The Lamp Shop

This book is about friendship and love. They’re always there, even when you least expect it.

Don’t let anybody put your light out – even if it dims for a while, it will never go out because your light is strong and beautiful.

Stay happy. Shine bright.

The Corona Chronicles

A new and terrifying pandemic is sweeping round the world, bringing unprecedented miseries with it. And in its wake, many of us are left reeling with uncertainty, fear and isolation.

Where could support and inspiration be found during these troubled times?

Amy, a busy teacher in an urban, English junior school, sets up an online forum in order to stay in touch with her closest friends, for the country is in lockdown due to the global Coronavirus pandemic and normal socialising is forbidden or restricted depending on where exactly people are located around Great Britain.

And as the small group expands a little, the shared experiences of these friends, both new and old, provide cheer, comfort and companionship in these unprecedented times.

After all, we still have much to share and smile over, don’t we?

The Corona Chronicles is an original, entertaining and heart-warming read, revealing many interesting and delightful details which will resonate with us all.

The Family Matters of Romeo and Julio

Romeo Moses-Clifford and Julio Clifford-Moses are a married gay, interracial couple and now fathers to twins Adrian and Carly. They are a happy and young family living life to the fullest. Romeo finds himself back in touch with his ex-wife Liberty. As they reminisce, Liberty develops old feelings towards Romeo to the point where there becomes something more than a hatred against Julio. How far will she go to claim back her old love?

Julio develops a friendship with art gallery owner Naveed. He lets Julio showcase his artwork at his gallery. But what is just a working relationship progresses into a bit more than that. Romeo with Julio open a nightclub in partnership with gangster Cameron. Romeo takes a shine to his adult son Finlay. Romeo becomes a shoulder to lean on for the troubled young man. However, Finlay takes this the wrong way and if Cameron gets the wrong end of the stick, then this could put Romeo and his family in danger.

Romeo’s parents Miles and Imelda are estranged but still hold a torch for one another. Is it over between them? Or are they destined to be together? Julio’s Mother Quisha has a secret she has kept to herself for years and it’s now coming back to haunt her family. Julio’s sister Jodie is set to marry her true love, but she is sceptical of whether marriage will ruin their relationship in the long run. In this story we see a darker side to Julio’s teenage sweetheart Sam that causes havoc for him as well as for Romeo.

From Little Acorns…

Armed with a general nurse registration and a specialist theatre training in London, the author embarked into a career covering several years of practical experience, before moving into education and eventually senior management. Frequent challenges to her ideas and techniques meant pushing boundaries under restrictive managers, but her persistence paid off.

Having agreed to voluntarily teach home nursing and first aid to children in the global south, she found herself being thanked by the Dalai Lama in person for her work. Frequently she challenged authority where she felt it was necessary, and when she was confronted with mafia principles of priority it did not deter her from standing her ground as she fought for the rights of colleagues. Her students repeatedly claimed that her unique teaching methods should be adopted across the country.

The lack of finances in early development of the European Organisation found her using cheap travel with own snacks and drinks as she journeyed to meet Government Health representatives or European Union groups in her determination to seek recognition for OR Nursing. The book also covers some of the historical developments both in nursing and general life, in which her experience was based. She received many accolades, and valued awards from organisations and individuals throughout her life.

I Can Run

I Can Run is a story about a preschooler who runs everywhere.

He never walks and thinks he is faster than different animals and his family.

He is narrating his running activities and describing how he likes to run in different places. He is fast – very, very fast!

Broken

Johnny is conflicted. Self-doubt, the animosity of the students he teaches, and the soul crushing education system are killing him. As a young, idealistic teacher, the school environment, which once seemed so promising, has crumbled into misery. His spirit is breaking. Trapped in a failing system and gasping for air, will Johnny rediscover his purpose and find his path?

The Jazz Boat

The directors of Great Trips Ltd have a serious problem: they are on the brink of bankruptcy. In a desperate bid to save the company, they partner with a foreign business to launch a river cruise on the Seine, offering entertainment tailored to the British tourist market.

What the directors don’t realize is that their new partnership is secretly involved in people smuggling. When their youngest colleague uncovers the truth, she faces a difficult choice: should she report the operation to the Border Force, or put herself at risk to stop it from within?

Among the passengers on the cruise is someone working undercover to gather evidence of the smuggling operation. Tensions rise, and the truth comes dangerously close to the surface at the Captain’s dinner party.

From Blinker Hall to Room 39: British Naval Intelligence 1880-1945

Dr. Wells offers an exhilarating deep dive into the world of British Naval Intelligence, exploring its intricacies with a level of detail and professionalism never before seen. As the only living person to have served in both British and United States Intelligence, and having been trained by the leading figures of British Naval Intelligence during World War Two, Anthony Wells brings unmatched expertise to this compelling history. Spanning over 65 years, this book draws readers into a captivating exploration of the political, institutional, organizational, personal, operational, strategic, and technical aspects of British Naval Intelligence across both World Wars. Wells invites us into the inner sanctum of British Naval Intelligence, revealing how history was shaped by the extraordinary expertise, courage, resilience, and intellectual brilliance of those who came from all corners of British society. This book not only enthrals and captivates but also educates, shedding light on the essence of outstanding intelligence work, much of which continues to influence the present day.

Eight Kids from London

Were you ever at school? Did you sometimes hate school and sometimes love it?

Did you have a teacher that you loved? Did you have someone who inspired you totally?

Did you have a gang of mates that you always hung around with? Did you have a secret name for your group of friends? Would you have done anything for your mates?

Have you ever run? Have you ever swum? Have you ever played football? Did sport change your life? Did you have an injury that you thought you’d never recover from?

Did you ever get really hurt? Did you ever get to your absolute lowest and recover from it? Did you have people who believed in you, people who changed your life?

Well, if any of these apply to you, then maybe, just maybe you’ll enjoy Eight Kids from London!

The Dingo Hunter

Laurie Corbett was born in Castlemaine, Victoria in 1941 and spent much of his early life catching wildlife to supplement the family diet and thus developed an understanding and love of the bush and its fauna. He joined the CSIRO Division of Wildlife Research to study dingoes and their prey in central Australia 1968-75 and later 1980-96 in Kakadu National Park.

Intervening those years, he studied Scottish wildcats and feral cats in Aberdeenshire and the Outer Hebrides. At that time, he regularly returned home for Christmas where, en route, he ‘discovered’ dingoes in Thailand and other South-east Asian countries; and subsequently made regular visits to study them resulting in a Whitley Award for his 1995 book The Dingo in Australia and Asia. 

In 1997, he led ecological surveys at Bradshaw Field Training Area and at Christmas Island, and concurrently was a member of IUCN’s Canid Specialist Group with field work in Indonesia. In 2007, he formed his own consulting company to provide dingo management advice at mine sites in deserts throughout Australia. Throughout this journey, he met an incredible array of characters and experienced many unusual events, most pleasant but others not so.

This illustrated narrative provides research data in conjunction with the day-to-day joy, frustration and danger associated with working in outback Australia. Similarly, in relatively isolated regions of Thailand, Laos, and Burma where the English language is not spoken and unintentional non-compliance with local customs can have dangerous outcomes.

Bound by Tradition

These are not stories of fiction, but echoes of real lives – the lives of my family, spanning generations. Their experiences, passed down through whispered memories, shaped not only those who lived them but also those who came after.

Through their tales, I pieced together the intricate mosaic of my family history. These vivid images and the emotions they evoked helped forge the person I am today.

The events recounted here will, I hope, intrigue and perhaps even shock you. My culture, steeped in traditions vastly different from those of the West, may seem puzzling or even brutal to some. The mindsets of certain characters may appear utterly foreign to Western readers, but I trust that the explanations of our customs will shed light on their motivations.

Names have been changed to protect the privacy of my elders. May these stories provoke thought and spark a deeper understanding of a world far removed from your own.

The Food Lady

Miss Deer is very hungry, but the local squirrels and birds do not want her to eat with them. She is sad and lonely, she doesn’t understand their rejection. She does not see why she cannot have some bird seed, which is rich and plentiful at this lady’s house. The many birds, squirrels and chipmunks tell her she is too big and scary. She becomes very frustrated and decides to eat the lady’s prize roses. She feels, too, a comradeship to the man who lives here, for he is also rejected by the animals. A hungry but friendly raccoon, out in the daytime, stops her and tells her that deer are not mean.