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explore, fiction

English Reserve
Ian Alexander

Published: October 2025
Paperback: 167 pages
Price: £8.80
ISBN: 978-1-918172-02-7
Available from
The Great British Bookshop
and
Available from
Amazon
English Reserve
by Ian Alexander

The volunteers are working happily in a small nature reserve in Middlesex. They mow the meadows, repair the boardwalk, dredge the pond, and keep the paths tidy. They chat amongst themselves and discuss how they could solve all the world’s problems... if only the reserve’s management and government more generally would listen and act rationally. It would be idyllic, if it wasn’t for the litter-picking.

Years before, the area had been shaped by noisily competing railway companies: used as a quarry, and as railwaymen’s gardens, abandoned, saved from being built over. It was a miracle it had survived, with nature flourishing amidst the urban jungle. Meanwhile, in a minor English public school, the boys endure a life of spotty food, compulsory team games, bullying, and homophobia. Some of them are marked for life.

Back in the reserve, families visit on sunny days while school groups come to hunt bugs and go pond-dipping. But some visitors hurry in and out without glancing at the wildlife. What can they be up to? As the volunteers speculate on what’s happening, one of them plays a practical joke, which goes horribly wrong. As the police arrive to solve the supposed murder, history catches up with the unwelcome visitors.

Ian Alexander is a retired systems engineer, amateur naturalist, and conservation volunteer. He enjoys seeing and photographing wildlife of many kinds, especially dragonflies and orchids. He has co-authored several books on systems engineering.

He is the author of a history book, The English Love Affair with Nature (2015) and contributed five chapters to West London Wildlife (2022).

He gives talks to natural history groups on the subject of that love affair, and on topics such as camouflage and life in an urban nature reserve.

He is married with one daughter.

https://www.obsessedbynature.com

poetry

Flowers
James S M Parker

Published: October 2025
Paperback: 114 pages
Price: £10.00
ISBN: 9781918172041
Available from
The Great British Bookshop
and also
Available on Amazon
Flowers
by James S M Parker

Flowers here, flowers there, flowers everywhere…

when is a flower not a flower?!

When they teach us about life, loneliness and death whilst juggling with subjects such as love, pain, joy, suicide, hope and the beauty/cruelty of existence.

James presents another deeply personal and honest collection of poetry full of metaphors; deeper meanings framed within the world of flowers.

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livesinprint, NewBooks

Halt! Who Goes There?
Peter Woodroffe


Published:Oct 2025
Extent:514 pages
Available from
The Great British Bookshop
Hardback:£23.00
Images:Colour
ISBN:9781914424816
Paperback:£15.00
Images:Colour
ISBN:9781914424823
On Amazon
Paperback:£15.00
Images:B/W
ISBN:9781914424823
Kindle:£9.99
Images:Colour
Halt! Who Goes There
by Peter Woodroffe

Peter Woodroffe served with the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers 1945-48 in the UK and Gibraltar. He then studied law and became a third-generation solicitor.

In his 95th year he is the oldest practicing solicitor out of the 180,000 odd in England and Wales.

Whilst writing this book, he lived at Cliff End beside the Sussex coast and swam in the English Channel. He plays tennis and golf.

The book spans the period 1945 to 2022.

Having met a multitude of attractive and famous individuals in the armed forces, business and sport, he tells a fund of riveting and at times uproarious stories.

Some of Peter’s many stories include: -
  • His taking on a bet to steal Robert Redford’s girlfriend.
  • Experiencing the thrill and terror whilst out of control on the Cresta Run at St. Moritz.
  • All traffic forbidden inter alia for Peter, his six year old son and Chelsea Pensioner to march down Whitehall.
  • Tail-gated in his Facel Vega by Formula One drivers.
  • His unfair cross examination on BBC news, repeated eight times in the day.
  • Something about houses of ill repute.
Reviews of Halt! WHo Goes There...

General Sir Evelyn Webb-Carter Horcott House, 19 April 2023.
Peter’s reminiscences are indeed amusing and, in some places, hysterical. There are also some wonderful pearls. There is something in this book for everybody including stories about bigwig personalities, history, art, clubs, show-biz, cars, historic homes, fine dining and lovely ladies. One thing is for sure: you won’t be bored. He has made the acquaintance of many of the great and good (and not so good) and not been shy in commenting on their strengths or weaknesses. He comes up with little-known, interesting splashes of history. One of his quests is to give readers advice as to how to live life, like “do not leave behind what you need to take with you”.

FAQs

Why Publish

Why Publish your Book
Many writers ask us questions like:

  • Is my book worth publishing?
  • Why publish when I could just print photocopies?
  • How many sales can I expect?

These are good questions — and you need to think about what writing means to you.

Publishing Can Be Both Rewarding and Successful

Self-publishing has opened doors that simply didn’t exist a few years ago. Many of our authors reach wide audiences, sell impressive numbers of copies, or steadily build followings that lead to other opportunities — talks, workshops, teaching, or new commissions. With professional editing, design, and production, a self-published book is every bit as good as one from a major publisher.

At the same time, publishing is not only about sales or financial return. Just as people invest in hobbies, holidays, gardening, or good coffee because those experiences enrich their lives, publishing a book can be one of the most fulfilling and lasting ways to share your expertise and ideas.

It’s also worth remembering that even in the traditional publishing world, many books do not make a profit for the publisher — the industry has always relied on a few best-sellers to balance the many. And every published book contributes something valuable: knowledge, insight, inspiration, or simply the joy of a story well told.

Why Authors Choose to Publish

  • Years of work deserve a finished form – Many authors spend years crafting their manuscript. Publishing gives that work the permanence and respect it deserves.
  • A lasting legacy – A published book can be catalogued in libraries, discovered online, and passed down to future generations in a way photocopies cannot.
  • Reaching readers – Beyond family and friends, publishing makes your words discoverable by people who might enjoy or benefit from them.
  • Gifts and sharing – Many authors enjoy selling or giving copies away at events, to charities, or within their communities. Publishing allows this in a polished, lasting form.
  • Opportunities – A book can open doors to speaking engagements, workshops, and events where authors not only share their knowledge but also distribute copies.
  • Fulfillment – Holding your own professionally published book is the natural completion of the writing journey, an expression of creativity or scholarship that will endure.

Balancing Costs and Goals
Publishing involves costs, and for some writers this can feel daunting after years of effort.
But a book is not just an expense: it’s an investment in yourself, your ideas, and your story’s place in the world.
Whether your aim is to earn income, share knowledge, or simply complete a deeply personal project, publishing ensures your work is given the permanence and reach it deserves.

fiction

Amazonia
Nick Gosman

Published: August 2025
Paperback: 244 pages
Price: £10.99
ISBN: 978-1-915972-98-9
Available from
Amazon
Amazonia
by Nick Gosman

Taking the premise that urgent action to avert climate change and environmental destruction requires radical solutions, the story unfolds around an ancient and secretive company known as the Diadem Corporation. At its head, an unexpected climate champion emerges in the form of its celebrity CEO, Brigitte Fassbender, who, at a stroke, saves the Brazilian Amazon. In return for paying off the country’s crippling national debt, Fassbender secures a ninety nine year lease ending decades long destruction through deforestation and mining.

Unknown even to Fassbender at its head, her announcement to the world that the Amazon has been saved triggers the final stage of an ancient conspiracy hidden within the Diadem Corporation. Deep within the company’s fabric, a mysterious order known as the Fellowship of Dael meets to decide on the fate of humanity itself.

On pain of death, supplicants of the order have worked for successive generations to ensure the Fellowship’s centuries old plans come to fruition resulting in decedents of the Dael, a long-extinct race of beings who first visited Earth in antiquity, take what the order sees as their rightful place as rulers over the morally inferior human race. A closely-guarded secret amongst an influential elite within the Diadem Corporation, the Fellowship’s intentions remain obscure until the dénouement of the story.



Nick Gosman gained an insight into what it takes to survive in the wilderness during his formative years climbing and mountaineering in Scotland and Continental Europe.

Since his early years wondering the world’s empty spaces with family and friends, wild nature has come to hold a deep spiritual resonance with the author, which he attempts to bring to his story-telling.
history

Victims of Circumstance
Alison Brown

Published: AUgust 2025
Paperback: 190 pages
Price: £15.00
ISBN: 978-1-915972-80-4
Available from
Amazon
and
The Geat British Bookshop
Victims of Circumstance
Filicide in Nineteenth-Century Scotland
by Alison L. Brown

Using records of the Scottish criminal justice system, Parliamentary Papers and newspaper articles, Alison Brown explores the lives of men and women who killed their children in nineteenth-century Scotland.

This well researched account challenges the idea that parents who committed filicide were necessarily monstrous, and these moving stories demonstrate how social circumstances could lead to the death of a child.

The book also sheds light on the workings of the Scottish criminal justice system and will be of interest to students of the history of crime and Scottish social history, as well as the interested general reader.



Dr Alison L Brown is an independent researcher with a PhD in Scottish social history, and a postgraduate diploma in archives and records management.

Since retiring from her day job, she has dedicated her time to historical research.

Her interests lie in nineteenth-century Scottish social and criminal history, using the wealth of records created by the Scottish criminal justice system, largely untapped and voluminous Parliamentary Papers, and newspaper articles.
FAQs

Understanding Your Printing Options

Understanding Your Printing Options

When choosing how to print your materials, it helps to know the main differences between Litho printing, Short-run digital printing, and Print-on-demand.
Each method has its own advantages depending on your needs:

Litho Printing (Offset Printing)

  • Best for large quantities (hundreds or thousands of copies).
  • Uses traditional printing plates and ink for high-quality, consistent results.
  • More cost-effective at scale, since the setup cost is spread across many copies.
  • Ideal for brochures, magazines, books, and professional marketing materials.

Short-Run Printing (Digital Printing)

  • Designed for smaller batches (from a few copies up to a few hundred).
  • Faster turnaround because there’s no plate setup—the file goes straight to the printer.
  • Flexible: great for test runs, limited editions, or quick reprints.
  • Typically slightly higher cost per copy than litho, but cheaper overall for small quantities.

Print-on-Demand (POD)

  • Prints only when an order is placed, even a single copy.
  • No need to store stock—each book or item is produced as needed.
  • Perfect for self-publishers, online stores, or products with unpredictable demand.
  • Reduces waste and upfront costs but usually has the highest cost per unit compared to bulk printing.
Summary
  • Litho = best for bulk (high quality, low cost per unit).
  • Short-run = best for small batches (fast, flexible, affordable in low volumes).
  • POD = best for one-off or on-demand sales (no stock, no waste, convenient).
FAQs

Copy Editing vs Proofreading

Copy Editing vs Proofreading

Although the two often get confused,
copy editing and proofreading are different stages of the editing process:

Copy Editing
Goal: to make the writing polished, professional, and ready for typesetting.

Happens before the final layout and typesetting.
Focuses on improving the clarity, flow, and consistency of the text.

Checks for:

  • Grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors.
  • Consistency in style, tone, and formatting.
  • Accuracy of facts, names, and references.
  • Awkward phrasing, repetition, or unclear sentences.

Proofreading
Goal: to ensure the publication is accurate before printing or release.

  • Happens after the text has been typeset/designed (Final check before when it is ready for print).
  • Focuses on catching final errors that slipped through.

Checks for:

  • Typos, punctuation errors, or spelling mistakes.
  • Layout problems (e.g. broken headings, spacing, page numbers).
  • Inconsistent fonts, captions, or formatting in the final version.

Note:
Both copy-editing and proof-reading are very complicated processes
It is almost impossible to catch all of the errors.
Give yourself time for a final read-through.
Don’t panic – if the book is to be printed on demand,
make notes of any changes for an updated version.

Quick summary:

Copy editing = polishing the text for clarity and consistency.
Proofreading = checking the final version for typos and formatting errors.