The Pearl of Saint-Sulpice

In the Church of Saint-Sulpice, Paris, there is a holy water font. It was made of a shell of the giant clam, Tridacna gigas. I often wondered where it came from because these clams are only found far away from Europe. I found it intriguing that the shell already arrived in France in the early sixteenth century as a gift from the Venetian Republic to King Francis I. Where did it come from? What story could such a shell tell? What thoughts did the sculptor, Jean-Baptiste Pigalle have when he carved the beautiful column upon which the shell rests? What is its religious significance? Only a few pearls from giant clams are believed to exist, and their origins are shrouded in mystery. Is there a pearl somewhere belonging to this clam? It will have to be the Pearl of Saint-Sulpice, alias the Pearl of Allah. The pearl took me on an unexpected adventure to the French Revolution and before, to a1964 scientific meeting where the descendants of the secret league of the Scarlet Pimpernel unites and onwards to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in1974 where I faced the prowess and strength of the guardians of Aphrodite in the Troodos Mountains. Join me if you dare.

The PepperAsh Clinch

A line of revellers, wending their drunken conga from the opening night party at The Fighting Cock, is brought to a sudden halt when their barbecue explodes. Nora Stickleback struggles to manage the pub, control her alcoholic husband, and keep her son away from temptation. Following a promise to look after her friends’ teenage children while they go off on a holiday that ends in tragedy, she suddenly finds herself with two extra youngsters to care for. Henry Stickleback nurses two passions, one for young Rosalie and the other for browsing car boot sales for any item cockerel-related. George dedicates the time he should be grieving to looking after his elder sister and carving out a future career for himself, steadfastly thinking of nothing except the matter in front of him at that time. Meanwhile, Rev’d Quinny is haunted by a childhood memory and a habit he started in order to break an obsession.

The Phantom Ghost of a Sunflower

My heart, mind and soul come together in this book to express the words, the stories and feelings I could never say out loud. So these are the stories I never told, the words I wish I’d said when I had the chance.

It’s time for these stories to finally be told.

The Poems of Prince Neverbudge

One summer’s day whilst holding my Grandad’s hand
The Three Graces behind us
Laughter and seagulls above
We watched the sunset
Over The River Mersey.
I was four years of age and it was the day
That I first heard of Prince Neverbudge!
A Prince, who is believed to have sailed The Seven Seas
Enlightening and entertaining all who crossed his path
Those ashore and at sea
He cast his spell upon them all!
Many years later
Whilst looking out towards
The Adriatic Sea
Prince Neverbudge appeared!
It was the day just like today where
He continues to leave me spellbound!

What follows, is magic!
A collection of poems sure to
entertain, enlighten and keep the
reader enraptured until the very
last page.
Poignant and moving, fresh and eclectic
For any lover of poetry and adventure.

Why wait? When, Prince Neverbudge awaits!

The Poems of Sandra Green

This is the journey of a lady pushing through many of life’s twists and turns,

this is the blood, sweat and tears of 72 years,

this is my heart in your hands,

this is the discovering,

the loving,

the hurting,

the breaking,

the healing.

The Poets Society

He jumped from his improvised bed and looked up. The sky parted in two as if it was endeavouring to mirror his life. Neither the sky nor his life was ever a compact piece of peace since he had known about his being. Miaow…miaow…miaow…miaow. Was he awake, or dreaming?

In the heart of the resplendent Balkans, a land forged by relentless wars yet always welcoming those in need, a destitute wanderer finds solace. But this is not a tale that unfolds in ordinary fashion, for the human experience is a tapestry of contrasts. Within the pages of this extraordinary journey, a tapestry interwoven with melancholic humour and bittersweet poignancy, lie the unheard voices of characters yearning to be heard.

As if borne upon the wings of a time-travelling vessel, traversing lands and ages, the enigmatic Atom Butterfly stumbles upon an unassuming soul named Sevda, whose presence unexpectedly illuminates his existence. And so, their story commences – a tale of reminiscence, where childhood revisited unveils the battles fought during times of scarcity, when satisfaction eluded their grasp, and yet resilience prevailed.

The Poisoned Pen

In 1942, dead bodies were a common sight after an air raid, so no one was suspicious when a mutilated body of a young woman was found in a bombed-out warehouse. She was just another victim of a war that had claimed thousands of victims. At least that was what Sergeant Timothy Tipping assumed, yet his boss Inspector Ben Bishop was suspicious. Her shoes were missing, and so was her purse. It was the same modus operandi as the other bodies.

Surely it wasn’t murder? Yet as the investigation progressed, it was plain that inspector Bishop had a killer on his patch and the local doctor, Brian Dwyer, became his number one suspect. Even his brother John Dwyer, the Catholic Priest of St Joseph’s Church, believed in his brother’s guilt. Especially after both of Brian Dwyer’s wives died in suspicious circumstances.

Was Brian Dwyer guilty? Inspector Bishop thought so, and he was working hard to prove it, and to send Brian Dwyer to the gallows.

There was only one person who could save him. Only one person who knew the truth. Yet in telling that truth, Ellen Cooper, a complete stranger, put her own life in mortal danger.

The Prison

Filipa is an average 16-year-old girl leading an ordinary life until a catastrophic night changes everything. Witnessing the destruction of her beloved city and the cold-blooded murder of her parents by black-masked men, Filipa flees for her life. However, her escape is short-lived as she is apprehended and finds herself incarcerated in a prison run by masked men with chess symbols on their arms. Every day, scores of inmates vanish or perish, and more prisoners arrive.

As Filipa learns more about the prison, she realizes that each chess symbol denotes a masked man’s position and role. She is subjected to gruelling physical and psychological examinations, administered mysterious serums, and witnesses strange phenomena. Her mission is to uncover the masked men’s identities, their motives, and above all, rescue her friends and save her love interest. However, the true test lies in surviving the prison after she discovers a shocking secret that will change her life forever.

The Purge

In an epic sequel to The Awakening, the town of Rockdale is rocked by a series of cataclysmic events that threatens to bring about an ancient prophecy: one that foretells of a blood moon and the mass extinction of all mankind at the hands of the Nequam. The Nequam’s hold over Rockdale intensifies as Ash Wakehurst fights to end its reign and free his twin brother, Logan, from its maniacal grip. Ash is humanity’s last hope as he possesses the only weapon to stop the Nequam and its army of werewolves: the powerful Triune entity that surges within him. An entity that he fears he can no longer control.

As he races against time, he must fight a battle of another kind: the fight to maintain his own humanity and protect the people he loves, including the beautiful detective that he is falling for, Anya Chemarov.  

Anya has a struggle of her own to contend with as she is forced to admit her feelings for Ash and make a difficult choice. Will she fight to keep the man she loves despite her fear that evil may consume him, or will she leave, knowing she may lose him forever?

Their destinies are all intertwined and the decisions that they make before the next blood moon will determine the fate of all mankind when the prophecy comes to pass.

Will the right choices be made, and will anyone be left standing at the end?

The Pursuit of Love

Andrew Giuliano Lo Russo spent the majority of his life pondering the mysteries of his deepest emotions. Without any outlet to express himself, he slowly found comfort in using painting and music as a method of exploration. Although these mediums were useful, it wasn’t until he began writing down his thoughts that he was able to fully grasp the idea that part of the mystique behind these mysteries were connected to his longing for love and acceptance. Whether or not this exploration will result in a solution is not the reasoning behind his writings, but rather, it’s simply an emotional outburst which he believes many of us also battle with. In the end, the poems in this collection offer comfort to those who share similar questions about their own place in the universe.

The Quarry

10 years have passed since youngsters Bobby Massey and Linda West stumbled across an Australian Government secret cache of weapons. Now armed with new information, rogue government officials were ready to take any measures necessary to ensure their lucrative secret deal with a third world nation rebel group, remains secret.

Bobby is captured by ex-military soldiers working for the rogue elements and interrogated in an effort to get him to reveal all he knows. Witnessing Bobby’s capture, Linda recruits a serving Royal Australian Navy commander and a senior sergeant in the NSW Police Force to assist her in rescuing Bobby from his captors. The rogue government officials get a nasty surprise once the two are reunited.

The Queen Of The Geraticaian Empire

With the two parallel worlds of Geratica - Geratica and Geraticai - now finally separated, Geratica has a new constitution drafted by the brilliant young Alexandra Radcliffe. Her mother, Linda, is now aiming to become their first prime minister. She is determined to bring in reforms and will need to deal with the continuing issue of male rights. Alexandra is graduating from Castra University and will shortly be embarking upon plans for her own career, which Linda is keen to be involved in.

Meanwhile, Geraticai has returned to a monarchy after its recent bloody civil war, with Queen Saphron now reigning and married to Gordon, the son of a wealthy mine owner. However to be a Geratician monarch with her Geratican noble origins is controversial amongst some on that world, and her sister in law, an ambitious young woman called Christabel, aims to take the throne for herself. Geraticai now has a parliament for the first time and a prime minister, Daniella Sturridge.

At the same time the now officially deceased mongrel, Fiona, whose mind still lives on mixed with that of the other, Robert - Linda Radcliffe's former husband - as a hybrid inside the mistress of Geratica's domain, is plotting to avenge her situation by manipulating unrest on Geratica, and now sees an opportunity to infiltrate and adapt Christabel's plans for her own sinister purposes...