An Enquiry into the Delight of Existence and the Sublime

In his debut collection of poetry, H. K. G. Lowery explores a journey incorporating all the natural anxieties and pains of living, leading to an understanding of real forgiveness and redemption.

From the first poem of the collection, An Ode to Father John Misty, he sets the scene touching on societal issues such as racism, homophobia, religion, addiction and consumerism. The darkness of such issues, as well as other emotional issues, are given light gradually when he journeys into the positive attributes of forgiveness, hope in the God, the wonderment of nature, self-acceptance and salvation. The collection begins to rotate towards the Sublime with A Requiem for St. Francis which holds a strong personal resonance from the time he visited Assisi in Italy.

Each poem commences with an epigraph which summarises each individual poem. The final poem sees all twelve epigraphs combine into a conclusion of the collection which results in a cathartic outpouring where the delight of existence is realised.

An Enquiry into the Delight of Existence and the Sublime is a personal journey, a rise from darkness to light, from despair to hope.

An Eternal Circle - Part 6

For 2,000 years the Ephesus gladiator cemetery has been more than simply a home to the bones of fallen warriors. Unbeknown to Tyra and her group, as they search for Alruna – the slave child and Drusilla's half-sister – merely standing on this hallowed ground beneath the ominous black marble obelisk with its sinister warning, has inadvertently set in motion the forces of destiny once again while the stars and planets in the night sky all point to an earthly event of cosmic proportions. When the next moon rises, the most celebrated gladiatrix and High Priestess to Minerva will throw off the restraining bonds of the afterlife and embark upon a desperate odyssey to find those she once loved in another time.

What does the future hold in store for a woman born twenty centuries ago and who, presumably, knows nothing of the modern world along with its unfamiliar peoples, customs and technology? Will her presence be accepted amid the hoped-for atmosphere of conciliation, fond memories and atonement? Or is it her fate to be spurned, rejected and turned away a second time, as her former lover regards her in the manner of a bizarre anomaly of the spirit world, impossible to exist in the first place and here on a mission of questionable motives?

An Idiot's Love of Idioms

Ever wondered where the sayings we commonly use originate from?

Sometimes the things we say, if we really think about it, make absolutely no logical sense.

Why on earth has a cat got my tongue? Why does a wall have ears? And why the heck are my ears burning? Why would I possibly want to break a leg?

If you think you know the answers, you might be close but have no cigar and if you don’t want to wake up on the wrong side of the bed or even worse, wait until you kick the bucket then you may want to step up to the plate and read on.

Now I certainly don’t want to read the Riot Act on you and I think by hook or by crook if you read this book you’ll be happy as Larry and as pleased as Punch.

I don’t want to be a clever clogs but by and large I think you’ll have a field day with what you’ll discover, if you catch my drift?

An Impossible Quest

In this story set in the ‘Dark Ages’ of British history, two brothers – twins Alfred and Leofric – help win a tribal conflict, but faced with ‘a fate worse than death’, they take to the road. They are seeking adventure and fame and are faced with opposition when Alfred falls in love with a beautiful (aren’t they all?) princess. He is challenged to complete a quest to prove he is worthy of her. That’s when the difficulties begin.

An Irish Orphan in Africa

The fortitude of women is measured in many ways.

When Brigid is orphaned at the age of six in 1937, she is separated from her three elder brothers. She finds solace in books while living with an elderly spinster aunt and her younger brother in the country.

With her vivid imagination she dreams of travelling to faraway countries. After a strict Catholic upbringing and boarding school in a convent, she leaves Ireland at the age of 21 to follow her dreams. The British Foreign Office sends her to Libya as a radiographer for two years. It is there her love of the dark continent is ignited and three years later she arrives in Malawi to work in Lilongwe. She meets her Catholic South African husband in the first two weeks, marrying him after eight months.

Over the next 13 years, she endures constant control and abuse while trying to raise five children with no family or emotional support. The family eventually returns to Ireland in 1973, travelling by car and caravan for three and a half months through Africa, Asia and Europe. After a year of increasing control and entrapment she finally escapes with her five children, aided by her two eldest brothers. She never sees her husband again, as he departs the country leaving her penniless and a single mother of five young children.

She survived and now lives peacefully in Dublin on her own enjoying bridge and hearing from her children and 14 grandchildren.

An Old Contemptible and An Irish Pasha

This is a true story of the adventurous times and heroism of Lt Colonel T W Fitzpatrick, a latter-day hero of the 19th and 20th centuries. It is a mixture of Lawrence of Arabia, Sharpe and Hornblower but with much, much more! There are numerous different facets to his adventures, including his army experiences, police exploits, handling of riots, assassinations, terrorism and murder, along with his interactions with kings, popes, prime ministers and parliaments.

This biography takes the reader on a thrilling journey, packed with adventure, from rural Ireland to India, back to Ireland, to England, to France during World War I, and then onto the Middle East: Palestine, Transjordan and Egypt in World War II. He has blood-curdling adventures in Alexandria, Cairo and Eritrea. Finally it's back to Britain and ministerial shenanigans in the corridors of power.

An Open Verdict

Dr David seeks to establish the truth behind the unnatural cause of death of Stephen, one of his patients. He promises Stephen’s parents, that he would search out the explanation, having a strong suspicion that Stephen’s death was caused by a new psychiatric medication. Dr David did not realise that his quest for answers would lead to him being the target of an assassination attempt, and also endanger the lives of others. The story has many twists, unfolding to reveal a major pharmaceutical company’s cover up plot and attempt to conceal the truth using deadly force. Police involvement in the case introduces Dr David to a soulmate and romance.

An Unfortunate Dot

It’s not easy trying to find your place in the world, particularly when you are only a small dot. However, our intrepid dot overcomes obstacles and challenges to finally find where he belongs and take his place in the most useful of spots.

Ana Loves Chocolate

‘I don’t want crumpets, waffles or bread.
I want chocolate, just chocolate, I WANT CHOCOLATE’ she said.

In this illustrated morality tale, Ana loves chocolate more than anything else in the whole world. After dreaming about it all night, she pleads for it all day. But when Ana finally gets her way, what could go wrong?

Anchor Moon

Some children have comfort blankets, others have their favourite nursery rhyme or book that they must have before they can go to sleep each night. Anchor Moon is all three combined. Anchor Moon is the ultimate hug before drifting off into a beautiful sleep, full of hopes and dreams. The story is the latest must-read for children before bed. Comforting, exciting and opens the mind to your own world of imagination, fun and, of course, adventure. The main character, Rupel, is quite like any other child, longing for magical adventures. One stormy night, he voyages on the most exciting journey as Captain Screye needs Rupel's help in sailing to the moon to hide his treasure from the pirates. As Rupel flies over the roof-tops and into space, he looks back at the world, amazed at its beauty in lights. Rupel meets his new best friend, Ronnie the Robot, and they embark on lots of fun on the moon. Rupel discovers how courageous he can be and realises the endless possibilities there are when he just believes. Heart-warming and comforting, this story will live in the hearts of many children, who will then pass it on to their own children one day, for even adults need a little bit of hope and magic in their lives.

And I'm Still Waiting!

‘And I'm Still Waiting! is about all my struggles coping with a mental illness: the “highs” and “lows”, my achievements and how I have grown over the years into a capable, confident and ambitious person. I still have my bad times but the way I deal with them has changed drastically. I cover individual topics such as anger, alcohol abuse, relationships and prejudice.

‘Many songs have been referenced as they have played an important role in my continued recovery and have helped to inspire me through good and bad times. Sometimes a particular song could convey exactly how I was feeling at that time, when my own words weren't there.

‘Apart from helping with my recovery, the main reason for writing this book is to share it with others and give them hope that it is possible to lead a rewarding life even in the face of adversity.’

Steph Chaplen

And Man Created Eve

The time is the future. Robots are doing the work previously performed by humans. The replacement of workers by robots is both predictable and inevitable. The owner of the largest robotics company in the world decides to create the perfect woman. He hires the best engineer to construct her body, and the best programmer to construct her brain. He buys an island and changes its name to Eden Island. He names the plan Project Eve, and she is planned to be the prototype for a new race of women to replace flawed womanhood. He does not foresee the consequences of his plan, such is his obsession. He does create the perfect woman in body and mind, but when she acquires human characteristics his plan starts to unravel. Project Eve ends in disaster.