Orphans and Strangers

Defying his family’s wishes, William falls for Margaret, a Catholic nurse, and is cast out for marrying her. Desperate to reclaim his mother’s love, he joins the army, seeking the respect afforded to the American GIs stationed in Fermanagh. But war leaves him volatile, and his time as a POW scars him deeply. Tragedy strikes again and again: his wife succumbs to TB, and his beloved daughter drowns. Consumed by grief and paranoia, William makes a devastating choice, abandoning his daughter Trisha with his sister and fleeing to England with his son, George. Years later, George, burning for revenge, draws them both into the heart of the Troubles.

Dragon's Breath

When Joe the dragon loses his magic, he is heartbroken. Determined to get it back, he sets off on a daring journey – unsure of who or what awaits him along the way.

His quest leads him deep into enchanted forests and shadowy caves as he searches for his elusive magic, hoping to restore it and return safely home.

Along the way, Joe encounters incredible mythical creatures, from towering giants to majestic flying horses, who offer their help in unexpected ways. He tastes exotic foods, rests on beds woven from gossamer threads, and pushes forward through day and night, never losing hope.

But will Joe ever find his missing magic?

Luke to Theo, Again

Luke presents Christianity’s growth as explosive. His is the story of its far-reaching spread “to the ends of the earth”. If Luke were able to name his work (and it seems he never did), he would describe it as The Acts of God, or better still, the Acts of the Holy Spirit.

Luke to Theo, Again continues the author’s journey into the Graeco-Roman-Hebraic world of the first century. With Peter and Paul as the protagonists of the Jesus Movement, Luke’s sweeping panorama, with over 80 characters, moves from Jerusalem, across Asia and into Europe.

The author continues the practice of using box texts to illuminate various points in his commentary of Luke’s text. Clear biographical, literary, historical, and geographical data is presented in easy-to-follow list and dictionary formats, as well as more detailed background mini essays on the beginnings and spread of Christianity.

Life in Spain

Having travelled, lived abroad and visited Spain, I imagined living there would not imply a drastic change in lifestyle other than learning the language, and different climate and food. However, I was in for a shock. I was immersed into a large, close knit, traditional family in the south of Spain in the early eighties and it was like stepping back in time. They had not long become a democracy, recently freed from years of dictatorship when time had stood still, especially for those living in the poorer areas of Andalucia.

The role of women was more related to that of my grandmother, for example a woman even needed her husband or father’s permission to open a bank account, whereas I had run my own business. My sister-in-law who was considerably younger than me had not been allowed to go on a school trip to France with Nuns, whereas I had been to France and Africa on school trips, travelled considerably and also lived and worked abroad.

I must have appeared as some sort of alien, I didn’t even speak their language consequently initially I was blissfully unaware of the fact my behaviour must have been rather shocking for them, I was used to doing everything unchaperoned which was unthinkable for some of my peers. However, they were warm and friendly, I grew to love the people and the lifestyle, and witnessed the radical change that swept over Spain during the following twenty years.

The Line to Freedom

Andrew was recruited into the British Secret Intelligence Service in 1939 for his linguistic talents and other qualities while working in the banking sector in the City of London.

From the beginning of WWII, he worked full-time for the Service. His first mission was to witness the attempted assassination of Hitler in Munich in November 1939, followed by three further missions: sabotaging a German train carrying armaments deep inside enemy territory with a colleague; assisting in the evacuation of BEF soldiers during the Dunkirk operation aboard one of the ‘small ships’; and working with the Royal Navy to help bring the Norwegian king and his cabinet from Tromsø to exile in London.

After extensive commando-style training in Scotland, lengthy Royal Navy officer training, and instruction as a parachutist, Andrew was dropped into northeast France in late May 1941. This highly risky mission involved collaborating with the French Resistance.

Following several smaller, but equally dangerous, missions, he was sent to Sardinia to work with the Partisans in July 1941. His objective: to thwart the Italian Air Force from bombing Allied convoys heading to Malta.

On returning to England, Andrew assumed the identity of a missing French Resistance operative and was dropped back into France. There, he joined multiple groups on a perilous mission, narrowly escaping the Wehrmacht and the Abwehr before making his way back to England via Spain.

This is a compelling narrative, rich with exciting and lesser-covered themes in spy fiction. The writer’s attention to detail and meticulous research offers readers a vivid and comprehensive insight into the complex and colorful world of intelligence during WWII.

The Crystal Heart — A Dragora Tale

Dreams can shape the future, replay the past, or reveal something far more mysterious.

When Rajan becomes trapped in a terrifying nightmare, it marks the beginning of an unexpected journey for him and the lady of his heart. But is this the start of a heroic adventure, or something far more sinister?

Beneath the scorching desert sun, they must unravel an ancient mystery and decipher the meaning behind the haunting dreams. They must solve the puzzle or perish in the attempt.

Rainbow Play

Rainbow Play makes learning fun by engaging children’s interest through storytelling and bringing the book to life. Dive into a collection of delightful tales, where each story is written to be read as you’d want to hear them as a child: fun, expressive, and full of life.

With relatable characters, believable adventures, and engaging language, these stories will keep young readers hooked from start to finish

And as the little ones ask their Mummy, Daddy, carer, or guardian, ‘can you read The Golden Wishbone again?’ you’ll find yourself just as captivated by the magic of Rainbow Play.

Princess Lily and The Chompie Zompies

Follow Lily, an inquisitive child with a love for crisps, living with type-1 diabetes, as she navigates her way through her morning deciding that as she is now a ‘Princess’ she does not need any help and can go it alone for breakfast with her trusty sidekick, a stuffed unicorn, by her side. But watch out for the Chompie Zompies that live upstairs…

Recuerde los Pirineos

Maria Goldstein, a Jewish woman, grows up in Franco’s Spain during the Spanish Civil War. Meanwhile, Jean Toulais fights for the Free French resistance in the Pyrenees mountains of southern France.

As the Second World War unfolds, their lives become entwined in a love story that defies borders, nationality, and even the war itself. Together, they must endure brutal Nazi persecution and confront their own fears and anxieties in their fight to build a life free from the shadow of fascism.

Echoes from the Land

One in four boys do not live with a father in the United States, and two million children have no meaningful contact with their fathers in the United Kingdom. In New Zealand, one in six births have no registered father. Echoes from Fathers to Sons spans a period of one hundred and twenty odd years, focusing on the influence of fathers on their sons. It is a fascinating collection of photographs, poetry, paintings, stories and transcripts supporting a social commentary about the qualities and values of those times. There are tales of wartime experiences when the father had so many crickets in his beard he could not sleep at night, and a man’s admiration for lice because scratching at one saved him from a German sniper’s bullet.

The Angel on the Town Hall Clock

A good story should have a happy ending. Real life, however, is filled with untoward events and refuses to follow the rules of Mozartian opera.

Our characters will still be presented in theatrical style. Each will have a few moments of monologue or a chance to stand alone on stage. None speaks from a pulpit; they all act on stage. This is a puppet theatre of words, revealing only half the truth – but which half? Perhaps it is best not to believe a single word.

Drawing of Burslem old town hall, based on original by Matthew Rice, author and illustrator of The Lost City of Stoke on Trent.

Ferryman

After several bodies are discovered floating beneath Sydney Harbour Bridge, Detective Guy Shayd and his colleague Bob Lawson are tasked with uncovering the identity of the murderer. As the body count rises, Guy turns to his girlfriend Kay, who has psychic abilities, for help in tracking down the culprit.

Amid the chaos of the investigation, Kay and her cousin Stevie are busy preparing for their weddings to Guy and Bob, and both women discover they are pregnant, adding even more urgency to the case. The stakes are raised even higher when Kay and Stevie are kidnapped and held captive.

As Guy and Bob race against time to find their missing fiancées and solve the murders, they uncover a shocking twist. The true identity of the killer turns out to be far more unbelievable than they ever expected.