Cherry Pickers

18-year-old Bobby Kemp got to the ‘60s in time alright, no further than Leeds, and remembered all of it. What a year: school out and passed the 11+. So, being a white-collar worker for the council is his future. A steady job then, set for life. A steady girl, engagement, marriage, kids, house, car, pension. But steady on, is that all? He hasn’t done anything, yet.

His feeble rites of passage – steady as she goes, poop-poop, bleat – are dissed by a passing back-packing Californian, Ben Gaunt, who’s seeking his family roots near York. To Bobby’s ill-content at getting nowhere, slowly he offers, ‘It’s your life, man. Just go...’ And he does: he drops everything and goes on the road into the ‘60s.

Along this passage there are side alleys, little ginnels and dead ends, each with characters and their stories to walk with for a while, until he just goes...

Charlie and Charlene

This amazing book has been on its way for a number of years – I was urged on by my wife Wendy. “You should write that book,” she would say, “the world needs a laugh and a small child a giggle.”

This book is for all ages and it gives us all a laugh. A mixture of fact and fiction, human, wildlife and everyday happenings. 

Suddenly, we have a major change in the world, and with time on our hands, we can tidy the garden shed and have a makeover. 

Having a very intelligent 6-year-old great-granddaughter, this amazing book was inspired by me thinking that I should write to Lexi May to get her reaction. 

Bruny Island Girl

In the year 1879, William and Jane Burns from Durham, England, migrated to Newcastle, Australia, in the hope of finding a better life for themselves and their two children, Joseph, aged three, and Elizabeth, aged one. Stormy seas, interspersed with weeks of boredom, made their three-month-long voyage on the sailing ship, William Stonehouse, anything but pleasant. William, like his father, was a coal miner and found work easily in a Newcastle colliery. During this time, he befriended a German immigrant, Wilhelm Zschachner, and learned that a new coal discovery had been made in the state of Tasmania. The thought of moving to Tasmania was challenging to the Burns family now that they had two additional children. Nevertheless, they repacked their furniture and treasures brought out with them from England and moved to remote Bruny Island, off Tasmania's southeast coast. Here, they were true pioneers. Between working the new coal mine, William and his still-increasing family cleared a parcel of land on Coal Point and built themselves a cosy home from axe-split palings. Sadly, William died young after a rock fall at the mine, forcing Jane to become a midwife in order to keep the family together until they reached adulthood and married. Joyce - the 'Bruny Island Girl' - was born in 1899 to Louisa, one of Jane's daughters, and this book tells the story of her remarkable life on the island before marrying Cecil Cutcliffe. Max Cutcliffe is one of their sons and the author of this book.

Billy

Billy was very lucky to have been found and saved by the bin men. After being with the dog warden for quite some time and seeing all his friends get adopted he became very sad. Will Billy ever get adopted by the loving home he has dreamed of for so long now?

Australia We Didn’t See

A reception is being held at the prime minister’s official residence, The Lodge, to celebrate democratic multiculturalism in Australia, when a young guests suddenly attacks the prime minister.

Walking through the parkland to a jeweller to buy his wife a birthday present, the prime minister meets several seniors enjoying the sunshine. He also meets a man from Iraq who has no job but has been offered one by a terrorist group.

The prime minister also meets a young man who has a brother living in Bradford, England, connected to a formidable terrorist group responsible for terrorist acts all over Europe.

Trying to get his motorcade through a large crowd of protesters, the prime minister walks out to plead for access to his next appointment. A lunatic shoots for fun and hits him in the shoulder.

The story involves ASIO, terrorist recruitment, spy agencies and international connections.

Will the terrorists prevail? Will the prime minister survive?

Will China cause trouble next to an American Naval Base and RAAF Base?

All this, and much more, is revealed in this gripping political thriller.

Alexandra

Alexandra is a story set in a near future that is all-too-possible. Humans are changing the environment and ecology of the planet without thought to the consequences for the planet or human civilisation. Many civilisations have collapsed in the face of environmental change, and our current technology dependent society is also vulnerable despite the hubris of science and technology. The novel follows two young women who learn to cope in a world that changes completely in their lifetimes.

Alan’s Lesswilling Chronicles: the monologues of an unhappy man

Alan is trying hard to make sense of his world since his wife left him for Chuck in Morewilling and the local Co-op closed down.

21^st century technology is eating into his wallet and his soul, and the price of a night out doesn’t leave change from a tenner anymore. But he is sure about three things:

No one in Lesswilling needs a bidet or a hot tub.

There’s no place for preserved lemons on British supermarket shelves.

His mother was right about hindsight – it is a “wonderful thing to meet your own arse coming back.”

Abbie Brown: On the Cusp

Abbie Brown kicks off her 34^th year with an unexpected splash of fame: her Santorini vacation snap, featuring her in a vibrant yellow bikini atop a donkey, is plastered on billboards across London. (For clarity, the bikini is on Abbie, not the donkey!) Riding this wave of newfound celebrity, she lands a spot on Sir Giles Bromley’s BBC gardening show. Life seems perfect, until the universe serves her a slice of humble pie.

Navigating the chaos of single life (weighing in at 73kgs, if you must know), Abbie finds herself in the midst of an office medical drama, dealing with her nightmare flatmate Janice, and questioning if Rebecca truly is the refined acquaintance she seems. As for romance? Between George’s overbearing mother, Oliver’s youth, a married butcher, a BBC exec with a cringe-worthy habit, and the not-so-perfect ‘Peter Perfect,’ Abbie’s love life is a rollercoaster. Yet, she remains hopeful that her knight in shining armor is out there in the vast English countryside.

In the midst of it all, she gains a furry companion: Woofer, a lovable terrier with a quirky ear. Plus, there’s a promising spark with a dashing farmer from the Yorkshire Dales. The two are smitten. (We’re talking about Abbie and the farmer, not the dog, of course!)

But with Abbie’s track record, what could possibly go awry? Dive into a tale of unexpected fame, comedic misadventures, and the quest for true love.

A Tale of Two Pixies

A story of, how at times, people shoot themselves in the foot, metaphorically speaking, only to wonder who inflicted the wound.

Then, wouldn’t you know it, along comes help from an unusual quarter...

But, of course, many things can happen in a quasi-world.

You never know who your neighbours are these days, but you always know when there’s something odd about them.

Funny that...

A Tale from a Promised Land

This novel tells the story of three generations of an Australian-Sri Lankan migrant family. After a bomb explodes near two leading schools in the city of Colombo, he persuades his wife that for the sake of their children they must leave and start a new life in Australia. After her mother passes away, her father — a retired school principal — agrees to join them in Australia.

The novel identifies the travails that beset new migrants from traditional conservative Asian backgrounds to a western oriented materialistic culture, which now accepts migrants from multi-cultural and multi-lingual backgrounds but expects the new arrivals to assimilate and integrate with the society of which they now form a part.

This novel provides deep insights into socio-cultural and psychological barriers encountered by a first generation of Sri Lankan migrants after their arrival in a new country. Through the combined interactions of a few protagonists, the novel depicts the struggles of socio-cultural adjustments, gains and pains of a South Asian migrant family who try to adjust their lives in a country with western socio-economic and cultural values.

A Natural Pause

Michael learns he is dreadfully unhappy but he is in the middle of his life. He has a wife, children, a job and responsibilities galore. People count on him! How can he just stop? How can he correct the situation? He is not prepared to be tied to this situation, so he decides to face his fear. His methodology is unusual to say the least. He must relive some of his past, navigate a new relationship and convince people he is not insane. Does Michael succeed? Does he achieve his goal?

A Maltese Crossing

After a full life’s hard work, retiring to the Maltese sunshine was supposed to be a relaxing sunset for Rosy’s grandparents, and a great holiday for her. But when a bleach-blonde barmaid from Bradford exploded on the scene, it all got a bit complicated. Rosy and Iain had to learn some tricky local law and intricacies of Maltese life quickly.

This family saga guides the reader across the years, and between the seasides of Lancashire and the Mediterranean, along with plenty of photos to help. A Maltese Crossing won’t make you a lawyer, but it will give you a great virtual adventure on this most enigmatic and fascinating island in the sun. Whether you read it at home, on the plane or on a Maltese beach, you will soak up the feeling, at no risk, unlike our accidental heroes.

Amaze your friends with your new favourite word: ‘usufruct!’ Guidebook, social history, a crime to solve or absolve, and a collection of all-too-realistic characters walking off the page to meet you – a captivating read.