The Woman from the Other Side

This collection of short stories focuses on the lives of ordinary working-class people from Northern Ireland. It is set against the backdrop of the ‘Troubles’ and the province’s more recent history. Strong female characters often carry the narrative, and the story which gives its title to the collection is that of a Catholic woman from the South who marries a staunch Northern Protestant, and they settle in Belfast. The strife which ensues reflects the divided communities which the rest of the book can testify to.

In their depiction of everyday violence and intimidation, the stories bring to light more latent themes of homosexuality, sexism, and prejudice. A strong focus on family bonds means that the collection provokes a profound resonance with a large number of us who have grown up in tight family circles. In many ways, the ‘Troubles’ serve to underline the tensions inherent in these bonds.

The Tales of Hidden Truth I

As little Azure’s fears and doubt begin to grow more and more powerful, she sets out on a quest to find the one thing that can liberate her: the fabled ‘Dream Flower’! Along the way, she meets various people and beasts, and learns more about the world, while steadily reaching her goal. In the second story, we follow Globalea’s road to power and her fall from greatness. As she narrates her story and of her various ordeals, more and more of her emotions reach out, ultimately resulting in dramatic showdowns and a heart-stopping finale.

The Orphan Plus Others

This collection of short stories traverses times in the distant past all the way up to more recent moments in the 20th century. These vignettes provide glimpses of lives very different to our own, from the experience of war and poverty to social attitudes which might appear alien to us today. To have lived through some of these times has been a privilege, and the author looks back on them with a sense of nostalgia. The memories of the past remain, and with the aid of stories they can be passed on to future generations. These stories can evoke both laughter and tears, plumbing the vast depths of human emotion to bring history to life in a vivid and compelling set of narratives.

The Menagerie

This book is a collection of eight separate stand-alone short stories. These stories will take you on a journey of suspense, adventure, mystery and horror.

There is something for everyone, whether you like gritty detective stories, mythological adventures or enticing horror, all that and more in this Menagerie.

The Lost Man and Other Tales

When our two children were small, we lived on a small farm near Exeter. The farmyard was immediately outside the house which meant I could spend a little time with our two sons at their teatime and go indoors again when they were bathed and put to bed. My wife would read to them, and then I would. As they got older, I would tell them stories too, often involving input from them too. Hence, the idea of creating stories as well as just reading other people’s writing.

A few years later, I felt the need for the extra income, so I did a one-year teacher training course at St. Luke’s College and took a part-time job at our local secondary school, teaching slow readers. A colleague there, a teacher of English, heard of my occasional scribblings and asked for some short stories for her to use in class. This worked surprisingly well.

For a number of reasons, we sold the farm in 1978 and moved to a house with a three-acre paddock near Kingsbridge. I became a full-time teacher with multiple handicapped teenagers. Not much time for writing. Also, in later years, when we were gardening beside the River Dart a few miles downriver from Totnes, there was no time for writing.

However, when we sold our smallholding and retired to Totnes in 2000, I took up writing again and got down to it more seriously. This book is the result of my scribbles over the last 20 years.

The Gray Mind

The present book, called The Gray Mind (a collection of short stories), is taken from the daily conditions of every human being that he sometimes encounters during his life and is considered a great challenge for him. But why humans find themselves in such a critical situation is a reflection of the behavioural complexities that lead them to a world far removed from individual imagination and to a world that is more like a hell that endangers their peace of mind.

In this book, the author has made every effort to portray these conditions and to show that human beings are victims of conditions left to us by the superstitions and wrong frameworks of our predecessors. The author’s attempt is simply to use the smallest spaces and the least characters to achieve the greatest concepts, which in today’s terminology manifests itself as minimalism.

The Doctor and Other Stories

A book of six short stories that move from a London doctor in the 1850s to a soldier in Sussex in the early 20^th century, and from a person who brings a dog into his life to a citizen’s view of how his beloved city has changed.

These stories will not just take you to places and eras you’ve never been to before, but will also force you to look deeper within yourself.

Tales from Here and There

From country bars, back seats of cars
and colonies on Mars,
there’s tales to be told.

Three dozen such tales spanning irony,
pathos and humour from here and there
are presented in no particular order.

So, start anywhere
for your first ten minutes of distraction
from the cares of life.

Stories and Anecdotes

This is a collection of stories, anecdotes, and reminiscences written, collected, and compiled over a long professional life.

They amuse or provoke serious thought, aiming to make the reader laugh for a few moments and think for much longer.

Most are in short essay form, some with a discursive introductory beginning leading to a serious or amusing ending, the real thrust of the story.

Most are based on personal experience. The stories about bees are factual and based on a life-long hobby of beekeeping.

The last thoughtfully written section from a lifetime as a doctor is entirely serious, educational, and thought-provoking.

Short Stories A-Z

This collection includes fiction, fantasy, and horror stories, all underpinned by humour. So, whilst eavesdropping on the hearts and minds of the protagonists within, feel free to chuckle as you cheer the goodies and boo the baddies. Or vice-versa…

None of the characters is drop-dead gorgeous, has perfect teeth, or is living the dream with their one true love. No. These characters are muddling through life like the rest of us which means some stories may seem familiar – perhaps a little too close to the bone. Some are irreverent and others, downright disturbing. Nevertheless, whatever your reaction, whatever you feel, the stories tell things the way they were and without judgement. Fair enough?

Short Stories

When an elderly gentleman is returning from a visit to his wife’s graveside, he is shocked to find himself the victim of a young thug. What the thug doesn’t realise is that this particular gentleman has nothing to lose and will make the young man regret ever having crossed him. (Bringing the House Down)

When a lady refuses to leave her bungalow for an easier life in a care home, nobody suspects the real reason behind her reluctance to go. (An Accident)

Three friends risk their liberty for great financial gain, but do they reap the rewards of such daring behaviour? (Happy New Year)

An SAS soldier returning from Egypt, still suffering after the kidnap and murder of his daughter, steps in with drastic action, to punish the would-be perpetrators of a similar crime. (Just Another Day)

When a recently unemployed man, witnesses, and assists at a road traffic collision, he is rewarded for his bravery in a very satisfactory way. (Right Time, Right Place)

Pet Rapport

Pets as part of the family, their inclusion in everyday life and their mishaps or adventures are reflected in these stories. Each story is accompanied by an illustration that is personally drawn by the author from a photo received from the owner and reflects their unique character and personality. Some true and real-life examples include: A cat which was inadvertently included in a parcel (but survived), a dog that was stolen from outside a shop but was restored to her owner and a rescue dog who found a wonderful home. These are all true, but there are also four fictitious and humorous examples ‘hidden’ amongst the others, which the author invites readers to discover. Adults will find these stories heartwarming and children will like the ‘happy endings’ and trying to spot which stories are ‘made up.’ A book with stories that appeal to the heart and illustrations that appeal to the eye, whatever your age and whether or not you have pets of your own.