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Biography
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The year is 1988. The Cold War is ending. Europe’s near-abroad unlocks … and a 30-year-old Londoner attempts a road trip from France to western Turkey in a vintage Bentley. A journey that unfolds into a beautifully described circumnavigation of the Mediterranean Sea.
The next expedition was to ride a Russian copy of a German WWII military motorcycle with sidecar from Moscow to Madrid, but …
In the final episode, the author and his new bride drive a condemned VW Beetle from Tuscany, through the Bosnian war zone, into Albania in the search for an idyll.
This span of eight years gives a kerbside view of late twentieth-century Europe, a time and place already unfamiliar.
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A compelling and sometimes painfully honest true story that spans four generations with Hazel at the centre. It is an intimate tale that confronts some universal truths about the human spirit and our common strengths and weaknesses. It vividly brings to life the perplexities of growing up, the deep need for love and to be understood, and the trust we put in authority. This true story glows with a love of life and a deep appreciation of nature and our wonderful world. More on www.hazellakeland.co.uk
buy the long journey
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Richard Glass has proven to be a natural storyteller in this book full of human interest that reflects the essential nature of its author: generous, interested in his fellow human beings, ready to appreciate the funny side of life and to take its hard knocks without losing his integrity – a gift he learnt early in life. Dick wanted to write this book as a memento for his family but then discovered that there was widespread interest among his old army acquaintances. Family and friends alike will find much to enjoy as memories are stirred and perhaps new facets of his life are revealed in these pages.
buy staying strong
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Stephen Murray’s autobiography is a raw, inspirational story. Following a harrowing accident in 2007 Stephen was paralysed from the neck down and is still confined to a wheelchair. It deals with some very dark moments, the challenges faced every day as a father going through a divorce, a custody battle and whether he will ever ride a bike again — Stephen may have lost the use of his body but he has never lost his love or passion for BMX. It’s this passion that pushes him through every day. His determination teaches us all that you are more than your disability and that although he has been taken to some dark places since his accident they are also mixed with some of the best days of his life.
buy following the star
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A compelling ten-year journey through the highs and lows in the life of a racing fan entwined with the exploits of Kauto Star, one of National Hunt Racing’s stars who was compared to the great Arkle. Andrew Walker’s book is a rollercoaster of emotion with Kauto Star as the central figure. This book will appeal to racing supporter, sports fan and general public alike, since it paints a delightful picture of almost a decade of life-changing experiences: children being born, moving house, the 2012 Olympic Games – and the ups and downs on the racecourse that come from following a racing legend.
How To
two booklets for £5
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Create fun times and magical moments with your child making up your own stories from scratch. By giving you the basic building blocks of storytelling and starting you off with some fun suggestions and examples, Maing Up Stories will stir your imagination and give you the confidence to start.
Children love being read to by the adults in their lives. However, many adults don’t feel confident about reading expressively, so don’t enjoy it as much as they could. How to Enjoy Reading Aloud to Young Children is full of advice and practice on how have fun – with obvious benefits for child and adult.
If you’d like a print copy or a PDF please contact me
buy everybody loves money
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Take back control and keep a grasp on your hard-earned cash. Start working towards financial independence for more freedom.
buy hotlifestyle
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Gaining a real competitive edge in life requires an effective routine and making better choices. Achieving goals, being more confident, quelling anxiety and fear of failure, dealing with setbacks are things that we can all master. You already have your daily routine, now is the time to up your game by making small but powerful changes to your daily routine, so you can live a healthier, happier, richer life.
buy eat drink and be slim
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Polly Hale’s no-nonsense, back to basics approach to weight loss and balanced, normal, healthy eating, contains affordable, achievable tips on: nutrition basics; cooking at home; eating out and social occasions; satisfying, delicious recipes for family meals. Suitable for all ages and dietary requirements. Visit Polly’s website
buy the fit mum formula
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The complete diet and lifestyle plan created exclusively for mums. Fed up of complicated meal plans, time-consuming recipes and inflexible exercise plans that just don’t fit into a busy life? Here’s a weight-loss plan that takes into account the unique challenges of a busy and stressful Mum-life (that most trainers don’t understand)? All Polly’s secrets on how she manages to stay slim, healthy, strong and have tonnes of energy (most of the time!). There’s absolutely no ‘fluff’, just scientifically backed systems. They’re not hard. They’re not time consuming. But they DO work. Visit Polly’s website
Children’s
buy the unexpected quantor
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The first adventure in the Quantor Chronicles: When Al ventures into the mysterious Little Treeby Forest he discovers the truth behind the tales of Quantors and the secretive Elequai. It seems grandad’s tales were true and the Elequai, a family of humanoid stones can make the Quantor’s thoughts become real. With Al’s new found powers he begins the search for his best friend Pip’s dad, who went missing five years earlier, in an attempt to ease her pain. Helped by their horses, Stella and Rambo, Al and Pip are pulled into a world of strange happenings and adventurous journeys.At the same time Al is trying to master his beloved piano and please his magnificent teacher Ms Marble, who has a secret of her own. Then five Elequai are stolen and Al must find them before the world goes completely mad. He has to pit his wits against Pinter, an evil Elequai, determined to take over people’s minds and rule the world. Al has to learn very quickly to control his imagination before it controls him. But who has the missing Elequai? Is it Pinter or are there other forces at work? Visit www.thequantorchronicles.co.uk
Buy The Wildlife Rescue Fairy
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Tracey’s second book in her fairies series. This is a fun and comical tale about a modern-day fairy, Hannah Hollyhock, and her adventures on a work experience day with a Wildlife Rescue fairy. Join Tracey on Facebook
buy the dog poo fairy
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Tracey Bryant is a children’s author who lives with her two cats in rural Worcestershire. Her garden is full of fairies and the hedgerows nearby are very tidy. She overcame her dyslexia to write this entertaining story about the increasing number of dog poo bags that litter our environment. Tracey hopes you will find this a fun way to pass on an important message about cleaning up after ourselves and caring for our beautiful countryside. Join Tracey on Facebook
buy escape from london
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A story of driverless cars evading capture, enjoying freedom and just having fun. It is the first in a series of Cabby and Co’s road trip adventures from Brooky Brookland; all part of his ambition to change car journeys from “Are we there yet?” to “Can we go again?” Brooky is a car enthusiast and within these pages you will meet his club of classic old friends. This charming tale for children of all ages is beautifully illustrated by Lois McKie’s atmospheric watercolours. cabbyandco.com
Fiction
buy reclaiming our own
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Blood, mixed with dirt, is a familiar taste to him. As the dirt blends into the blood, it forms a pasty consistency that is difficult to spit out. There is enough of the mixture present to restrict his breathing. He turns his head to the right and coughs in an effort to clear his mouth. It’s a weak attempt resulting only in a large dribble down the side of his cheek. His eyes are slow to open and his vision is blurred. Lifting his left hand, he reaches to the back of his head to inspect the pain and wetness. He uses he left arm as leverage to roll over onto his stomach. The concrete floor is cold on his face, but this position allows him to clear his mouth. A change of position brings no relief to any of the pain. It’s a struggle to get both arms out from underneath his body. With palms down, he extends his arms and pushes his body back into a four-post position. His head feels like it weighs fifty pounds, as he lifts it to look for a way out. His vision starts to clear and a metal door appears in the distance. Right hand forward, right knee forward, left hand forward, left knee forward, right hand forward, right knee… “Aaaaahhh!” His upper body collapses. His head bounces off the floor and his vision returns to a blur. Now on his left side, he squints his eyes to get a look at his ankle. Blood streams from the rusted chain into his white socks. It’s a struggle to get back on all fours and push himself to the back wall, below the window. The air is brisk, and the sun is rising. “Where the hell am I?”
buy the girl who made me dance
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Gabby Pereira, a well-established London professional, discovers she only has two years left to live, and decides to go on a voyage of self-discovery. This takes her on an exhilarating journey through Europe, Africa, Asia and America. Each location answers questions about her past, family secrets and her own undefined identity. Mia, a free spirit and a psychologist, offers Gabby a new lease of life and teaches her to dance. The women plunge into a tempestuous and dangerous affair and Gabby becomes obsessed by Mia. Explosive scenes of passion, desire, deception, hedonism, suffering, fear, pilgrimage and atonement create a riveting and provocative tale that touches upon some of the wounds that permeate our society: ethnicity, gender disparity, sexuality, and emotional and physical addiction. Each character’s journey, along with elements of magic realism, will absorb your thoughts and emotions to the last page.
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buy my mother's talisman
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England, 1960.
The ‘swinging’ decade is about to blossom but nineteen-year-old Sorika Broadbent is no swinger. Unhappy with her London job, she retreats home to Aunt Esme, her surrogate mother.
Abandoned by her own mother, her father dead, her self-confidence at rock-bottom, Sorika’s future looks far from rosy. But a chain of unexpected events starts her on a quest to find the mysterious talisman – and her mother, the woman for whom it was intended.
Would she succeed? What, or who, would she find along the way? Will she find her own identity?
‘Lucinda’s third novel has all the ingredients for a great read. As we follow Sorika from Berkshire to Devon to Virginia, USA, in her search for the elusive talisman – and for the mother who abandoned her – drama, passion, despair and humour all combine with an intriguing bunch of characters to keep the reader absorbed.’ Yeo Valley Literary Circle
buy losing the plot
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Richie Malone is an old-school philanderer, misogynistic playboy and writer with an undeniable charm. Although he has yet to pen anything to attract literary acclaim using his own name, he has made a fortune writing pornographic novels under a female pseudonym. But now his troubles are just beginning. He needs answers, and he needs them fast. Just who is this dead girl? How did she get here? And why his bed? And, of course, did he kill her?
Malone finds himself caught in the middle of a turf war between Irish racketeers, the Russian Mafia and a Columbian cartel. And so, he loses the plot. But can he get it back before he loses everything … including his life?
buy hippie
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A metaphysical pseudo-biography. Half documentary, half novel about the Hippie phenomenon, full of humour and anarchy, told by someone who was there, and still is! A read for those who lived through that unique era and those who want to discover the roots of the music they listen to now. A unique story because very few will have experienced anything like it and, even if they had, not many will be able to remember in such psychedelic intensity.
buy mere kaffir
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A visceral, highly-charged, emotional read. In the early 1980s a naive young English miner uproots himself and his new wife from the Nottingham coalmines to unearth his fortune in the South African goldmines. His dreams are shattered as our eyes are opened to a culture that reveals humanity’s deepest flaws. Keith Brown draws upon his personal experiences of apartheid-driven South Africa on the brink of a new political order to bring us a deeply moving tale of man’s inhumanity to man. In a world where greed and historical resentments drive the agenda is apartheid really just a black versus white issue?
Factual
buy forget the third arrow
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The commentary in Forget the Third Arrow and Behold the Old World Order: A journey into the depths of Japan Inc demonstrates: i) the consequences of historic protectionist trade policies and isolationism for Japan’s current economy; ii) the factors which contribute to the self-perpetuating nature of a system which frustrates reform; iii) the resurgence of a strong nationalism; iv) the enduring relationship between government and business; v) an understanding of the similarities with other non-market driven economies where government and business are intertwined; vi) the parallels between the experience of Japan following the 1990 Financial Crisis and events in the West since 2008.The book explains how the author’s experiences in Japan Inc. allowed her to predict what is happening currently regarding US-Japan trade relations, to predict the expansion of Japan’s military and to predict that nothing fundamental would change in Japan’s political economic system.
academic publications
For a variety of fascinating topics see the list of edited academic publications