Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
Six unconnected stories with tongue-in-cheek humour. Sometimes the 'hero' becomes a cropper and sometimes wins big time. Whether it is being overpowered by ants or falling into a fortune, each character, including Hector the dog, has their ups and downs.
What if the key to creative freedom was letting go of control? Under the weight of an impossible deadline, an independent musician turns to spiritual practices and mystic rituals, desperate to balance the relentless pressures of surviving as an artist. But when one of his psychic experiments unlocks access to future technology, he discovers a shocking solution: biomechanical clones capable of sharing his creative burden. At first, the clones appear to be the perfect answer, amplifying his productivity and talent. But after transferring his consciousness into these beings, he uncovers a dark truth about the price of splitting himself across multiple lives and the dangers lurking within his newfound power. Written by musician and songwriter Alex Arck, this thrilling sci-fi novella serves as a prequel to the events of his concept album, Arck Industries. Dive deeper into the story with the immersive audio adaptation, narrated by Garan Patrick. Discover a world where creativity meets cutting-edge technology and automation comes at a cost.Show book
The stories of The Path of Most Resistance feature curious nonconformists who find themselves pushing back against strange and oppressive social norms, mavericks who transgress the boundaries of convention in their strive for freedom and authenticity. No matter if they’re in a Silicon Valley office, the far reaches of space, or dystopian futures where relationships are subjected to totalitarian control, the characters show unshakable conviction in a world plagued with uncertainty. Each story ushers you into a unique reality that unfolds step by step, leaving you with a disturbing new perception of the world. In “Blind Date,” two lovers chosen for each other by a hidden control system attempt to peel away the layers of their oppressive reality and peer into what they were not meant to see. In “Expressing,” a pick-up at an ordinary bar turns into a paranormal encounter. In “The Path of Most Resistance,” a hiring manager and a job candidate go all-in during an interview that will reshape their lives. In “Red Flagged,” a random passenger is accidentally exposed as a covert rebel fighting for freedom in a society that dictates what one is allowed to know. In “Miscalibrated,” an interstellar expedition runs into armed conflict with an alien civilization, in which their best chance of avoiding a nuclear war is discovering the underlying truth about the communication differences between humans and these aliens. In story after story, author Yoav Ilan displays remarkable creativity and intelligence, showing that sci-fi can be as artistic as literary fiction, and that things are never as they seem.Show book
The bookshelves of British literature are incredible collections that have gathered together centuries of very talented authors. From these Isles their fame spread and whilst among their number many are now forgotten or neglected their talents endure. Among them is J Y Ackerman.Show book
Lumi Finds Her Glow A Story by Rhonda Hunt High above the world lives Lumi, a little star searching for something special—her very own glow. While all the other stars sparkle brilliantly across the night sky, Lumi's light is just a tiny flicker. "How do I find my glow?" Lumi whispers to the Moon, who offers gentle wisdom: "Your glow is already inside you, little one. You just haven't discovered it yet." One magical night, Lumi discovers the secret. A little girl is lost in the dark woods below, looking up at the sky for help. Lumi wants so badly to guide her home. Thinking of the little girl, Lumi feels something warm grow inside—and suddenly, WHOOSH! Lumi bursts into the brightest, warmest golden glow! The little girl follows Lumi's light all the way home safely. And from that night on, Lumi glows the brightest of all—because Lumi has finally found her glow. This enchanting picture book teaches young readers that we all have our own special light within us, and it glows brightest when we use it to help others. With beautiful watercolor illustrations and a heartwarming message about self-discovery, compassion, and finding your purpose, Lumi Finds Her Glow is perfect for bedtime reading and inspiring meaningful conversations about kindness and inner strength.Show book
Throughout the long centuries of human history is the want, and the need, to share information, to exchange ideas and for that knowledge and experience, for curiosity and learning, to be the basis of a civil society. In literature the ambition is much narrower. In order to be known, to be popular, you had to be published. And for that people had to know you existed and your ideas worth reading. Obviously for most of humanity’s time people couldn’t read and texts couldn’t be published in any great number. In the 15th Century Gutenberg’s printing press began the revolution to address the second and by the 19th century had gathered pace with startling speed and mass distribution. Education for the many was brought in to help people understand more of their world and, with new skills, how to have a better place within it. Now, if the powers that owned the presses and means of distribution agreed an audience would now be able to avail themselves of your ideas, your printed words. All too often the talents of women have been scorned, mocked and laughed at. In reality that was more usually by those who’s own talents were hardly fit to even grace their shadows. But society in general still connived and set women to one side in almost everything that men considered their rightful territory. And literature was one such territory. Remarkably resilient as well as talented these women strove to be published, to show themselves as equals. The results more often than not proved that they were. Sadly, in the thirst for the new, the recent and the past fell from sight, relegated to dark corners and dusty shelves. But the printed word is rarely without someone, somewhere busying themselves through piles of papers and books rediscovering what a good story is, whatever its age. In this volume we offer up a small selection of talents whose time has now come again.Show book
Kenneth Grahame was born on 8th March 1859 in Edinburgh. At age 5 his mother succumbed to puerperal fever. His father, who had a drinking problem, now sent his 4 children to live with their grandmother at her large house in Cookham, Berkshire. Here the children lived in large open grounds next to the river. These early experiences would in later years, be retold in his writing through a myriad of characters. Grahame loved being a pupil at St Edward's School, Oxford and wanted to enroll at the university there but his guardian demurred on account of the cost. Instead, a banking career was chosen for him, starting in 1879 at the Bank of England, where he rose steadily to the rank of its Secretary until retiring, with a pension, in 1908 due to ill health. Alongside his commercial career Grahame had written and published various stories and essays in several periodicals. Some were anthologized as ‘Pagan Papers’ in 1893, and two years later ‘The Golden Age’ and later still ‘Dream Days’ and its masterpiece ‘The Reluctant Dragon’ became part of many home libraries. His ability to view life through the lens of a young and curious child was superb, enabling the reader to easily identify with the character. Grahame married Elspeth Thomson in 1899 and they had one child; Alastair, born semi-blind and plagued by health problems. In a heart-rending tragedy he would later take his own life whilst attending Oxford University in 1920. In 1908 Grahame reworked many of the bedtime stories he had fashioned for his son into the enduring favourite; ‘The Wind in the Willows’, describing the heart-warming adventures of Mr Toad and his friends. Kenneth Grahame died in Pangbourne, Berkshire, on 6th July 1932.Show book
