming flora. But as she navigates through her family’s complex history, she must also confront the lurking dangers that threaten not just her newfound peace, but her very life. This gripping story explores the far-reaching impact of secrets, the resilience of the human spirit, and the transformative power of nature.

The Cottage of Secrets

Alyssa Durtnall and her brother Liam are looking forward to their summer holiday away from school but Liam already bored on the first day of his holiday sees a cat that leads him to a new gypsy encampment in the woods near his home. What follows changes their lives dramatically. Giving them many problems to solve and placing them in some unbelievable situations where they cannot ask for anybody else’s help, so have to rely on each other. In a quest to find justice for a community and a culture that is often hated and ridiculed they are placed in grave danger but are determined to fight for what they believe to be right. If they are successful they will bring a much-needed awareness of the value of welcoming diversity for the benefit of all communities. But should they reveal their secret and would anybody believe them?

The Crossingway

Strange things are happening to Howell. His mother disappears after a car crash in the mountains, and his uncle insists that only he, Howell, can find her. And what of the unknown Latino blind boy who rescues Howell from school bullies, the Haitian-Creole deaf girl stopping him from falling into a pit that magically appears in his bedroom, and the Native-American girl appearing in his town, accompanied by a large grey wolf? Howell’s uncle insists everything relates to Howell’s upcoming birthday and his need to journey through the Crossingway to complete the Transfer—whatever that is.

The Cruces Crises

The Cruces have a crisis, an environmental crisis. Everyone wants the latest stuff, but it comes at a cost – pollution! The King sends his son out to find a new land where he can rebuild his kingdom. The Prince knows he must do the right thing, but when two cultures collide, he is left facing a crisis of conscience.

Through his journey of discovery, a young man learns how to care for the environment and respect the lives of other people, even when their appearance is very different from his own.

The Crucial Step

The Crucial Step, the next book in the series after One Step Away, considers the believable reality of a coexistence between worlds and the actions of after-world dwellers as they fight to slow down global warming impact on Earth.

As those on Earth struggle to come to terms with the growing evidence of global warming and the dilemma facing nations in competition, those in the after-world watch. They are one step beyond death but realise their immortality is at threat with both worlds being linked in the cycle of life.

With earth world dilemmas slowing the progress to reduce climate change, after world dwellers take matters into their own hands. They do so whilst upholding the realm laws, that their existence should remain a secret on Earth. A secret, that if realised, may be even more devastating than climate change itself.

James, Alana and their friends, part of an ancient race of Harpies, embark on powerful adventures in between worlds and the dark realms to discover alternative energy sources to provide the Collective, the orchestrator of all world’s balance, with the energy it needs. The unfathomable question driving this, is why the Collective continues to overpopulate Earth, accelerating its demise? A way must be found to distract it.

The Cruise Vacation

The Cruise Vacation takes readers on a wild ride through the highs and lows of addiction, as told through the unfiltered lens of a former nurse turned drug addict. From the hectic pace of a UK hospital to the dizzying rush of snorting, injecting and smoking any narcotic he could get his hands on, the protagonist’s story is a cautionary tale of excess and adventure. As he spirals out of control, he exchanges his professional life for a world of self-anesthetisation, casual sex and multiple attempts to kick the habit. Through community rehabilitations, untold pain, regrets, and a horrific example of failure, the protagonist’s childhood sweetheart remains by his side, helping him cling to life and recognize his own mortality. This personal journal takes readers through the heart-wrenching journey of addiction, offering a stark reminder of the destructive power of drugs and the importance of love, family, and community in the face of overwhelming temptation.

The Crumb Monster

In a small town like many others, people used to throw away over-bought and unconsumed food that began to attract the little Garbage Monsters. In a short time, these monsters came to invade the city and become more and more greedily in search of food waste.

In the fight with the Garbage Monsters, the Crumb Monster comes to the aid of the people, and he becomes best friends with Vlad, the naughty and food-wasting child.

The two go through all sorts of adventures trying to stop the food waste and to carry out an education campaign for the citizens so they not to waste the food anymore.

When the Crumb Monster come to help the people, inexplicable things start to happen in the city.

The Crumb Monster is an educational story for both children and parents to stop food waste.

The Crystal Keys of Sidhe

Those who see beauty in all of nature will find themselves taken into this unseen world of mysteries by The Goddess of Sidhe, where she tells the secrets, challenges, and dangers that are endured by four elementals that test them to their limits, friendships, and self-worth through four different lands that protect the eight most powerful crystals in the world. Each territory brings forth its own perils not known to them to get the keys to the centre of the earth for a specific ceremony to save the planet and to stop an evil villain who wants the powers for himself to enact more destruction onto the earth for his own personal gains.

The Crystals

‘...Ben shivered and looked with horror at what he saw. Before his eyes, the water in the lake slowly receded and an icy wind whistled through the window… He could not believe what was happening—everything was disappearing. The lake was a dry hollow, the meadows had become barren and the trees stood before him stripped of their leaves and bark. The sky darkened and then everything turned white and he could see a figure standing alone on the frosted ground…’

Ben, a young adult, aware of his strange origins and power, finds himself at the epicentre of a terrible cataclysmic fight for Earth’s survival as we know it. He must advance his powers to save the world and develop his human compassion to win over the most reluctant of allies.

The Curse of The Deadly Marshmallows

Neil Owlsley’s dream is to one day become the world’s greatest ever reporter, oh and he has a sweet tooth and absolutely loves marshmallows.

But on an eventful day when he takes a trip to his favourite shop, not only has the shopkeeper disappeared but a curse is placed on his beloved marshmallows by someone identified only as ‘The Mysterious Old Woman’.

Quickly he puts his reporter skills into action with only one thing on his mind … save Sproglington Town because simply there is no one else.

Will 12-year-old Neil succeed where many have failed, or will the town be overwhelmed by the Curse … of the Deadly Marshmallows?

The Dagger and the Rosary

Sicily in 1693 is recovering from a devastating earthquake and struggling under the oppression of the Spanish Inquisition. Raids from Barbary pirates menace the coastline, while European Princes plot against each other. Meanwhile, the sixteen-year-old Bernardo has been brought up in an isolated Benedictine Abbey since being orphaned seven-years before. Now an unexpected journey will introduce him to this chaotic and often cruel world, where his faith will be tested.

Rescuing a young girl, Agata, from Barbary pirates will reveal his presence to an old family enemy, as well as introducing him to a secret brotherhood, and to the confusion of adolescent love. However, as love deepens, the petite Agata does not remain a victim for long, growing into a beautiful woman and determined avenger. Family secrets and desperate journeys threaten to tear them apart but will ultimately lead them both to find out what is most important in life.