At Night, the Lanterns Cry

As the relentless war draws to a close, Oulyia’s fate hangs in the balance. With one final chance to repel the Covenant and save their land from the invading hordes, Oulyia rallies its last remaining army. But what if they fail? The weight of uncertainty looms heavy as their ultimate destiny teeters on the brink.

Pesan understands the slim odds and the painful reality that he was denied the chance to join the fight, unlike his brother. Yet, regardless of the war’s outcome, he knows he cannot remain with a family that neglects him and life itself. As the war for Oulyia nears its conclusion, Pesan’s own journey is about to unfold, with its own trials and tribulations.

In the gripping narrative of At Night, the Lanterns Cry, the ceaseless escalation of conflict unveils the profound impact of rulers’ pursuits on nations and their people. Allegiances are tested, friendships strained, and ideologies challenged as the characters navigate a world pushed to its limits. Prepare for an enthralling tale where the stakes are high, and the consequences of personal ambitions reverberate through the lives of nations.

Au Revoir, Mate!

My name is Dougay Roberre. My passport reads: Douglas Roberts. I don’t think either is real. At age three, my parents fled France to go into witness protection. I grew up in Sydney, Australia, among the sun, the sand, and the surf. As I neared forty, I had a yearning to discover my French roots, selling my Bondi Beach apartment and buying an attic apartment in Nice on the Cote d’Azur. I can speak French, though not read nor write it. I can use my fists – as a teenager I was taught to box. Without academic qualifications, I take whatever employment comes my way. I am a man for hire. I looked to where the car had stopped. On the footpath was a dark form – a non geometric shape. Curiosity aroused, I crossed to it. It was a person. I turned the body over and she moaned, “Don’t phone the police. Don’t phone the police.”

Audrey

‘Hello?’

‘I bet anything that you are pacing up and down right now, thinking of excuses to cancel on me tonight. Am I right?’ It’s Veronica. Audrey looks out the window as if expecting to see Veronica with a pair of binoculars.

‘No!’ Audrey is not at all surprised at how well Veronica knows her.

‘Great, pick you up in fifteen, babe. Mwah.’

Audrey Mills resides in New York City, The Parkway, a grand old building that has become home for Audrey, for almost four years. Known to be somewhat of a recluse, Audrey works at a small florist just a few blocks from where she lives, and except for a few close friends, she generally prefers to keep to herself, spending most of her spare time reading and playing her grandmother’s piano.

As Audrey stands there, mesmerised by the intricacy of the artwork, she is entirely unaware that a stealthy William has walked up behind her.

With his eyes fixated on her flawless profile, William allows several moments to pass before deciding to announce his presence.

Australia We Didn’t See

A reception is being held at the prime minister’s official residence, The Lodge, to celebrate democratic multiculturalism in Australia, when a young guests suddenly attacks the prime minister.

Walking through the parkland to a jeweller to buy his wife a birthday present, the prime minister meets several seniors enjoying the sunshine. He also meets a man from Iraq who has no job but has been offered one by a terrorist group.

The prime minister also meets a young man who has a brother living in Bradford, England, connected to a formidable terrorist group responsible for terrorist acts all over Europe.

Trying to get his motorcade through a large crowd of protesters, the prime minister walks out to plead for access to his next appointment. A lunatic shoots for fun and hits him in the shoulder.

The story involves ASIO, terrorist recruitment, spy agencies and international connections.

Will the terrorists prevail? Will the prime minister survive?

Will China cause trouble next to an American Naval Base and RAAF Base?

All this, and much more, is revealed in this gripping political thriller.

Backchannel: rabt

Imagine a world where not just teenagers, but governments use secret social media channels to communicate – and to target. Meet Doug McKenzie, a charismatic Black Irish investigative reporter for the New York Daily, a man whose fearless journalism has attracted international enemies with the resources to neutralize him. In response to his incendiary reports, a clandestine ‘Backchannel’ is activated, manipulating the U.S. government itself to take him down.

But Doug isn’t alone. His fiery daughter Rachel, an emerging journalist in her own right, stands by his side, as do allies from the global stage. Journey with Doug from the power corridors of Washington, DC to the bustling streets of Osaka, Japan; from the political heart of Ankara, Turkey to the fraught border crossing of Bazargan, Iran.

Caught in a web of international intrigue is Doug’s tumultuous personal life – his marriage to Turkish-born Nukhet hangs by a thread, complicated by their one-year-old daughter Sirin, and the reemergence of his enigmatic lover, Dr. Laurie Reynolds.

Get ready to dive into a world of political suspense, international espionage, and intricate relationships. Welcome to Backchannel. Trust us, you won’t want to put it down.

Bag of Dolls

I hope those of you reading this book who require it will find courage through the strange and sometimes exciting world of Julia Darby, she will lead you to unexpected avenues.

Ballads of Loss and Woe

Every ascent is met with a descent. After reaching the pinnacle, basking in achievements and joy, an unforeseen force can bring it all crashing down. Life’s unpredictable blows can dismantle our realities, leaving behind a trail of questions and broken dreams.

As the facade of life dissipates, pillars once deemed steadfast vanish, and we’re left grappling with the remnants. The author revisits the starting point, navigating a world shaped by revelations, torn between passion and profound pain.

In his signature surreal narrative style, he paints a vivid picture of his transformed reality: a tumultuous terrain of emotion. This collection delves deep into themes of grief, betrayal, and existential sorrow. When life thrusts you into an unfamiliar realm, do you question if it’s all just a grand illusion?

From melancholic poems and heart-wrenching tales to soulful songs, this is a journey through the darkest corridors of a wounded heart. These are the words from the depths of despair, a testament to the fragile human spirit.

Balloons

What if there is no tomorrow?

When one day hundreds of delightful blood-red balloons appear in the sky, no one suspects that this eye-catching phenomenon will lead to a catastrophe in a moment. Moments later, a mysterious virus begins to spread on the ground, which attacks people and animals at a rapid pace. Doctors are completely helpless. Soon civilization begins to decline, and the planet’s landscape is gradually deteriorating ...

Is there anything that can prevent the apocalypse? Will those who miraculously survive be able to contain the virus? Or is this what the end of the old world looks like and the beginning of something to come after it?

The first volume of the Virus series, which introduces us to a world ruled by Nature, where plants are able to kill, animals are thirsty for blood, and man in solitude fights for survival.

Baz, Ant and the Boys

The summer started with ‘Brown Sugar’ and it ended with The Who at The Oval cricket ground, where they turned live rock music into a mesmerizing, pulsating miracle. And bound up in this heady atmosphere of 1971 was the pure, unadulterated love of football and all its absurdities, where sex, snakebite and the slide tackle scythed their way through everything.

Shortfall College, a gaunt and brooding building, reminiscent of the Industrial Revolution cut a dark slice of shadow across the South London sky. It was here that an oddball, dotty selection of students set out in search of the Holy Grail – the South London Intercollegiate Cup – aided by spurious tactics and hindered by countless distractions.

From Marlene, the landlord’s wife, a goddess and vixen with a predilection for ice who couldn’t keep her hands off Baz, to Norman, a ringer, with a rather unhealthy lopsided grin who completely snapped when trying to remove an opponent’s ear with his teeth.

Driven ever onwards by The Bear, their captain and inspiration, and Baz, his defensive henchman, they try to rein in the Ant, who possesses the aerodynamics of a spear and a footballing philosophy whereby the ball isn’t absolutely necessary.

Beaten at Birth

Precious, the oldest of ten suffered all of her life. Her biggest fear of landing in a care home had now become true. All of her belongings were thrown in the rubbish, along with all of her memories. A stroke that was not treated, due to misconduct, had left her with slight dementia. The system was prepared to pay £900 a week for a care home she didn’t want to be in. She would have been better off in prison, at least you get parole in prison. The care home had thrown away the key. Her siblings and son had tried in vain to get her out, but her oldest daughter and granddaughters were insistent that she stay there, so they could get on with their dubious business.

Because of Ye Bleedin' Spanner

Although Sean once worked for the United Kingdom’s secret intelligence service, MI6, he now finds himself on death row, sentenced for what the judge at his trial described as ‘the most heinous of crimes.’

Abandoned by his colleagues, friends, and even his family, he reflects on the events of his life which took him from humble beginnings to a career that brought him into conflict with powerful people at the heart of government. Unexplained happenings, mysterious deaths, and individuals hellbent on thwarting at every turn his aim of keeping the democratic process alive made it difficult for him to trust anyone, even the girl he loved.

His mission to rid the world of a new and dangerous drug takes him to distant lands where he encounters the better sides of human nature, kindness and generosity.

Before The Pearly Gates

Miles Appleby is a complicated and tormented soul. A successful oral surgeon at an exclusive practice in Chicago, he has always been driven by the high expectations of his father. Increasingly, he feels isolated and slowly comes to the realization that he leads an empty life. Miles, however, carries a secret that involved a woman who Bill, his close friend, had been seeing shortly before he suddenly left his homeland for another life in London.

Ever plagued by relationships that fail, Miles meets an engaging woman, Juanita, who finally ignites something in his life giving him warmth and meaning. In a strange turn of events while attending Bill’s untimely funeral near London, he gains a different perspective as to why certain events unfolded, and the secret that Miles had been so careful to protect is slowly revealed by a person called Laura. As the story reaches its zenith, the stories of these four characters finally become pieced together.