Journey Out Returning

Journey Out Returning is a book by William Fell-Holding that recalls an interesting time in recent social history, the brief but influential flower power period of the 1967.

The book is told in diary form, for it is, essentially, the tale of the era as seen through the eyes of the author.

There's the amazing music scene, the fashions, a time of youthful bliss, of mind expansion and learning of new ways of living that supplanted the older order of things, of vibrant colours, of life and loves, of sexual awakenings and a veritable smorgasbord of new experiences that were all for the taking.

And yet, all is not well with our protagonist. He feels that his life, far from being at the zenith of the flower power year of 1967, is actually stagnating. That he is, emotionally, beginning to falter and collapse.

Can there be too much of a good thing, even in the realm of the expansion of the conscience? It would appear so and it is the simple arrival of a letter from his mother that set William off on the next part of the journey of his life.

And so it is that, perhaps a wiser man, he returns to Lancashire, his home county, in particular the Fylde coast,  where he is able to enter a new chapter in his life and renewal of his self, his own identity, aided by his mother, the community in which he had grown up and new friendships which all helped him to recuperate.

Eventually, a wiser and more fulfilled person, William returns to London.

I can't help thinking that there is much more to come from the author as he definitely leaves his readers wanting to learn more about his subsequent life. 

The book is published by Matador at £8.99 and can be obtained here https://goo.gl/wdCFDG.

The Nokka

Jenifer and Jory are two fairly ordinary children who fall prey to some extremely extraordinary magical adventures.

They discover a complicated riddle and eventually manage to solve the riddle. The sollution to the riddle gives them the ability to discover a hidden, secret underground passage in the nearby woods.

This tunnel leads them to a magical world that is parallel to our own Earth, yet which is entirely different. 

For in that world, magic exists and fairies, real fairies, not the fairies of Earthly fairytales, actually exist.

But things in life are often not quite what they appear to be at first sight and after an unfortunate chain of events, Jenifer and Jory seem to be trapped in the parallel world, perhaps forever.

But what if they are given a chance to escape, but which, if accepted, might bring about a terrible dilemma of an unimaginable kind?

This fantasy novel by respected children's fantasy author K. K. Nikolaou, is a must buy Christmas present for the fantasy loving young person in your life, though you might like to read it yourself, too!

It is published by The Book Guild at £7.99 and can be bought here https://goo.gl/wdCFDG.

The Spark

The Spark is a new and compelling read from author Trevor Stubbs.

It addresses a range of issues that are, unfortunately, all too common in this day and age. Mental health, post traumatic stress disease (PTSD) and the identity of the self.

It is the aim and the intention of Trevor Stubbs to celebrate what he describes  as: "the indestructible spark of love which offers an opportunity for healing."

The Spark tells the continuing story of the White Gates Adventures series of novels.

In it we meet Shaun who is now 20 years of age. Shaun is a good chap. OK, he might not be quite as quick or as confidant as his older sister, Kakko, and perhaps he is not as clever as Randi, his younger brother, but Shaun is known for being steady and of a quiet nature.

He decides that he will continue his studies and decides that he will follow a pathway of  youth and community studies.

But it's sometimes said that a person's plans are what they do whilst they are waiting for everything to go wrong.

And as far as poor Shaun is concerned, things do go wrong. Horribly and disastrously wrong.

But how can Shaun cope when vicissitudes and circumstances conspire to utterly destroy his chosen way of life?

 However, there is something that can help Shaun, if he is able to accept it. It is the gift of love that brings with it the promise and potential of healing and redemption.

It's a fantasy novel that is aimed at younger readers and will make a super Christmas present.

It is published by Matador at £8.99 and can be bought at https://goo.gl/wdCFDG.

The Devil Gets Lonely Too

This is an anthology of poems written by Liverpool's own Thomas B. Langton.

The poems are described as being "gritty" in nature, so are probably best read by people who are able to cope with life not as they might wish it tog be, but life as it actually is. The underbelly of the society we all live in, the world we all inhabit, but with a slightly, and sometimes not so slightly twisted, view of our society.

Violence, isolation, broken promises, love, hate, fear, sorrow, men, women, monsters, demons and devils.

All of these and many more are to be found as rich subject matter for the probing and witty poetry of Thomas B. Langton.

If you don't like strong language, this book isn't for you. But if you don't mind strong language, these poems will take you on a very memorable journey.

It's the debut of Thomas B. Langton. Here's hoping that Liverpool's new poetic voice will long reign supreme!

It costs £6.99 from Matador and can be purchased here https://goo.gl/wdCFDG.

A Carer's Chaos

A Carer's Chaos is an important new book by Julie Wiltshire.

It offers a valuable and unique insight into the problems and struggles that carers must face very single day of their lives.

The book tells the story of how Julie Wiltshire coped and managed when her husband David was diagnosed with cancer, not once, but twice.

Julie records the details of their long journey from the diagnoses, the treatments and their daily lives as they battled to survive.

It's an honest and open account and tells of periods of love and of hate, anger, feelings of loneliness and the utter terror of having to face the fact that your loved one is seriously ill and could even succumb to this disease.

It takes the reader through the terrible trials and tribulations of the carer as they attempt to help and support their ill spouse or family member without breaking under the strain of the situation that is not of the making of themselves or the victim of cancer.

This book is a must have for every doctor's surgery, every oncology unit, every hospice and every psychological counsellor who has to help carers cope with their unwanted role and every library in the land.

It is published by Matador at £9.99 and is available to purchase here https://goo.gl/wdCFDG.

Come Sweet Sexton, Tend My Grave

Come Sweet Sexton, Tend My Grave is a black comedy written by Eleanor Berry.

Professor Isaac Stone is in his mid thirties. He is an American (Bostonian by birth) professor of psychiatry.

He is an expert in a range of severe mental health disorders and is known to possess an incredibly short temper. He also declines to tolerate any nonsense whatsoever.

He is called upon to visit a female patient called Esmerelda Harris. who is currently incarcerated within the Rudyard Kipling Hospital where she is receiving treatment for a severe nervous breakdown. Which is, apparently, the result of her witnessing a particularly harrowing  and shocking event.

It will be the professor's job to help her to recover from this traumatic event and to regain her mental equilibrium.

But what did Esmeralda Harris witness that was so distressing that it caused such a dreadful breakdown?

Can the professor help her? Does he want to?

The story is told from the point of view of Charlie Yates, described as "a delightful raconteur" who has a large fund of anecdotes which are sure to keep the reader captivated and enthralled.

The climax of this novel is hideous and dramatic and very tragic.

It is published by the Book Guild at £8.99 and is available here https://goo.gl/wdCFDG.

Here Eleanor Berry talks about her own novel

When the Unacceptable Becomes the Norm

When the Unacceptable Becomes the Norm is subtitled "choosing a care home in the 21st century."

In this book author Bill Lawrence acts as an expert guide and takes the reader along a clear path, avoiding a variety of pitfalls from misinformation, lies and misunderstandings surrounding the selection of a care home for a loved one.

It is based on his own experiences of seeking out a suitable care home facility for his own mother and also on hour after hour of detailed, meticulous research into the shortcomings and problems of care homes that provide accommodation for the elderly.

Bill discovered that annually, there are tens of thousands of reports of complaints about the care of the elderly in such facilities.

Malpractice, deliberate abuse and neglect, both willful and as a result of ignorance or poor training or inadequate staffing levels.

The 2011 census figures showed that there were 320,000 people aged 65 and over in the UK who are residents in care homes. 190,000 of these people were over the age of 85. Which is the fastest growing age group in the UK, currently.

Estimates are that, by the year 2030 the number of care home places will have to grow by 80%.

The book is a concisely written work and should be required reading for everyone who works the the residential care home profession from the owners of the smallest care homes to the largest and to every care worker and nurse in the industry.

And everyone who has a relative in such a care home or who might need such a facility, let this book serve as your guide.

It's published by Matador at £9.99 and can be bought here https://goo.gl/wdCFDG.