Conversations with No-One

What do quarks and bosons have to do with faith? What does having a binary brain do for our sense of morality? Are the decisions we make in our life an expression of free will or simply the mysterious determined directives of creation? Are we self-determining creatures or just puppets?

Conversations with No-One is a collection of poems which trace the journey of one man, beginning in the seminary yet leading irrevocably into the worlds of neuroscience, quantum mechanics and genetics. It recounts a desperate search for personal meaning and purpose which turned into a three-decade long conversation with our humanity, from Gilgamesh’s search for immortality to Milo Wolff’s theory of the wave structure of matter. It reflects upon a journey through the wonder and horror of human existence, listening to the stories as they wrote our history, listening to the authors as they grappled with what it meant to be alive and conscious, to hear ourselves searching for answers to the questions which burned in our hearts and minds, to marvel at our remarkable ontology.

Conversations with No-One is a poetic, theological redaction of our self-apprehension informed by modern science, a view which challenges the very foundation of our cultural identity yet is in complete harmony with it. It is an invitation to ‘religare’, to go over again, and a reaffirmation of the ancient maxim ‘nosce te ipsum’ – to know yourself.

Cooking in the South of France

Marcia Öchsner is a Le Cordon Bleu (Paris) alumni with experience in various restaurants and teaching. During the past twenty years, together with her family, she has travelled around the world and lived in many countries, such as Brazil, Germany, Portugal, Malaysia and Australia, but it is with France that she identifies herself. Cooking in her kitchen in the south of France is her passion, which she often does between long walks.

Corona Virus: Is There a Word from the Lord?

The current pandemic (Covid-19) has left many wondering: ‘is there a word from the LORD?’  

The Psalms deal with features of everyday life from pain and suffering, fear and failure, through to victorious success and prosperity. Understanding the Bible, especially Psalm 119, is essential to making sense of living in the aftermath of the Corona Virus. This alphabetical Psalm deals with the blessing known by following after God’s ways, recognising the temporal world and reflecting upon eternity. Its central message points to the promised Messiah – The Lord Jesus Christ, who is the fulfilment of the Psalm and urges all mankind to wholly trust in Him for salvation.

Cotton-Pickin' Southern Belle

You are a rich Southern Belle who has never had to work and everything is great, or is it? What was your life like before the riches? What did your ancestors have to do to achieve such wealth? What sacrifices were made on your behalf?

Coucoubeuh and the Treasure Hunt

Coucoubeuh was feeling bored during the summer holidays, until the day he came across a rather unusual map. With the help of his friends, he sets out to solve puzzles and find clues that will lead him to the treasure. An adventure he won’t forget!Coucoubeuh is a new series of books for children. Exciting adventures encourage young readers to develop a love of reading and to discover and learn the English language.

Courage to Face Long Loss

Being with a loved one through a degenerative illness or disease takes us on a journey that requires courage. Rather than an immediate singular loss, we experience ‘long loss’ which includes multiple losses and changes over time. Long loss requires us to face, endure, and adapt to what is happening. Written from a personal perspective of supporting older parents with vascular dementia and episodic delirium, this book defines and applies courage to manage this form of loss.

Included is the wisdom of older adults from Christchurch, Aotearoa, New Zealand, who took part in the author’s doctoral study into courage. Their life experiences in managing adversity, from coping with a bombing in World War II to surviving domestic violence, illustrate courage, grit and resilience – and how to put these into action. Through the sharing of personal insights and knowledge, this book supports the application of inner strength and courage to help stay the course when experiencing the long loss of a loved one.

Court of Demons

What happens when your enemy is the person to whom you are drawn? What do you do when you want your captor more than you want to escape? What happens when you are faced with the ultimate choice; run and live, or stay and die? Whatever happens, you can’t leave a real-life Hell without changing somehow.

In a complex world, where a select few humans know of the dangers that lurk below the surface, it leaves the world fragile. These humans, all members of the secretive organisation of Everest Arch, protect the unknowledgeable normal humans from the anger and violence of the ruthless Demons that live in the mountain beside a small town.

The organisation is full of people who strive to protect their world, but when one person dares to ask the question no one else has thought of, the consequences shake the ground and the two types of people must decide what they really are fighting for.

Cousins, Classmates and a Dog Called Rover

Susan lives with her mum and dad, her two younger brothers and her dog Rover in a remote village in the flat fen county of Lincolnshire. The year is 1956 and life is still hard after the Second World War. But the summer holidays are just starting, and Susan is looking forward to spending long, carefree days with her friends. Then she hears some news that changes her whole life. Two cousins, whose mother has died, are coming to live with her family from the northern city of Leeds. Sharing a bedroom with them is bad enough, but the cousins, called Maria and Juliet, are soon bored with life in the countryside and start to cause trouble at home and in school. A new kitten helps to bring everyone together, but just as things are settling down, a mysterious letter arrives from Leeds. Then a stranger brings some early Christmas presents and Susan wonders what is going to happen next. Will they all be spending Christmas together or not?

Coven Deception

Forbidden romance. Secrets and lies. Supernatural species. The town of Arcane Grove has a lot going on! Meet Brooke Lesley, a seventeen-year-old witch attempting to balance having a normal teenage life with having the impending responsibility of taking over as head of her coven.

One day, when an unfortunate incident reveals to Brooke that she's been at school with a vampire for the last year, the sworn enemy of witches, things get a little complicated. Brooke finds herself feeling an intense, uncontrollable desire she's never felt before; and ignoring friends, family and history, she embarks on a forbidden relationship that could jeopardise everything and ignite a centuries-old feud.

While Brooke battles with her coven and her conscience, she must also find a way to face an evil that threatens not only witches, but the entire town of Arcane Grove. Can she defend her coven, her town and her heart?

Covid-19 Life

The impact Covid-19 has had on the world was something that no one in our lifetime will forget. While living through this, I have documented my experience in this area to help this era and the next to look back and see if my experience is something the human race can benefit from. I want to share my own life with the reader, detailing what I had done daily – to show the positive and negative impacts the Covid-19 crisis had on me. This was something everyone had to go through together – united. Everyone has a different story to tell and this one is mine. If you move forward and read my story, there will be a great deal of heartbreak in my journey. Perhaps you can relate? But one thing is for sure, Covid-19 has taken a great deal of time and that reminds us to enjoy the time we have left.

Crab Apples

The Last Lady De’Ath is determined to keep her estates and villages as they have been for centuries. Her lion and tiger are not going anywhere either. She eventually theoretically sells out to a company that tells her they want to buy up historic sites, but all is not what it seems on the surface, neither in the villages nor in the company.

Battle lines are drawn at the Village Fete and war is waged in the High Court. The village and Lady De’Ath emerge triumphant as victory is based on hidden skills and by not judging books by their covers.

Crash-Landing in the Unknown

One stormy night, the curious flower Hugleaf got pulled out with his roots and flew out in the dark night, leaving his peaceful home next to the old wise tree. Hugleaf smashed into Rainspider and together they flew over valleys and crash-landed in a country beyond what they had ever seen. Injured and surprised, they looked around to see only grey, or is it them that can’t see colour anymore? Follow Hugleaf and Rainspider on a journey where they meet serene lilies and scary dragons, in a world where each intelligent flower has something to say and give. Will the grey country regain its colour?