When Henry the Half-Time Hero and his League of Not Really Very Super Heroes are invited to the grand opening of HeroParc, the world’s best superhero theme park, it’s a dream come true. But the fun doesn’t last long and something goes terribly wrong: the world’s greatest heroes, including Henry’s dad Orangeman, start acting… fourteen. Moody, lazy and glued to their screens, they’ve completely stopped saving the world.With disasters looming and villains running free, it’s up to Henr...

When an acclaimed Scottish author, on a book tour to the US to promote his latest romantic novel, The Forever Moment, meets a young woman who looks strikingly similar to a long-lost love from a high-school exchange to Kentucky, he wonders if he left behind more than memories twenty-two years ago.But when he digs deeper and is finally reunited with his lost love, who he thought had abandoned him after a whirlwind romance, he discovers that life isn’t quite like the plot of ...

A Meeting in Seville follows a couple whose marriage is on the rocks. They return to Seville on Semana Santa (Easter) for a ‘second honeymoon’, a gift from their daughter, only to encounter their own younger selves, on their first honeymoon exactly 30 years earlier. William Sutherland (53), is stressed, work-obsessed and alienated from his vibrant Spanish wife Luisa (52), whom he suspects of an affair with old friend and current business partner Sandy. He could do without a 30th anniversar...

The Makings of Emily Jensen is a collection of short stories and novellas by BAFTA-nominated comedy writer Paul A. Mendelson.The title story is a romantic comedy about a single woman in her late thirties who sets out to have a baby without any strings or attachments, but soon discovers that fathers need babies too.Better Late is an unusual ghost story where a middle-aged man meets the father he never knew: a 21-year-old biker who died before his son was ev...

Henry Jaffa has a problem. His mum teaches English at his school and his dad is head of PE.But this isn’t the half of it.Dad is secretly Orangeman, the most powerful superhero in the universe.Unfortunately, and to Dad’s disappointment, Henry is merely half a hero. He has superpowers but they only turn up spasmodically. He has no idea which ones will kick in or how long they’ll stay. At first Henry had to be home-schooled; now it’s time for high school and pretending...

We used to get standing ovations. Now we get ovations for standing.The last place in which that great lady of the theatre Elspeth Quest wishes to spend her final years is Dustingford Hall, rest-home for retired actors and entertainers. Yet failing health and worse investments have led her to become a charity case here.She blanches at the sight of various actors and actresses, in various degrees of physical and mental decline, with whom she has worked over t...

Stories don’t emerge out of thin air. They’re inspired from what we see, what we hear and most importantly, what we experience. Sometimes they’re funny, sometimes moving, often plain weird. All a writer has to do is – listen.In this intriguing and occasionally surreal volume of novellas and shorter fiction, BAFTA-nominated screenwriter and acclaimed novelist Paul A. Mendelson explores with humour and pathos how our worlds make us so vulnerably human.A volunteer on a helplin...

Henry Jaffa, son of superhero Orangeman and teacher Jenny, has powers—but only sometimes, and never when he really needs them. Hoping he’s not alone, Henry invites other kids like him to Christmas lunch, and the League of Not Really Very Super Heroes is born!Their first mission? Rescue Prince Derek, who they believe has been replaced by a super-realistic robot. The adult heroes think it’s nonsense, but Henry and his friends know better—teenagers can always spot a fake.With ...

Twelve-year-old Marius is on the run from the Government. He’s the only one in the whole nation that values his sense of humour. Everyone else was de-humoured at birth – well, most people were. Yet somehow with Marius there was a glitch.He is captured on the run, but this time it’s not the soldiers. He has been taken by The Funnies – renegades who, like him, somehow escaped the ‘zappers’ at birth, but were betrayed by their loved ones. Marius meets their leader – Clown, plus Punchl...

To get the girl of his dreams he needs a good sense of humour.To get a good sense of humour he needs a miracle.Stephen Gibson is a gifted young horticulturist. But surprisingly this isn’t the quality most women look for in a mate. According to all the ‘personals’, it’s GSOH . A good sense of humour. Trouble is, Stephen doesn’t have one. Not a trace!Surely he can acquire a GSOH – and win the girl of his dreams. How hard can it be? He...

The most complete guide ever to taking up poker and winningComprehensive and easy to follow, The Mammoth Book of Poker enables even those new to the game to begin and win at home, in casinos, in tournaments and online.Written by leading card games author Paul Mendelson, and packed with top tips, this invaluable new guide helps you understand your chances, appreciate the percentages, and master the odds that your hand improves.All aspects of...

This edited volume explores the democratic dangers posed by a political press that emphasizes electoral competition, strategy, entertainment, and what Jay Rosen calls “savviness”—praising candidates for being politically smart rather than being honest—in its coverage of a political landscape dominated by a looming authoritarian threat. Contributors document how the American and global political press have failed to fulfill their role in elections and demonstrate how authoritarians have use...