Backchannel: rabt

Imagine a world where not just teenagers, but governments use secret social media channels to communicate – and to target. Meet Doug McKenzie, a charismatic Black Irish investigative reporter for the New York Daily, a man whose fearless journalism has attracted international enemies with the resources to neutralize him. In response to his incendiary reports, a clandestine ‘Backchannel’ is activated, manipulating the U.S. government itself to take him down.

But Doug isn’t alone. His fiery daughter Rachel, an emerging journalist in her own right, stands by his side, as do allies from the global stage. Journey with Doug from the power corridors of Washington, DC to the bustling streets of Osaka, Japan; from the political heart of Ankara, Turkey to the fraught border crossing of Bazargan, Iran.

Caught in a web of international intrigue is Doug’s tumultuous personal life – his marriage to Turkish-born Nukhet hangs by a thread, complicated by their one-year-old daughter Sirin, and the reemergence of his enigmatic lover, Dr. Laurie Reynolds.

Get ready to dive into a world of political suspense, international espionage, and intricate relationships. Welcome to Backchannel. Trust us, you won’t want to put it down.

Bad Things

Even good people do bad things…

Ten years ago, eighteen-year-old Ariana Callum disappeared on the eve of her high school graduation in one of the most gruesome crimes Miami has ever seen. Everyone thinks they know what happened to her that night, but her best friend, Delphine Quin, knows more than she’s willing to admit. After all, she was at Ariana’s house moments before she disappeared…

Today, Delphine is the embodiment of the perfect woman who has it all: a loving husband, a beautiful home and a company on the verge of going public. All traces of her friendship with Ariana have been erased, as if their lives never intersected at all. That is until Ariana shows up in Miami one day, very much alive. Terrified that Ariana’s reappearance will jeopardise her perfect life, Delphine reaches out to her high school sweetheart, Ryan Martinez, the key to her alibi for the night of Ariana’s disappearance. But Ryan harbours a dark secret of his own and he’ll do anything to ensure it never comes to light.

Will the secrets they’ve kept buried for ten years finally surface and destroy their perfect lives?

Bad Things is a dark, character-driven thriller which will strike a chord with fans of Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects, Megan Miranda’s All the Missing Girls and Jessica Knoll’s Luckiest Girl Alive.

“Old secrets and obsessions plague three former friends... a dramatic crime story.” 

– Kirkus Reviews

“Deliciously tense and relentlessly intriguing, this story gripped me from the beginning and didn't let go.” 

– Alexi Lawless, Bestselling Author of the Complicated Creatures series

Bag of Dolls

I hope those of you reading this book who require it will find courage through the strange and sometimes exciting world of Julia Darby, she will lead you to unexpected avenues.

Ballads of Loss and Woe

Every ascent is met with a descent. After reaching the pinnacle, basking in achievements and joy, an unforeseen force can bring it all crashing down. Life’s unpredictable blows can dismantle our realities, leaving behind a trail of questions and broken dreams.

As the facade of life dissipates, pillars once deemed steadfast vanish, and we’re left grappling with the remnants. The author revisits the starting point, navigating a world shaped by revelations, torn between passion and profound pain.

In his signature surreal narrative style, he paints a vivid picture of his transformed reality: a tumultuous terrain of emotion. This collection delves deep into themes of grief, betrayal, and existential sorrow. When life thrusts you into an unfamiliar realm, do you question if it’s all just a grand illusion?

From melancholic poems and heart-wrenching tales to soulful songs, this is a journey through the darkest corridors of a wounded heart. These are the words from the depths of despair, a testament to the fragile human spirit.

Balloons

What if there is no tomorrow?

When one day hundreds of delightful blood-red balloons appear in the sky, no one suspects that this eye-catching phenomenon will lead to a catastrophe in a moment. Moments later, a mysterious virus begins to spread on the ground, which attacks people and animals at a rapid pace. Doctors are completely helpless. Soon civilization begins to decline, and the planet’s landscape is gradually deteriorating ...

Is there anything that can prevent the apocalypse? Will those who miraculously survive be able to contain the virus? Or is this what the end of the old world looks like and the beginning of something to come after it?

The first volume of the Virus series, which introduces us to a world ruled by Nature, where plants are able to kill, animals are thirsty for blood, and man in solitude fights for survival.

Banana & Salted Caramel

In Banana & Salted Caramel, Holly Jackson brings together verse and prose written across two decades, expressing themes such as loss, growth, hope, infertility and political strife with humour, honesty, vulnerability and satirical wit.
From poems about graveyards and brain freeze to stories chronicling the unintended consequences of a hen party game, Jackson takes us on a journey, through poetry and prose, spanning years, exploring what it means to be an adult, a wife, a mother and a woman.

Bargains

Veteran detectives Betty Kovaks and Jeff Wheeler take an early morning call to investigate an arson and murder. With Kovaks’ intuition and Wheeler’s methodical style, their partnership combines astute crime scene assessment and scientific evidence to build a shrewd investigation.

Vetted by three veteran detectives, this work will appeal to crime drama readers who expect realism and crisp dialogue.

The investigation dives deeply into the grip of methamphetamine addiction and fencing stolen property. Unconventional twists await: murder, death by sepsis, a car bomb, deportation to India, and a fatal encounter with a PTSD afflicted homeowner.

The narrative’s underpinnings rise from the author’s decades of experience as a state trial judge, criminal defense attorney, and assistant district attorney.

"Interesting characters, engaging story, accurate police work. A good read." 

– Kurt Wuest,
Lane County Sheriff’s Office Detective, (ret.)

"Crafted from his decades of experience, Billings weaves a compelling tale of criminals' lives in raw peril. He aptly portrays the addict as delinquent and victim in a savvy blend of mystery and suspense."

– Sherry Sandreth, PhD.

Baz, Ant and the Boys

The summer started with ‘Brown Sugar’ and it ended with The Who at The Oval cricket ground, where they turned live rock music into a mesmerizing, pulsating miracle. And bound up in this heady atmosphere of 1971 was the pure, unadulterated love of football and all its absurdities, where sex, snakebite and the slide tackle scythed their way through everything.

Shortfall College, a gaunt and brooding building, reminiscent of the Industrial Revolution cut a dark slice of shadow across the South London sky. It was here that an oddball, dotty selection of students set out in search of the Holy Grail – the South London Intercollegiate Cup – aided by spurious tactics and hindered by countless distractions.

From Marlene, the landlord’s wife, a goddess and vixen with a predilection for ice who couldn’t keep her hands off Baz, to Norman, a ringer, with a rather unhealthy lopsided grin who completely snapped when trying to remove an opponent’s ear with his teeth.

Driven ever onwards by The Bear, their captain and inspiration, and Baz, his defensive henchman, they try to rein in the Ant, who possesses the aerodynamics of a spear and a footballing philosophy whereby the ball isn’t absolutely necessary.

Beaten at Birth

Precious, the oldest of ten suffered all of her life. Her biggest fear of landing in a care home had now become true. All of her belongings were thrown in the rubbish, along with all of her memories. A stroke that was not treated, due to misconduct, had left her with slight dementia. The system was prepared to pay £900 a week for a care home she didn’t want to be in. She would have been better off in prison, at least you get parole in prison. The care home had thrown away the key. Her siblings and son had tried in vain to get her out, but her oldest daughter and granddaughters were insistent that she stay there, so they could get on with their dubious business.

Because of Ye Bleedin' Spanner

Although Sean once worked for the United Kingdom’s secret intelligence service, MI6, he now finds himself on death row, sentenced for what the judge at his trial described as ‘the most heinous of crimes.’

Abandoned by his colleagues, friends, and even his family, he reflects on the events of his life which took him from humble beginnings to a career that brought him into conflict with powerful people at the heart of government. Unexplained happenings, mysterious deaths, and individuals hellbent on thwarting at every turn his aim of keeping the democratic process alive made it difficult for him to trust anyone, even the girl he loved.

His mission to rid the world of a new and dangerous drug takes him to distant lands where he encounters the better sides of human nature, kindness and generosity.

Becoming a Parent

Becoming a Parent is an exciting and diverse collection of short poems written to be relatable to anyone on this journey.
The time of becoming a parent is an exciting one: a time to learn a lot about yourselves and others. You’ll be faced with unforgettable moments and delightful decisions. This book hopes to give you a little insight to some of these moments and decisions. Some poems express joy, others sorrow; but most express the abundance of love you feel for your child.
Everyone is different in what they experience or what they may choose to do when becoming a parent, and that’s okay.
(The secret messages highlighted in each poem give you a little message as an extra.)

Bees Make Honey and Butterflies Make Jam

No princesses were harmed in the production of this book except on page 13.

A collection of funny, wicked, modern fairytales, full of princesses, aliens, church mice, buttonholes, frogs, the W.I., and lots of playful mischief — Tom Wells.

I laughed so much I spat out my tea
— Samantha Drummond-Hay.