Breath of God

We’ve crossed the border and are in the Republic of Ireland. I’m wondering whether I’ll see snow again, all over Ireland, falling on every part of the dark central plain, on treeless hills, falling softly upon the Bog of Allen and on Shannon waves. Would I ever again read Joyce?

“Sit there,” Thomas says. He looks over his shoulder at William, says “Come on,” with a directive nod of his head and gets out of the car. William gets out and the two stand at the front of the car where I can see them talking. Their talk becomes animated with much hand gestures, and head noddings, and jerkings. They come back to the car, but instead of taking me out, get in.

“Stanley,” says Thomas.

Mary Ford has asked Stanley Eigerman, a Messianic Jewish detective, to find her son Stephen, who has been made to disappear during the troubles in the Belfast. For 21 years Mary has grieved for her missing son, and in taking the case Eigerman gets more than he bargains for.

Breath of God is a novel

Written in language that elevates the soul

Is an anti-depressant

Has a theme that speaks across the ages

 To each of us

Living in a world of violence, fear, and pity.

Breathless Without You

Adam Estrada has a bit of a reputation for his serial dating prowess and is not looking to get into a serious relationship. But when he finds out his sister’s best friend, Kit, is attending his brother’s wedding, he thinks he might be in a little bit of trouble. Especially since he seems to be turning up everywhere Adam is. Kit is the only one who has ever made his heart race, but he’s straight. Kit Richards has never thought much about his sexual orientation until he comes back into contact with Adam. Adam has suddenly brought up emotions in him that he hasn’t felt since they were teenagers, and he realises that he’s definitely gay. Especially when he decides to throw caution to the wind and kiss Adam. Now he’s found a relationship that he can see himself putting his all into, but will Adam be able to commit? Will they be able to keep this relationship intact, or will something or someone tear them apart?

Brett: ‘Love of My Life’

Sometimes a girl’s dream is to have a safe home.

Steph’s escape is listening to her Queen records and dancing at the discos. It is the ’80s; music keeps her mind safe – it is the only thing she trusts. At 16, she finds love and friendship in a bikie called Brett. She never knew her first love would be the ‘love of her life’.

Brett is as damaged as Steph; tragedy seems to follow them. He is the only person who ever believed in Steph and her dreams.

However, with no money and no family to help her, Steph hits obstacles at every turn – with sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll.

Will Steph ever escape and follow her dream?

Brighton Schlock

What happens when a biker drag queen uncovers an evil trafficking plot, with the help of his dominatrix side-kick from the flat downstairs; a certain type of wart invades a hospital ward; your teenage GBF turns out to be related to you; shredding machines and other devices take on a life of their own; and horny gargoyles abseil into cocktail parties – all in one of the nation’s most louche hotspots? And just who are these two young boys, skulking through many of the tales? With shared locales and dramatis personae, Merryman Downes’ Brighton Schlock is a fast-paced, surreal, happy, sexy, sad, and ultimately tender suite of interrelated tales where intrigue, horror and seemingly magical occurrences affect the well weird residents and enclaves of Sodom-on-Sea – or Brighton, as those of us who love it, call it.

Oh – and did anybody mention the astral body-snatching?

Broken Wings

Returning to her family’s village in Scotland for the sombre anniversary of her brother Max’s passing, Martha, a dedicated primary school teacher from Camden, northwest London, braces herself for a flood of painful memories. Instead, she’s enveloped in the warmth and affection of her family and rekindles her bond with her best friend, Izzy.

However, her trip takes an unexpected turn when her father’s old Ford Escort breaks down en route to Inverness. To her dismay, the recovery truck that arrives is driven by Jackson, Max’s childhood best friend and the local mechanic. Martha has always held Jackson partly responsible for Max’s death, as he was with him on that fateful night.

Despite her best efforts to keep her distance, the undeniable chemistry between Martha and Jackson is palpable. She’s determined to resist any feelings for him, but when adversity strikes, Martha realizes that Jackson might just be the one person she can rely on.

Brotherly Love

Roddy Roan is an intense young man who attends the prestigious Wellington Private School in the Herefordshire countryside. As the dislike of his English teacher Bill Solomons becomes an obsession of revenge, his friends slowly distance themselves from the impending carnage. Solomons turns to his brother for help and circumstances unite them in a common cause, but as each of them battle their own demons, personal tragedy strikes.

Justin Kell reluctantly takes on the case of the suspicious disappearance of a city banker and quickly finds himself at the heart of a ruthless crime syndicate. It becomes a race against a time as he puts his life on the line with the stakes even higher when his personal life is turned upside down.

Brown Girl

Shelly Nacre is the brown face in a sea of white, washed up on the rocky shores of Long Island. Life changes suddenly when tragedy befalls her family, leaving Shelly to make sense of what has happened in the only way she knows how. Her father, an armchair activist, feeds her plenty by way of philosophical ruminations, but these words do not anchor her. Shelly must breeze carefree into her daydreams and drift into the realms of the past to visit her ancestors.

And somewhere between these worlds there is Dolly, who never fails in giving her comfort and advice.

But when Shelly tries to befriend two of her teenage classmates in a neighbourhood where prejudice is deeply rooted, she brings about havoc on a mystical level, making waves much too big for Long Island in the 1980s.

Bruny Island Girl

In the year 1879, William and Jane Burns from Durham, England, migrated to Newcastle, Australia, in the hope of finding a better life for themselves and their two children, Joseph, aged three, and Elizabeth, aged one. Stormy seas, interspersed with weeks of boredom, made their three-month-long voyage on the sailing ship, William Stonehouse, anything but pleasant. William, like his father, was a coal miner and found work easily in a Newcastle colliery. During this time, he befriended a German immigrant, Wilhelm Zschachner, and learned that a new coal discovery had been made in the state of Tasmania. The thought of moving to Tasmania was challenging to the Burns family now that they had two additional children. Nevertheless, they repacked their furniture and treasures brought out with them from England and moved to remote Bruny Island, off Tasmania's southeast coast. Here, they were true pioneers. Between working the new coal mine, William and his still-increasing family cleared a parcel of land on Coal Point and built themselves a cosy home from axe-split palings. Sadly, William died young after a rock fall at the mine, forcing Jane to become a midwife in order to keep the family together until they reached adulthood and married. Joyce - the 'Bruny Island Girl' - was born in 1899 to Louisa, one of Jane's daughters, and this book tells the story of her remarkable life on the island before marrying Cecil Cutcliffe. Max Cutcliffe is one of their sons and the author of this book.

Brushstrokes

And for a brief moment, we finally set aside

The shield that we don, beneath which our hearts hide

Brushstrokes is an exploration of the nuances of love, the ebb and flow of hope, as well as the search for meaning, clarity and purpose.

A moving composition of poems and prose, it recounts the tale of an electric encounter and ensuing, all-consuming love – with its irresistible highs and perilous lows – that sets into motion a cascade of events. What unfolds is a transformative story of self-discovery, unveiling one’s deepest fears, longings and dreams.

Timeless and universal in message, Brushstrokes invites us on an intimate journey steeped in passion and wonder.

Bubble and Squeak

‘Recalling my initial encounter with a peculiar balloon-like creature that unexpectedly appeared while I was returning home from work in the rural depths of East Sussex, I couldn’t help but think of the infamous “Beast from the East”.
‘When confronted with something unusual, I have a tendency to rationalise it in order to make the experience seem ordinary. However, even after a decade has passed since this incident occurred, the only logical conclusion that remains is that it was undoubtedly an extraterrestrial being.
‘A decade ago, this extraordinary event took place, and I chose not to share it with anyone. Instead, I fabricated a tale about witnessing a luminous object approaching me, which was far from the truth of what I actually encountered. I hesitated to be the first to speak about my experience, fearing the intrusion of cameras and journalists on my doorstep, with no support from others who might have had similar encounters. Hence, I kept my silence all these years. But now, I feel compelled to reveal the truth and share what truly transpired on that momentous day.’
Jules Stevens

Bye-Bye, Inglaterra

In Bye Bye Inglaterra, Horace’s life is seemingly simple with only one daily decision to make - whether to walk or drive to work. However, this routine is about to be shattered when his bosses plot to get rid of him before selling the company for a hefty profit. Horace is completely blindsided when a sudden explosion rocks his world in the dead of night, leaving him and his wife Delia plunged into a sea of uncertainty and financial ruin. To many, Horace’s life would seem like a leisurely stroll through the park, but he had no idea what lay ahead as the gates of opportunity were about to slam shut on him. Follow Horace as he navigates the turbulent waters of unemployment and struggles to stay afloat in a world that has turned against him.

Cambridge Brains

Under the surface of an outwardly successful, highly educated family lies quiet suffering and spiritual isolation.

Mark and Emma have an unarticulated problem within their marriage for which neither feels able to seek help. A business trip to India provides a healing process for Mark while an encounter with an old friend on Dartmoor does the same for Emma.

Self-effacing Uncle Jonathan, a retired vicar, can no longer endure to live with his wife. He fears the harshness of social judgement and is tormented with feelings of inadequacy. However, he knows he must act and cope with any resulting difficulties.  He tries hard to make a success of his new life but his estranged wife is determined to keep him in a state of wretchedness. Then a miracle occurs.

Mary, an attractive widow living in Cheltenham, has an unscrupulous son with designs on her wealth. Frightened by the prospect of being bullied into signing a document which would hand over her house but, at the same time, desperate for discretion and avoidance of shame, she turns to her new neighbours, Mark and Emma, for advice.