Telling Tails: the Confessions of a Handyman

You may have heard of author E. James Chapman before.  His first book The Train Now Standing at Platform 3 is a pure joy to read. (I have just checked. It is still available and will make a super Christmas present.)

After living in Spain for several years British expat E. James Chapman has gathered a number of what he describes as "hilarious anecdotes" more, actually, than he could possibly hope to count.

In Telling Tales: the Confessions of a Handyman, he uses a mere seven of these hilarious anecdotes.

He points out that the majority of the stories actually happened to him and his family.

We read a compilation of seven stories that all, really, actually, took place in the southern Spanish area called Costa del Sol.

How did all this happen to him? Perhaps, upon quiet reflection, he might have had an easier life if he had not taken the expat career that he did. That of a property manager-cum-butler within the expat community in the costa del Sol!

In the pages of the book we meet a whole array of characters from the barking mad to the bewildered and from the lustful to the loony. But all, the author assures us, fictional! Of course...

We meet Helga, a sort of Viking troll, the mysterious signals used -or not!- by ladies who might be requiring some type of servicing arrangement, involving a certain brand of powder detergent or a brand of coffee much loved in Spain.

Learn what happened when the secret lift urinator was discovered and his utterly bizarre excuse for micturating in the lift of the complex, why a police officer got hit in a highly unfortunate part og his anatomy by a flying TV remote control, how the advent of a secret CCTV system gave one poor resident far, far more than he bargained for. Or even wanted, poor fellow. Three hours worth, apparently.

There are problematic building contractors, Pepe the plumber -who looked, or so we are told, more like a Chippendale, than a plumber- and a whole host of other characters.

You might like to buy this book as a Christmas present. But if you do, buy two copies, one for you, too! It's published by Matador at £8.99 and includes some amusing line drawings, too.

You can purchase (and his first book) it at our very own shop, right here >>> https://goo.gl/qPctIy.

The Wolf of Dalriada

The Wolf of Dalriada is a historical novel set in the Highlands of Scotland.

It is set in 1793 and deals with the problems faced by Scottish landowners set against the backdrop of the painful and bloody revolution that was then sweeping through France.

If there is one person who is set to ride out these mighty and powerful forces for change, then it would be Malcolm Craig Lowrie. Otherwise known as The Wolf of Dalriada, a man who was a legend within his own lifetime.

The clearances in remote Argyll are causing horrors and heartaches for the populace and they are calling out for justice.

A beautiful and mysterious Frenchwoman is living under the malign thrall of the man who captured her, Sir William Robinson, a man whose debauchery was well known throughout the area.

His people need his protection. But can The Wolf of Dalriada prove equal to this challenge? Can he protect his people? Can The Wolf of Dalriada smash his enemies who, ruthless as they are, threaten to destroy all who are in their path?

And what about the debauched and wicked Sir William and his captured Frenchwoman? What is to become of them?

The Wolf of Dalriada is the start of a series of chronicles penned by debut author Elizabeth Gates and it is ideal for those who love their romances to be well written, historical and exciting.

It is published by Matador at £8.99 and makes an ideal stocking filler for the lover of historical romances.

You can purchase it here>>> https://goo.gl/qPctIy.

Rescuing God From Religion

In this slim volume author Muriel Seltman points out the sceptics should be able to "design their own God, free of religion."

She points out that, throughout the history of the human race, God or Gods have played a key role.

From her position as what she calls a "nontheist" she has written a book for those people who are wavering in their religious beliefs in a "creator-God" as she puts it.

They might feel a requirement for security, both of an intellectual and/or an emotional nature that can arise from the belief in a loving, personal God.

It might be hard, she argues, for individuals in these circumstances to question their faith and to, ultimately, reject their religion.

The purpose of the book is to encourage such sceptics to build their own idea of a God which can provide comfort and consolation but in a way that negates what she describes as "the burden of religious dogma."

It's an interesting book which costs £9.99 and is published by Matador.

It is available for purchase here>>> https://goo.gl/qPctIy.

That's Christmas: Peggy

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Rethinking Psychotherapy

Rethinking Psychotherapy is a new and very thought-provoking critique of the current mental health system and how psychotherapy is practiced.

Paul Hingston originally trained as a lawyer who began working in the financial sector.

He became used to working within a business environment that promoted and celebrated a culture in which a clear focus was maintained on the problem at hand. That also gave great value to the concept of the well-reasoned argument.

After Paul decided to embark on a radical re-think of his career path and to train as a psychotherapist, he was shocked and horrified to discover that there was no such culture within the field of psychotherapy, at all.

Over the last 15 years Paul has been employed as a private practice therapist who has also worked as a front line manager of mental health service providers.

The experiences that he has gained, plus his previous nine years during which he trained at some of the UK's top mental health institutions have combined together to enable him to offer a critique of modern psychotherapy that is worrying, challenging and yet, ultimately, inspiring.

He calls into question some dearly and long-held beliefs. He challenges the efficacy of using a diagnostic approach to the problem of everyday unhappiness.

He also questions the wisdom of, in effect, choosing to label as symptoms of mental illness what are, he asserts, merely perfectly normal and natural reactions to the challenges of life.

Paul believes that modern psychotherapy has it all wrong. Therapists should not, he concludes, provide treatment or encourage introspection. Instead, he avers, they should help clients to learn how to cope with and come to terms with unusual and/or distressing circumstances that they find themselves in by referencing them to a wider social and personal context.

The book will be of great value to all people who work in the field of mental health. It is published by Matador at £9.99 and is available for purchase here >>> https://goo.gl/qPctIy.

That's Christmas: The Film Director's Wife

That's Christmas: The Film Director's Wife: We all love a good autobiography, especially if it can shed light on the lives of the rich and famous from the perspective of someone who ...