Dead Ground: Infiltrating the IRA


Raymond Gilmour - 2019
    It exposes the reality of the dark, claustrophobic world of the Provisionals: the iron grip they hold over their communities; their ruthless and cynical disregard for human life; the single-minded professionalism of some IRA volunteers — and the rank incompetence of others. Raymond Gilmour learned the brutal facts of life in Northern Ireland at an early age. Beatings, murders and knee-cappings were common currency on the dead-end Derry estate where he grew up, and despite the omnipresence of British. soldiers no one was in any doubt about who really held the balance of power. Many young Catholics, with few options and fewer jobs open to them, joined the terrorists as volunteers. So, at the age of sixteen, did Ray Gilmour — but his recruitment had a vital and deadly difference: his brief to infiltrate the IRA, sabotage their activities, and report back to his Special Branch contact. So began nearly a decade of life in no-man's-land, an impossibly dangerous double life where every day brought with it a new and potentially terminal threat. Gilmour relates in gripping style the hazards of playing along with the shootings and bombings while secretly trying to subvert them; the constant fear of exposure, torture and execution by his IRA `comrades' — and the tension of wondering when he might out-live his usefulness and be sacrificed by the shadowy men from MI5. Incredibly, Gilmour not only avoided exposure and sacrifice, he also became one of the RUC's most valued agents, foiling countless terrorist attacks and helping the police seize huge quantities of arms and explosives. As one RUC source admitted: 'He kept Derry clean for us.' Gilmour's career as an agent came to an abrupt and spectacular end when he uncovered one of the IRAs most prized arms caches, forcing him and his family — who until then had known nothing of his double life. — to go on the run before the IRA's notorious Internal Affairs men caught up with them. But even escape has its penalties: Gilmour has not seen his wife and children for over twelve years, and he now lives in permanent exile, flitting from safe house to safe house under a sentence of death unrevoked by peace-tAs amnesties. Dead Ground is Gilmour's story: a narrative of heart-stopping tension and unrelenting human drama which makes a mockery of fictionalised accounts of terrorism in Northern Ireland.

Forbidden Love with a Thug


Shvonne Latrice - 2020
    With no way to make ends meet, she turns to the world of stripping in order to keep herself afloat. Jersey feels that she is simply existing, and finds nothing interesting about her life, until she meets Tommy Brownson. Tommy is cute, sweet, persistent, and patient. Jersey finds herself smitten with him, but soon after becomes just short of infatuated with his frenemy Kilexis Camren. Conflicted, Jersey is having a hard time figuring out if she wants the kind and gentle Tommy, after all he did approach her first, or the mysterious, rugged, and frank Kilexis. Not able to decide right away, Jersey dabbles with both, showing a much more favortism to the latter. Will she be able to pick in enough time to preserve the losing man's feelings? Or will fate choose for her, causing a heightened rivalry between the men? Cheyla Austin is a pill popping stripper, who has no idea where she wants to go in life, and to honest she's perfectly okay with that. Living life one day at a time, and having to answer to no one, has proved to be Cheyla's method for achieving contentment. She has no interest in dating anyone who may disrupt her easy going and detached life, until she meets the sexy, ambitious, and clever Kantwan Camren. Kantwan is a no nonsense guy, and refuses to be with a woman who will cower when met with true love or hardwork. Will Cheyla be able to mature into the woman Kantwan needs? Or will she continue to live life as a disconnected and afraid little girl, causing her to lose out on the man of every girl's dreams? Ivy Horne, hasn't had it easy for the past few years. With her child's father being thrown in jail for reckless petty robberies, she is forced to make sure her son has everything he needs. In order to put food into her son Donovan's mouth, she joins best friends Jersey and Cheyla, by dancing every night for cash. Her plan is to focus on making money, while looking for a new job to obtain before her man Portland comes home. In addition to that, there are no ifs, ands, or buts about her being faithful to Portland while put away. That all changes upon meeting the intelligent, handsome, and aggressive Elijah Camren, who tries to show Ivy that she is way too good to hold a man down that has been so disloyal to her in the past. When Ivy falls for Elijah's charm, just a teeny bit, she is stuck with having feelings for him even when Portland returns. Will she dibble and dabble like Jersey? Or will fate have to pick for her as well? Everyone seems to be in a love that's forbidden, frowned upon, or just downright wrong. Follow Jersey, Cheyla, and Ivy, as they all share forbidden love with a thug.