10 Days of Dad

Dad and I rarely saw eye to eye. We fought so much when I was growing up, I think we yelled ‘I hate you’ more than ‘I love you’.

But Covid-19 changed all of that...

It was meant to be an enjoyable holiday, the cruise of a lifetime, but really it was the giant floating petri dish that allowed Covid-19 to dock on Australian shores.

Through tragedy, came forgiveness and second chances.

Dad, you are a cockroach – an atomic bomb couldn’t kill you...a virus named after a beer has no chance...

1984 – Diary of a 16/17-Year-Old

Transport your mind back to 1984 – an era where there were no mobile phones, no internet, no nothing...

Immerse yourself in this poignant diary of an innocent 16/17-year-old... living every day to the max! 

Enjoy reading her intriguing, witty and delightful diary... 

3 Boys, 2 Dogs, 1 (Ex) Husband and Absolutely No Idea

‘I never thought, when I met my husband at 18, got married at 25, had my third baby at 30 or even two years ago when I started writing this book, that I would find myself in the position I am now… a single mum to three boys, two dogs with a now ex-husband.

This is a brutally honest account of life since I weed on that stick. Pregnancy, haemorrhoids, cabbage leaves, mum mates, tantrums, holidays, hormones, sex, dogs and divorce.

This is definitely not a guide to parenting but it may make you feel a little less alone on the journey.’

A Boy Named Tigger

Adoption is a wonderful opportunity to give a child a loving parental relationship to grow up in the comfort of a home and family. One hears or sees TV programmes of how successful adoption can be! A Boy Named Tigger tells the story of a little boy torn away from a loving family environment to be adopted at the age of four by a couple struggling to get back on their feet after the second world war.

He went to a mother who had a split personality and tried to control every aspect of Tigger’s life subjecting him to mental torture at times. Growing up he managed to tear himself away from his mother and start a new life, gradually clearing his mind from the unhappiness of his childhood and embarking on several successful careers. The writing of this book was the therapy he needed to eventually clear his mind.

A Couple’s Journey – Finding Cassie

A Couple’s Journey – Finding Cassie is a heartwarming and honest autobiographical book that tells the story of a woman’s life-changing journey alongside her partner, who has come out as transgender and now goes by the name Cassie. Through this compelling and intimate memoir, readers will gain insight into the challenges and triumphs of managing family life, raising children, and navigating a shifting dynamic in a long-term relationship. The author’s candid reflections on their journey together to explore new dimensions of love and intimacy, provide a refreshing perspective on gender and sexuality. From attending LGBT Pride events to exploring nightclubs and meeting supportive people along the way, this book is a tribute to the joys and surprises of life’s unexpected journeys. With humour, compassion, and love, A Couple’s Journey – Finding Cassie is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of gender identity, and the transformative power of human connection.

A Crude Vision

A tale of unlikely success: of a man’s journey in oil exploration across four continents before he climbs the foothills of the London Stock Exchange. An often lonely voyage of ambition and irrational perseverance, where knowing who you’re not is just as important as knowing who you are.

“The particular morning, standing in silence in my punt, musket in hand, looking out southward to the end of the earth that was the Caspian Sea horizon, I concluded that we must sell.”

A Glimmer of Hope

This is a true account of what I thought was a second chance of love and happiness after a sequence of life altering events. I was ready to begin a new chapter in my life, and that is exactly how it began. Little did I know that my vulnerability was being taken advantage of, for what I thought was a blossoming new relationship quickly turned into a violent and fearful fight for survival after three years.

I have recorded my story in the hope to raise awareness about domestic abuse but to also show any survivors that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Here is my story.

A House in the Countryside

“Did I want to die with the knowledge that I hadn’t given it my all? No, I did not…”

This is the true story of William Halstead, a carefree and happy guy who succumbed to a horrific, relentless, and sometimes life-threatening gambling addiction. This eventually led him down a dark path towards serious mental health issues. A House in the Countryside is a short but compelling insight into the mind of an addict, the resulting psychological problems, and the impact this is having on many similar lives throughout society  – an awful disease from which happiness can be found again.

A Man of Two Superpowers

Brainwashed by the school propaganda at the end of Stalin’s rule, Yakov Grinshpun becomes an ardent young patriot. Unable to reconcile the communist ideals with the anti-Semitism he encounters throughout his school years, Yakov dreams of a way to escape the shell of propaganda.

A move from a shtetl to college in the city of Odessa opens his eyes to the realities of Soviet life: lack of freedom, harsh economic conditions, and the double life he is forced to live as a teacher. The idea of emigration is planted in his mind and grows into a desperation to leave the socialist “Paradise.”

After living in a socialist zoo for decades, would he be able to escape and put roots in a capitalist jungle?

A Man of Two Superpowers is an engaging, intimate, and moving memoir of struggle, depression, and accomplishments—sprinkled with humor and self-deprecation. This story gives an inside look of a transformation of a patriot into a “traitor” and the struggles an immigrant must overcome to become an American.

“A Man of Two Superpowers is a powerful book about perseverance, resilience, and the huge human spirit. As a daughter of a Holocaust survivor, I found it particularly moving and relevant regarding today’s immigrant experience.” –Laura Zam, author of The Pleasure Plan

“A Man of Two Superpowers is the perfect memoir for our times. It makes a solid and poignant case for the U.S. as a land of freedom and opportunity. Yakov Grinshpun makes the best possible argument for welcoming immigrants. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t have neighbors like him. And we would be the worse for it.”–Caren S. Neile, Ph.D. author of Florida Lore

A Midwife's Memoir

Following a long career as a midwife and then a community midwife, Carol retired in 2016, but she found she missed the excitement of bringing new life into the world, the joy and fulfillment of helping mothers to be, and the sheer pleasure of working in a small community.

She decided to record her experiences in this book as a tribute to all the wonderful mums and dads she gave help and advice to; some of the highs and lows, amusing and sometimes heart-breaking stories, and the unusual and unexpected events that occurred during that long career.

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 War Time Childhood And This is the Way I Saw It

I am in my eighties and have enjoyed reading books all of my life. I believe that those of us who enjoy reading books should write one and this is mine.

As a child growing up during the Second World War, family members over the generations have often asked me about my memories of that time.

This is how I remember it.