Category Archives: fiction

belief, fiction, Front Page

An imagined early life of Jesus by the former dean of Salisbury Cathedral
Hugh Dickinson

9781911175834 The most profound mystery of Christian theism is the affirmation that the man Jesus of Nazareth was also Divine. Exactly what that means has been a matter of constant debate for two millennia. Christian theologians have made use of a great variety of physical analogies and metaphysical concepts in the attempt to give a rational account of this belief, but the metaphysical algebra no longer has much traction for most people and divinity is not within the reach of materialist rationality. In order to emphasise the presence of the exceptional in him it has been natural to give greater narrative weight to the Divinity of Jesus of Nazareth than to his humanity, which has effectively been shrouded in the glow of the Divine The purpose of this brief essay in imagination is the belief that unless we grasp the biological earthiness of Jesus we cannot fully understand his the Incarnation.
Published: Oct 2017
Paperback: 86 pages
Price: £4.90
ISBN: 9-781911-175834
Available from Amazon
The Very Revd. Hugh Dickinson, Dean Emeritus of Salisbury: Queen’s Scholar at Westminster. MA Oxford, Chaplain Trinity College Cambridge, Chaplain Winchester College, Bishops Adviser in Adult Education Coventry Cathedral, Vicar of St Michaels St Albans, formerly Dean of Salisbury, retired in the Cotswolds, distinguished poet and painter.
Reader Reviews...
fiction

Gatsby’s spell at Trinity imagined by actor Ian Flintoff in the style of Scott Fitzgerald.
Ian Flintoff

Gatsby at Trinity Cover POD F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is one of the most enduring novels of the twentieth century for two almost contradictory reasons. While being a precise and graphic depiction of the society which Fitzgerald himself relished and named ‘the Jazz Age’, its leading character is a person of ambiguity and uncertainty. It is reasonable to suppose that Fitzgerald meant this to be both a parable of the American Dream as well as a selfless love story. From the novel we know something of Gatsby’s past: his humble origins, his early experiences as Jimmy Gatz, that he was decorated in the Great War and also that he went to Trinity College, Oxford. These truths emerge despite the fantasies and fictions he also adopts. The time at Trinity College in Oxford would have been crucial for Jay Gatsby between his war time in France, his devotion to Daisy Fay, and his amassing of a huge fortune to secure her love.
Published:1st May 2015
Paperback:180 pages
Price:£9.99
ISBN:9-781909-644694

 Available from Amazon
and Kindle e-books
Gatsby at Trinity tells the story of his days in Oxford. It has been carefully researched from both historical archives and contemporary records, with all the evidences of Fitzgerald’s own novel fully taken into account. Ian Flintoff was a Modern Languages Scholar at Trinity College, Oxford, before becoming a professional actor, writer and director, and is a long-standing devotee of the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Readers' comments...

"The substance and nuance of your book continues to amaze me. Thanks so much for the scholarly effort you put into it.
I'm sure it's bound to be a classic."

"It's obviously been a tremendous labour of love for you, and displays loads of ingenuity and wit, for example your solution to the photographic mystery of the multitude of spires glimpsed through the chapel archway."
fiction

The Horses Know
Lynn Mann

9781911175278 The human race has all but destroyed itself and those who remain know that they must avoid repeating the mistakes of their ancestors. Life is a struggle but just when it seems as though all may be lost, the horses intervene. Through the bonds that develop between humans and their horses, people learn what the horses know, ensuring the advancement of humanity. And the horses wait for the person who will be able to help them in return ...
Published:June 2016
Paperback:396 pages
Price:£10.00
ISBN:9-781911-175278
Available from Amazon
Lynn Mann is a writer with a long-standing involvement with horses. During her school years, she spent as much time riding and being with horses as she could. She took a break from horses to study for her biology degree and then on leaving university, realised her dream of having her own horse for the first time. She worked on show-jumping, racing and dressage yards before starting a business as a saddle consultant and riding instructor, which involved working both in the UK and abroad.
Other books in the series by Lynn Mann...
Book 1: The Horses Rejoice
Reader Reviews...

Horse Magazine
This book was inspired by a special horse called Pie, a rescue adopted by author Lynn. It has a futuristic setting, where the world has all but destroyed itself. The heroine is Amarilla, whose family want her to develop a useful 'Skill' which will set her in good stead for the future. However, the youngster has other ideas and longs to be one of the 'Horse-Bonded' - someone that is spiritually drawn to a special equine. The bonded then dedicate their life to each other. But will Amarilla find a horse to have a special connection with? This is an enchanting story of preparing for an unknown future and developing a bond with a horse. Plus, 20 percent of royalties will be donated to The Society for the Welfare of Horses and Ponies, which rescued and rehabilitated Pie before Lynn rehomed her.

Paul Salmon - Fantastic book
Absolutely loved this book, a real eye opener and page turner, kept me engaged and hooked until the end.
Highly recommended read ******

Susan Wilkinson - A novel for the horse lover and the sci-fi enthusiast
In Amarilla we find our new heroine with much to offer. Hopefully a sequel will follow.
I found the book quite inspirational and heartwarming and was a page turner.
The relationship between the horses and the characters was something that the horse enthusiast would recognise.

MJ - Brilliant
This was a great read, very creative and thought provoking.
It was a clear and well thought through story and opened my eyes to a different way of thinking about how important the bond between humans and horses is and can be.
A book aimed at adults and children.
I will be looking out for the sequel and can't wait!

Bridget Jones - Surprised
I would have said that apart from the equine theme this would not have been to my taste at all but I found it totally engrossing and strangely plausible. I could relate to many of the characters and horses and although I wanted to reach the conclusion of the story I was left wanting more. I look forward to more from this author.

Beki - Amazing. Please read this book
Wow! Amazing. Please read this book.
I so hope there will be a sequel?

Amazon Customer - Wonderful story
This fictional story is written in a very creative and beautifully imaginative manner. We know many parts hit on the truth.
It is thought provoking and funny and some parts brought me to tears. Whether we have a horse, or just know they are magnificent and graceful beings the story lifts up our vibration and I am looking forward to reading Lynn's next novel.

fiction

A Risk Assessment Guide to Murdering Your Financial Advisor
John Cullen

cover 2-1a b - RGB A Risk Assessment Guide to
Murdering Your Financial Advisor

Small time investor Daryl Anderson is bored by his humdrum job and his uneventful suburban life.
Seeking change, he gets conned by a financial shark. Broke and homeless, his marriage and family destroyed, he decides to take the law into his own hands and to execute the man who has destroyed his life.

He travels to the Bahamas where he cuts the man's throat beside a luxury pool. Caught red-handed, Daryl seems destined to spend the rest of his life in prison but instead he is overwhelmed by a wave of public sympathy. His trial at the Old Bailey becomes a media sensation and contributions pour in.
The world wants him freed but the law says he must pay.

What will the jury decide?
Published: May2017
Kindle: 476 pages
Price: £4.60
Available from Amazon
Reader Reviews...

A really good read with a twist at the end.

Excellent read! Kept me gripped until the end, couldn't put it down x.
fiction

Exiles of Titan
The Martian Phase

9781911175728 Deira MacMahon is recruited from GCHQ to the European Bureau of Investigation because she possesses a rare genetic mutation which enables her to undergo a process known as PHotonic Algorithm-Sequestered Engram transmission (PHASEing) without physical or mental damage. She is only six months out of the Bureau Academy and still getting used to being ‘transmitted’ to trouble spots around the world, when she and her supervisor are ordered on a mission to Mars – and must undertake the journey as the first human subjects of a new interplanetary PHASEing technology. The interplanetary PHASE affects Deira and her supervisor in very different ways and when the mission suddenly shifts to Titan, the sixth moon of Saturn, Deira must continue on alone.
Published: June 2017
Paperback: 476 pages
Price: £14.99
ISBN: 9-781911-175728
Available from Amazon
While on Titan, Deira meets Sol Smith, a man with no past whose few remaining memories are at odds with reality and who seems vaguely familiar - although they have never met. Together, Deira and Sol, uncover a plot of enormous proportions – a plot that takes in the foundations of sub-quantal physics itself, and which must be thwarted if the human race is to survive.

Other books in the series...
Book 2: Agents of Titan - The Lunar Portal
Reader Reviews...

Amazon Customer

Sci-fi's not normally my cup of tea but a friend gave me this book as a present so I felt obliged to read it. I couldn't put it down! It's not just sci-fi it is also a mixture of mystery and thriller and I really enjoyed it. I thought Sol was a great character and I can't wait for the next in the series.



Judith Meredith

I was given this title by a family member, it is not the type of book I normally read. Decided to try it and I had trouble putting it down. A murder mystery on the planet's it is well written and an enjoyable easy read.



Daniel Piper

The plot moves along at a good pace with twists here and there. Read it in a couple days, had trouble putting it down.
fiction

The Way The Hen Kicks
Lars Guthorm Kavli

Copy of TheWayTheHenKicks_656x1000px London is caught in a perpetual blizzard – and not a single piece of snow-removal equipment can be found. The Mayor has sold it all to balance the budgets. To cover his tracks he calls upon a legendary snow-remover from Norway and Operation Snow Removal can begin. But the snow just keeps falling. London is gradually disappearing. Will flat-mates Bjørn, Wolfgang and the Dane survive? Will anyone? If this really is the next ice age. The Way The Hen Kicks is a story about gravity and awareness. About mothers and sons; love, ambition and corruption. About what it means to want to preserve something for future generations.
Published:15th April 2015
Paperback:365 pages
Price:£12.99
ISBN:9-781909-644588

 Available from Amazon
and Kindle e-books


Lars Guthorm Kavli holds a Masters degree in Creative Writing from UEA (2011). He also holds degrees from Goldsmiths, LSE and the University of Southern California, and has worked as a media entrepreneur and consultant. He comes from Norway and lives in Berlin.
Watch the trailer on YouTube

Kirkus review, November 2015.

A foreboding tale of a snow-covered London in despair, enlivened by encouraging characters and events.

Amazon Reader Reviews...

Imminent apocalypse sharpens our vision of the everyday

This end-of-the-world story is disturbing but also often heartening. The reader experiences both an urgency to know what happens next and, contrastingly, an invitation to slow down time and reflect with the writer on many private moments of being – for example what it feels like to be sitting in a pair of wet trousers, what it feels like to be desperately tired, what despair feels like.
The book’s strength is these close up, fine grained descriptions of each character’s state of mind, or rather state of body and mind. Often the writer is managing to capture every day moments and the observations which we all make but which are so familiar and ordinary they rarely find their way into literature.
For Londoners, or perhaps those who visit the city, the book will have a special meaning – it’s certainly depressing to follow the disintegration of the urban landscape which we generally assume will go on giving. However the depression is not overwhelming and it feels as though it is in the service of a valuable wake up call – there is perhaps an old fashioned moral tale embedded in this very contemporary novel.

Loved this.

It has really big, complex characters: a bumbling posh Mayor, an alcoholic Norwegian snow specialist, a migrant worker who may have discovered the meaning of life. They're all trying to deal with the snow storm that's covered London. It's very clever (the story seems to be told by a computer from the future), but it's very funny (there are loads of drunken misadventures) and at points it's deeply moving (lots of Oedipal longing and existential contemplation). It's really rare to find something so easy to read, but so full of ideas and beauty. It's very, very good.

Very engaging and original style

The author has an impressive ability to draw very detailed pictures of the state of minds and situations facing the characters making the reader feel psychological and physical motions they go through with particular acuteness. Most of the story being set in London adds an extra dimension of engagement for those who know the city. Captivating and thought provoking!It's very, very good.

This is great stuff. Refreshing too

Every detail is a macrocosm with the immediacy of a haiku. Beneath the funny exterior, there is a painful existential crisis in every snowflake. You feel like you're headed for a car crash after inhaling slo-mo. I actually hesitated each time I picked it up - worried for how it disintegrates - but it was too compulsive. Highly recommended. Weird how I find myself envying their apocalypse..

Gripping

Haven't been this gripped by a novel for a long time

fiction

Agents of Titan
The Lunar Portal

It is twenty years since Deira and Sol MacMahon were instrumental in foiling the three-fold plot to destroy Earth by the aggressive aliens known as the Cthon. Twenty years, during which time their son, Josh, has grown to become an agent himself, and their daughter, Juliette, has entered a sub-quantal physics research lab. Now the Cthon are back, with an attack so devastating that it will test the agents to breaking point. The Eich can see no way out of the current nightmare and, in desperation, send Josh on a mission to the Cthon home world. Meanwhile Deira and Sol work frantically with the authorities on Earth to try to combat this most potent threat. It’s a race against time. A race to safeguard Earth and evacuate the thirty-five thousand inhabitants of Mars Base before disaster strikes. A race that will raise questions about the Eich, the Cthon and the nature of sub-quantal space. A race that will force Deira MacMahon to confront her worst nightmare…

Other books in the series...
Book 1: Exiles of Titan - The Martian Phase
Published: May 2018
Paperback: 508 pages
Price: £11.50
ISBN: 9-781912-419258
Available from Amazon
Reader Reviews...

Childrens, fiction

The Spirit of Ganesh
Slum kids of Calcutta

9781911175575 Many children have a very hard life in India. They sort through rubbish heaps, work in factories and beg on the streets. This is a story, the first of three, that tells of the lives of Rupa and her little sister Amrita. It tells of the hardships they endure, the adventures they have and the many people they meet. Lonely rich girl Aisha lives in the big house. Rupa and Aisha become friends and defeat the horrible Mr. Biswas. Danva, the dog, saves Amrita and becomes her best friend. Shanti and Hamid appear at the end of the book ready to continue the ‘Slum Kids’ story in Book 2. The ‘Spirit of Ganesh’ is a mixture of fun, drama, sadness and love, all watched over by the benevolent smile of the Elephant God.
Published:May 2017
Paperback:110 pages
Price:£5.99
ISBN:9-781911-175575
Available from Amazon

 By the same Author
9781912419043 9781912419128
After teaching small children, for many years, I retired and now have six grandchildren and two step-great grandchildren. My early retirement was spent backpacking around India. On returning to England I had many photos but no intention of writing a children’s story. However, Shanti, who we met at a bus station, kept emerging in my memories of the street children in India. Because of this, I became obsessed with the thought that I had to write a story about four of the children, who lived and smiled in the face of horrendous misfortune. The spirit of Garnesh is the first of a trilogy. The other two being A Dance for Rupa and Shanti. I wanted a child with a physical handicap to be central to a story. Shanti and his special friend Ashiq are real children and as such were a special inspiration to me.
Reader Reviews...