The Awesome Lives of Tommy Twicer: Part One

The Awesome Lives of Tommy Twicer is my account of a secret that my bampy said must never be told except in time of dire emergency. Now is the time. I grew up in South East Wales in Penmaen near Oakdale in the Sirhowy Valley. Oakdale is a model village and it holds the most incredible secret that was wiped from the memory of all but a selected few. I am the latest of those few but now the secret must be revealed to maintain the integrity of a secret magical outpost named Abercwmzoo deep in the heart of the Sirhowy Valley from further development by Caerphilly County Borough Council. The story revolves around the amazing exploits of a very special young man who was born in Tuchola, Poland, on the stroke of midnight on December 31st, 1900. He was born Tomas Tomaschevski, a farm boy who had a dream. In 1914, World War One broke out and he left the family farm to make his fortune in Moscow but fate took him to St Petersburg and involvement in the Russian Revolution. He fled to Wales in fear of his and his sweetheart’s lives with the help of some heroic characters and makes his home in Oakdale where he assumes the name of Thomas. This is the first part of his awesome life in Poland and Russia up to his arrival in Wales. Please enjoy it and help save Abercwmzoo and preserve the beauty of the Sirhowy Valley.

The Ballad of Amy Hill

“Amy Hill, sounds more like a place doesn’t it, than a person’s name.”

“Hah, yeah! What will I put in for your address?”

“I don’t have one.”

“Where do you get your mail?”

“I don’t get mail.”

Homeless and living on the streets of Fremantle, Amy has no purpose in life. Until, by strange circumstances, she becomes the custodian of a boisterous Dalmatian, Domino. Just as she is learning to cope with a dog, Gerald, a former nodding acquaintance and now recently released from the psychiatric institution of Edgewater, enters to further complicate her life.

In an attempt to help Gerald with his artistic endeavours – he having taken a short course in sketching and painting at Edgewater – Amy finds herself gaining unexpected and unwanted attention as an artist herself.

This is the story of the ups and downs in the life of Amy Hill. The Ballad, in fact, of Amy Hill.

The Bigamist

Harry Boulton, a successful consultant for a global corporation, finds himself in a downward spiral after losing a substantial sum of money gambling and being fired from his job in Brussels. The added pressure of receiving a letter from his wife in New York asking for a child only compounds his stress. With mounting debts to a dangerous loan shark known as Spider and the weight of two marriages to navigate, Harry reaches the brink of despair and makes a devastating decision.

But just as he is about to pull the trigger, fate intervenes and gives him a second chance. Determined to turn his life around, Harry takes on a new job and sets out to make amends with the two women in his life. However, when his wives unexpectedly meet in Sydney, where he has found a fresh start, the stage is set for a heart-pounding confrontation that could determine the rest of Harry’s days.

Harry’s journey is a thrilling roller coaster ride of personal redemption, filled with twists and turns that will leave readers on the edge of their seats. With a gripping plot, dynamic characters, and intense action, this book explores the limits of love, loyalty, and the human spirit.

The Black Willows

A young man named Tommy goes missing in a dense, isolated and unforgiving forest located 45 minutes outside the small town of Jennifer's Ridge. Months pass and there is no trace of him, with his family stricken with grief and the local police having no luck on locating him. His older brother, Jason; and childhood friend, Pete, team up with the local rangers to comb through the forest and bring him home…but they are not alone, the shadows hide ancient evils as they march further into the abyss, the trees seem to reach out and grab them, trying to warn the men as they track through. But they use this fear to push on, to bring Tommy home…to not let the Black Willows claim him as its own.

The Blackpool Landlady and Son

When 18-year-old Helen Ashton meets Joe McCarthy on the moors of Northumberland she instantly falls in love, certain that her humdrum life had taken a new turn. And for several years it did.

On the eve of the First World War, Helen learns that she is pregnant with Joe’s child, but before she can tell him, he enlists in the army and is despatched to war. She never heard from Joe again, and believed him dead.

When their son, Ben, was born, Helen, in mounting desperation, agreed to marry a retired police inspector with whom she had two children.

In time, her husband of convenience leaves Helen for another woman, and she finds herself on her own in the coastal resort of Blackpool with three young children with only a penurious future to look forward to. But fate intervenes, and with growing confidence Helen turns their home into a holiday hotel and begins welcoming guests. From one she learns that her beloved Joe had not died, but had been discharged into a sanatorium where he languished, a shadow of his former self, depressed, uncertain, confused … and lost, lacking the courage to reconnect with Helen.

By the time of Helen’s death, Joe is living a reclusive life, and his son, Ben, married with children of his own, takes over the Blackpool hotel. It is Ben’s wife, childhood friend Mary, who tracks down Ben’s father, finally persuading Ben to meet him … on the day Joe dies.

The Blossoming Lotus

Embark on a transformative voyage of self-exploration and recovery with The Blossoming Lotus.
Through moments of heartache, betrayal, hope, joy, poverty, despair, self-loathing, self-love, homelessness, and friendship, the writer learns to love all aspects of herself, recognising that, much like the Lotus Flower that flourishes in murky waters, all of us have the potential to mature into beautiful and powerful beings.
This collection of poems, written over the past decade, represents a powerful and inspiring message of hope.
‘I hope you enjoy reading this collection.
My prayer is for my messages to reach those
who need them the most.’
Sylvie

The Blue Canvas

A blend of interesting poetry inspired by everyday life things such as the weather, holidays, food, or life in general. Written during lockdown when home-schooling was the new norm, this anthology of poems helps us to remember, be thankful, and be grateful. Listening to the news during the pandemic made people believe that each day was a blessing, and that people should do their best to value their family, friends, and neighbours, and not take each other for granted.

The Book and the Ring

On Torka, Baroness Penelope Birkenwood, Brenosian Ambassador to Genna, is visited by a member of the Council of Magic and told of a dark spirit in the world looking to exploit divisions and create instability. Penelope is tasked with stopping it with the aid of a ring.

George, the young and inexperienced king of Brenos, is being urged by some of his advisors to marry Suzannah, niece of King Francis of Amerton. But doing this will involve a major change of foreign policy which others oppose. When Penelope returns, they make a decision which turns everything upside down.

Another country, Korinth, is engaged in a long-running feud with Amerton, under its seemingly mad queen, Marilyn.

Penelope is cast on a journey in which she will need to use her wits and diplomatic skills to ease tensions between nations and prevent the dark spirit’s power from leading Torka to disaster…

‘The Book and the Ring is an immersive and intricately woven work of fantasy. As with Anne Hampton’s previous books, her skill with word-building is as nuanced as it is wide-reaching: from the first page we are introduced to a vibrant new world with a cast of characters who guide us through the story, using natural dialogue which successfully avoids being over-expository. The relevant themes of the book are dealt with tactfully and do not detract from the plot or risk becoming too political.’ – Stefanie Seaton, Editor, Austin Macauley Publishers

The Box

The Box tells the story of Rupert and Lucille; their lives, loves, families, achievements, and failures. Lucille is the last child born to a family of generationally poor dirt farmers, while Rupert is the only child born to multi-billionaire parents. Rupert and Lucille’s paths cross due to a confluence of seemingly random events, and, as their business relationship grows, so do their friendship, love, and respect grow for each other. The Box tells how a simple invention has the potential to transform not only their two lives, but the story tells how the invention has the potential to change the lives of thousands of people. Where does it all lead though? Does the invention lead to the good that Rupert first envisioned? Does the invention help Lucille out of her generational poverty? Does the invention help anybody? Or, is the old adage that says, “No good deed goes unpunished,” really true?

The Bricken Arch

The lives of two teenage sisters and their cousin boyfriends are forever changed by the mores of their time, by separation to different parts of the world, by relationships with others and by a cruel tragedy. When, after seventeen years, there are reunions and liaisons over two decades, in furtive circumstances, none can imagine that the questionable and consequential actions of one of the lovers will lead to savage repercussions for all: repercussions that will bring on further catastrophic tragedies but more importantly, risk fulfillment of their enduring loves as a foursome.

The Broken King

Far from his home in the Kingdom of Ferinatia, Thorn continues his journey through the dying world of Elcina and the plan to bring the disunited realms and peoples together that he may guide them from the dying world into the safety of his own. With the kingdoms of Isthia and Taroth behind him, and the unexpected departure of the Ranee, Thorn enters the land of the Keegan nomads accompanied by the wolf pup Rark and the living crystal Lorak Ledel intent on finding a way to unify the tribes to his cause and find Princess Ranee who fled here after the destruction in Rata.

Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Varth prepares for their invasion of his world and his own kingdom. Secretly controlled by the Sorcerer Tarna, now emboldened by the murder of Thorn’s friend Penias, who was known as the Crown Prince Jarel Whitethorn. As Thorn enters the nomad lands, the Varthians stretch out their hand against the nomads and all other kingdoms and peoples who would stand against them, and their sorcerous leader.

The Caledonians

Scottish history master Mr Petrie has the gift of eternal life. Working for a group of mystical superior beings, his time-travelling missions land him in all sorts of death-defying scrapes and encounters, sometimes with famous and ruthless people. To help him in his dangerous work, he's told to find a young apprentice. Duncan Dewar could be a candidate but has his own secrets too, and without realising it, their lives are indelibly linked.