Just a few short months later, he found himself confined to a wheelchair. But rather than succumbing to the darkness that threatened to overwhelm him in the days after his diagnosis, he drew on his powerful faith and unwavering belief in life and found a way to light, hope and acceptance.From growing up in Fairview, to serving in the dioceses in Ballymun and later Mount Merrion and Kilmacud, and his charity work while in UCD, Fr Tony takes us on the journey of his life and shows us how, through this devastating illness, he came to know the true meaning and nature of God's love.Sadly, Tony passed away on the 28 August 2019 but his memoir and his message of hope, strength and unwavering faith live on.'Our lives will never be measured in words spoken or success achieved but rather how we live and how our life has affected those around us.' Fr Tony Coote

    This passion stems from his own story … Before Michael was even one year old, he was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer of the central nervous system – a tumour had taken over half of his tiny body. The chance of Michael surviving was virtually non-existent. He started chemotherapy at 1 year old and by his second birthday, doctors had basically given up all hope. His only hope was taking part in a drug trial program – a program of which Michael was the only participant to survive the treatment. Although he survived, he was left with some permanent scars – only one lung, a damaged heart and a sensitive immune system. Michael Crossland sets an example for all of us. He's a man who has faced (and still faces) extreme challenges in life, but he never gives up. And despite his own obstacles, he always puts others before himself and gives so much to people in need. A true inspiration. A true hero. About the Author: As one of Australia’s most sought after inspirational speakers Michael has defied the odds of a life threatening cancer to build his life of exceptional achievements. He is a regular inspirational speaker for corporations, schools, professional sporting organisations and universities throughout the world. In the last 12 months Michael has presented in front of over 250,000 people around the globe. His journey has been shared on many TV programs including Fox Sports, ABC, ChannelSeven & Nine networks, Full Potential TV, The Get Inspired Project, Inspire Me Today program and countless radio shows throughout America, Fiji and Australia. Along with his award winning program about his life on Australian Stories, Michael has also recently featured in a humanitarian documentary about the countless lives saved through his orphanage and school in Haiti that he is involved with. Diagnosed before his first birthday and spending over ¼ of his life in hospital, doctors told him school and sport were not options. Infection and fatigue were too great a risk, reaching his teenage years would be a miracle. His only wish was to lead a normal life and be able to do all the things that other kids took for granted every day. But he had a dream and the undying determination to achieve the impossible… No matter the size of the obstacles that lay ahead. Now, an accomplished businessman, National Ambassador for Camp Quality, Australian of the Year finalist, Australia Day Ambassador and international hall of fame inductee, Michael inspires people from all walks of life. It is no doubt he has a heart for giving and a skill to engage people from all walks of life. Within the last five years he has gone from being one of the youngest State Development Managers for one of the largest companies in the world, to running five banks then leaving his finance career to follow his dreams in making a global impact and he certainly has done that! Michael’s story “Field of Dreams” was documented on Australian Story, ABC TV television. Through this documentary, his message touched the hearts of a nation, with his story of how he overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles to achieve success in both his personal and professional life.

    But it seems that Lawrence has his sights set elsewhere and when an act of selflessness opens Clara’s eyes to a world she never knew existed, her love for Lawrence and her faith in God are questioned.The year is 1823 and the privileged heiress to a thriving cotton business, Miss Clara Johnson, is convalescing with close friends after an unfortunate accident has left her bedridden.But Clara soon begins to realize that her health has changed the course of not only her life but the paths of those around her as well. As her life starts to take her away from Lawrence, she can’t ignore the feelings in her heart each time his dashing cousin Alexander looks at her and it soon becomes clear that the good Lord really does work in mysterious ways. "The Courageous Bride of Charleston" is a stand-alone Christian Historical Romance Novel of approximately 85,000 words and around 400 pages. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after. Thank you!

    Face to face. One machine against another.It was shortly after the outbreak of the First World War. Martin Falconer and his friend, Frank, were anxious to ‘get into the scrap’ as soon as possible, their youth blinding them to the real danger of it all.Geoffrey, Martin’s elder brother, knew that it wasn’t a game. He had fought in the trenches, been wounded and had seen friends die.For Geoffrey the R.F.C. offered an opportunity to escape the mud and horror of the Front, while for Martin and Frank it was the chance to be in at the start of a totally different kind of fighting. They were to be pioneers.A scintillating, full-throttle thriller of the First World War, perfect for fans of W. E. Johns, Derek Robinson and Geoffrey Wellum.

    When an enigmatic stranger steals her heart, can she know he wants her for the right reasons?London 1808: Widowed at the age of twenty, Ann has no optimism for the future. At the beck and call of her domineering mother she longs to make a new life for herself with the legacy left by her late husband. But it's not that easy. Not when it means leaving her sisters behind. Her world is turned upside down when a curious gentleman stops to speak to her. Chas is new to the area, but he seems to know a lot about her … and he certainly looks well-to-do. Could he be her saviour? With newfound hope Ann dares to dream again, but Chas has a secret. Something he refuses to share. As their friendship grows, there are those who want to keep them apart … but when Ann stumbles upon Chas’s past, she realises that only she can decide what their future holds. Inspired by the compelling family history of author V L McBeath, The Young Widow is a standalone story in The Ambition & Destiny Series. Set in Georgian-era London, forty years before the start of this historical family saga, The Young Widow adds another dimension to this epic series. Get your copy today. Please Note: The Young Widow is written in UK English. Other books in The Ambition & Destiny Series: Prequel: Condemned by Fate Part 1: Hooks & Eyes Part 2: Less Than Equals Part 3: When Time Runs Out Part 4: Only One Winner Part 5: Different World

    From stress and anxiety to real loss, booze was his magic elixir that made it all disappear. But the constant blackout nights brought with them even more trouble. Despite the perpetual cycle of drunken mistakes and continued escalation in drinking, he found new ways to rationalize his self-destructive behavior. Drinking was a part of who he was. And an existence without it seemed inconceivable. He takes you through a life where nights with missing pieces of time were the norm. And how there was a haze that overshadowed everything, even his happiest memories. He shares how far he fell before finally willing to change. And the long road back in recovery that required him to completely shift his perceptive in order to remain sober. He also explains what he discovered about the many reasons he drank so much for so long. And how he was ultimately able to come out better on the other side. This is a memoir about overcoming the grip alcohol can have on us. About learning to live life again after the bottle and facing the world with sober eyes. And finally discovering one’s true self. This is a story that will resonate with anyone who has struggled with addiction. And will give hope to those looking to change their lives for the better.

     After five years of hard work, Elliott Maitland has succeeded to make profitable the ranch he bought on a whim from a gambler who had no interest in working with cattle. A frosty winter day finds Elliott in town, hoping to conclude his business before the blizzard starts in earnest. Sam, the owner of the mercantile, asks him to give shelter to the new schoolteacher, who just arrived in town and has nowhere to stay. Celestine Tillman is in desperate need of a job and a place to live. Being hired as a teacher in Wyoming is a blessing. Discovering that no one is waiting for her at the train depot and no room is available in town so close to Christmas is distressing. Going home with this rancher could be dangerous, but what choice does she have? This adventure packed fictional story is set in Laramie, Wyoming at the end of the nineteen century and presents a true picture of the western town with all the good and the bad, the modern and the old west mixed together. An enduring town moving forward and changing with the times.

    Still reeling from the loss of his sister, he receives another shock when his childhood friend Randa Lockhart steps off the stage with his niece Kallie. He’s stunned to see that the little pigtailed nuisance that tagged after him, and his best friend, years ago has turned into a beautiful young woman. Randa and Kallie have barely settled in when Coop finds buffalo hunter Marvin Doolin beating the local blacksmith within an inch of his life for laming his horse. Coop steps in and when the buffalo hunter tries to kill him, shoots him. Now Doolin’s four brothers are out to even the score. When they go after Randa, they cross the line. They’re about to find out that’s there’s nothing Coop won’t do, and no one he won’t track down to protect the two females that have burrowed hard and fast into his heart.

    Ordered by the League of Nations to keep the peace, he has just a handful of aeroplanes to control the skies over Mesopotamia. Attacked by rebellious Kurds and then an invading Turkish army, the Royal Air Force is hard pressed to keep the peace. When an old nemesis from Bill’s past emerges, he finds himself fighting for not only peace but his life. Based on true events this is a fast-moving novel about the early days of the Royal Air Force.

    17 Sweet Mail Order Bride Romances In One Collection Follow seventeen inspirational journeys of the heart in Hopeful Brides, a compilation of 17 clean and wholesome historical Western romances by bestselling authors Charity Phillips and Faith-Ann Smith, featuring: Beverly: The Butcher's Bride Rita: The Determined Bride Mail Order Bride Charlotte Zelda's Story Hattie's Story Montana Mail Order Bride: Madeline A Second Chance For Molly Angelica's Blessing From Above Mail Order Bride: Adeline's Story Mail Order Bride Catherine Mail Order Bride Willow Mail Order Bride: Eliza's Journey Mail Order Bride: Dorothy's Journey Mail Order Bride Mary's Secret Mail Order Bride Grace's Second Chance Mail Order Bride Ellen's Dilemma Mail Order Bride: Maya's Destiny Get whisked off to the great American frontier in Hopeful Brides, where love conquers all for these 17 determined, courageous women of times gone by.

    She knows to protect herself she must find a way to leave town, but she has to work up the courage to go.

    This collection of five full novellas presents some very different heroes and heroines, but the common theme is that they all find love, despite trials and tribulations along the way, in some way related to Christmas.This collection contains:The Duke’s Christmas Vow by Arietta RichmondA Lady with unexpected interests and few prospects, a Duke with a vow to keep, a Christmas House Party, an accidental meeting, a plot to compromise, a trail of feathers, a love born of defiance.The Countess’ Christmas Miracle by Clara KensingtonA widowed Countess determinedly settled in her ways, yet hiding loneliness, a man returned from war, already in love with the impression of a woman gained from letters, a son determined to bring them together, a Christmas which changes everything.The Duke’s Christmas Masquerade by Grace AustenA Lady in love with the wrong man – at least as far as her mother is concerned, a Masquerade Ball, a deception with unintended results, a last minute reprieve achieved through the courage of love.Christmas Love for the Duke by Lydia PembrokeA Duke caught in past grief, a commoner born Companion who hopes for more out of life, the meddling of a well-meaning aunt, a love condemned by society, decisions which change both of their lives.The Christmas Letter by Regina DarcyA Viscount’s heir, estranged from his parents because he wants a life different from his heritage, a lawyer’s daughter who finds joy in everything, especially family and Christmas, a letter never meant to be sent, written with only love in mind, the interference of a friend, the transformation of two lives.

    New Zealand needed just one more win. Oracle ultimately beat back the odds in what's been called the greatest comeback in sport. But was it? G. Bruce Knecht set out to investigate how Oracle turned things around and, most particularly, the source of extra horsepower that seemed to come from nowhere during the final races. What he discovered was that the team was using a sailing technique that was prohibited under the rules. The Comeback is a pulse-pounding account of Oracle's desperate stop-at-nothing campaign.G. Bruce Knecht, a former staff reporter and foreign correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, is the author of three books, including The Proving Ground: The Inside Story of the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Race. Larry Ellison was a major character in that book as well and it explains how his experience in the race led to his pursuit of the America's Cup. A sailor himself, Knecht raced across the Atlantic in 2005 on the yacht that broke the 100-year-old transatlantic race record.Cover design by Charles Rue Woods.

    She was taken in by the Choctaw and treated as one of their own, even though she failed at the simplest of tasks. Eight years later, when two white men came into the village to claim her as their relative offering herds of cattle and horses in trade, she did what she thought was best for her Choctaw family. Bliss left her village in hopes she would find herself a better fit in the white world. Before the day was out, she learned the men were not who they said and had no intention of treating her like family. In the end, she was faced with an unforeseeable choice and an unwinnable battle. Two Feathers was a young Native learning the ways of the Choctaw. However, he was not like the other men in his village who lived off of the land, farming and raising livestock. He enjoyed spilling the blood of the invaders and was absent, fighting, more than he was home. Still, he had fallen for the little white girl who couldn’t farm, couldn’t make baskets, and was generally a failure at Native life. Returning from a battle, he discovered the white men had taken Bliss, the woman with whom he expected to share his life. Her unexpected departure changed everything. Gone were his desires to do anything other than locate the girl; she consumed his every thought and he vowed to bring her back. Learning that the men had nefarious intentions, only reinforced his resolve. Will he find her before she makes the dreadful decision she knows must be made? Will she be able to face her adopted, Native family after all that has happened? Will Two Feathers’ love be enough to vanquish the horrors she endured at the hands of her own people?

    That young soldier, Albert Edward Clack, was my father.The first part of this book covers his capture near Dunkirk in 1940 and his nearly five years in the Stalag VIIIB prisoner-of-war camp. For most of this time he endured forced labour and occasional beatings in a coal mine.The second part relates his escape from the ‘March of Death’, when the Germans forced prisoners-of-war to trudge westwards through snow and ice in January, 1945. After giving his guards the slip, he was assisted out of harm’s way by front-line storm-troopers of the Red Army.Criss-crossing Poland amidst the chaos of the Soviet advance and the German retreat, he and three other escaped prisoners found refuge with Polish families, until they were put on a train to the Ukrainian port of Odessa, there to board a ship home to England.When Dad died in 1984, he left me the manuscript of this true story. I have changed some names because, even if they were still alive, it would be extremely difficult to find them 70 years later; and I have improved the literary style for ease of reading; but I have altered none of the substance of the events described. Please note that it is a short book.I had always felt proud of what Dad did in the War; but it was not until later in life that I truly appreciated how much being able to live a normal family life in freedom afterwards must have meant to him after the long years of fear and uncertainty that he endured as a POW; and it is only through editing this manuscript that I have come to realise quite what a nightmare that experience must have been, despite the optimism which rings through his text.Albert John Clack - Son & Editor