My Land of Counterpane or My Résumé

The author is a retired registered nurse who has published three previous works: I’m Not Allowed to Say is about her experience as an active duty army captain; At the Foot of Rawlins Mountain is a series of vignettes of life growing up on an island paradise; and Casualties of Life details her early childhood, nursing training and the vagaries of life. Although not part of a series, two of these books dealt with her early nursing training and experience. All three were published under the name J’nette C. Bryant. This current work is a comprehensive detail of her nursing career as viewed through the eyes of, and experienced by, an emigrant. It covers a wide variety of health care settings to include: nursing homes, private and public sectors, and military and veterans’ administration institutions.

The author has one daughter and lives in New York.

The Best of Health

60 years ago, being a medical student entailed some hair-raising encounters in the course of training like giving a general anaesthetic without help or instruction, simply because you were the only help available; or assisting in emergency surgery when there was nobody else available.

Distinguished doctors thronged the corridors of Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Long after the war there was still a vivid memory of Burma and Libya.

Find out why an elderly theatre orderly hinted darkly at “a doctor who got to Dunkirk four days ahead of the field hospital team”. Get a new slant on the Penicillin story and read why the old NHS system in Edinburgh avoided “bed blockers”.

Here is an account of the almost explosive expansion of hospital medicine into ICUs – cardiac arrest teams, coronary care units, positive pressure ventilation, renal dialysis, etc. It was a time of medical progress and high morale.

The Needle and the Damage Done

The Needle and the Damage Done is the story of a boy from a small Irish village who became an adventurer, multi-award-winning doctor and physician to the stars. Part travelogue, part thriller, part celebrity tell-all, the memoir is a whirlwind of adventure and a fascinating insight into the colourful life of Dr Patrick Treacy.

Cosmetic doctor Patrick Treacy grew up in rural Northern Ireland during The Troubles. Determined to become a doctor, he raised money for medical school in Dublin by smuggling cars from Germany to Turkey. He studied biochemistry at Queens University Belfast and medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons. While working in a Dublin hospital, he was accidentally jabbed with a needle from an HIV patient. He took blood test after blood test for many years until he was confirmed negative. Initially overwhelmed by the experience, he moved to New Zealand, away from everyone who knew what he was going through: his girlfriend and his colleagues. Thus, he began a peripatetic existence, working as a doctor around the world. In Saddam Hussein’s Baghdad, Treacy was arrested and imprisoned, spending days wondering whether he was going to be hanged as a spy. He worked as a ship’s surgeon in California and with the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Australia. On returning to Dublin, Treacy set up the Ailesbury Clinic where he pioneered the emergent field of cosmetic dermatology, championing treatments regarding the use of botulinum toxin and dermal fillers. His award-winning research brought him numerous international accolades and many celebrity patients, including the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, who came flocking to his door.

Central to this memoir is Treacy’s personal journey: his efforts to escape the conflict of The Troubles, coping with the fear that he may have contracted HIV, getting over his lost love and surviving the crippling Irish recession. Most of all, it gives us a fascinating insight into his award-winning research on the influence of Botox ® on the brain and how he developed protocols to reverse the damage being done to patient’s faces as a result of the complications of dermal fillers.

Wild Colonial Boy

This autobiographical novel narrates the journey of Dan Docherty, a young Glasgow law graduate and karate black belt, who left his traditional Catholic family in 1975 to serve in the notoriously corrupt Royal Hong Kong Police.

In Hong Kong, he learned Chinese language intensively, then drill, musketry and law. A famous Tai Chi master accepted him as a disciple and trained him to become an international full contact champion.

In this book we’ll have a few beers with colourful characters like Big Don and Mountie Dave. We’ll visit exotic locales—Manila, Macao, Singapore… We’ll witness Dan in full contact competition and in street fight action. As they say in the Hong Kong Police, “If you can’t take a joke, you shouldn’t have joined.” 

A Traveller in Fujian Province, China

It is said that travel broadens the mind. This is true, but it does not happen automatically. One must make the effort to observe and appreciate. One must allow oneself to be affected and changed. During his four and a half years living in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China, Greg McEnnally endeavoured to do just that, helped enormously by the people he met – and hence this book is dedicated to them. He also read as much as he could, and this also helped him come to a greater understanding and appreciation.This book describes places: cities and towns, mountains and rivers, islands and countryside, but it also endeavours to present the people and their customs. The author found the whole experience exhilarating, informative and always interesting. It is hoped that the reader will share in this.

A Wolf in the Kitchen

A Wolf in the Kitchen is the prequel to Jim’s first book, Sled Dog Gun: Aviemore Dreaming.In 1987 Jim and Cherry bought their very first Siberian Husky… Hustler.On showing him to people for the first time, they were asked the inevitable question: “Is that a baby wolf?”A year later in the Summer of 1988 a small advert in a local paper changed their lives forever. They discovered the sport of “dog sledding.”Over the next 15 years, more dogs were bought until they had eleven.What follows is the story of these years and is both highly amusing, and often downright funny.After much perseverance, and some frustration, Jim transforms these dogs into one of the fastest teams in Great Britain.With it came recognition that he never imagined, and he and his team found fame on national radio and TV and played a part in a major movie film.A lovely easy read that is suitable for all ages.

Animal and Client Encounters

Qualifying as a veterinary surgeon over 50 years ago, James has seen enormous changes in his work of a general practitioner. From being a student learning from James Herriot through general practice to involvement with university life, the author has had an extremely busy life that encompassed many exciting, humorous, and quite often dangerous experiences!The elation and satisfaction of successful outcomes as well as the sadness of end-of-life scenarios are all portrayed together with the hardships and rigour of working on farms in adverse weather conditions.This is balanced by the recounting of the many, often self-deprecating, humorous episodes that made up the daily life of this vet. Although gentle fun is conveyed in the majority of the stories, it is not at the expense of nor the dignity of the clients, all of whom were greatly respected.Life was never dull and the unexpected was only ever a phone call away.

Tales from a Women's Doctor

This is an account of the life of an obstetrician and gynaecologist. It features his successes and failures, his sadness and joy, his trauma and relief and his exposure to problems in other cultures. It is all seen through the lens of a robust Christian faith.

The Crate Escape

In 1962, when air-travel was in its infancy, a nineteen-year-old boy who felt trapped in Melbourne, Australia, made up his mind that he was going to return to his homeland in the United Kingdom. He was prevented from doing so by both lack of documentation and the funds required.Putting an idea to work without the thought of losing his life, he became the first person in history to fly for nearly five days in a crate across the Pacific Ocean.

Now and Evermore

Embark on a thrilling journey through the kaleidoscope of Sarojini’s extraordinary life, where happiness dances hand in hand with adventure, and every page brims with excitement and wonder. From the heartwarming highs to the adrenaline-pumping escapades, she has been graced with a life overflowing with joy and contentment.

Prepare to be swept away by the enchanting tapestry of Sarojini’s remarkable adventures and captivating experiences. This book isn’t just a story; it’s an invitation to join her on a rollercoaster of emotions, where every moment is a treasure waiting to be uncovered.

So, dear reader, fasten your seatbelt and get ready for a ride of a lifetime. Dive into the pages of Sarojini’s book and let the magic of her world ignite your own sense of wonder and delight.

Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime? Happy reading!

Learning from Albi

Scruffy, deaf, and homeless, life on the streets is tough for young Albi. What could the future possibly hold for an abandoned Spanish Podenco puppy that has been hit by a car and can’t hear? Yet despite a traumatic start, Albi’s life changes when he is rescued, brought to the UK, and fostered by Lois Sinclair, founder of the rescue charity, Gracehounds, and a passionate dog lover who has shared her life and home with numerous canine companions. Before long, Lois and Albi’s lives become interwoven.

With Lois’s nursing background and Albi’s intuitive nature, the pair soon find themselves volunteering in the animal healthcare sector. Albi also develops a reputation as a transition dog, offering support to other dogs and their owners during times of loss.

But Albi is a free spirit. He also has health issues. And while his sensitive nature earns him many friends and admirers, there will be challenges ahead, including surgery. As Albi continues to enrich Lois’s life, questions remain. Albi may have found a forever home but can the love and hope which bind him and Lois sustain him? And does this unique animal have the strength to live the life that every dog deserves?

Chocolate Crackle Saturdays

The eighties were a totally rad time when denim was acceptable on both top and bottom. Hair gel wasn’t for neatness, but gravity defying style. Neon pink and blue were coupled together like vanilla ice cream and Ice Magic. The beige station wagon was the only vehicle for road trips and dingy motels were well rated. Eight-bit video games were new and thrilling, while movies were big and brave. McDonald's was part of the weekly diet and Pizza Hut reigned supreme. We loved it all, especially on Saturdays when chocolate crackles fuelled every Nintendo session and BMX adventure.Join JP Pelosi as he fires up the DeLorean to whiz us back to the nexus of contemporary pop culture - the 1980s. Madonna, Pac-Man, Knight Rider, Chicken McNuggets, the video store and the Sony Walkman. It's all here, brought back to life in this nostalgic memoir about childhood joys, family life and the thrill of a perfect Saturday afternoon riding skateboards and trading football cards.So, slip on your shutter shades, gang, pull up a Garfield-themed beanbag and let's relive the greatest decade ever!