General Fiction eBooks

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Fourth Invasion - Michael Raine Set in Sri Lanka, 'Fourth Invasion' follows the players in an unusual drama. The country, in its post-Bandaranaike era, was facing a difficult period in its evolution. Western influence - the creation of consumer demand by advertising - sat uncomfortably against widespread poverty whilst Buddhist teaching had always advocated the shunning of materialism. Into the mix steps a young, idealistic American ecologist who soon finds himself at odds with his countrymen; their desire to advance American interests demands their support of schemes to generate extra electricity to power new industrial developments which in turn amounts to a threat to environmentally sensitive areas and areas of immense religious significance. As the various factions and individuals pull against each other the story becomes ever more gripping: compellingly and intelligently written, it's a book that holds its readers' attention from beginning to end. We recommend it highly. (about 97,000 words) Price: £5.00 Quantity:

All About Us - Michael Raine Aline Deal is twelve, or thereabouts, and this is her autobiography. She wrote it herself. If we're being totally honest, 'All About Us' is Michael Raine's idea of what family life might be like seen through the eyes of a rather precocious twelve year old girl. It's carried off wonderfully well as the reader gets sucked into Aline's world; it really is difficult to remember that the words aren't those of the narrator! The book is funny from beginning to end, appealing to all who claim to have a sense of humour. We've included it in our books for children as, although it may be a little difficult for younger children, its appeal to any child with a sufficiently developed attention span is quite plain. It realy is a book that will appeal to, and amuse, all ages. (about 61,000 words) Price: £4.50 Quantity:

Steel Roads And The Pursuit... - Ralph Thomas This is a graphic family chronicle which relates the fortunes of former Welsh miner Robert Morgan and generations ofhis family over a period of 100 years beginning in 1840. He emigrates to America with his wife, Gwendoline, becoming a very successful industrialist in steel production during the time of the railway expansion. With vivid characterisation portrayed through domestic scenes of joy, romance, marriages and births, this is a story rich in human endeavour, courage and tenderness. In the wider historical and social context, the novel covers the American Civil War, The Great War, The Wall Street Crash and Great Depression, events which helped to shape modern America. It also examines the horror and suffering associated with those events. The saga concludes with the meeting in wartime Paris of the last male descendant of the family, and Megan, Welsh born army nurse. Their passionate romance and adventures, set against the background of war torn France and 'blitzed' Britain, and the discovery of shared roots on a 'homecoming' trip to a small Welsh village, rounds off an excellent piece of modern writing. Cover design by Andy Dempsey (about 104,000 words) Price: £5.00 Quantity:

The Black Domain - Ralph Thomas Of those who worked in the new collieries being sunk to meet the demand for coal, most found more misery than wealth. Exploited by the mineowners and the infamous Truck Shop system, living in hovels described as 'little better than pigbeds', and with women and children working below ground in conditions of near slavery, the time was ripe for the threatened Chartist Uprising. Gwendoline Siston, daughter of Sir Henry, one of the new breed of absentee mineowners, enters this world, first as a carefree girl enjoying a country holiday as the guest of the man from whom her father intends buying his mine. Within two years she becomes the bride of the man her father has chosen to run the mining complex, then his widow, and finally the mine's controller. Her guide and mentor in this venture is the 'educated collier' Robert Morgan, her one time servant. Can they succeed or will the unrest fuelled by local terror gangs and the difference in their upbringing prove too much? And what of the love which waits to be declared? Fact and fiction are well mixed in this dramatic and enjoyable story, and provides the reader with an insight into the period during which were laid the foundations for events which changed history. Cover illustration by Simon Barlow. (about 126,000 words) Price: £5.00 Quantity:

Manor Farm - J Alan Jones When Mother Gaia made the world, her finest creations were the dinosaurs. She loved them as if they were her own children, which, in a way they were. However, big dinosaurs create major problems. Two in particular; dung and flatulence. When Mother Gaia realised that her creations were inadvertently destroying the climate with their continuous guffing she had to act. She put an end to the dinosaurs and started again. But her later creations were to prove a bigger problem. After their discovery of fossil fuels and nuclear power, the animals of Gaia seemed to be on a path of self destruction. But, before Mother Gaia could act, the animals had come up with their own solution and it was not a pleasant one. In this superb prequel to Orwell’s Animal Farm and 1984, J Alan Jones has given the reader plenty of food for thought as we see the world through the eyes of the animals that inhabit it. At turns, funny, sad, perplexing and thought provoking in the deepest sense of the word, Manor Farm is a must read for the modern age. It’s highly recommended. By the way, see if you work out the names, it’s all part of the fun. (about 33,000 words) Price: £3.00 Quantity:

Michael Robertson - Herschel Waters Michael Robertson is known as Mishka due to his love of Eastern Europe. He is a post graduate in English literature but his real area of knowledge is his home town, Lancaster. Just like a river slowly flows towards the sea, the tale of Michael Robertson unfolds as he walks around town lecturing on the city and its history. Robertson talks about the Palatine of Lancaster, the city’s gorgeous Georgian buildings and the people that came to Lancaster (Vikings, Gypsies, Romans, Normans etc). He also tells the reader about the space race that visits him, the ghost of John O’Gaunt, the loss of his family, the decline of sanity (his and society’s), the underworld (there is an alternative universe in Michael’s mind, where he doesn’t have psychosis) and his love of cottage pie. The narrator speaks with suppressed anger and the story jumps around to allow the reader to follow Robertson’s thoughts and to discern his split personality. The story ends with Robertson’s death, a beautiful suicide that ends in Lancaster’s river, the Lune. (about 21,000 words) Price: £3.00 Quantity:

A Nation In Change - Bob Lee Set in Britain in the period immediately following the withdrawal of the Roman army, "A Nation In Change" follows the fortunes of several generations of one noble family. Life is hard in the lands near Hadrian's Wall: winters are long and severe, Picts from the north are a constant scourge and many battles are being fought. It is a 'kill or be killed' existence. Elsewhere other forces are set on taking lands from the indiginous Celts. Other groups of marauding Picts from Ireland forage from the west while Saxons are a dangerous threat from the East. Battle follows battle as the tribes form alliances against common enemies, but it appears there may be a saviour coming: according to the Druid known as Merlin a noble child will be born and will be called Arthur; he is to be born into the Pendragon family. This is a spectacular, exciting, blood-soaked story from the Roman withdrawal to the birth of young Arthur, set against the background of a dark and mysterious part of British history. It's a joy to read from beginning to end. (about 53,000 words) Price: £3.50 Quantity:

Flag McAndrew - Braid Anderson When young Inglis McAndrew got the letter from the Admiralty, telling him that due to cutbacks and the increasing use of guided missiles, that fighter pilots were not being employed anymore, he was devastated. So he joined the Merchant Marine and went to sea as a Junior Cadet on board the Forth Venturer, and here his adventures were about to begin. Along with Big John Souter, Aussie, Jimmy and the mysterious Donkeyman, Inglis began to get his first taste of real life. From the seedy sex clubs of The Reeperbahn in Hamburg, to Port Said, Inglis was to get a better education than any school or university could offer. Falling in love in Sweden, getting beat up in France and playing a trick, which backfired seriously, on the Captain, Inglis’s life was full of the type of wonders he had read about in the Boy’s Own comic. But one of the great lessons he did learn was this: You can sail the seas, swim in them and enjoy them, but you can never tame them and they’re always waiting to catch you off guard. In this absolutely riveting rite of passage story we find ourselves engrossed with all the trials and tribulations that a seventeen year old good Scottish Baptist boy can take. It’s a fabulous read from beginning to end and it’s very highly recommended. And the good news is, there’s more of Flag to come. ISBN 978 0 9551551 2 3 (about 94,000 words) Price: £5.00 Quantity:

Just Money - Peter Waters The world of financial services has a history of shady dealing; its scandals regularly feature in the newspapers even today. Back in the 1980s and 90s, when this book is set, it was much worse. During those dark days Peter Waters was employed within the financial services industry and witnessed at first hand the way that consumers were treated and how their money was used - not always to their advantage. 'Just Money' is a fictionalised story that relates events that have actually happened; they may not all have happened under the same roof, but they are indeed all true. The hero of the book, if there is such a person, is based on the author himself, who worked for a long time on behalf of others who had lost often very large sums of money because of criminality within the industry. Although the events are true a certain amount of licence has been taken in the interests of making the book both readable and comprehensible to those of us who lack any specialist knowledge in the field. Mr Waters has succeeded admirably in both these objectives, producing a book that we recommend very highly indeed. (about 162,000 words) Price: £7.50 Quantity:

0-200, $3m - Alan Beardmore The annual 24 hour race at Le Mans in France has always been a popular event, whether it has been a stand-alone race at the autocratic whim of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest or as part of a recognised championship. It is a long, testing race on a long, fast circuit. Imagine what would happen if the Americans decided that they could stage an event that would be the same, but bigger and better. It would have to be faster, of course, and longer. If 24 hours was enough for the French, the Americans might opt for 48 hours. This is the story of just such a race, told uniquely from the perspective of one team, and more specifically from the sponsor's viewpoint. It makes for an exciting, fast-paced novel, laced with plenty of humour and the sort of lusty goings-on that we all suspect are happening behind the scenes - there must be a reason why so many glamorous young ladies are attracted to this high-octane sport, mustn't there? Alan Beardmore has crafted a thoroughly readable story against a background which is a notoriously difficult setting for good fiction. We applaud his approach heartily and recommend the successful result! (about 54,000 words) Price: £3.50 Quantity:

Box Number Secrets - Cat Morley Have you ever wondered why people put those 'lonely heart' ads in newspapers? Or what happens when other people reply to them? Cat Morley placed just such an ad - in fact she placed a whole series of ads, then recorded the outcome in this occasionally cautionary but otherwise very funny first novel. Set in North East Scotland, it is written in an unusual style which suits the subject matter surprisingly well. The author has taken a subject that could so easily become tediously repetitive and kept it fresh, interesting, lively and amusing from the first word to the last. For those who appreciate something a little out of the ordinary, or who enjoy a chuckle from a book that slips down like the smoothest of Scotch whiskies, this book is just what you've been waiting for! We're just hoping that there'll be a sequel.... (about 25,000 words) Price: £3.00 Quantity:

Lisa Marshall, Time Detective - Mary Lloyd Detectives have always been popular characters, whether official such as Morse, Frost or Starsky & Hutch, or unofficial - Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple spring to mind. Lisa Marshall therefore joins some impressive company. But Lisa has a unique ability, thanks, it seems, to a mysterious stranger she met just once. She can travel in time, either back to the past or into the future, and that means her services are much in demand. So far, as chronicled in this fascinating book, she has travelled back to the 1960s - her favourite period - and as far in the past as the 16th century; she has also travelled forward to visit a zero-gravity hotel orbiting above the Earth (which Lisa finds disconcerting, having just jumped off the Titanic...). This heady mixture makes the most entertaining reading, and more tales of Lisa's adventures might be added, perhaps even at the instigation of readers! (about 28,000 words) Price: £3.00 Quantity:

A Picaresque Tale - Brad Aubrey Set in a modern day small town in England, the action takes place around the chooky hero Ashley Redbridge: eighteen years of age, fairly good-looking with chestnut brown hair with golden glints. His hair has a slight curl. A bright boy, he is however a trifle anxious and neurotic. For all that he is vital and not one to give up easily. As the main protagonist he is something of a reluctant hero. Well-meaning and good-hearted, he can also be, under the influence of Irvine and the young offender boys, a trifle dishonest and a bit of a delinquent. A lover of Clarissa, he is in pursuit of her for much of the novel but because he can be weak, or maybe just human, he succumbs to the wiles of an older woman. Thrifty through necessity, he is just keeping his head above water, but, probably because of this, he is always open to some new scheme or 'scam' which he thinks will make his fortune. Aided and abetted by his side-kick Irvine, he never quite joins the ranks of the out and out delinquent offender boys, but he certainly comes close. His good character wins through, mistakes are made in his life, but he is good material for reform. Liked by characters such as Mr. Davies, his probation officer, and the the dubious Judge Harvey Greaves-Edwards, we know Ashley's sins will be redeemed. An uncomfortable role model maybe, but full of life and unstoppable, his roller-coaster existence has all the hallmarks of adolescent life. Price: £3.00 Quantity:

Beneath My Wings - Bob Bridge Set in the 1960s and early 1970s, "Beneath My Wings" is a story of the friendship between John Path, a young man living in Scotland, and an eagle. It is a friendship born of John's gift of being able to talk to animals and understand them. John introduces the eagle, who he calls Swift, to his girlfriend Jane, and finds that neither deserts him when he is struck down with polio. But Swift is captured and imprisoned in a zoo - that is, until John and his father set about releasing him. Does John's act of kindness in returning Swift to the wild have anything to do with the 'miracle' that suddenly changes his life? Who, or what, is Swift really? The answers are to be found in this entertaining little book. "Beneath My Wings" was first published in 1992 by Vantage Press Inc, New York, USA. (about 15,000 words) Price: £2.50 Quantity:

Kinmel Revisited - Bob Bridge Kinmel Camp on the North Wales coast was, in 1919, a repatriation centre for Canadian troops at the end of World War I. But there were problems. The British Government had decommissioned its troop ships. The Canadian Government was facing a massive unemployment problem to which homecoming troops could only add. Were those Canadians - who were among the first Canadians to enter the war and could justify being called heroes - to be forgotten about? In this fictionalised account of those dark, dramatic days Bob Bridge has interpreted the records to produce a novel that might be seen as a fitting tribute to those Canadian soldiers who survived the horrors of war only to die in peacetime, thousands of miles from home. Their graves, imacculately tended, can still be seen in the churchyard at Bodelwyddan in North Wales. (about 20,000 words) Price: £2.00 Quantity:

A Boy's Name - Stephen Queen Stephen Queen's first novel is a tale of adolescence. Set in 1920s Scotland, it is the story of a single year in which a boy becomes a man, a year in which he must not only make that difficult transition but must also confront head-on a series of shattering, life-changing events and his first experiences of death. This epic story is in turn exciting, dramatic, emotionally charged yet unceasingly entertaining. It has already been described as "the best debut novel I have ever read" and "an extremely brave book, excellently carried off" by other authors. These sentiments mirror our own opinions about a book that deserves to be a major success. It is, quite simply, a stunning work. (about 132,000 words) Price: £6.50 Quantity:

Even Theists Pray - Darren Wilson This volume of thirteen stories projects characters who, each in their own way, are at odds with a society that they despise and a world that they mistrust. Its style, meditative, offbeat and vibrantly intelligent, reflects the protagonists' alienation and self-assurance. In part a study of relationships, in part an exploration of the nature of Christian faith, Darren Wilson exhibits in these stories a Kafka-like instinct to search for motives behind apparently everyday occurences. Each story shows a difference in approach, from an appropriately child-like naivety of the younger characters to the resolute indecision of those of mature years. The book is ultimately immensely rewarding, exquisitely crafted by an author who is wholly in control of his writing. This, the author's first published work, is a shining example of contemporary writing and will stimulate the minds of all who read it. (about 119,000 words) Price: £6.00 Quantity:

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