Living among the puffins on Skellig Michael ~ Catherine Merrigan
In the summer of 2000, Catherine Merrigan took a rough boat ride out to the rocky island of Skellig Michael off the coast of County Kerry to begin her new job as a guide. Almost alone on the dark and mystical island that first night, she realised she’d made a big mistake and decided she would leave the next morning. A massive storm blew up though and she couldn’t leave for five days; whereupon, in fact, she stayed. Catherine has spent six months of every year since showing visitors this magical isle, and hanging out with her beloved puffins – 10,000 breeding pairs which she likes to say she counts every night, by name.
Here is a one of a kind insight into life on this dramatically beautiful, monastic sanctuary, laden with a millennium and a half of some of Ireland’s richest history, and in the company of a hundred thousand nesting birds. Told with love and passion, Catherine’s anecdotes are interspersed with her photos of ‘Charlie Chaplin’ puffins, Skellig’s dramatic staircases, and much more.
Sailing Suleika ~ Dennis Krebs
Any sailor’s dream: a girl, a boat, and an adventure.
Sally and Suleika sailed into Dennis Krebs’ life when he was stationed at a New Zealand outpost on the island of Raoul halfway from New Zealand to Fiji.
Sailing Suleika is the story of their journey from New Zealand to England, via Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, the Malacca Straits, the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean, and through France’s canal system to the English Channel.
Serving as Mate to Sally’s Skipper, along with the responsibilities of bosun, musician, chef, and first engineer, Dennis tells a brilliant, descriptive, and often hilarious tale of their multiple escapades and experiences, through some of the world’s most dangerous and most beautiful waters.
This is every sailing lover’s delight, a fantastic read. And if you’re not a sailor, you’ll want to be.
Hansi & Greyling ~ Timothy F. Nugent
Sam Greyling returns to the one city in the world where he feels whole and comfortable. He arrives to deal with the grief of losing his husband of over thirty years, only to be confronted by his first love, Hans Wortmann. Hansi was the love of Sam’s university student years in Salzburg, Austria. They planned a life together in the city of Mozart but that came to a halt when Sam decided he must return to the States.
Thirty years later, and after a rough and tumultuous start, they rekindle their relationship while confronting the realities of life as mature adults. A past nemesis returns, attempting to tear them apart, haunting their every move. It is a tussle for stability and commitment while confronting old barriers to being together.
Up the drive backwards ~ Lynne Norman
Like so many of us in our own pre- or early retirement years, Lynne Norman brought her dementia-diagnosed mum to live with her. Hilarious in parts, bitter-sweet in others, these are the conversations Lynne and Avis had. Up the drive backwards—one of Avis’s frequent assertions as to the manner in which supposed visitors came up the drive—is first and foremost a daughter’s tribute to her beloved mother. This is a delightful read, and an essential one for anyone caring for elderly parents.
A Solid Handshake ~ Alistair McIntyre aka 'Doug the Digger'
Growing up on civil construction sites, Alistair McIntyre was taught to look people in the eye and give a solid handshake. It was the first of many lessons that have held him in good stead through a life of significant ups and downs. School was a challenge for Alistair. He wanted to be out there, driving diggers and trucks, putting up fences, herding sheep, and growing his own businesses. So he did, becoming the youngest sheep and cattle trader in the country at just thirteen. Twelve years later though, things came to a grinding halt with a horrific workplace injury, taking Alistair through hell and back again. Spiralling downwards, and at a loose end one day, he drew some stick figures that eventually became Doug the Digger, a wee machine with a big heart. Thus began a new entrepreneurial opportunity inspiring children and youth to consider roadworks and civil engineering as career options. Alistair is a kinaesthetic learner and uses his own life experiences to provide hands-on learning with his mini digger. For many students, this can be the first time they find purpose and meaning in numeracy and literacy. From originally failing at school, today he promotes with passion doing your best at school. With more funny stories than you can poke a spade at, Alistair McIntyre recounts a colourful life with bullet points for LIFE: Learning Intelligently From Experiences
Mia's Notebook ~ Ginger Rankin
Mia lived a carefree island life… until she didn’t.
With the ever-present charm of her first two novellas, Spice Island and Grapefruit Parlor, Ginger Rankin brings us the beauty and then the tragedy of one of millions of children the world over, whose story it’s easier to turn away from – with the plea that we must not.
Even a sugar apple, as good as it was, had a warning side. I could hear my Nona say, “Mia, always remember that ‘laugh’ and ‘cry’ live in the same house.” She said that many times, especially when things went wrong. “Don’t always expect the good times to last.”
Mia’s Notebook is a story told from the found journals of a trafficking victim. More than anything, Mia wanted to be good. So, naturally, she did as she was told, deceived that it was the will of God. Tricked by those she trusted. An all too familiar story. But better to let Mia tell it herself.
Headland - Poems & Images, Kaye Separovic
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The Sun Made Me do it, Jennifer Monaghan
Poetry collections from Kaye Separovic in Australia and Jennifer Monaghan in the US. Always a pleasure to work on poetry, and a special privilege to work with these two special women on their deeply person experiences and the words they have put to them in order to share them with the world.
Thank you, both.
Leave Tracks - Lessons from a career in IT ~ Jennie L. Balcom
Few women have worked in IT management for 35 years. Those that did, broke glass ceilings and changed the culture of the workplace for generations. The way we manage has changed exponentially, as have our expectations of work generally, regardless of industry.
Taking Maslow’s timeless pyramid of needs, Jennie Balcom reimagines it with a focus on making a difference in our own and others’ lives. Her examples of when she got it right and when she got it wrong describe a path through corporate and personal change and growth.
Leave Tracks is the notion that the most successful managers leave a legacy of positive, palpable change, demonstrating the ability to flex, innovate on the fly, get the best out of their team and help them thrive.
As the fastest moving industry over the last three decades, and the one that’s influenced every other industry, the IT sector shapes and informs our lives in innumerable ways. One of those is in producing some of the most extraordinary leaders and managers. Jennie Balcom is one of those.
Rook's Enigma ~ Gray Mathias
Judd Rook is going about his business as an international meat trader when the Berlin Wall falls and he is pulled into a global intrigue not of his making. Ever alert to a deal though, he turns the tables on his rogue conspirators.
In the style of early Clive Cussler and Tom Clancy, New Zealand novelist Gray Mathias has constructed a character with all the temperament and personality of a Jack Ryan or Simon Templar, within a gripping intercontinental plot.
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Angels in the Architecture - Sue Fitzmaurice
1185. Bishop Hugh takes on the re-building of Lincoln Cathedral after a devastating earthquake, and attempts to calm superstitious Christian and Jewish town folk seeking to blame an 'idiot' child.
1981. Journalist Pete Watson wants to get inside the mind of his severely autistic son, and at the same time make sense of a chaotic world of riots and assassinations.
Lincoln Cathedral is the setting for a thrilling story, alongside an exploration of what is real and what can we really know? This fascinating journey of alternating stories weaves real historical figures and events with an exploration of what might be and what might have been.
Purpose 3 - what it is and how to find it ~ Sue Fitzmaurice
What is purpose and how do you find it?
We all feel more present and life feels more meaningful when we live and act with purpose. Finding it – or more to the point, ensuring it finds you – isn’t a straight road. It twists and turns, and it keeps growing and changing our whole lives.
Here is the ONLY book that explains what purpose IS.
Sue’s unmistakable voice – straightforward and accessible – gets to the heart of this vital topic and provides the best directions for your biggest journey. Purpose Squared is a re-combining of Sue’s two earlier books on the topic, taking the reader more efficiently to the heart of their purpose.
This is a book for life. Come back to it often.
NEW! Children's books!
Alfie & the Thing, Vicki Lydon
Alfie’s an ordinary boy, with annoying sisters and the best dog in the world. Ordinary, that is, until he gets angry. And then ‘the thing’ happens. Alfie’s a bit worried about ‘the thing’, until some special friends show him how amazing he really is.
A chapter book for 6-9yos.
When the Animals came to Moscow, by Ginger Rankin, art by Julie Bramley
One day, in search of adventure, a group of animals came to town.
What happened next was no big surprise for the people of Moscow, Idaho.
A picture book for 3-6yos.
ESPRESSO FLAMINGO - a novella ~ Heather J. Gordon
"A WEE CHARMER"
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Flamingos in Scotland?
Espresso from a giant coffeepot on wheels?
The Silverbirds are returning. Bea Silverbird is a Marilyn Monroe impersonator and her teenage daughter, Iris, has seen an angel.
Strange things are happening at their abandoned honey factory in the remote Scottish Highlands.
Let the adventure begin.
SOUL ELEMENTS Discover your natural energy - Live from your heart ~Olga Birrell
Energy healing and understanding the elements should be a part of everyone’s self-development. Olga’s discussion of the four elements is comprehensive, yet clear. There is great learning here, along with magic, and real gold. Sue Fitzmaurice, The Smart Seeker's Guide to Spiritual Bullshit & Purpose - Making Sure Your Purpose Finds You
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Discover your natural energy – your unique blend of soul elements – and change your life. You’ll better understand yourself and your relationships, align your clothes and home with your soul elements, and move forward to live from your heart, confident, calm and clear.
ON THE WING - a collection of poems and images ~Kaye Separovic
Kaye Separovic gives the reader the mature woman’s experience within our current world – a fortress of solitude – another day of excess – recreating oneself – fragile skin, laughter lines – the passing of human time – the angst of mothering. Relatable, the poet is a blessing in illuminating our own imprecise sentiments, illustrating our personal canvas, enabling us to witness ourselves.
HOW TO DRESS A TROUT IN A TUXEDO - an impractical guide to living with depression~Robin Wing Dragoo
How to Dress a Trout in a Tuxedo takes a down-to- earth, conversational approach to a topic that is often avoided and even more often misunderstood. With honest, easygoing language, Robin Dragoo takes the reader through her journey with depression, her tribulations, triumphs, and thought- provoking resolutions to bring her closer to the life she chooses. In warm empathetic language, this quirky motivational memoir leaves the reader with a clearer understanding of how depression creeps into life, insidiously invades the mind, and wreaks havoc on the choices people face. For those who find themselves wanting to share their love with someone who has depression, it offers a window into what could lie ahead. How to Dress a Trout in a Tuxedo is a beacon of hope and encouragement for everyone associated with depression. Through warm personal stories and wry, humor-infused wisdom, the author conveys first her struggles, then her lessons, through each stage of learning to live compassionately with a disease that takes the lives of so many.
MELTWATER ~ Suzanne Ashmore
Elizabeth is trying to find herself. With thirteen different ‘selves’ though, it’s a unique and difficult journey.
Her narrator self, Beatrice, helps Elizabeth uncover her stories, revealing a shocking past.
Set against moody New Zealand backdrops of the Southern Alps, the brittle cold of the Central Plateau, and the volcanic slopes of Mt Taranaki, Meltwater is a homage to the power of storytelling.
As Elizabeth’s life is revealed to her, one ultimate mystery persists and she is haunted by this unknowing. Is it too much to hope that this is the story that will finally free her?
Poignant, cruel, yet life affirming; written with lyrical, edgy grace.
THE GROUNDSWELL SAGAS: BUILDING 9, GAME ON, GAME OVER and ENDGAME ~Toby Garrad
Space travel is under threat and NASA hijacks the world's most popular game to lure a team of 14-year-olds—founders of Groundswell, an adolescent environmental movement—for the most dangerous experiment of all. NASA’s renegade Building Nine is the setting as the agency entices the group’s leader, Runa Erikson, and her two conspirators from their isolated communities in Norway, the Scottish Highlands, and the Eastern Seaboard. Runa's way of life near the North Pole is under threat from Russian mercenaries and she sees an opportunity to turn NASA's plight to Groundswell's advantage.
PRESSING MY LUCK - Memoir of a Fleet Street Veteran ~ Colin Mackenzie
Just 31 when he delivered the finest scoop of his career, Colin Mackenzie had already interviewed some of the world's most important and fascinating figures, including Thatcher, Nixon, Ceausescu, Burton & Taylor, Led Zeppelin, and many more. His location of Ronnie Biggs in far off Rio de Janeiro was recently nominated as one of the best ten scoops of the 20th century by the UK Press Gazette, Fleet Street's trade magazine.
Mackenzie recreates a Fleet Street that no longer exists as newspapers battle for survival in a computerised world. "The Street of Shame" as Private Eye characterised the newspaper world of the 60s and 70s, is no more.
Throughout his career, Mackenzie entertained a love of the Sport of Kings, owning small shares in racehorses that challenged his financial resources and provided adrenalin-pumping excitement. He was a founder reporter on the Racing Post, later rejoining the Daily Mail to become, after 20 years, the doyen of racing correspondents, rubbing shoulders with the Queen, the Queen Mother, Princess Anne, the Aga Khan and Sir Alex Ferguson. This riveting memoir uncovers the many other great stories that Mackenzie delivered to his employers and to his readers. Some are hilarious, some are shocking, and some just amazing.
KEEP MOVING FORWARD - a guide for the On Purpose Solopreneur ~ Kathryn Yarborough
Keep Moving Forward: A Guide for the On Purpose Solopreneur shows you how to interweave the spiritual journey of fulfilling your purpose while doing what's needed to grow a thriving on purpose business. Whether you're a beginner or seasoned coach, energy worker, healer or other type of on purpose solopreneur, with this book you will learn how to manifest clients, move past the inner stumbling blocks of growing a business, and design a marketing strategy hat works for you.Use the exercises in this book to discover how to grow the business your heart longs for.
ISOLATION ROW - A Lockdown Diary with Poems ~Scott Murray
traffic vanishing
empty spaces on the road
except goods in transit
biscuits, soap powder
camouflaged lorries
toilet rolls arriving secretly
rationing soon
use both sides
Isolation Row is Scott Murray's second collection of poetry; his first was Parrot Droppings - A Poor Man's Poems published in 2019. Unless you've been living under a rock - amazingly, some have - then you'll know the world changed earlier in 2020, and with it all our lives. Reporting from his quiet country road, a few miles from Stirling in Scotland, Scott weaves his unique magic around the ups and downs of isolation in his country's first lockdown, one that continues on and off.
TAHI TAHI - Together One (YMCA Aotearoa New Zealand ~Sue Fitzmaurice
Everyone loves a good story. Something that lifts our spirits or makes us reflect on our own lives and how they are made richer because the people in them exist in our world.
Stories are the lifeblood of our YMCA communities. The people in them interact with their local Y most days or weeks. They are skilled, resilient, and their gifts are often underappreciated.
This collection paints a picture of our values – body, mind, spirit, and also family, community, dedication, and love. You can see the Y’s humanity on these faces, as well as our authenticity and passion. These people, old and young, are influencers, motivators, and guides to the diversity of people in the communities they serve. They have faced their own challenges, or looked at those that others face and been moved to act, to change the narrative, to make a difference, and to extend a helping hand.
THIS IS US - Kiwis Abroad During Covid ~Pete Carter
The world will never forget 2020. The challenge of the covid pandemic has affected all our lives, especially the Kiwi diaspora - those many New Zealanders around the world, working and playing and representing the spirit of our nation.
Continuing his 'This is us' series from pre-covid, Wellingtonian Pete Carter sought out the stories of Kiwis around the world during the 2020 pandemic: locked down, isolated, stuck, away from home and family, making it work for themselves wherever they were.
Here are nearly 200 stories, from Kiwis alone, with their partners, with family, or with flatmates; across every continent, working, surviving, having fun, making the most it. This is our family. And wherever they are, this is their home.
SOCIAL DEMOCRACY How America got it & why we must protect it ~ Steven Godby
A social democracy is a democratic country with a foundation of capitalism that distributes some of its wealth for the benefit of the whole of society. The United States is a social democracy. But for decades the terms ‘socialism’ and ‘social democracy’ have been weaponized in the United States to cast government programs in support of a social safety net as communist and evil. They’re not, but that doesn’t stop millions believing a set of falsehoods entrenched within parts of the working classes for nearly a hundred years, causing them to vote against policies entirely in support of them – in other words to vote against their own best interests.
It’s the biggest, most successful con perpetrated against a society, affecting generations of Americans. And it has a single purpose: To make the rich richer. Key to this deception has been the false re-defining of key terms, augmented with fear, and the promise of outcomes that will never be delivered.
In this second volume examining the convolution of American politics, Godby shows how the country already has circumstances many claim to fear, and has had it for nearly a century. Here is the history and development of social democracy in the United States and the forces supporting and frustrating it.
BUDDY ~ Elizabeth Herd
We talk about ‘a mother’s worst nightmare,’ as if there’s just the one, but truthfully there are multiple versions of it. If you’re unlucky, several versions come at once. With great heart, and all the courage a mother can rally, Elizabeth Herd relays events occurring over several months, from one loss to the next and the next.
Tragedy isn’t easy to write, much less to tell. Recording it though is essential to history, for those who may need to know in the future, and for others who may find healing now in knowing that they’re not alone.
Blending her personal story with court transcripts and other documents of public record, Elizabeth Herd is ‘Sean’s Voice,’ the otherwise missing voice in this heartbreaking tale.
Told with compassion, grace, and commitment to truth and justice.
REPUBLICANS & THE RICH Their 40 year plan to rob America ~ Steven Godby
Give an oligarch an inch and he’ll take a hundred miles. Under the guise of supporting the second amendment and the over-turning of Roe v Wade, the ultra rich – via their agent, the Republican party – have systematically removed every public support and safeguard they can get their hands on. And their voters – working class Americans most affected by those attacks – have given them free rein.
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Former die-hard Republican Steven Godby steps methodically through the success of the oligarchy’s 40-year plan to wrest power from We, the People without the people having a clue that it’s happened.
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If you think you’ve understood the dimensions of this catastrophe, this’ll clear up several gaps in your knowledge that you didn’t know you had. Brilliantly and simply articulated, this should be at the top of your to be read pile.
GRAPEFRUIT PARLOR ~ Ginger Rankin
“Can you tell me again what got you into this mess?” she asked, like I could even remember my name at that point.
“I was born.” I offered. How does one change a lifetime of being a screwup at every turn? There are ways to stay out of jail but they are not necessarily around when I need them. When I thought of a happy time though, I thought of the island, where my mother—Angel-whoever—gave birth to me. She was young and seriously “not capable,” whatever that meant.
Dolores’ life has not gone according to plan. If she had a plan. Which she doesn’t. In search of she’s-not-sure-what, Dolores returns to the Caribbean island of her birth and finds much more than she ever thought possible.
Following her entrancing ‘Spice Island,’ Ginger Rankin returns with ‘Grapefruit Parlor,’ revealing once again her talent for beguiling her reader.
YOUR INVISIBLE INHERITANCE Releasing the Hidden Legacy of Ancestral Trauma ~ Nikki Mackay
Do you know the stories of who you are and where you come from? Have you walked in the paths of your ancestors? Who you are is the result of complex layers of energetic influence from people you’ve known and loved, the choices you’ve made, and your family and ancestors. The imprint of their memories flows through your veins and their fight to survive beats in your heart.
Connecting with the stories of those who’ve lived before us and shaped our world is an empowering process in claiming our own life. When aspects of the past are unseen or unacknowledged then the trauma from that past connects to our present and future, entangling us as it reanimates and is re-experienced by us.
Family and ancestral constellation is a therapeutic tool that allows these invisible influences to become visible, be acknowledged, and become whole. It allows us to uncover the hidden historical narrative we unconsciously hold, disentangle ourselves from it, and move forward with our own life.
WOMEN'S VOICES Real Stories of Truth, Pain & Survival edited by Sue Fitzmaurice
For most of history, women’s voices have been missing. And for most of history, women have suffered, often in ways men have not. Women’s Voices is one of an ongoing series of stories of women’s lives, attempting to redress some of the imbalance of the missing voices of history.
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In surviving abuse, violence, desertion, divorce, homelessness, and other painful episodes, women are generally less resourced, more vulnerable, less able to access services, and more likely to be judged and ostracised by family and society.
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These stories are honest, often revealing truths not previously expressed. Many are raw; all are humble and powerful in the telling. Their strength is in their insight into self-knowledge—not always pretty—and in the commitment to personal growth, and to hope.
The Smart Seeker's Guide to SPIRITUAL BULLSHIT ~ Sue Fitzmaurice
Do you roll your eyes at "Be positive!" "Be happy!" and "Just let it go!"? Are you tired of the Universe being responsible for everything? Feel like a failure because you can’t manifest everything you want in an afternoon? Don’t worry, you’re not crazy. You may just be wriggling free from the hypnotic grip of spiritual bullshit. And fair play to you; it can be strangely compelling.
The truth is that the spiritual path is as nuanced and frustrating as it is beautiful and fulfilling. The danger is that as we enthusiastically rush to share our new found spiritual wisdom, we unwittingly pass more and more bullshit around.
So how do you clear the crap off your spiritual path? Join life-long spiritual seeker (and finder) Sue Fitzmaurice as she wades valiantly through a monumental pile of it in search of answers. Packed with insight and more than a few belly laughs, let The Smart Seeker’s Guide to Spiritual Bullshit be your life raft and guide.
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THE TAO OF HIBISCUS ~ Poetry by PM Draper
P.M. Draper's poetry considers the American condition, in all its glorious and sometimes horrifying diversity. From the ravages of gun violence to the plights of aging, Draper's sensitive pen casts a straightforward and elegant light on reality. The best poetry doesn't obscure the grotesque or the truth or the sadness of life behind pretty words, but rather calls them forth into a fresh consideration, with allegory that isn't difficult to grasp but allows us to consider who we really are and what we really believe. You'll want to recite some of these to your friends and family. "Wow, listen to this. This is perfect!" A delightful read that you will come back to many times.
JOURNEYS WITH THE DIVINE FEMININE ~ Sue Fitzmaurice, editor; Sarah McCrum, Detta Darnell, C. Ara Campbell, Doreen Devoy, Andrea Pollard, Elizabeth Russell, et al.
A collection of 24 personal stories of women’s experiences discovering the Divine Feminine and journeying within to experience, understand and grow from it. You will see yourself reflected here. You will see paths you didn’t know existed. You even may feel freer to walk some paths you may have been afraid to venture down.
The writers are from Irish, Dutch, German, Scottish, North American, Trinidadian, English, Indian, French, Australian, New Zealand, and New Zealand Maori backgrounds, with combinations of Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Pagan, Wiccan, Baha’i, and other religious and spiritual practices and traditions. They are writers and artists, therapists and coaches, mothers and grandmothers, academics, yoga teachers, psychics and healers, nurses and salespeople, sisters and daughters.
MONDAYS WITH MYRTLE ~ Rosemary Laberee
Every minute of every day, an American will develop Alzheimer’s disease. It is disease which threatens to bankrupt Medicare. We do not ask if it will touch our lives. We ask when.
Dementia entered Rosemary's family slowly. It dismantled her mother slowly. There was never a time when she and her siblings knew what would happen next.
Her hope is that this book helps you prepare and helps you cope, and most importantly, that the advice and experiences you read here will help you forgive yourself the things you could not do and be grateful for the things you could.
In between their hallucinations, rage, confusion, grief and psychosis, there may be recognition, gratitude and pleasure. These moments, however flawed and fragmented, truly matter. They are glimpses of the value of yesterday’s sunshine. Seize them and say thank you.
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THE DELIBERATE MARY PILGRIMAGE ~ Sue Fitzmaurice
After an accidental encounter with “the Marys”, a more deliberate pursuit of the Divine Feminine became inevitable, as the author visits over 40 sacred sites through England, Scotland, Wales and France.
What had been a delightful introduction though, became a massive soul journey, both dark and enlightening, magical and painful.
If you’ve decided on a spiritual quest, there are consequences, and it’s not all sweetness and light.
‘The Deliberate Mary Pilgrimage’ introduces you to ‘thin places’ where the veil between this realm and the next is more subtle; to the truth and legends of Mary Magdalene, and the lives and hardships of many of the women Saints; and through the author’s ‘dark night of the soul’, a falling into madness, and a gradual transformation to a new spiritual landscape.
SPICE ISLAND – Ginger Rankin
Paki and Jerold live on Spice Island where chickens roost all night in the trees and every day is summer. They swim and snorkel and fish for silver jacks in the soft Caribbean Sea that surrounds them. They climb mango trees that are heavy with ripe juicy fruit - good for eating and even better for throwing at their friends in mango fights. They know where to find mountain springs where the water tastes like sparkling soda and they’ve found the best places to hide in old Fort George where the cast iron cannons still angle toward the sea.
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So what is their secret adventure? Why are they putting together a raft from driftwood and twisted palm fiber? Who is Mr Ready? And what happens when the two eleven year olds find out that the sea is not always their friend?
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PARROT DROPPINGS – A Poor Man’s Poems – Scott Murray
Despite the self-deprecating title, ‘Parrot Droppings’ invites you to share the author’s deep empathy for the plight of the common man and a righteous anger at the excesses of privileged elites, writes Gordon Kerr in his Foreword to this deep and engaging collection of poems and photographs.
Scott Murray was raised on the banks of the Clyde in Glasgow. He might have been a street fighter but he’s turned out more of a spiritual warrior, with a deep love of nature and respect for all its creatures. Along with his Celtic pride and independent spirit, these form the foundations of his art.
“Like all true artists Scott can help stop time, prompting us to pause and consider our place in the cosmos and our relationship with other realms of existence. Such genius has the potential to draw us closer and live fuller, more meaningful lives.”
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BEACH STONES - Poems from a Wild Greek Island - Detta Darnell
Rebel Magic is pleased to announce the forthcoming ‘Beach Stones’, first of a series of poetry collections from Detta Darnell, Kefalonian-based English artist, writer and creativity coach. If you’ve ever been to Greece, you’ll recognise at once the joy-filled images of Greek people and island life. Charming and insightful, Detta brings Kefalonia to the page with her unique swathes of love, wisdom and enchantment. If you’ve never been to Greece, let Beach Stones take you there.
THE ACCIDENTAL MARY PILGRIMAGE - Sue Fitzmaurice
In the English winter of 2018, a chance encounter led to an unexpected journey of the heart and soul through more than a dozen spiritual centres in France, Spain and England. Most unusually for a non-Catholic, it became an investigation into the veneration of Mary, the mother of Christ, and Mary Magdalene, which among other things guided me into an internal dialogue about the odyssey of womanhood. It was beautiful and surprising in every way. Journey with me from Dartmoor in the south of England, to the miracle of Lourdes in the south of France, into Spain, through San Sebastian, Segovia, Grenada, Málaga and Montserrat, back through the Pyrenees to Rennes-le-Château, Montségur, Chartres and Rouen, finishing in the heart of the world at Glastonbury in Somerset.
PURPOSE 2 - Making Sure Your Purpose Finds You - Sue Fitzmaurice
Following on from her successful Purpose – The Elements of Purpose, Sue Fitzmaurice gets into the nitty-gritty of finding and making your purpose happen. Or, more to the point, setting up the right conditions in your life so that your purpose finds you. She begins with what is fast becoming an essential discussion: What purpose isn’t! Sadly, in our haste to abbreviate, simplify, and create a meme for everything, the idea that purpose is simply marrying what you love doing with making a living, is almost completely wrong. Sue responds to the increasing everyday reality that is our deep-seated desire to know why we’re here and what we’re supposed to be doing and goes on to explain the many and varied distractions that keep us from our purpose.
THE COURAGE KEY - Unlock Yourself from Anxiety and Take Back Control of your Life - Stephanie Renaud
Anxiety is a part of every human’s experience.
This book is for you if your experience of anxiety is intrusive in your life, you don’t like it, you feel chained to it, and you know it’s possible to change it - you just don’t know how.
This book is for you if you are open to the idea that you are not being told everything about anxiety, that it’s more complex than we are led to think, but that because doctors are experts at medication, and not education, we often leave their offices with a prescription and not much more.
PURPOSE - The Elements of Purpose -Sue Fitzmaurice
Sue’s first book about this important topic looks at what Purpose is, and its several elements.
“In Purpose, Sue breaks down that vague word into practical, logical advice. If there’s a part of your mind that doesn’t believe you have a purpose, it will have a healthy argument here to believe you truly do. Purpose delves into the mind to discover where it may be blocked and how to nudge it forward. Excellent advice and well worth the read.” ~Doe Zantamata, author of Happiness in Your Life
“Purpose is the kind of book you wish you had had when you were starting out in life. Fortunately, it’s never too late to live your purpose. Sue provides us with an insightful as well as inspirational road map for the journey.” ~Eleanor Brownn, author of Mile 9
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BILLOW & BREEZE - A Journey through the Scottish Islands - Sue Fitzmaurice
Sue Fitzmaurice wangles her way onto a polar exploration ship and sails for ten days through the remote Scottish islands, accompanied by an archaeologist and historian, a naturalist, and an international expedition crew set on providing the adventure of a lifetime. Join this stunning expedition and discover hidden secrets, the perils of the North Sea, the revelations of Angels, and the centuries of travel of the hardiest and most hospitable sea-faring people.
Sue brings alive the mystery, legend and beauty of the islands of Scotland, and their three millennia of visible history – from Goddesses to Saints to Vikings, from standing stones to round houses, from sea stacks to lochs, from the holy island of Iona to the far-distant Shetlands. Through the Stone Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age, let your imagination take you back in time to more than twenty of Scotland’s most fascinating and faraway islands.
Available in Limited Edition colour photograph paperback, plain text paperback, & Kindle.