Dhanmondi Road

The year is 1973. The Bangladesh war of independence is over but the country remains in chaos. Gareth McKinley, a young Australian, arrives in the country to work on a project set up to care for destitute children. He quickly learns that living and working in a post-war environment can be dangerous. A crisis emerges when some children involved in the project cannot be accounted for. Does the explanation lie in a mysterious letter that seems to have been sent from Dubai? Dhanmondi Road sensitively captures the atmosphere of a country in turmoil and charts Gareth's progress towards increasing self-knowledge and -awareness in ways he could not have dreamed of before setting out on this journey.

Die! Not Likely

I like my poetry to cover Life that others will recognise and relate to.

I try to bring in emotions and humour to help others to think and see a different perspective.

I enjoyed writing this book which just seemed to happen between my second husband dying in 2014 and having my stroke in 2015.

Discombobulated and Other Poems

The poems in this engaging collection cover such topics as the seasons, the perils of overindulging during those seasons (as well as at other times), politics, religion, travel, the obvious superiority of cats over mere humans, and the simple, timeless virtues of honesty, sacrifice and charity.

No matter the subject, the poet’s sincerity, humour and intriguing view of human nature always shine through.

Dismas Crucified aka The Good Thief

“Truly I say to you, this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise.” Jesus gave to only one person such a promise. So who was he? Was he a follower of Jesus? No! Was he one of the Sanhedrin? No! Was he a rabbi? No. he was none of them. Instead, those words were addressed to a thief dying on a cross alongside Jesus. From his cross of death, Dismas spoke up in defence of Jesus, stating that they deserved their punishment, but that Jesus had done nothing wrong. Dismas then asked Jesus to remember him when he came into His kingdom. Jesus responded promising Paradise to Dismas that very day with those wonderful words, “Truly I say unto you, this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise.” Dismas, what do we know of him? ln truth, not much. We know his name, Dismas, that he was a thief being executed for his crimes, and that he spoke up in defence of Jesus and was greatly rewarded for it. With so little known about him, it has enabled me to explore his life as I have imagined him to be. This is a work of fiction, but based on historical fact. Read it, be as one with Dismas. You may shed a tear or two as you read it. I did as I wrote it. Enjoy.

Diverse, Converse and in Verse

During his teaching ministry Jesus told several stories, often witty, which drew upon the circumstances and situations of his day. He used this method of teaching as a means of making a point, whether favourable or harsh, that his hearers would understand and recognise in their application to them. This book adapts, updates, and converts into whimsical verse a number of these stories, while also raising some new issues for today’s generation. It is not intended to be a substitute for reading the Gospels and other New Testament books, but is intended to direct and encourage readers to look and think more deeply into Jesus’ original words as recorded in Scripture and how they might apply to them.

Doctor Luskin

Mrs. Bergius, 38, is married for the second time.

When the second daughter, 18, fell in love with her stepfather, Dr. Luskin, a 37-year-old surgical doctor, things started to get out of hand.

However, everything gets worse when his 19-year-old stepdaughter becomes pregnant with him.

The girls’ biological father and tearful mother, as well as the authorities, are struggling to prevent the family’s tragic drama from escalating.

The playful and extremely sexual game between stepfather and stepdaughters continues; the war escalates.

Everywhere, crying, suffering and death.

“Life is credit with a double pay.”

Dog's Conundrum

Dog has a problem. His beautiful world is in crisis – again! Should he let events take their course, or should he interfere?

This book is an invitation to see planet Earth through the eyes of Dog and Mother Nature, from the era of the dinosaurs, though times of plenty, to our current and future crises. Who’s to blame? Is it us? Is it them?

This magical read takes us on an insightful journey where individual stories from around the world blend and unfold as Dog’s intimate understanding of the big picture grows. Despite the gremlins, can humans recognise what it is really that matters? Will the warmth and humour of the sprites be strong enough to help people rediscover the wisdom in their souls when faced with fear of losing everything they hold dear… or will Mother Nature not be prepared to wait any longer?

The best and worst of human nature is exposed here. Our assumptions are challenged as this book digs deep into ideas which will resonate with many.

Dolly King

Dolly King is thrown into a world where ruthless men rule; her dad, Michael King being one of them and Tommy Wright, being another. To survive she needs to be as tough as the men, if not tougher. Even though Tommy tries to shield her she rises to the challenge when a back street crook and his tart try to wipe out her dad and frame Tommy. She hunts them down and plans on making them pay in the worst possible way until her dad manages to trick her into leaving the barn so Tommy can mete out the punishment.

Just as things seem to calm down and life is on the up, another enemy strikes leaving Dolly vulnerable and in need of saving. Sometimes it’s those closest to you who you most need to worry about.

Don't Lie

“Gladys could tell fortunes but it was Harriet who made them.”

When Harriet tried her teenage hand at being a ball girl at the local tennis club the day after England won the World Cup, Ian’s wife Betty was intent on winning the doubles trophy. Betty still had time to encourage Ian to take up Harriet’s cause with the club officials who threw her out as unsuitable. Harriet may have had to leave Southport but she was prospering when Ian tracked her down in Whitstable and followed the notorious local trial where Harriet was a star witness. An end of the pier seaside romp where telling the truth is to no one’s advantage.

Don’t Fall in Love with a Dreamer

Louis Morin is a type-2 dreamer. No wonder he’s been drawn to Australia, the Dream Land of the Aboriginal people’s culture. In the wake of the new carbon trading laws, he dreams of turning the parched Red Centre back to green and the Great Salt Lakes back to blue. As always in Australia, big business is not far behind a big, profitable dream.

It is October 2000, at the beginning of the Southern hemisphere summer, and at the end of the Sydney Olympics, which troublemaking-tragic Helen came to watch. While a three-day affair with Louis is in the swing of things to expect, falling in love with him isn’t.

Along comes Horace, another type-2 dreamer who also wants to change the world, with powerful allies to back up his "LFV" dream and a more radical approach to making it come true, including body count. It also includes his, unfortunately.

A challenge to her sanity, already heavily tested, Helen fears for her son’s life. Compelled to blend two dreams in one, Louis finds himself on the shaky grounds of corporate and political worlds, places he, as a researcher, had never been prepared for. But there is always the next dream, and it may well be just waiting for him... at home!

About every seven years, the Great Australian Lakes flood, and flamingos return.

Don’t You Believe Me?

Will someone not wonder what you are about,

If the truth remains hidden and does not come out?

An opportunity to get your husband the £10,000 that he owed.

Does that not sound good? Is that not what Kelly would have thought, and gone along with, when presented with this once in a lifetime offer?

But those who presented her with this opportunity, were they really her friends? Were they thinking of her? Or, were they using her, and thought only of themselves?

And what of the malicious gossip going on in the background, accusations of which she was totally unaware.

If only she had told her husband the truth right from the start, then all the uncertainty and mistrust would not have ensued.

But she did not. She wanted everything to be a surprise. Thinking it was the right thing to do but she kept quiet. And the quieter she kept, the more guilty she appeared...

As Christmas drew near she decided to tell him the truth. But had she left it too late?

Her nonsensical story, her ridiculous version of events sounded so far-fetched and absurd.

After all of this time, after all of the secrecy, was she expecting too much to imagine that he would believe her?

Dosser's Dreams

We all dream when we sleep. Whether you can remember your dreams is neither here nor there as we all daydream.Both nocturnal dreams and daydreams are part of our mental health and how we see and interpret the world. Dosser’s Dreams are about the dreams of Dosser, a fictional character that emanates from his dreams.