Philosophical Muse and Stuff 'n' Nonsense

Stephen Peter Oldham is relatively new to the poetry scene. In his first book, he explores the issues facing ‘Modern Man’ through poetry, muse and stories in his original style of ‘Real Fiction’. Stephen examines issues facing humanity at this time as diverse as the family unit, drug and alcohol abuse, mental health, creation and revelations of prophesy! In this unique book, there are many questions raised which may one day lead to the ultimate question. Who are we and just what is it that we are supposed to be doing here! Take your time and enjoy his rhymes or read more purposeful perhaps. Designed to entertain, Philosophical Muse will certainly make you ask questions!

Onvoy: A Tale of Pain

A tale of a world at the brink of falling apart being abruptly thrust into a new beginning – life changes forever. Our hero finds a mysterious and powerful sword, something that amplifies his own emotions immensely, engaging them into physical manifests of a devastating heat that scorches everything, even himself. With so much hate, loss and sorrow on his shoulders, our hero must contain himself and not let go of his emotions lest they become too much and send what’s left of his world crumbling to ashes.

Life might never be the same again but that doesn’t mean it’s the end – only an opportunity. An opportunity for what? That is the decision of the holder. Where others not know what to do, feeling lost and hopeless, our hero has a purpose – to learn more about this mysterious power and sword which has entered his life, find his family and take back the apocalypse no matter the pain.

Meg Tyson - Screen Lass

The year is 1862, and Meg Tyson is a screen lass – women tasked with separating the coal mined from the pits out of wastes such as metal and stone. She lives in Morthwaite, a small village in Cumbria, in the northwest of England.

The tiny village is home to Coater Pit, a coal mine, and here, most of the men are colliers and many of the women and girls are screen lasses. That is the destiny Meg has accepted for herself. But one terrifying moment sets Meg on a different path, to a life a world away from Morthwaite.

Little does Meg know that an encounter with the youngest son of the Bensons – Coater pit owners and, essentially, owners of the village – would set her off on a journey that would lead her to Vancouver Island in Canada, where she would get to make a life for herself that she could never have imagined.

Kirna

Do you believe in reincarnation? Maybe you will after reading this tale.

KIRNA links the modern with the ancient in a tale of mystery, kinship, love, betrayal and vengeance.

The story connects two time periods and two key players – Sam and Prince Suryaveer; read on to discover the many adventures they experience.

Isaiah’s Mountain

May 1901. Jo stands alone, ready to meet her fate, as British soldiers come thundering up the dusty track of her farm. She has not raised a white flag, it is pointless; the British are burning homesteads to the ground. Choked by the acrid smell of farmlands and livestock, blazing in the valley, Jo struggles to find her voice and the words she needs to save her home.

A strange twist of events transports Jo back to a time when, as a young teacher in the tiny Karoo town of Kweek Valley, she was drawn into the troubled world of a boy named Lukas Bester. A time past when nothing was as simple as it seemed and the truth lay silent and festering beneath the surface of the pious community. A time when she was Joanna Shepherd, an entirely different person…

If she is to survive, Jo has to find the words which uncover the truth as she navigates her way through grief, betrayal and the violence of war.

Hatrack

In the time of Cromwell’s rule, young and out-of-work Navy navigator, Charles ‘Soap’ Karma is tricked into joining the cunning and oftentimes comedic crew of the Blunderbuss, a pirate ship captained by John Dunsworthy, set to sail from England to Cuba.

Along the voyage, he quickly makes friends, enemies and a few in between, as he experiences the true highs and lows, that come with the life of a pirate.

Emile Zola's Ark

Émile Zola (1840–1902), prominent leader of French Naturalism in novels and drama, was also an environmentalist, way ahead of his time. He had a great love and respect for animals of all kinds and shapes. Throughout this book, you will discover his love from the smallest creatures: ants, spiders, bugs and frogs, bats and rats, all the way to birds, rabbits, cats, dogs, donkeys, cows and bulls, horses, and even zoo lions. The stories, which are partly fictional but mostly realistic, clearly show his love of and admiration for most animals. In the process of telling them, he inter-mingled some humorous episodes. Who wouldn’t laugh at the description of Gédéon, his donkey, getting drunk after savoring a bucket of red wine and raising havoc in his stable? And who wouldn’t cry at the death of a dear pet? The stories in this book have been gathered after reading his complete works (fifteen volumes of more than 18,000 pages of Émile Zola: Oeuvres Complètes, edited by Henri Mitterand, the most eminent scholar of Zola’s works, professor emeritus at the Sorbonne in Paris and at Columbia University in New York City, in the ‘Cercle du Livre Précieux’ edition).

Dog's Conundrum

Dog has a problem. His beautiful world is in crisis – again! Should he let events take their course, or should he interfere?

This book is an invitation to see planet Earth through the eyes of Dog and Mother Nature, from the era of the dinosaurs, though times of plenty, to our current and future crises. Who’s to blame? Is it us? Is it them?

This magical read takes us on an insightful journey where individual stories from around the world blend and unfold as Dog’s intimate understanding of the big picture grows. Despite the gremlins, can humans recognise what it is really that matters? Will the warmth and humour of the sprites be strong enough to help people rediscover the wisdom in their souls when faced with fear of losing everything they hold dear… or will Mother Nature not be prepared to wait any longer?

The best and worst of human nature is exposed here. Our assumptions are challenged as this book digs deep into ideas which will resonate with many.

Dodgson’s Dodo

This is the story of six characters, all birds. What begins as a quirky woodland tale evolves into a challenge to the mismanagement of the environment by humans, and their abuse of power over all other species. There’s banter between the birds, information about the natural world, there’s serious debate and there’s satire. It’s fun and it’s thought-provoking.

The title refers to the fact that Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) immortalised the otherwise extinct dodo in ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’. The dodo was yesterday’s bird, but what will be the fate of tomorrow’s birds, of tomorrow’s humans and of our fragile, suffering planet?

The hero of ‘Dodgson’s Dodo’ is a feisty rook, Rachel, who plays a smart role in this fascinating, imaginative and beautifully realised story. All the birds are real characters, and everyone reading it will be both entertained and better informed. It’s witty and memorable, but above all it’s topical and relevant. Its message is urgent.

“It should be prescribed reading for high school Biology students.”    Anne Kendall - retired high school science teacher.

Destiny Ruled by Mind

There are no evil people, the same as there are no virtuous ones. Everyone is born with an inherent sense of good as well as with the evil reflected from the society. There are weak, strong, and extremely strong people. The existing conditions surrounding him impel a weak person to display all his weaknesses, while a strong person demonstrates his positive side despite adverse circumstances. And all the while, the strongest person creates his surroundings himself.

Don’t allow your fear to shatter your faith because it’s the struggle between fear and faith that determines one’s fate. And the outcome of their battle is one’s destiny.

Many can be kind when things are fine, but it’s important to show how kind you are when you have a reason to be resentful or bitter. Satan was an angel before his fall. It is the fall that proves if one really deserved being at the top.