Not Exactly Friends

Ageing actor, Charlie Wallace is jolted back to a post-war past to find lost loves and friendships from his tough and brutal schooldays and a summer spent at Connaught Hall – whose consequences follow him today.  Protected by his schoolboy hero, Christopher Mountjoy, Charlie’s infatuation with Christopher’s sister, Isobel leads to the discovery that brother and sister have a darker side. Friendships can be fickle in a world of make-believe, where fact and fiction blur.

A passionate encounter with the girl has consequences too, when the actor is forced to abandon the stage. Past and present again collide and more events from long ago return with implications of their own. Can Charlie keep his memories safe and will he ever be reconciled to what took place at Connaught Hall that summer?

“Peter Fanning’s pleasure in language, literature and the theatre shines through this gentle, sometimes dramatic, story of growing up and falling in love in the 1940s. A sympathetic study of the agonies of self-discovery, it has romance, charm and a glorious English setting."

- Heather Neil, writer and critic, Literary Editor Times Educational Supplement.

Nusantara

After dropping out of university, getting a job as a storeman, doing drugs and then splitting up with his wife, Jack, in a fit of depression, joins the Australian Army and is sent to East Timor at the height of the troubles. He “volunteers” for a mission in Indonesia, where the United Nations, with help from the US Navy and the Royal Marines, are trying to rescue a group of foreigners, mostly Europeans, being held hostage by the local rebels. Jack completes his mission only to become the victim of misdirected revenge.

Old Jim's Poems for Kids, Young and Old

James Tweddle has composed poems of wide appeal.  Whether the readers are nine years old or even younger, or eleven years old or even older, this book contains many poems to capture and hold their interest.

'Are you interested in conserving our natural resources? .... or satisfying your curiosity about natural phenomena? ..... or wondering how it was possible for a shark to have a pirate's leg growing out ofthe top of its head? .... or enjoying reading of conversations between animals? ... or heeding warnings about catching crabs? ... or going fishing? .... or watching fairies in the back garden? ... or nonsense poems about imaginary creatures?........... then this book is for you!

Whatever your interests, it is to be hoped that you have been lured to dip in, become immersed, firmly hooked, and well and truly caught, by reading or listening to this illustrated book of poems, which is available in paperback, hard cover or e-book editions.

One Chance

The story revolves round a girl named June, her everyday ups and downs, her romance and how tragedy changed her life forever. June, raised from a very young age by her grandparents, lived a sheltered life, abandoned by her mother, who had tried to make contact down through the years, only to be ignored by June’s grandmother, who had held a grudge from days gone by. Meeting Matt brought her such joy, the seas that brought them together would one day divide them. Exhilarating joy…only to end in tragedy. Why didn’t she grasp her opportunity with both hands? What was it that was holding her in this place?

One Year on My Hundred

In the vibrancy of nature’s year, the author dances through fields of flowers in his wondrous relationship, ever-thinking to be married. Smiles and fast pace leave little time to pause and to just be. After the death of his father, he realises that the very things that make him so happy have become scars to his thoughts.

His mind’s comfort zone throughout is under the protective canopy of the trees. Every day, the changing skies affect his well-being, and by looking upwards, he wonders of the liberty of flying and what lies beyond. Maybe there is a heaven.

Set to the backdrop of Hazlemere and the Buckinghamshire landscape, the book allows the reader to realise the beauty of life; however, each person needs an angel, whether religious or not.

While in Barbados, he walks happily on beaches, yet the sands hold the sadness of the death.

Sewn through the pages are ribbons that are his show of emotion and pride.

This is a book where each poetic piece is complete in its own right but it needs to be read from page one to the end to appreciate how the common themes pass through.

Our Future Selves

Imagine waking up inside someone else’s body, and in a different century. What would you do? How would the new world around you react to you? This is what happens all the time to Zak Emblin, an editor from 21^st century Birmingham, UK, and Sarah Templeman, a prison service doctor from twenty second century New Palm Springs, USA, who are ‘reincarnaters’, connected across time by a shared soul.

Imagine you are a bright, young scientist, Carmen Fry, who stumbles across the truth behind reincarnation. All you need is a subject to prove your theory to the world, but you can’t find one. Until one day, when you are chatting online, you find Zak, and are immediately attracted to him.

This is the story of three people, caught in a love triangle, sharing a secret that no-one else will believe, that when we die we form a connection with a future self, who shares our reincarnated soul. A connection so strong that sometimes we can become that future person and they can become us. We can swap bodies across time.

Out Of 2020

2020 was different for all of us. It may have been difficult but if we look at it through a different lens and see how we can grow then it becomes a new experience – a way “Out of 2020.”

It is only when things become a challenge that we learn to grow and evolve. The last few years have become the start of a new revolution towards an experience we all need to achieve our purpose.

Outwitting the Enemy

Andrew was recruited into the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) in 1939 for his linguistic talents and other qualities suitable for working in the Service.

By early July 1940, he had already been sent on four missions including the sabotaging of a train carrying tank engines inside Germany, assisting in the evacuation of BEF soldiers from Dunkirk on one of the ‘small ships’ and surviving a number of life-threatening incidents when bringing King Haakon and the Norwegian cabinet from northern Norway to exile in London.

In November 1940, he is persuaded to help at Camp 020 with the interrogation of German spies captured in England; a few weeks later, he completed his naval officer training in Scotland and southern England.

With the Atlantic convoys being attacked by U-boats operating out of the German-occupied ports of Lorient and St Nazaire with heavy losses, he is sent at the end of March 1941 to spy on the building of the submarine pens for a possible raid by the RAF later in the year. He narrowly avoids being captured by the Wehrmacht and returns to London with vital information.

He undergoes parachute training in May 1941 before being dropped in NE France where he is escorted by a French Resistance group to Koblenz. His mission is to deal with a member of the SIS that had become a senior officer in the German intelligence service (the Abwehr). By some good fortune, he manages to escape by Lysander back to England.

The story is a most compelling, absorbing and attractive read with strong classical elements. It has a clean plot for the time period covered which develops and unfolds through a captivating storyline; the relatable cast of characters will keep the reader enraptured up to the very last page.

Perhaps a Jealous Foe

The action begins in 2000 with Louise looking at her past. Then it moves back to 1970, where Louise has everything a contemporary woman could ask for: a loving husband, two children, a beautiful home, a good social life. The family is comfortably off, and while her life is circumscribed by her domestic duties and her involvement with the church, she is content with her lot.

Then, she meets Nicholas, and everything changes. While Nicholas makes his attraction to Louise obvious from the outset, he is apparently as conventional as Louise and too inhibited to proceed with more than flirtation and verbal innuendo. 

The relationship between Louise and Nicholas develops slowly, because of the lack of opportunity, and because Nicholas seems unable to make up his mind what he really wants. When they finally make love, all is not quite as Louise had expected. Nicholas eventually also admits to the secret in his past which Louise has discovered by chance.

The story reaches its climax in a night of passion in which Louise, changes her mind, and exults in having finally got the man she loves so much.

Finally, the story returns to 2000, where the aftermath of that night is revealed.

Pet Rapport

Pets as part of the family, their inclusion in everyday life and their mishaps or adventures are reflected in these stories. Each story is accompanied by an illustration that is personally drawn by the author from a photo received from the owner and reflects their unique character and personality. Some true and real-life examples include: A cat which was inadvertently included in a parcel (but survived), a dog that was stolen from outside a shop but was restored to her owner and a rescue dog who found a wonderful home. These are all true, but there are also four fictitious and humorous examples ‘hidden’ amongst the others, which the author invites readers to discover. Adults will find these stories heartwarming and children will like the ‘happy endings’ and trying to spot which stories are ‘made up.’ A book with stories that appeal to the heart and illustrations that appeal to the eye, whatever your age and whether or not you have pets of your own.

Peter

Peter is a special boy with an all-consuming passion for aviation, and it is his dream to fly as a career. We follow his journey from school and his exam results through starting work, and eventually obtaining a place as a pilot cadet with an international airline. We share the highs and lows of his training, of being away from his close family for the first time, and the efforts of his elder brother to thwart his chances.

Philosophical Muse and Stuff 'n' Nonsense

Stephen Peter Oldham is relatively new to the poetry scene. In his first book, he explores the issues facing ‘Modern Man’ through poetry, muse and stories in his original style of ‘Real Fiction’. Stephen examines issues facing humanity at this time as diverse as the family unit, drug and alcohol abuse, mental health, creation and revelations of prophesy! In this unique book, there are many questions raised which may one day lead to the ultimate question. Who are we and just what is it that we are supposed to be doing here! Take your time and enjoy his rhymes or read more purposeful perhaps. Designed to entertain, Philosophical Muse will certainly make you ask questions!