From Brexit to Brazil via Hong Kong, China, Russia and the USA: A collection of contemporary political, social and lifestyle essays


John Richard Spencer - 2019
    John Spencer comments on this in a provocative manner and ponders possible solutions. Many world leaders would be extremely displeased by his observations and opinions. China’s ruthless expansionism, evidenced by the suppression of democracy in Hong Kong and its bullying threats to Taiwan, is one of many issues discussed. John has closely followed events and trends in our world for many years. The issues that bother many people have intensely concerned him and he wishes to promote further discussion in the search for available solutions. The trend to elect populist leaders without due regard to the consequences is one of his lines of inquiry. Others include the ever-increasing disappearance of freedom, the increasing human overpopulation, along with its aging, and the looming environmental disaster.

The Well House III: The Redemption


M.S. Matassa - 2019
    The year is 2016, and Ben Carson has fallen into a deep depression because his son, Taylor, has been held hostage for more than a year and Ben is unable to save him. Disturbing dreams are back, which give Ben clues on how to defeat the evil power. Familiar characters return to help Ben on his quest. Ben and his dog, together with his wife, Anne, and daughter, Molly, enter the well house, and descend into the underworld in an effort to save his son. A great wizard, a Basque priest, and his old friend, Claude Moran, also accompany Ben, together with other familiar characters. They encounter terrifying dreams, dangerous creatures, and demonic angels on several journeys through the underworld, where some lives are lost during the search for redemption. The Well House III: The Redemption is an exciting drama that is part fantasy, part reality and part parable. It is filled with fire, magic and mystical spells, and takes you on an amazing journey from the mountains high above Boulder Colorado to the depths of hell. It continues the exciting and unique story of a man's fight against the ultimate evil. Will Ben win the battle and gain redemption or will he, his family and friends be destroyed and the world ruled by evil? The answer can be found in the chalice, the stones, and the water. The story of Ben's fight is finally concluded...or is it?The Well House III: The Redemption is the third book in the series called The Well House Chronicles.

A Woman to Blame


Vincent Panettiere - 2014
    To the police, it's a simple case of murder-suicide. But Mike Hegan, veteran police detective, refuses to believe the official story. Instead of retiring like they want him to, he embarks upon a search for the truth, and finds himself on a Caribbean island where scores are settled—and lives are lost.Fans of James Patterson and other crime fiction writers will find a new hero in Mike Hegan—a detective who defies convention to make sure that justice is served.

Samantha's Revenge


Andrew R. Williams - 2020
    It floated alongside the air-car. This time, time instead of sending him mental message, the face spoke out aloud and the whole air-car vibrated with its intensity. "If you are foolish enough to renege on your contract, you will be severely punished. For your sake, I hope you wouldn't do such a thing." When Tarmy made no attempt to respond, the face turned and pressed itself against the millipede-free window. A moment later, Tarmy felt the fat slug entering his mind, the sign that the face was attempting to use its powers to obtain his response by other means. But as the slug dug deeper, Samantha's cover stories began springing out of the corners of his mind. Instead of obtaining Tarmy's agreement, all that the face saw was a burning army transporter surrounded by bodies. Undeterred, the face continued its assault. Samantha had anticipated that Tarmy might come up against an adept, so the mental images of death and destruction flowed unchecked. After failing to break Tarmy's defences, the face removed the slug and tried reason. "You can't win, Mr Tarleton, so why don't you do yourself a favour and cooperate? It will be better for you in the long run. Now, where is the miniature pulse drive engine?" Tarmy realised why the millipedes hadn't been allowed to attack. It was obvious that the Great Ones were hoping to retrieve the engine. When Tarmy didn't respond, the face said, "I am prepared to overlook your desertion if you agree to tell us where the engine is and also honour your contract by showing us how to convert the engine into a bomb."

Layman's Handbook, A journey to SELF


Aidan Mc Nally - 2019
    Layman's Handbook to life as I see it of course. Self-help being primarily how to help one's self.Life can be strange and unusual for all of us. Is there something unique about any of us that can bring us to a place where no one else can understand? Is this just a feeling?Through some of my deepest and darkest moments in life I have been placed in situations where I felt there was no way out. Digging deeper inside of myself I found some simple techniques to clear my mind and allow an emotional freedom take precedent over my life. Layman's Handbook, shares with you some scenarios and techniques for a simpler life, a life that requires you to become content and dare I say it even Happy.I hope one day we can chat and discuss how our lives can become better using a few simple steps.

Lies a River Deep


Vera Jane Cook - 2012
    Fifty years later, the consequences of that horrific night will transition into unforeseen events that will shatter her serene and uncomplicated life.

All Dreamers Go to America


Ana Ingham - 2009
    Niko Salazar, a carpenter from Malta, is frustrated with his life. He makes an impetuous and life-changing decision-travel to America to find the love of his life, Ms. Parker, an American psychologist who recently visited his village. But Niko's wanderlust and heart-lust take him on a serendipitous and hilarious journey. This Mediterranean dreamer finds Saratoga, New York, Ms. Parker's hometown, a snow-ridden wonderland. Not to mention the fact that Ms. Parker is not returning any of his phone calls. Niko will go through some extraordinary experiences and meet a collection of charismatic characters while searching for his love-a Iroquois woman, a retired Vietnam vet, and an idealistic filmmaker-all dreamers searching for their own destiny. Will Niko find his Ms. Parker or will his dream of love and America be transformed into an unimaginable possibility? Ingham's novel is a delicious and mischievous romp with characters that come to life. Her sharp, observant voice makes a subtle, social and amusing commentary on the complexities of life, love, and the never-ending pursuit of happiness.

Betrayal of Faith


Mark M. Bello - 2017
    Standing in her way? The Coalition-a secret church organization tasked with the responsibility of taking care of these types of incidents quickly and quietly and by any means necessary. Jennifer decides to file a lawsuit against the priest and the church and seeks out an attorney, Zachary Blake, who handled her late husband's industrial death case. However, through an unfortunate series of events, Zachary has gone from the penthouse to the poorhouse, working out of a dingy one-room office, handling traffic cases. Although Jennifer has misgivings, she reluctantly retains him and, together, they embark on a "David vs. Goliath" legal battle against an organization hell-bent on thwarting their efforts. Zachary hires an investigator, the infamous Micah Love, who travels to Ohio, where he discovers that two families have disappeared after an encounter with the same priest-and the one person who may provide some answers has died under mysterious circumstances. Religion, law, betrayal, mystery, intrigue, faith, and love converge in Michigan for the trial of the century. Will Zachary resurrect his troubled career and obtain the justice Jennifer seeks for her kids? Or will the church and the Coalition and its mysterious leader prevail in covering up the decadent acts of the priest and circumvent justice once again? Will the truth prevail?

Annabel Horton And The Black Witch of Pau (Book Two)


Olivia Hardy Ray - 2019
    His discovery brings Annabel and her family to the turn of nineteenth-century England hoping to rescue Michele from the Black Witch’s cage. What they discover is that the Black Witch has been forced into an insidious pact with the devil and the devil, with malicious intent, is luring them all into a web of death. Can they escape his grasp?

Dodging Satan: My Irish/Italian, Sometimes Awesome, But Mostly Creepy, Childhood


Kathleen Zamboni McCormick - 2015
    Michael’s Catholic school outside Boston in the 60s and 70s, takes refuge in her wacky misunderstandings of Bible Stories and Catholic beliefs to avoid the problems of her Irish/Italian family life. Her musings on sadistic nuns, domestic violence, emerging sexuality, and God the Father’s romantic life will delight readers. Bridget creates glorious supernatural worlds—with exorcisms, bird relics, Virgin Martyrs, time travel, Biblical plagues, even the ‘holy’ in holy water—to cope with a family where leather handbags and even garlic can cause explosions. An avid Bible reader who innocently believes everything the nuns tell her, Bridget’s saints, martyrs, and boney Christs become alive and audible within her. While the nuns chide her sinful ‘mathematical pride’ and slow eating habits, God answers her prayers instantly by day, but the devil visits nightly in the dark. Scenes run the gamut from laugh-out-loud Catholic brainwashing of children, to heart-wrenching abuse, to riveting teenage excursions toward sex. Young Bridget tries to make sense of a world of raging men and domestically subjugated women and carve a future for herself, wrestling with how God and men treat women. Her Italian female relatives—glamorous Santa Anna, black-and-blue Aunt Maria, sophisticated Eleanor with a New York ‘Fellini pageboy’—offer sensual alternatives to the repression of her immediate family. She prays fervently that “despite God’s bizarre treatment of married women... some [girls] might still discover ways to have a great time without being a nun.” Dodging Satan is the flip-side of l'Histoire d'une Âme by Saint Thérèse of Lisieux authored by a twentieth century American girl chomping on a blue-gum cigar while she talks to a confidant about God and sex.

A Castle of Doomsday


Michael G. Kramer - 2020
    One at Bailey Hill and the other one was York Castle which has since become known as "Clifford's Tower." The original castles were constructed of timber. They were burned down by the people around York and their Danish Viking allies.Richard the First was the son of King Henry II and gained fame by his courage, becoming known as Richard the Lion Heart and who presided over the apparent massacre of Jews at the keep of York Castle in England.The Normans replaced it with a second timber castle keep which was destroyed in a storm in 1228. After that, the stone structure was built, and that still stands today. It was built of stone and is called Clifford's Tower because King Edward II had Baron de Clifford hanged from the battlements of the Keep of York Castle for treason in 1322 A.D.... [From the back cover]

Book of Leo: Prequel to Mystical Trash


Mary Ramsey - 2019
    He has seen a million miles and lived a thousand lives. But in his quest to bring balance to heaven and hell, he left behind the one person who mattered most.

The Pandarus File


Kyle Keyes - 2010
    Helena got away with murder and the money, while two backwoods lawmen failed to unravel the mystery of who killed Elmer Kane. The case went unsolved from 1958 until early in the cyberspace age, when Helena Hollister surfaced in Right Bank, Paris as Anna Ward.

All of Me


Kevine Walcott - 2019
    From relationships and mother earth to intimacy, what it means to belong to a country and everything else in between, Walcott weaves together a beautiful tapestry of humanity.As a property professional by trade, Kevine Walcott frequently comes in contact with the sheer breadth of humanity's cross-section. It's a series of collective experiences that have inspired her to turn to poetry, and capture her life, those she meets and the things that please and disgruntle her.In 'All of Me', Walcott's latest book, no subject's stone is left unturned in an attempt to capture the universe, its people and their emotions through a fascinating collection of verses.From the author of Institutionalised, a selection of nostalgic poems about nature, love, sex and patriotism."This is definitely a volume with something for everyone," explains the author. "No matter where you live, what your background is or what you're striving for in life, you'll find yourself within the pages. My goalwas to retain the unique hallmarks of poetry I've become known for, while allowing every reader to individualise the poems and extract true, vivid meaning."Continuing, "It's also a great volume for those who haven't yet spent much time exploring poetry, as the verses are so wide-ranging and can be adapted and defined according to anyone's unique personal situation. Pick up a copy - you'll be amazed at what you might find!"

Get Rich or Get Lucky


Max Nowaz - 2019
    By chance he discovers a book of magic in the basement of a derelict property and he can’t believe his luck. Excited by his find, he invites his friends Dick and Charlie, to tell them about it. But things quickly take a turn for the worse when Adam inadvertently casts a spell which turns Dick into a crayfish. Adam is unable to reverse the spell immediately and while searching for the solution, leaves Dick in the garden pond, which gets flooded and Dick disappears. Dick's wife Rachael reports him missing and the police then accuse Adam of wrongdoing. Things continue to spiral out of control when Adam is burgled and the book gets stolen. He then discovers that a powerful, evil warlock is looking for the book. Adam finds himself in a race against time, to recover the book and thwart the warlock to stand any chance of bringing Dick back, if he can. From the author of the sci-fi adventure The Arbitrator, Get Rich or Get Lucky is a black humoured fantasy thriller that will have readers on the edge of their seats. It will appeal to readers who enjoy fantasy fiction, in addition to those who also enjoy fast-paced thrillers.