In Green Pastures

In 1917, war rages on in Belgium and France, and German bombs fall on East London. Two sisters, Florence and Nell, living in Stratford, arrange to leave the city for the tranquillity of the North Essex countryside.

For Florence Mundy, fleeing personal demons and the imminent return of Harry, departure from London cannot come soon enough.

Nell Ashford has the safety of her five children on her mind while George is away at the Front.

In Halstead, lying peacefully in the Colne Valley, they find new challenges, friendship and pain as well as personal fulfilment. Florence discovers salvation and hard work in the newly formed Women’s Land Army while Nell takes on the role of breadwinner to her family.

But they cannot escape the consequences of the Great War and the arrival of German Prisoners of War changes the dynamics of Halstead life and Florence’s future prospects as the armistice approaches.

In Rio You Love a Little More

Arriving in Rio de Janeiro shaken to the core yet cautiously optimistic, Randall, a stubble-obsessed, gym-groomed Singaporean in his early thirties, is fleeing the emotional fallout from a tragic misadventure whilst wrestling with numbness over the end of a romantic relationship.

When he befriends two locals Marcelo and Felipe – both alluringly attractive in their own ways but could hardly be more different in temperament and their ability to speak English, he finds himself having to navigate behavioural and cultural chasms in the name of friendship, sex and possibly love. What follows is a barrage of secrets and unforeseen developments threatening to consume them.

Taking place over the course of Carnival, a time to drink, dance, flirt and make love, this light-hearted, quirky story of identity and redemption also doubles up as a love letter to Rio, brimful of all things Brazilian from gastronomic and musical emblems to unblinking observations of what makes this popular travel destination at once lyrical and intoxicating.

In Search of a True World View

Will utopian teachings and totalitarian regimes shape the future of humanity? Ronald Fagerfjäll, nestor among Sweden’s financial journalists, does not believe that at all. Religions only reflect a bygone era when men guarded herds of cattle and young women became barter for creating bonds between clans. And totalitarian regimes were formerly the general norm because something better had yet to be invented. An infallible leader quickly stifles the ability of his subjects to solve problems.

The obsolete is cleared out as economic, technological, and cultural evolution continues relentlessly, driven by millions of change projects and billions of free citizens. In knowledge economies, neither feverish fantasies nor feudal structures fit in. We cannot know our future with any certainty, but still, we create it ourselves by solving one concrete problem after another.

What does an evidence-based history of humanity look like? Our biological development was first and foremost a result of a fierce struggle for survival higher up in the food chain, first as scavengers and then as hunters. It required ever better ability to cooperate as well as constant development of weapons and tools. The fact that some 40 ice ages and countless volcanic winters passed during millions of years pushed the early people close to extinction and accelerated cultural development.

From this eye of the needle came Homo Sapiens, a species which could meet the threat from nature with innovations, stories, and cultures. Fagerfjäll has been working on his history book for four decades, but it is only now, when researchers have been able to take a closer look at both the life itself and the history of the planet, that the tale has been completed.

For anyone who doubts humanity’s ability to deal with today’s problems, this is a vaccination against pessimism.

In the Course of Dreams

In the Course of Dreams offers a profound odyssey into the heart of existence. Through poetic ruminations, it delves into timeless quandaries: life’s purpose, the essence of justice, the bounds of freedom, and the eternal dance of good and evil. Despite the weight of these themes, a luminous thread of hope weaves throughout, crafting a tapestry that is both current and eternal.

In the Name of Love

Meeting a partner on the internet is a relatively common occurrence in a society where we use the internet for practically everything; including finding Mr or Mrs Right. Online dating sites are growing in popularity but what can initially seem like ‘a match made in heaven’ can all too often turn into a nightmare.

When Jodie Foster met whom she thought was the man of her dreams, she was so swept off her feet that it took her some time to realise that her knight in shining armour was in fact a devil in disguise and that he was hell-bent on destroying her. Can Jodie’s faithful friends get through to her in time to save her from a fate worse than death?

Inciting Change

Whilst being homeless for two years and living on the peripherals of society, many an hour was contemplated to realise what is paramount in one’s life. Together, with the support and help from specialised agencies, I now have been housed and working for 13 years.

Eternally grateful for prayers answered, I hope that through the sharing of my words, others can gain insight and inspiration from a different world of thought and experience. It is hoped that the reader may realise that “coupled with consistency, the right support, love, and timely opportunities, one can conquer adversity!”

To those currently struggling with adversity in their lives, whatever their circumstances may be, I sincerely pray and hope for a better tomorrow. I regained my faith in God and humanity and pray you do too. If my words have by some measure helped in the process, I am humbled.

Indigo Ashes

Indigo Ashes is a collection of poems conceived as a journey.

The journey of a man, a soul, a human being and his experience on this planet.

The search for the meaning of his own

existence, the questions and the struggle with

the divine, the fights for his spiritual and

physical survival, loves and broken heart,

disappointments, illusions and suffering.

But also joy, courage, daring, wonder, redemption, deliverance, and finally, peace.

Infiniti

Like many other books, this book is about a journey. But unlike other books, the destination of the journey is the point where the parallel lines meet. The narrator is locked inside the book. The only way he can get out of it is by persuading one of the other characters in the book to finish off the writing process for him. But before he can do this, he has to make a journey.

On his travels, there are a number of waypoints where he must stop and collect materials which are pasted into the book. When the book is completed, he can leave the book by delivering it to the individual whom he will meet at the point where the parallel lines meet.

This journey, which is accomplished across his lifetime, takes him from the birth of Christ to the near future, with the author bending time by complex double time schemes, riddles and mathematical formulae. Every waypoint appears incredible at first, but we are in the world of weaving narrative into fiction but not fantasy. Every one of the waypoints is historical fact.

There is no trickery. The narrator does indeed take us to the point where the parallel lines meet. It had been staring at us in the face all along.

Iniquity

The poem cycle Iniquity tells a tale of unfulfilled love as seen through the eyes of a teenager, taking the reader on a heartfelt journey of hope, trust, desire and dreams which will finally be crushed by the bitter iniquity of life.

Written when the author was sixteen years old, Iniquity’s haphazard jumble of emotions are embedded in every line of every poem. Taken as a whole, the book represents an authentic record of each emotional stage of a love story.

Readers are sure to recognise the feelings these poems evoke, whether they experienced them in the past or continue to battle against them even now.

Insanitus

Make it to resemble a man

Sans emotions of any kind

Ignorant of pain and pleasure

Cold: bereft of heart and soul

One to kill at my command.

From  ‘PANDORA’

Insurrection—Democracy Under Attack!

In a world teetering on the brink of chaos, Insurrection – Democracy Under Attack! boldly explores the urgent need to preserve and defend democracy by upholding the sanctity of election outcomes: a timely message delivered through a captivating allegory featuring anthropomorphic characters.

Enter the world of Bimbo, an insatiable and power-hungry political leader whose unbridled narcissism blinds him to the true essence of democracy. Only when election results align with his interests does he grudgingly accept them. However, when the people’s will takes a different course, Bimbo’s fury knows no bounds. Rallying his zealous followers, he descends into the abyss of violence, striving desperately to cling to the presidency of Mukwa Island, regardless of the electorate’s verdict.

As anger consumes him, Bimbo shreds the nation’s constitution and reduces the parliament to ashes. Yet, hope emerges in the form of Captain Eagle, a symbol of true leadership, who emerges victorious in the elections and leads a courageous uprising against Bimbo and his loyalists. In the face of unwavering unity and the resilience of democracy, Bimbo’s grip on power crumbles, and he and his followers are forced to flee Mukwa Island, paving the way for the restoration of democracy.

Interloper

From birth Michael hasn’t belonged anywhere, and from birth no one has really liked him. At 17 he sets out to find himself and to find a place and people where he belongs. He tries drugs, rock and roll, but doesn’t belong. He travels across the United States and still nothing. He travels to Europe and through 20 countries, and while he makes some friends, he still doesn’t belong.

Michael doesn’t seem to fit into society nor any religion that he’s tried. He’s a happy and an optimistic guy for some reason, and every day he gets up expecting that this is going to be the day he finds someone or something that he fits into and belongs with. Will he find it? Will he finally find that he fits in with somebody or something? Will he find happiness and contentment?