Chapters in the Mind of a Schizophrenic

The essence of my book

I lost my mind

And got it back with time

My mind is a complex thing

Only I know what it is like within

Concealed in my skull

It’s anything but dull

I tried to keep it sane

But it has its own brain

I lost control and got it back

But it’s that trust I lack

Not knowing what comes next

I converted my thoughts to text

To try and understand

Before I’m buried in the sand

I kind of know how you tick

But to society I am sick

Labelled as mentally ill

But I have a strong will

To conquer my brain

And learn how to maintain

A level of sanity

Enough to have clarity

And function within the norm

Without causing a storm

I lost you twice

As I rolled the dice

Gambling with my mind

Because I didn’t know what kind

Of illness I was dealing with

Now I know schizophrenia it is

I try to make my peace

With a mind that is never at ease

Now I wrote this book

And that much suffering it took

To describe my mind

But I think now it is perfectly timed

To share this book

With all the pain and sweat it took

I hope to spark a conversation

That puts us on track to that far destination

Where acceptance is key

And we can all live free

By YM Mehanni

Childhood Awaits Every Person

“I didn’t know it was like this,” exclaimed an eight-year-old. This book reveals the depth and extent of childhood yearning for the natural world and their enjoyment and wonder of it. Learn to appreciate this desire and discover the child within yourself so you too can discover your own inner child’s love and care for the planet. Addressing the climate crisis begins with the discovery of our own inner child and that deep yearning, wonder and enjoyment of nature.

You will also delight in the story which ends with the plea: “Please, please can the world not crush this child, his gentle, profound, and astonishing soul. So remember – trees are part of love, and the land is always there, under the concrete. And if there arises in Suffolk a guru, a visionary, a spiritual leader of awesome ability – I won’t be surprised if he’s called Paul, and has freckles, and skips now and then when he walks.

Childhood Memories at Twilight

Childhood Memories at Twilight shows the turbulent relationship between the author and her mother where her siblings were favoured and her emotional journey to become who she is today.

This is a story of a feisty young girl trying to overcome being belittled and bullied, struggling to get out of her mother’s clutches and be independent through education.

She managed to get a degree in Economic Sciences and met her boyfriend who is now her husband of 34 years. She then took a risk and left her country to be with her boyfriend in Antigua where she learnt to sail. Coming from a landlocked country this was very frightening for her because she can’t swim! She got married 18 months later and they moved to England. Sailing became part of her life as her husband was a sailor. She managed to win 3 cups from her Royal Yacht Club Logs. 

The book is about her childhood and sailing to new places and discovering new ways of anchoring on rocks to get privacy, especially in Sweden.

She feels believing in yourself is the way forward to achieving your goals.

Clearwater

The author was born and raised in a traditional rural village in the most violently homophobic country on earth – Nigeria. His memoir tells a harrowing story – how he negotiated ostracism, imprisonment, homelessness, violence, extortion and intense persecution. But he is never a victim – drawing on his own spiritual and emotional resources, he overcomes. He seeks to understand the root causes of homophobia, providing fascinating insights into Igbo culture, history, spirituality and cosmology. Moving rapidly from one hair-raising experience to the next, the tight prose and action-packed narrative will keep the reader engaged until the end. At the same time the author provides hope to those facing persecution and violence, and who find themselves in similar situations.

Community Nursing Stories

An evocative memoir that paints a rich historical picture of life as a district nurse in a close-nit rural community setting in the mid-1970s and 80s. The author presents a fascinating set of memoirs that capture the essence of a district nurse at this time.

Presenting the challenges of coping with a young family to live and work as an outsider within a community, winning trust, and respect, whilst adapting to the challenges of working in a rural community, before days of central heating, mobile or in some circumstances house phones. The memoirs present a series of heart-warming, encounters, portraying a picture of a committed nurse, becoming a community champion and visionary pioneer in the development of much needed community services.

The stories of engagement with all-age community members present a strong historical context of the nursing role. In some ways very different to current nursing practice, reflecting the evolution of nursing and development of nursing, medical and technological knowledge to underpin the principles of knowledgeable, empowered, and informed practice.

Confessions of a Justified Hooker

Harrowingly honest and strangely uplifting, this is a courageous testimony written from the soul of a unique, if not peculiar, woman whose tale transcends political and legal struggles. So tragic, yet tremendously inspiring, her feats of strength take you into the dark heart of modern Britain that perhaps you have never seen before. It is a heartwarming fight of a gracious mother, desperate to get her son the medical care he so vitally needs, whilst his father seeks only to exploit him.

When faced with the greatest challenges of her life, she ventures a most ghastly and terrifying path to an uncertain future. There, her legion of clients become her unexpected support group. In them, she finds solace, exhilaration and, most importantly, healing. Rising from the ‘grime’ of Gorton, Manchester, Sandra breaks convention and rises into the sheets with the rich and powerful. Holding nothing back, the illicit encounters and rampant rendezvous, be they Premier League stars or Irish VIPs, all are weaved in. The layers of sacred promises, illicit secrecy and hidden intimacy are peeled back to reveal pleasure and purity. In the melting pot, her boudoir, those who have tasted her pleasures, become her story, her journey, her life…

Keep Calm and Kinky On.

Cooking up an Adventure in France

Having discovered new love, it was time for a new adventure…and what an adventure. Selling up and joining the many people who chose to relocate abroad, Miles and Bryony move to rural France and embark on the renovation of a cottage and barn. They strive to develop an unusual but creative and inspirational business in these pastures new. This book tells their story, it’s punctuated with delicious food and musical memories. An unexpected bittersweet historic story is uncovered early into their adventure. It's a feel-good read that sees the couple embrace the many challenges of day-to-day life, forge new strong and lasting friendships; together they strive forward with laughter and wonder throughout the seasons of their first year.

Coronation Baby

Born within weeks of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, Susie’s memoir tells a story of the fast-changing times: from her childhood in post-war Britain, through the horror of Kennedy’s assassination and the Cold War to the battles between trade unions and government in the early 1970s.  Highlighting changing attitudes and the breaking down of respectful society, her personal story is intertwined with the politics and events of the world at large.

For ordinary people, the grey world of the 1950s gave way to the colour and excitement of the 1960s. Television programmes began to reflect the social changes and attitudes of the times, bringing controversy, political scandal and realism into our living rooms. The trials, tribulations and excitement of being one of the first ‘teenagers’ is told with a striking honesty which allows the reader to elate in the author’s joys and share in her challenges.

Despite the changing times, the strict bonds of society were still in place for many young people, and suburban life and leisure were little changed. School, church and seaside holidays formed the backbone of most children’s lives. Those born in the 1950s, growing up in the ’60s and early ’70s enjoyed a golden age of opportunity, social mobility and optimism and believed in the power of society and the Welfare State.

Whether you were there or not, this story will bring to life that ‘golden age’ of British history.

Crossing the Bridges

At the turn of the twentieth century, Central and Eastern Europe was a configuration of nations dominated by three empires: Austrian, German and Russian, whose borders promised to be set in concrete. The Austrian Empire was a multi-ethnic entity of countries that had been absorbed over time. Among these were Polish lands annexed by Austria in the eighteenth century, which became the Austrian province of Galicia, where Zofia Neuhoff was born in 1905 into an upper-middle-class family. Victorian manners reigned supreme, young ladies were coached to gracefully alight from the carriage and ‘culture’ was a magic word, socially distinguishing people who possessed it from those who did not. That haute bourgeoisie morphed into the central-European intelligentsia.

Zofia’s childhood was upended by five years of WWI which she spent in the picturesque environs of Innsbruck. By 1918, the three imperishable empires disintegrated and several sovereign states emerged from the ruins. After the Neuhoffs returned to independent Poland, Zofia’s life continued on an even keel with a happy marriage and a law degree unusual for a woman in the 1930s. In September 1939, Poland was invaded by both Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia. Overnight, Zofia’s existence was shattered. Alone, with an 18-month-old toddler, in the midst of mass arrests and deportations of civilian population, how could she cope with this new harsh reality for which her sheltered life had not prepared her?

Cycling 70 Years: Once World Champion

Join Gordon on a journey through the world of professional cycling, from following in the footsteps of Tom Simpson on a journey to Saint-Brieuc, Brittany, to building a successful financial services business and organizing popular training camps in Mallorca, which helped make the island the top destination for serious cyclists. Along the way, discover the amusing characters and incidents that defined Gordon’s career, as well as the challenges and triumphs of sponsorship and racing with one of the top amateur clubs in the country. Experience the thrill of home and away racing in countries like South Africa, where Gordon competed in the pre-Nelson Mandela era, and Russia, where he won the world championship. With a mix of cycling adventures and tourism, this book also takes you on a hilarious four-day pilgrimage ride from Albufeira to Fatima, culminating in a unique ceremony at the famous site. Through it all, you’ll get a unique glimpse into the world of cycling and the joys and challenges that come with it.

Dancing to the Beat of the Drum

Returning to her parents’ birthplace in 1994, Pamela Nomvete became a household name as Ntsiki Lukhele, “the bitch”, on a South African soap opera called Generations.

But the mirage of luxury and success in which she lived was just that, a mirage. Behind closed doors, she battled her husband’s infidelities, addiction, and spiritual confusion.

Dancing to the Beat of the Drum details the traumatic personal crisis Pamela went through as her success grew – a crisis which took everything she had worked for from

her – and how she came to re-evaluate her priorities and reconnect with the spiritual side of her life, something she had long neglected.

Dancing with Chaos

Dancing with Chaos is a memoir. It is an eclectic tale that centres around themes of mental illness and medicine, travel and the struggles of a single mother. The main character is raised in poverty and uncertainty by a single mother who suffers from schizophrenia. Later, as a vulnerable teenager, searching for love and acceptance, she finds nothing but heartache. Then, as a young adult, she begins to discover that the world is actually a fascinating and sometimes wonderful place. Heartaches resurface as the genetics of mental illness unfold.