Strange and Surreal Stories

This book is intended to amuse and interest you. You’ll meet many characters from history and see how they might have behaved in situations you’re sure to know about. There are also murderers and victims – some real and some fictitious; there’s ‘Who Dunnits’ and barbaric actions by ordinary people; there are unreal situations faced by very real characters.

There are 20 different stories for you to choose and all as fascinating as each other. Was Benedict Arnold a traitor or a hero? Did William Shakespeare really desert his wife for a better life in London? How did Abraham Lincoln earn the name ‘Honest Abe? Was Rabbie Burns as enamoured of the lassies as he was said to be? (I think you’ll find he was.)

The above are just a few examples to grip your interest – but there’s much, much more to keep you glued until the end of each story. As for the answers to the above questions, perhaps you’ll have a better idea after you’ve read this book.

Stories and Anecdotes

This is a collection of stories, anecdotes, and reminiscences written, collected, and compiled over a long professional life.

They amuse or provoke serious thought, aiming to make the reader laugh for a few moments and think for much longer.

Most are in short essay form, some with a discursive introductory beginning leading to a serious or amusing ending, the real thrust of the story.

Most are based on personal experience. The stories about bees are factual and based on a life-long hobby of beekeeping.

The last thoughtfully written section from a lifetime as a doctor is entirely serious, educational, and thought-provoking.

Some People Come in Pairs

An unapologetic collection of writing. Some People Come in Pairs talks of Saskia and Matthew, an inseparable twin brother and sister who get sent out of London during the Blitz at the outbreak of World War 2. They get sent to live with the Jago family in a tiny fishing village in Cornwall. They discover a world of adventure, the consequence of war, a family in grief, what it means to love and be loved, the feeling of portrayal, the value of friendship, the preciousness of life itself and that well and truly some people do come in pairs.

The Comedy of Love is a short humorous story based on Lady Vester and her cavalier who go to visit her mad uncle in the country where everything goes disastrously wrong.

The Veterinary Crisis is a short comedy about a terrible day in a veterinary surgery that everyone wants to forget. This collection is completed by a series of emotive, to-the-point, thought-provoking poems. Myth, The Waves, Moor Poem and Steeplejack will be sure to make your mind wonder and your heart warmer.

Some of the Consequences

Here’s a selection of stories and poetry; some I’ve written during – or about – times of working and travelling in diverse locations.

They reflect contrasting moods and passions; the quirks and inconsistencies that shape our lives and which will ever take us unaware.

We are all, perhaps, somewhere in these pages.

Or will be…

Short Stories A-Z

This collection includes fiction, fantasy, and horror stories, all underpinned by humour. So, whilst eavesdropping on the hearts and minds of the protagonists within, feel free to chuckle as you cheer the goodies and boo the baddies. Or vice-versa…

None of the characters is drop-dead gorgeous, has perfect teeth, or is living the dream with their one true love. No. These characters are muddling through life like the rest of us which means some stories may seem familiar – perhaps a little too close to the bone. Some are irreverent and others, downright disturbing. Nevertheless, whatever your reaction, whatever you feel, the stories tell things the way they were and without judgement. Fair enough?

Short Stories

In this collection of short stories, Stanislas M. Yassukovich has indulged his taste for nostalgic reverie. The tales are inspired by the people and places the author has encountered during a lifetime spent in cosmopolitan circles. The quirks of fate that move people from an apparently predestined course of life have provoked his imagination. Stanislas has drawn on a variety of conditions and personalities to colour his stories with the shades and lights of human existence. Pursuing a distinguished career as an international investment banker, Stanislas found relief from the pressures of business by writing fiction. He makes no apology for the fact that his characters and their settings invoke past times; the joys and disappointments described are common to all humankind. The personages portrayed are mostly from privileged backgrounds – but then so is the author. Stanislas has sought to convey his own view of life’s vagaries through a stylistic prose which is itself reminiscent of writers of former times. The reader will find that the author’s evocations linger on.

Short Stories

When an elderly gentleman is returning from a visit to his wife’s graveside, he is shocked to find himself the victim of a young thug. What the thug doesn’t realise is that this particular gentleman has nothing to lose and will make the young man regret ever having crossed him. (Bringing the House Down)

When a lady refuses to leave her bungalow for an easier life in a care home, nobody suspects the real reason behind her reluctance to go. (An Accident)

Three friends risk their liberty for great financial gain, but do they reap the rewards of such daring behaviour? (Happy New Year)

An SAS soldier returning from Egypt, still suffering after the kidnap and murder of his daughter, steps in with drastic action, to punish the would-be perpetrators of a similar crime. (Just Another Day)

When a recently unemployed man, witnesses, and assists at a road traffic collision, he is rewarded for his bravery in a very satisfactory way. (Right Time, Right Place)

Short Stories

A picture-perfect family with an amazing lifestyle – envied by most, yearned for by others. Watched from the sidelines by many and competed for the affections by some. Tragedy can strike at any time to anyone.

How will this beautiful family survive, what will they do and how will they rebuild after such a significant loss?

A tale of love, loss and debauchery. Read if you dare…

A gift of friendship, an opportunity to be together and look into the unknown. A group of friends wanting to spend special time together on an excursion that takes an unexpected turn. The secrets, the passions, the exploration into a dark world. Finding unlikely friends and allies in a desperate scenario. 

Quartet of Human Love, Human Frailty

These four short stories embrace many emotions and characters: the man who goes back to his past to find a lost love; a woman with terminal cancer who finds a miracle in Australia; a shy girl who finds a lover and deals with her eccentric grandmother; and a visit to heaven, where a woman is amazed to find herself at the pearly gates.

There are intriguing characters and unusual stories in a collection that explores human tragedy and frailty, and also love.

Pet Rapport

Pets as part of the family, their inclusion in everyday life and their mishaps or adventures are reflected in these stories. Each story is accompanied by an illustration that is personally drawn by the author from a photo received from the owner and reflects their unique character and personality. Some true and real-life examples include: A cat which was inadvertently included in a parcel (but survived), a dog that was stolen from outside a shop but was restored to her owner and a rescue dog who found a wonderful home. These are all true, but there are also four fictitious and humorous examples ‘hidden’ amongst the others, which the author invites readers to discover. Adults will find these stories heartwarming and children will like the ‘happy endings’ and trying to spot which stories are ‘made up.’ A book with stories that appeal to the heart and illustrations that appeal to the eye, whatever your age and whether or not you have pets of your own.

Pablo's Boat

The stories take us through a summer of love, writing and self-discovery. Set in France, they paint a picture of a world both familiar and yet so different, both in time and outlook. They also recount an attempt to rediscover that lost world; an attempt filled with regret, nostalgia and, ultimately, resolution.

Next

Stories should interest you, touch you, move you. There are 134 in ‘Next’. Many, possibly even most, will do just that. ‘Youth’, ‘love’, ‘life’, ‘death’, and so much more. Stories often relevant to you, your life, past and future. Stories very readable, memorable.

‘Next’ is generous, a friend you will want to spend time with. A book to keep beside your favourite chair, beside your bed. A friend to meet up with often over the years. Rather special, rather out of the ordinary.