The Life I Won

A gripping tale of strength, resilience and of how life can be devastating yet beautiful at the same time.

She was born to a working-class family in Manchester. Her father was her inspiration. She idolised this charismatic man, and he told her every day that she was special. Emulating her beloved father’s work ethic, Mandy worked on a market stall at thirteen years old, then went off to university at eighteen, always working to help financially. From nothing and nowhere she built a successful career in an unexpected place. She was admired, respected and had made it.

Then her world literally fell apart and life took her on a journey from abundance to rock bottom. There were lessons to be learned on this rocky road and if she wanted to stay alive, it was her duty to learn them.

Facing relentless challenges, losing people she loved and every penny she had, many would have given up. But not this woman, because her dad had told her she was special.

Heart-breaking, enlightening and ultimately uplifting, The Life I Won tells a story of success despite adversity. It will teach you that if you have the right attitude, you can play the game of life and win, no matter how bad it seems.

The Last of the Lucky Childhoods

This is the story of my childhood recollections while growing up in Glasgow. The streets were still for kids and we knew how to make our own fun, though some of the mischiefs we got up to may not be classed as fun nowadays.

If we were poor, we didn’t realise it; if we were ill-treated, we thought of it as normal. Kids didn’t complain in those days (or they got a ‘slap across the lug’). Kids knew their place, we just got on with life and enjoyed it to the fullest.

As Billy Connolly would say: “What I’m about to tell you is true…well mostly.”

If any of my old pals, relatives, or friends recognise themselves on these pages, you’re most likely right…but I have changed the names (in some instances) to protect the guilty!

To Cry No More

Can you remember the last time you cried?

Life can take many directions. Each path leads to a different result. Which one you choose is determined by the previous path. 

How do we decide which path to take?

Linda’s paths could have been determined from her birth, her upbringing or the tears that flowed from her falls and tumbles or the joys and jubilations.

This is the true story about Mazie, who demonstrates that no matter what life throws at you, there is always another door to walk through, another path to follow. She shows that strength and willpower can turn any bad experience around and that no matter how hard, sometimes it’s just best to walk away.

Linda’s successes were through pure fight and determination. Her courage allowed her to see through her horrific childhood, her traumatic motherhood and her final moments with her true love.

Follow Linda’s paths entwined with pure emotion. Which path would you have taken? How many tears would you have shed?

An Austro-German as an Englishman. A Life, Times, and Commentaries

Through three distinct stages of his life the author narrates his compelling story through the complex and fascinating prism of an Austro-German heritage and psyche, transposed onto an English environment and upbringing. This Autobiography charts a life from 1938 till 2014 and takes stock, with forensic and contemplative detail, of 20th- and 21st-century politics and their wider implications seen today. Now in his seventies von Maltzahn looks back. The book is a living testimony to a life that has witnessed the world, its global political structure and his own immediate environment, change immeasurably. These pages serve as a personal reconciliation and a means by which to understand this ever changing world and his place within it.

Not Abandoned Nor Forgotten

Have you ever wondered if God exists?Has your faith been tested to the limit?Is your life in a dark place despite having faith?Are you waiting for answers to prayers?Are you feeling hopeless, still waiting for breakthrough?Lynn Attwood engages readers through vivid descriptions of rejection, health issues, torment and despair, thwarted opportunities and a life which, essentially, was a ‘wilderness experience’ in which she felt separated from God and isolated from others. Quotations from Scripture illustrate God’s promises and intentions and how these were evident in her life during specific time periods and critical events.Having faith, Lynn persevered in prayer, holding fast to God’s promises. Eventually her life changed. Hope is stirred as Lynn’s experiences unfold to reveal the heart of God.If you want your life to change, draw inspiration from how God turned Lynn’s life around.Through her own story, Lynn illustrates the truth of God’s word in her life – His love, faithfulness, goodness and mercy.

They Said I Was Misguided

The struggle to find your identity while growing up is a common experience for us all. Now, imagine that you belong to an orthodox religious community and you are gay – so your sexual identity is entirely at odds with your environment. What would you do to find acceptance? This memoir follows the very personal and lonely struggle of a young man forced to deal with this very scenario, with dramatic and moving consequences for his family, friends and most importantly, himself.

Where There is Life, There REALLY is Hope

Have you just discovered that someone you know is a drug addict? Are you heartbroken? Do you feel overwhelmed? If so, you are not alone. That is what happened to me. I thought I would have to bury my daughter by Christmas 2014.Snippets of my and my daughter’s story aired on 60 Minutes and Seven Sharp in 2015—current affairs programmes in New Zealand. Now, you can read the full account of my perspective of the traumas that led to my daughter’s addiction, the impact of them on me and what I learned along the way.My daughter shares her story in a companion book. Together, we have a miraculous story that has a happy ending. The great triumph after tragedy is that it is always possible to rebuild something with more beautiful results. My daughter and I are now closer than ever and she is doing better than I could have ever imagined.Expect to feel encouraged, empowered and hopeful as you travel through the pages of this book.Where There Is Life, There REALLY Is Hope, the inside story of a mother of a P addict who survived the rigours and now wants to share the insights she learned along the way.

On with the Show

On with the Show follows on from the first volume of Love and Music, a joint autobiography of singers Christopher Davies and Barbara Kendall.

In 1965, Barbara graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and joined Chris in the musical profession. They had gotten married in 1963 and this is the interesting story of how they coped with what was bound to be a demanding way of life.

Passive Conflict

Born on the serene island of Jersey, Irene Camus Smith’s life took an unexpected turn as the shadows of war descended upon her homeland. The Channel Islands, Britain’s oldest possessions, faced the threat of Hitler’s invasion during World War II. When the islands were demilitarized and left defenceless, German forces swiftly occupied them for five arduous years, marking Hitler’s triumph of setting foot on British soil after centuries.

The Channel Islanders endured unimaginable hardships under occupation, particularly during the siege that followed the Allied invasion of Normandy. Facing starvation and struggling to survive, their resilience was tested to the core. Among the countless stories of struggle, Irene’s family narrative unfolds, capturing the essence of the islanders’ collective experience.

Through their journey, we witness the strength of the human spirit amid adversity, as bonds are tested, and sacrifices made. In this poignant tale of survival and hope, Irene Camus Smith’s remarkable story stands as a testament to the unwavering resilience of the Channel Islanders during one of history’s darkest chapters.

Refuge in the Land of Silver

Time and again, history comes back to haunt us. How we choose to deal with it often shapes our own happiness. Can we learn to live with our own decisions and the actions of others? Is there a difference between the need to know and the want to know?

James fights to hold on to memories, which are slowly but surely being stolen from him. Will he make peace with his past before it is too late? Can this happen through telling the story of someone he barely knows?

Will Lorena cope with what she discovers about her family history? Or will it destroy her and her loved ones? Are you defined by the sins of your forefathers?

Revelations From Spirit: Over-coming Grief

Who hasn’t wondered if there is life after death? Margaret discovers there is, following the sudden unexplained death of her 22-year-old son Marcus, who died in his sleep.

Margaret couldn’t accept there was no medical explanation and went searching for an answer. Her quest ultimately leads her to spiritual contact Mediumship. Then, not only does she discover why her son died, but also received amazing revelations about his life in the spirit realms.

Revelations from Spirit: Over-coming Grief provides insight, solace, and hope to those affected by grief and sorrow that death invariably leaves behind. It is a heartfelt story of loss and discovery, revealing death is not the end, but a new beginning.

Solo in Oz

My travelling adventure started after my son, Stefan, and his friend, Rob, set off to the California Coast in America for a few weeks staying in hotels and backpacking across America to Las Vegas. I decided on my trip to Australia and it set a travel bug off inside me to do a two-month adventure of a lifetime backpacking and staying in hotels and travelling 12,000 miles across Australia by train.