The Calloway Sisters

The Calloway Sisters is a vibrant new work from published novelist and history buff K. A. Lalani.

Set during the affluent post-Edwardian period in the Australian city of Melbourne, the Calloway sisters are enjoying everything that life can offer them.

However, all is not as it seems an the past secrets, errors and indiscretions of the family member of their parents' generation have a harmful impact on their otherwise blissful lives.

But the world they know is soon to be damaged by the advent of a devastating war in Europe that soon sucks in countries of the far-flung British Empire as Britain itself becomes drawn into a conflict between nations on Continental Europe and further afield.

Agnes and Sarah become volunteer nurses and find themselves facing challenges that they and other medical staff were totally unprepared for.

Back at home in Melbourne those who remained find themselves compelled to face up to problems and sins of their own.

The story begins in 1913, the year before the Great War commenced and it grabs the reader by the hand and drags them quickly into a story of gossip, of blighted love and of deliberate, calculated humiliation.

But then the Great War came and with it destruction and death.

K. A. Lalani brings to life the period of the post-Edwardian era and the dreadful conflict that saw much sacrifice and bravery from many who were involved, but especially the Anzac troops and the nurses who accompanied them, the Anzac Girls.  

It's published by The Book Guild at £9.99. 

The Little Pen

In her latest book published author Wendy Williams brings her readers a new hero. In The Little Pen Wendy introduces us to a little pen.

He has had enough of residing at the bottom of a handbag. He wants to get out of the handbag and to see something of the world. 

But he is more than a little bit nervous. A bit too afraid to go on an adventure. But eventually the opportunity to escape his humdrum life arrives. And he bravely grasps hold of it.

What will happen next for the little pen? Will this be the beginning of a new, exciting life for him? 

What happens to him? Will he see the world? What will he write?

The story is very well written and sharply and colourfully illustrated by Elena Kochetova.

As a writer myself I guessed that Wendy's book might be based on a pen of her own and Wendy confirms that this is the case, it's based on her favourite pen which has travelled the world with her.

It's aimed at children between the ages of three to five and their parents and grandparents, too.

It's published by Matador at £6.99.

Still Standing, the Flip Side of Denial, Depressional and forgiveness

Still Standing the Flip Side of Denial, Depressional and forgiveness is an autobiographical book by Mwangala Lethbridge. Zambian Mwangala had it all. She was an architect, a mother and had political aspirations.  

But a cruel and severe motorcycle accident put paid to all that in a blink of an eye. Family members gathered around her hospital bed in Lusaka and prayed to God to deliver her and sent out heartfelt pleas on social media channels being friends and other people she knew to donate blood in a desperate appeal to help her survive the night.

However, within five years Mwangala had earned an MBA from Manchester University, successfully completed the Virgin Money London Marathon and had instituted a programme to offer educational empowerment of girls in her home area of Zambia, through the auspices of the Mwangala Mwenda Foundation.

In her book Mwangala tells her story which commences with a tragic accident but then reaches a heart-warming conclusion which shows how, with the help and assistance of family members, friends and on some occasions, total strangers and medical professionals, specialists and the Lord, that a person can succeed against all odds.

It's an extremely well-written and very powerful book that will uplift and inspire the reader. Mwangala takes her reader from the depths of despair to the heights of accomplishment and self-realisation. 

It's published by Troubador in hardback at £12.99.

The Snake That Bites Its Tail

In The Snake That Bites Its Tail Robin Farnham is a retired magazine publisher who awakes in hospital after his suicide attempt fails. However, upon awakening he is made aware that he is a murder suspect.

Jane Foster is sixteen and after many years of sexual abuse at the hands of her adoptive father she launches a vicious attack on him after which she flees to London and freedom from his abusive behaviour.

Over the next fifty years readers meet up with Robin and Jane's lives are intertwined, but it isn't until the Millennium year, 2000, that they actually meet up.

During their lives at several points they are both treated by Dr Peter Lakmaker, who was their psychiatrist.

Robin has led a stressful life and he has been involved in three murders and wants to know why this has happened to him.

As for Jane, well into her adult life she is still traumatised by her adoptive father's terrible sexual abuse and yearns for a loving, close family relationship.

However, her search is confused by an ouroboros bracelet that depicts a snake eating its own tail, which Robin wears and which seems to have strange, prophetic powers.

However, a highly poisonous Indian snake called a Krait makes an appearance and it seeks vengeance. But why? And who against?

It's an interesting and somewhat enigmatic novel.

It's published by Troubador at £10.99 and is written by Bob Farrand. 

The Fatal Oath

The Fatal Oath is the third standalone novel in the Oath thriller series. It explores issues relating to prejudice and inequality within education.

The story is set in the year 1957 in a very elite public school, Blackleigh, in Yorkshire. However, all is not well at the school. It's a hotbed of emotional problems and seething, hidden antagonisms and hatreds.

The teachers were not in charge, the people who were really in charge were the prefects, who ruled the school with an iron fist within an iron glove. Meting out violence to any junior pupils who they took against.

Jonathan Simon is 16, in his third year. He is conscious that his Jewishness is held against him and he is mocked and derided for the birthmark on his face.

The unofficial "official" rules of the school forbids snitching. The staff have no power, including, perhaps especially, the new temporary headmaster, Mr Wood, who is ineffectual and very, very weak.

So who does wield the power at Blackleigh? The senior pupils who are the prefects and who are not backward in coming forward with violence against any pupil they deem to deserve it for any reason or no reason.

Into this educational maelstrom comes Bobby Stuart who is an American transfer student. He has his own anxieties about being accepted so it's perhaps not unnatural that they gravitate toward each other and become friends.

However, trouble comes in the form of three very vicious and ruthless House Seniors, Gabriel, Hausman and Murray. They have gathered around them a coterie of sycophantic, dedicated followers.

But the Seniors are not without problems within their own ranks. Rivalries, internal differences and when one of them gets a gun things start to get very, very complicated and very, very dangerous indeed.

An exceptionally well-written book crafted by a master storyteller it brings to life a time when public schools were capable of being quite nasty places indeed.

It's published by the Bookguild at £8.99.

The Gift of Time

In The Gift of Time author Julie Walker explores the world of the COVID pandemic.

During the pandemic lockdowns and restrictions, like many people, Julie Walker suffered severe anxiety, both in her own right and also for the other people who were forced to stay at home with her.

However, unlike most people traumatised by the lockdowns and restrictions, Julie Walker is a novelist and she decided to mine her recent negative experiences for golden nuggets for a novel.

She has written a novel about six strangers who all experienced life during the time of COVID in six different, individual, ways and all who experienced  very divergent results.

Readers will learn about Elisabeth. Elisabeth has autism. She has never found that her autism held her back in her life. Except, of course, when something disturbs the equilibrium of her day-to-day life.

Alejandra has altered and changed, but she is not aware of this. There's something about her husband that she has ignored throughout their married life. The unpleasant fact that she must now come to terms with is that her husband is actually a narcissist. But now she has acknowledged this, it's not something she can ignore. Once seen, she can't unsee it.

Mary Ann lives an isolated sort of a life. Almost as if she in in a cage of some sort. She lives this lifestyle as a combination of both circumstances and, to an extent, choice. with the new way of living foisted upon her, what will she do now? Is it time for her to reassess her life?

Giuseppe yearns to be able to flee to his homeland. But he can't do this. For he has his own mother to think about and there are his own health issues to take into consideration. But are these real concerns or a shield against him having to make a decision?

Clayton is fully aware that he is coming close to the end of his life and he is painfully aware that he must take the last opportunity to fix things in his family that he believes need fixing whilst he has enough time left. But does he?

As for Annchi the wide world beyond was something she was unaware of, pretty much. But she'd learn about it and more besides.

They all were craving the gift of time to learn, to grow, to repair, to regroup. But the gift of time came with a price. For their "gift" of time came about as a result of the COVID lockdown.

How could they cope? How could they deal with the lockdown? Ignore it and hope for the best? Learn how to cope with COVID and their lives beyond?

It's a very captivating novel and Julie uses her skills as a storyteller to create some characters that you will love and some that you will not particularly like!

It is published by Matador at £10.99.

Roll Over Rhymes

Roll Over Rhymes is a new book that is ideal for children and their parents and other older family members to read together and share the fantastic, vibrant and colourful illustrations.

It's co-authored by Suzanne Sasse and June Laurie.

It's a rhyming book aimed at children and it is intended to help them learn about acceptance and empowerment.

It is a collection of ten newly created fairytales that are told in rhyme. The stories include new takes on some familiar characters, unexpected plot twists, humour and the stories are given fresh, new modern day settings.

But each story still includes some lovely magic!

There are genies, Cinders, Sleeping Beauty, Puss in Boots, a queen, a boy called Pete, Witches, a Wolf who learns a very important lesson and a Princess who has different ideas about how her life should progress.

It is published by Troubador at £7.00.