Out With Time

When Charles Dickens rescued Oliver Twist from the clutches of Victorian depravity, he created villains and victims to serve his purpose. Out With Time gives some of those maligned characters a chance to redeem themselves and tell their own story. To Dickens, Mr. Bumble was the pompous beadle of the workhouse and Oliver’s tormentor. Nancy, on the other hand, was Oliver’s protector, but Dickens sacrifices her to the evil machinations of Bill Sikes. In Out With Time we learn that Nancy is not simply a hapless victim but a fighter for what is right. Mr. Bumble, it must be conceded, does only what he can.

Together, Nancy and Bumble are an odd couple but also a formidable team. They strive to return a sense of civilization to the small Kentish town where Dickens started his tale. Even before Oliver makes his appearance, we see the couple wrestling with racism, sexism and even leading the way in a refugee crisis. In a curious resonance with the modern era, this story shows that the story of Mr. Bumble and Nancy is one that is not bound to a bygone age. Their destinies may be, in part, predetermined but Out With Time gives them the space to assert their own identities in defiance of any author.

Out of the Frame

In a society ruled by strict social norms, Magdolin finds herself struggling to navigate the choppy waters of societal expectations. Despite facing criticism and rejection, even from those closest to her, she refuses to be swept away by the tides of conformity.

As a girl born into a world where she never quite feels like she fits in, Magdolin inadvertently challenges the status quo with her unconventional ways. When she enters the most prestigious school in society, she is exposed to new knowledge and a world vastly different from the one she grew up in. Through her experiences, Magdolin discovers that the society she thought she knew is full of hidden complexities and contradictions.

Over the years, Magdolin embarks on thrilling adventures, uncovering secrets and learning invaluable lessons that sharpen her skills and help her to navigate the treacherous waters of societal expectations. Despite facing numerous obstacles, she refuses to compromise her true self and becomes a beacon of hope for others who feel similarly out of place. With its relatable themes and gripping narrative, Magdolin’s story is a powerful reminder of the importance of staying true to oneself in a world that often demands conformity.

Other Man’s Grass

Relationships between couples can deteriorate over time.

After twenty-five years of neglect and selfishness by Paul, Rita finds herself driven by lust, excitement and the attention of an attractive man: her husband’s friend, David.

Paul is shocked and hurt by Rita’s desertion and he decides to take himself on an adventure by helping another friend deliver a yacht to Portugal. There, he meets two women who persuade him to join them on their yacht travelling to the Canary Islands. Therein, another adventure unfolds which both surprises and excites him.

Meanwhile, Rita and David’s relationship continues to flourish, until one day after work, Rita returns home to find David dead. During investigations, the detective inspector finds secrets of which Rita was not aware.

It turns out that David was attracted to Rita for much more than she ever realised.

Opposites

It is New York, 1932. Sarah and John would never have met if it wasn’t for their mutual acquaintance Margaret Wilson, who was killed in a hit and run accident. Or was she? John’s relationship with women, up until he met Sarah, had been cold and artificial. He has never been in love before and finds himself out of his depth. Also, he is not able to explain his life choices to Sarah, as it could put them both in danger, especially as he is not sure he can trust her.

John’s life is all about power and control and Sarah’s is all about peace and the spirit world. Visually they are a perfect match, but in everything else they are worlds apart. For John, Sarah is the woman of his dreams. For Sarah, John is a cold-blooded mob leader. Or so she thinks. She can’t make her mind up, since he is always a kind and generous gentleman with her.

Only If

As much Charlene shows her beauty with the elegance of dress and fame, Sadhana shows her beauty with simplicity and self-pride. Indeed, both deserve to have captured one common heart – that of Bali’s – but sadly, only one is to keep it. In love, to sacrifice for peace and humility, is a true love in itself – a captivating story, internationally set, brings the climax of joy, anguish, sentiment, and sacrifice in this true love scenario of the three people. An interesting read and immensely enjoyable.

One Mind Two Hearts

Life can take you to amazing places, it can take you to sad and lonely places, but love always brings you home. Follow your heart, your dreams, never dwell on failure and sadness. Your inner strength will guide you on the right path and you will never be alone.

One Chance

The story revolves round a girl named June, her everyday ups and downs, her romance and how tragedy changed her life forever. June, raised from a very young age by her grandparents, lived a sheltered life, abandoned by her mother, who had tried to make contact down through the years, only to be ignored by June’s grandmother, who had held a grudge from days gone by. Meeting Matt brought her such joy, the seas that brought them together would one day divide them. Exhilarating joy…only to end in tragedy. Why didn’t she grasp her opportunity with both hands? What was it that was holding her in this place?

Olivia Taylor Fashion Dreams

Olivia Taylor, a stylish and creative genius, has a serendipitous and life-changing opportunity while navigating the convoluted world of haute couture. The 35-year-old British designer embarks on a career in fashion, which she discovers, she is ‘tailormade’ for. The dream job versus ruthless reality. Glamour versus drama. And to escort her through the conflict and cutthroat competition on this roller coaster journey, she depends on the loyal support of her precious friends and loving dog, Duke.

Olivia is surprised and immediately curious when she stumbles across a miniature version of her namesake, a young orphan, nicknamed ‘Liv’. The little girl is captivating, with her lookalike features and natural charm. But something is about to turn her own world upside down in the realm of both work and romance. Olivia, through no design of her own, meets the handsome and mysterious Damien, which forces her to reconsider her notions of love. Will her whirlwind lifestyle even allow her to explore the possibility of a committed relationship? Only time and fate will tell.

Her innate spirituality and sensitivity, coupled with her uncompromising self-belief will stand her in good stead, in pursuing her true calling in life. Adhering to those strong instincts, Olivia is able to seamlessly shift gears along the path of destiny and arrive at the best decision she has ever made, regardless of the extent to which her project threatens to tie her up in knots…

Off to Milos

After a broken marriage, and a few dates later, the high spirited Catherine makes an impulsive decision: she goes on a holiday to Milos. She wants to learn to enjoy life again on the idyllic Greek Islands. She soon discovers the heavenly food, the sublime beauty of nature and even meets a few ‘Greek demigods’. On the Island, she also gets to know Yiayia, an old, wise woman who had apparently predicted her coming. But exactly what role does she have to play on Milos? Her life takes a romantic turn she could never have dreamed of.

C.M.M. Dellamonte takes the reader on a romantic trip full of adventure, humour and stimulating experiences. All against the friendly setting of this paradise Greek Island.

Off to Milos will make you laugh, cry, float and enjoy the gentle rhythm of the Aegean Sea.

Nottingham Lace

Solitude and loneliness are a natural part of life. It happens to everyone at some stage. It is not confined to the ‘social misfits’ or the ‘losers’ in society. Those perceived as successful, with abundant friends and progressive careers, they can succumb too. James was a case in point. He led an outwardly successful career, had several intimate romantic liaisons with beautiful women, but he faced a late middle-age crisis. The cumulative effect of those interludes from early childhood experiencing loneliness and despair and his naivety with the opposite sex were beginning to envelop him. Giving up became an attractive option.

He pondered whether his destiny was to resemble the beauty of an artistic piece of Nottingham Lace or the miserable deathly trap of a Spider’s Web. James had chosen a path from a heavily restricted list. After college, he joined the RAF and then became a musician. Through several romantic encounters and raw sensual intimacy, James begins to learn that relationships with women go much deeper than purely the lust and the physical.

A series of career transfers, failed relationships, lead to bouts of loneliness and solitude, driving him to the edge of sanity. At a crucial point, he was prevented from going over the edge in his darkest hour by his pet Alsatian.

Finally, his anguish is resolved by a tragic mishap. This brings him back on track to reality before it became too late to recognise his first and only true love.

Not Exactly Friends

Ageing actor, Charlie Wallace is jolted back to a post-war past to find lost loves and friendships from his tough and brutal schooldays and a summer spent at Connaught Hall – whose consequences follow him today.  Protected by his schoolboy hero, Christopher Mountjoy, Charlie’s infatuation with Christopher’s sister, Isobel leads to the discovery that brother and sister have a darker side. Friendships can be fickle in a world of make-believe, where fact and fiction blur.

A passionate encounter with the girl has consequences too, when the actor is forced to abandon the stage. Past and present again collide and more events from long ago return with implications of their own. Can Charlie keep his memories safe and will he ever be reconciled to what took place at Connaught Hall that summer?

“Peter Fanning’s pleasure in language, literature and the theatre shines through this gentle, sometimes dramatic, story of growing up and falling in love in the 1940s. A sympathetic study of the agonies of self-discovery, it has romance, charm and a glorious English setting."

- Heather Neil, writer and critic, Literary Editor Times Educational Supplement.

No Mind of Her Own

It should’ve been simple, meet a girl at college, get a good job, maybe marry and settle down.

For Sam Ryder his path was never going to be an easy road.

Not only was the brilliant scientist tasked with finding a fix for the devastating Beta Virus but he also had to fight to save his marriage and his girl.

With almost seventy five percent of the world's male population basically rendered impotent, he would have to struggle to prevent his wife from descending into a world where happy marriages are measured not by the husband’s ability to sexually please their wives but in their willingness to be cuckolded.

Why is this happening? How can his wife turn from loving partner one minute to a depraved porn star the next?

Something that exists outside the normal boundaries of social acceptance was driving her behaviour, all he has to do is find it and stop it.

Failure will mean one of two things – feminisations or death. For Sam Ryder neither choices are acceptable.