A Mother's Tale

Sean Sheridan was born into a poor Irish family in the North of Ireland but was destined to travel. His adult life was spent in the world of investment management in the City of London and Luxembourg, a far cry from his native roots. This is a story about growing up in poverty in a strict Catholic environment during the Troubles where priests, poverty and the police were never too far away. It is also a salute to an indomitable mother who overcame so many challenges and setbacks in life and to those whose lives she touched and enhanced. This is the first of, hopefully, many novels and he is currently working on a play about the ritual of Wakes in rural Donegal in the ’70s that he hopes will make it to the London stage in the near future.

A New Drive-Relational-Neuroscience Synthesis for Psychoanalysis

This book critically examines the shift from instinctual drive theory to relational theory in psychoanalysis, based on the premise that drive formulations are incompatible with relational configurations. It demonstrates that the original shift was misguided, based on misinterpretations and misconceptions of Freudian theory, informed by a problematic dualist social constructionist and relativist philosophical stance which sees mind as somehow disconnected from biological processes, therefore requiring a different epistemological approach. It illustrates how recent attempts at synthesis, and attempts to combine psychoanalysis and neuroscience, have inherited these earlier problems, leaving them equally unable to withstand critical scrutiny. As a result, this book aims to make a positive contribution by presenting a new drive-relational-neuroscience synthesis that is both philosophically coherent and empirically compatible with recent developments in psychology and the neurosciences. Specifically, the new synthesis: (1) is based on a conceptually sound realist philosophy which posits mind as extended and embodied; (2) emerges from a re-examination of Freud's writings by demonstrating how instinctual drives and relational strivings constitute interlinked aspects of an overall motivational structure; (3) includes a much-needed clarification of the role of the central concepts of evolutionary theory and motivational conflict; (4) is strengthened and supported by appropriately interpreted current neuroscientific research; and (5) addresses implications for psychotherapeutic theory. In this way, the book is clearly located within the broader context of integrating psychoanalytic theory into mainstream developments in contemporary psychology, including neuroscience, evolutionary psychology, embodied/hot cognition, personality, and psychotherapy.

A New Home and Other Stories

What could happen when you leave behind the life you have known and travel to a faraway country? Would you go to a place where everything feels different, and no one speaks like you do? Have you ever thought about what that must be like? Join Lina and her family on their adventures to a new home. This historical memoir will take you on a road of fulfilling dreams and the troubles along the way.

A Nice Quiet Life

This is the story of my grandfather’s life in the Merchant Navy, originally written by him during his retirement. He was a Marine Engineer from 1908 to 1945. This book describes a lifetime of adventure, hardship, and joy on all the different ships that he sailed, from grand liners to rusty hulks. He survived the two world wars, the depression of the 1930s, and at one time he even took his family to sea with him.

He sailed on the Oceanic, the Olympic, the Britannic, and almost sailed on the Titanic. During the First World War he spent some time as a volunteer tugboat engineer at the Gallipoli Landings and later saved a ship from sinking from a torpedo strike. During the Second World War he survived two shipwrecks from torpedo strikes and avoided another sinking, thanks to the Enigma code breakers. He met a whole variety of people throughout the world during his career and often gave humorous talks in many ports that he visited around the world.

This book also gives some details on the ships he sailed and a small window into the events, and the world at those times.

A Passion to Run

After ten years of six-days-a-week training, she has gained three bronze medals in individual events and three relay medals at World Masters level, yet the competitive fire still burns brightly. She continues to train and now, as a sprint coach, she shares her passion for running to enable others to improve technically and live out their dreams. Speed is always the focus, whether her athletes are training for rugby, football, basketball, netball, hockey, track, tennis or mogul skiing.

A Question of Belief

Belief is rarely pure and never simple. This book explores the particular perplexities of belief as experienced by one female vicar in the Church of England. To exercise a public and representational role within any faith community will always bring its own pressures and paradoxes. Here, the author acknowledges and explores her own questions, which cover a wide range of topics from politics to preaching; from science to suffering. A constant theme of the book is the relationship between fact and truth. Fact is, of course, an important vehicle of truth, but not the only one. Symbolism, metaphor, myth, the creative arts have all conveyed the deep truths of Christianity to the author, who remains totally committed to her faith. Perhaps unsurprisingly, however, she takes a non-literalist view of belief, which she accepts will not be shared by some fellow Christians. But in her experience and understanding, to follow Christ means to seek the eternal truth which he embodied, and which will always be more elusive and intriguing than a recital of fact. And – for the author at least – more joy-giving. This is a hopeful book!

A Singular Triumph – Jesus Crucified and Risen

In an age when the foundational truths of Christianity are being questioned, this book explains, with warmth and clarity, the eternal work of the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It also discusses humanity’s vital need of it, and its relevance to the present generation.

Borne out of a lifetime’s study and ministry, Tony Rees makes complex theology compelling and accessible. Persuasive and gripping, this incredible work of redemption is unravelled through the pages of the Old and New Testaments, bringing fresh insights and challenges to the fore. It also provides a great source for anyone wanting to engage with the core doctrines of the Christian faith.

Whether you are a theology student or lay person, this book will bring you to a fuller appreciation of the work of the cross – its promise of total forgiveness, belonging, acceptance and identity, alongside the radical call to commitment. And equally, on the resurrection, with its promise of power to live a new life now, alongside the eternal hope of life beyond the grave in a world redeemed into the fullness of God Himself.

The truths around the story of God’s redemption of mankind are the greatest we could ever embrace. This book will inspire you with their message of hope in the death and resurrection of Christ, and give you fresh confidence to trust it today.

A Slice of Life from a Vicar's Wife

Jean Jarvis was born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, a market town in the East Midlands and part of the Portland estate within the Dukeries.

Her working life has been spent in schools in Worksop and Sheffield. She lived through the time when Britain was recovering from World War II. It was the time of Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley & His Comets.

She met and married the curate and became his wife and mother of two children.

During this time, she met John Betjeman, a friend of her husband. She acquired his fun name, “The Smasher”.

Her love of art and music continued throughout her life, and she became a church organist. Her love of painting is a set of fourteen stations of the cross, which was on show for a short time in Derby Cathedral.

This is the story of a long and happening life, told in slices.

A Story of Hope and Happiness

This is a story of triumph over adversity – an absorbing, thought-provoking, sometimes amusing but often heart-rending account of British businesswoman Rosemary Bidwell’s struggles to set up and run an orphanage in Sierra Leone, West Africa, for orphaned street children – youngsters whose parents had been savagely killed in a truly awful civil war.

Read how, against seemingly insurmountable odds, Rosemary founded the Cotton Tree Children’s Trust charity in 2006 and set about raising thousands of pounds through donations, sponsorship, talks and myriad fund-raising events to give 20 African children a second chance in life.

Through her charity, Rosemary provided her charges not only with a roof over their heads, regular meals, clothing and general welfare and educational support, but love and affection.

Read, too, how Rosemary had to overcome all manner of obstacles on the way to achieving her goal: everything from corruption, bribery, fraud and interrogation by police for 11 hours without diplomatic representation to being falsely accused of child trafficking and suffering a suspected heart attack and having to be airlifted home.

Despite the trials and tribulations, Rosemary has overcome the many and varied setbacks she encountered over a period of 18 years. Today, thanks to her dedication, perseverance and Christian beliefs, the Cotton Tree children can now face the future with confidence and know that they have been given an opportunity to prosper in life that, sadly, has been denied to so many other Sierra Leone children.

A Stroke of Luck

The book I present to you has the working title of A Stroke of Luck or a Beginner's Guide to Being Hospitalised as a More-Mature Person and What You Can Reasonably Expect. I believe that it represents a piece of innovative non-fiction, in that it is written with a positive, yet realistic, message about being a 'hospital virgin' at a more mature age. The project has been developed through my own experience of hospitalisation recently, for treatment on a stroke. The concept is conceived via passages of digressions, examples of humour coupled with sharp intakes of inter-active discussions based on the everyday activities of a hospital ward that the reader may not be aware of, let alone expect. It is in this respect that the book is unique: whilst acknowledging that such institutions are full of medics and other professionals by definition, there is also a whole spectrum of 'bit-part' players and 'events' too, which can have either a detrimental or positive impact on the patient's recovery. Their role is examined through character development and astute observation of what actually occurs during a 'confinement': Victor Meldrew can and does 'believe it' he has too! The story itself is chronological: from pre-admission, admission, the period of the stay when time becomes meaningless and thoughts begin to wander to level of absurdity never truly thought possible, to discharge (which in itself seems a 'nasty' word to use along with 'release', terms which come in for a wry comment or two!) and after-care. Primarily, this book is written with the 'over fifties' market in mind specifically, but I would envisage it being an informative read to anyone who is new to the 'hospital game' or is simply filled with trepidation at the possibility of it.

A Suitcase Full of Boomerangs

A Suitcase Full of Boomerangs is essentially a romp around the Republic of Ireland. Tiny boomerangs are bequeathed to colourful characters encountered throughout the three-week round trip.

Narrated in the first person, the protagonist and two of her sisters manage to have a ball as they traverse the width and breadth of Ireland in a big black jeep filled with suitcases full of boomerangs. This book of travel laughs, mishaps and adventures is a light-hearted, feel-good read, intended to whisk the armchair traveller far away to another time and place – the magic that will always be Ireland.

A Suitcase Full of Koalas

A Suitcase Full of Koalas is a modern, edgy travel book set to test your wits and memory for detail. Gallivanting around London and somewhere distinctly south of the great capital in a sleepy seaside village, the author finds herself handing out tiny furry koalas to the English, to the Polish, to the Italians, in fact to anyone who cares to accept the little fellas as a gift from Australia. In her moochings over a month, she manages to meet a myriad of characters from all walks of life who practically jump off the pavements, à la Mary Poppins and Bert, and into the book.

This is a book about life and living – about the human condition and quest for feathering one’s own nest. As John Donne observed, ‘No man is an island’, but sometimes we yearn to embrace solitude and sit with ourselves and a good book. A Suitcase Full of Koalas will inevitably tickle your fancy and have you laughing on every other page. But that’s a good thing, isn’t it?