A Time to Return

Harry Thomson grew up in an Australian country town, determined to break free from his destiny as a shearer’s son. The Nazi invasion of Poland became his escape route, leading him to enlist and board the Queen Mary with the 2nd AIF. But instead of adventure, Harry faced the horrors of war in Malaya, becoming a prisoner in Changi and enduring the brutal construction of the Death Railway.

Barely surviving, Hiroshima’s tragedy brought Harry liberation, but returning home began his greatest battle: life. Alcohol became his refuge from the haunting memories of war and what he had to do to survive. His one true friend, Jack Mills, whom he met during training and with whom he survived Changi, remained loyal despite their estrangement.

Decades later, Harry vanished, his whereabouts unknown until Jack’s great-grandson, Charlie, embarked on a search seventy years later. Born slightly disfigured, six-year-old Charlie believed he had lived before as Harry Thomson. Convinced he was his Poppy’s best mate reincarnated, Charlie carried the spirit and memories of the haunted, missing WWII POW.

Guided by his past-life entity, Charlie must solve the mystery of his own disappearance, uncovering unfinished business and secrets from a time long gone. A Time to Return uses historical events in a fictional narrative to create a gripping tale of survival, friendship, and the enduring power of the human spirit.

The Two Little Birds

Immerse yourself in a gripping novel set against the stunning backdrop of rural New Zealand, swiftly transitioning to the enchanting Amalfi Coast in Italy, where flirtatious romance and shopping sprees unfold. This fast-paced narrative then transports you back 70 years, juxtaposing the allure of Italy with the stark realities of war. Experience the harrowing trials of Anzac soldiers battling the Axis powers in Crete, North Africa, and Italy, and delve into a suspenseful espionage plot in Alexandria with fatal consequences. Amidst the tumult of war, witness the courage and resilience of individuals in the partisan resistance against German and Italian fascist forces. Despite the brutality of conflict, romance and intimacy blossom, enduring against the gravest odds. As the story hurtles towards its conclusion, prepare for a clever twist that unravels the fates of characters you’ve come to know. This novel promises a captivating journey with surprises at every turn, creating an unputdownable reading experience.

Greasy Chip Butty

You are invited to make a journey of exploration through an exciting landscape of life and faith. Let the chemistry of urban life surprise and inspire you. Let it challenge your deepest sense of self knowledge and belief.Experience the best of humanity where you expect not to find it and share the pain that defiles the beauty of unique human beings. Join us as we explore pathways to wholeness and healing for people and communities and learn never to lose hope.We believe in the art of the possible, the value of instant improvisation, and that out of the mistakes we will make, we can produce something beautiful. Learn to go beyond horizons of our own making and discover more than we can ask or think.Take time to savour the art, which offers fresh insight into time-honoured stories of courage and faith in desperate situations; of joy and celebration; of compassion, perseverance, and dogged determination; deep contentment at the fulfilment of endeavour. Encounter the fragrance of generosity of spirit; and the love which embraces injustice and suffering, transforming them beyond all we can imagine.Join me on this journey that has no end but just gets better. As we walk together, we may discover pearls of great price, and not a little humour on the way.“Greasy Chip Butty is a textured, local authentic history in a very real and rapidly changing place. Those stories deserve to be studied and celebrated and the wisdom garnered from them needs to be widely shared.” – Steven Croft, Bishop of Oxford.“What a great read! A moving and wonderful example of doing narrative theology on the hoof … reflecting on change, risk taking and adventure.” – John Thomson, Bishop of Selby“I read Greasy Chip Butty with delight and new learning. A kaleidoscopic and impressionistic narrative which, through the lens of music and art, shows how God has been at work in one specific neighbourhood of Sheffield.” – Pete Wilcox, Bishop of Sheffield.

Trouble and Strife

Sometimes the smallest voices make the deepest impact.Josephine Hadley, a 1930s Canadian housewife, fills her days looking after her children, her indifferent husband and a stream of Depression-era visitors. Her contribution to her guests is a bowl of stew and an open heart. Her small world, however, is soon shattered by a tragic event which forces her to become the breadwinner. Can she run a business without sacrificing herself? And is it possible to act on a long-buried desire without remorse?Johanne Levesque’s first novel, Trouble and Strife, is a poignant and heartbreaking look at a woman’s life in a fast-changing time. With intimate details and a deft poetic touch, Levesque has captured the spirit of an age where war and economic hardship altered the workplace, home and women’s lives forever.

The Green Gates Story

There are certainly many historical accounts of wars, military experiences, and cultural reactions to politics, but many of these works lack a personal and sentimental touch to what it really feels like to endure a battle. In The Green Gates Story, Bernard Fredericks presents a historically accurate, delightfully moving, and honest tale of a British boy who is evacuated from his Liverpool home in WWII. Told from the perspective of a child, Fredericks narrates his memories of an eight-year-old boy who is snatched from the city and transplanted to the country. He shares the triumphs and struggles of a child required to acquaint himself in a new setting and lifestyle. While he manages the heartache of missing his family and friends, the boy is also thrilled and challenged with new adventures as he acclimates to the pace of country-life. From the beginning of his evacuation to his return to home, the boy relates his feelings and doubts about so many events that crop up not only in wartime, but every child's time of coming of age.

A Village Betrayed

A poignant story of the impact of war on a defenceless French village during the Second World War. Four courageous villagers join the Maquis, the Resistance in Vichy occupied France, to protect their families. They are swept into a treacherous conflict where one false word or brave action can result in the torture and death of people they know and love.  One old man and a young girl survive the savage destruction that wipes out the whole community.This novel uses the recorded history of the devastation of many rural villages in the Aveyron, Lot and Tarn departments of the Midi-Pyrénées. Oradour-sur-Glane in the Haute-Vienne Department is a famous memorial to the brutality of the Second World War.

Trevelyan

It is the end of the 18^th century and the end of schooling for four Cornish youngsters. They share their aspirations for the future, not realising there is a price to be paid.

Cornwall is the land of mystery, legends, folktale and myths. Tiny villages with narrow winding streets nestle around rocky cover ideal for landing and distributing contraband. The fishermen are dependent upon the sea in all its moods and are forced to subsidise their catch with smuggled French brandy, tobacco, tea, and silk. The only other possible occupations, the tin mines and the farmed estates, are in the hands of the wealthy few, like Lord Trevelyan. For most Cornishmen life is harsh.

To fulfil her own hopes of a better life, one young girl Karenza, discovers there are secrets to be concealed and seemingly impossible promises to be honoured, played out against an austere and merciless Cornish landscape and the ongoing hostility of the French.

Trampled Grass

This novel is based on a historical account, going back to early 19th century when Great Britain defeated Napoleon Bonaparte, expanding the empire. That led to the need for considerable manpower. The captain of a ship is not only responsible for navigating the vessel skilfully, but should be a leader to all the naval trainees and junior officers. He should make right decisions which can be harsh, without emotions, for all. This novel tells a story of the kind-hearted Captain Fraser who led his ship to near-disaster on the Thames. After abolition of slavery, the need for farm labourers was filled by a 'new system of slavery' called 'indentured labourers from India'. This novel describes their suffering and what happened to them, which the world hardly knows about.

Thirty Pieces of Silver

The Roman Empire and the world is about to change and over the next several hundred years, millions will die as a result.

In the Middle East a child has been born – a child who will grow into a man who will eventually change the way the world is run. He is a man destined to fulfil a prophecy. A man who will start a global revolution. A man who will shake the very foundations of society. A man whose philosophy will be misinterpreted and twisted to give power to what will become one of the richest organisations on Earth. A man whose name will be used to justify the most horrific deeds this world has ever known.

Caught between the rule of mighty Rome and the power of the High Priests, this man wants to free his people and bring them closer to God. This man will become a legend.

This man is called Jesus.

The Revelation of Atlantis

For the first time in the well-known human history, the mythical and legendary Atlantis reveals her secrets. The heavy veil of oblivion rises for us to take a look at that incredible age 20,000 years ago through the story of Filton, one of the greatest scientists of that era; and Niria, the priestess of the Temple of Truth. An exciting history of the past in order to know the present and the future.

The Measure

One early winter’s morning, a teenage boy is found lying outside the gates of a monastery. The monks take him in, and eventually, in terrible distress, he tells them that he has killed his father. This story follows the life of the boy’s father and the discovery the boy makes about his father’s past.

The Life and Loves of Saint Columba

‘Years ago, I was captivated by a magical day spent on Iona and dreamed of writing a book on St Columba, an inspirational man far ahead of his time, who challenged the institutions of church and state, and created a monastery that became a beacon of spiritual and artistic light during the dark ages.’  Tim Hetherington
In this bold take on the life of Saint Columba – the founder of the religious community on the Scottish island of Iona and one of Ireland’s three patron saints – Tim Hetherington eschews the pieties of a conventional hagiography in favour of a more down-to-earth view of the saint and the religious, social and political world of Ireland and Scotland in the sixth century AD. Originally named Crimthann – the fox – and a member of the powerful Ui Neill Clan, Columba’s remarkable gifts of intellect and character were quickly noted and nourished by the leading clerics of the day. But his impetuous nature and family loyalties led him to involvement in political intrigues and conflicts.
Denounced by Church leaders, Columba left Ireland with twelve monks and founded the monastery on Iona. Over the years he established the Christian Church throughout Dalriada, the Irish kingdom in Western Scotland, and then in the rest of Scotland ruled by King Bridei of the Picts. Columba aligned himself closely, perhaps too closely, with the Dalriadan royal family. But the sheer force of his personality and his dedication to spreading Christianity by written works as well as by word of mouth ensured his special place in history.
Masterfully blending extensive research and novelistic imagination, The Life and Loves of Saint Columba is full of fascinating insights into the nature of faith and spirituality. This is a must-read for anyone interested in Christianity or Irish history.