Jester Challenge and Beyond

If you have ever dreamed of sailing a small boat a long distance on a low budget, then this is the book for you. Nor should age be a barrier, as 73-year-old Basil Panakis proves in his exciting voyages with the Jester Challenge, single-handed sailing event.

In this up-beat narrative, Basil explains how he chose his boat (which has to be under 30ft to qualify) and how he equipped her for deep-ocean passages. Starting from Plymouth in the UK, Basil’s Jester landfalls have included The Azores three times and beyond that, Madeira, Canaries, Cape Verde, Caribbean.

He talks about the equipment needed, all sourced on the tight budget of a pensioner and the simple upgrades he made to his 25ft fibreglass sloop Jaba. He also covers the weather routing and provisioning involved for a long-distance voyage and recounts the ideas and camaraderie he received from other Jester Challengers.

Ewen Southby-Tailyour, the organiser of the Jester Challenge, describes Basil as one of its leading lights:

“In his voyages, Basil encompasses all the finer virtues required of this most purist of small yacht endeavours. He tells his inspirational story in a readable, engrossing and uplifting manner, so perhaps you too will be encouraged to fulfil your dream.”

Ivf and Infertility, Our Journey: A True Story Of One Couple's Struggle Against The Odds'

Experiencing infertility is a challenge that can deeply overshadow a person’s life. It affects one in six couples. And yet, it is still a taboo subject.

When Verity and her husband, Paul, found themselves plunged into that uncertain world, and the pain of experiencing miscarriages along the way, they discovered it to be a world that no one discusses. They couldn’t even find books written by anyone who had actually experienced it themselves.

That’s when Verity, calling upon her experience as a journalist and magazine editor, decided to keep a diary of events that unfolded upon their traumatic journey of trying for a baby in the hope that one day, as a book, it would help rid the taboo shroud that surrounds infertility as a subject and help people on their emotional journeys.

If you are experiencing infertility and don’t know which way to turn, then reading this book about one couple’s journey first-hand may be just the support and inspiration that you need.

“I believe that this book has a rich and detailed description of emotional and physical constraints that came with this journey easily described in a natural way without any artificial make-up or masks.” 

—Mr Raef Faris, MSc FRCOG

“This book should also be read by all the team involved in care. It will give them an in-depth understanding of the often very rough seas that the couple have to endure. Verity, a big thank you from me for helping other patients!”

—Mr Michael Dooley, MMS FFSRH FRCOG

It Must Be True... I Made It up Myself...!

Do you feel that life is propelling you along like a twig in a strong river current? Or that it is taking you far too close to dangerous hazards, risking your very existence and causing you immense anxiety?

That river current lives within you; it’s your ego, and it is not wise, kind or benevolent. Left to its own devices it’s a tyrant, and it will always be the same.

It’s invariably your ego that creates and maintains the threats to your happiness, your peace, and your very survival; and it’s an ever-present powerful threat.

In this book, Kevin Staffa identifies and examines three key manifestations of your ego: your “Proto” ego (that is, your source or ancestral ego), that’s not only paranoid about survival but can be the greatest threat to your survival; your intellectual ego and your spiritual ego. They’re unmasked and revealed for what they are: untruthful, devious and out of control. In this exposé, the author closely examines David Hawkins’ map of consciousness and reveals its dangerous flaws.

If you want to take back your life, this book is for you. It decodes and dismantles your ego; and shows you how to transform this inner despot into a calm and useful ally.

It Is My Garden! So, I shall Tend to It Myself

Have you ever wondered who you are? 

Or, if you could be exactly who you want to be?

All too often people present to the world, a representation of themselves which has been constructed from others‘ agendas!

How would it feel to go on a journey of self-discovery, and connect with your authentic self? And so become the person you were meant to be. 

You are entitled to prioritise your own wants and needs!

This book will encourage you to discover and connect with all elements of your being, the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, enabling you to reach enlightenment of self.

Impressions of Carly

Impressions of Carly offers a series of dramatised perspectives on the changes a woman undergoes from her romantic love for a man who touches her heart to an innocent victim of violence. Seen from the points of view of a friend, neighbour, parent or passerby, Carly struggles to understand why this man threatens her understanding of what a loving relationship is. and to puzzle why she ended up caught in this web of manipulation, lies and danger. Even the birth of her son results in overturning her hopes for an end to the abuse and leaves her in desperation to keep her child safe from harm.

The questions this story reveals are often asked and so often receive no clear answers. Will an abusive parent destroy the life of her child? What must she sacrifice to find a home where she and her child can recover and build a life for themselves safe from harm? What will be the long term impact of the violence on her life and what does being a survivor look like? An immensely compelling and powerful novel that will leave the reader shaken to their core.

Impact the Air That You Breathe

Everything that lives on this planet of ours has one thing in common: It’s not wealth or lack of it; It’s not belief’s ability or happiness; It’s the air that we breathe. It’s owned by every single one of us and no one has a bigger share than anyone else. That is what makes it special, and the most precious item in the world.

Without it we don’t exist. Breathing air is the first thing we do at the beginning of our life and when we stop breathing it, we stop. So in between these two important milestones in our lives what do we do with this gift. Do you get value from the air that you breathe? In the past you may have had glimpses or experiences of who you want to be. But for whatever reason it could not be maintained, and you slipped back into old habits and responsibilities.

When you impact the air that you breathe, you are going to make a huge impact on your world. You are going to move your world to a different dimension of success and well-being. I believe that your best results are just waiting there to be discovered, if you are willing to do the work. If you keep taking action and follow the steps, it’s only a matter of time until you impact the air that you breathe. It’s up to you: your results will happen as quickly as you want them to happen. Results don’t lie: you will always be where you are because of your results.

I Dreamt I Was Flying

I Dreamt I was Flying is an authentic, timeless and transformational book about a true and magical journey of healing, guided and supported by dreams, symbols, and synchronicities.
In the time of chaos, insecurity and lack of leadership, we need to be our own authority. Gro Elisabeth Walle is reminding us that we need to trust our inner knowing and let our heart lead.
When her life collapsed, Gro Elisabeth Walle finally had to choose between letting go – or giving up. When she chose to let go of everything that she owned and was known to, she discovered a never-ending supportive and magical universe. She learned to trust, she was surrounded by “road-signs” and supported by “unseen help”. She discovered the universe was just waiting to help her when her life forced her out of her comfort zone. She heard the words “read the signs” whispered again and again, continuously through her magical journey. That showed to be her rescue. She saw her life in perspective, and it all made sense: both her perceived pain-stories and her journey. It all became magical when she discovered every experience had been an attempt from her Higher Self to awake her from an unconscious life.

I Am Mum

Based on a true story, this book will take you on an emotional journey about the very different experiences of being a mum and a step mum, the things that you don’t talk about but should, keeping it real, and reaching out to anyone struggling with mum life.

How to do Christmas with Paul Dart

Looking for inspiration to transform your home for Christmas? Decorations that will excite and exhilarate family and friends?

Take a peek into the home of a designer who knows from years of practice the easy way to achieve stunning seasonal decorations that will have you creating new and exciting ways of filling your house and garden with the joys of Christmas. Full of practical tips, from tackling the perennial task of dressing the tree, on how to plan the colour scheme, how to tackle the question of ‘taste’ at this time of year and, most of all, how to enjoy the the task of transforming your home into a moment of visual wonder and delight for all of your friends and family.

How to BE the Change We Need

Why doesn’t our politics ‘do what it says on the tin’? What on earth happened to ‘Truth’, ‘Responsibility’, ‘Honesty’ and ‘Trust’? The words and concepts have long been familiar. They are all ‘on the tin’, so to speak. But not much sign, anywhere, of putting them into practice!

So what actually needs to change? Not just our values or our ideas but, surely, our behaviour, our habits. We don’t just need a description of the changes we want to see, but an understanding of how we can BE those changes. And this is where meditation comes in.

Meditation not just as thinking, but as actions that we practise until they become habits. To enable us not only to think differently about politics but to develop forms of awareness that enable us to respond more effectively – with greater self-knowledge, imagination and sensitivity.

So this is a book for us to practise with, and the final section is a practical guide to meditation methods.

The details of the meditation practices are derived largely from the philosophical and psychological teachings of Buddhism, but the book is intended for those of any faith (or none) or of any political persuasion.

So enjoy: perhaps this book will make all the difference!

How to be a Fat Loser

“My doctor let out such a disdainful sigh whilst announcing the results of my BMI!He said it was the highest he’d ever seen and for my weight I should be 8 foot 14!”As global obesity hurtles on like a runaway train, this book shows you why you should get off at the next stop…and how to do so!

How Have I Cheated Death? A Short and Merry Life With Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the UK's most common life-threatening diseases, affecting over 10,000 people. There's currently no cure.

Not all that long ago, a CF diagnosis meant an early death. Tim Wotton is one such sufferer, who was told from an early age that he would not live beyond his 17th birthday. One of the oldest survivors of this crippling disease, How Have I Cheated Death? is a diary of his 39th year, a countdown to the illusive 40.
A story of triumph over adversity, this compelling chronicle, the first book written by a CF sufferer at 40, offers hope and inspiration, demonstrating what cannot be cured needs to be endured. Written with great honesty and humour with an enlightening Foreword by the actress Jenny Agutter, this profound account is a testament to the daily dedication required to deal with CF and recently diagnosed diabetes while managing a normal family life.