Gerard's only wish is to escape the dark of chronic paranoia to be closer for his lonely daughter. He accompanies Rosie to violin lessons with eccentric but friendly tutor Miss Stein. But could the old spinster's often foul-smelling “wishing” well really be a place for his wish ?Raymond Nickford has a degree in Psychology and Philosophy from University College of North Wales. Troubled souls, the lonely, his inspiration.Music tutor Ruth, fascinating ...

Schizophrenic Sam Baldock says he 'hears' Beethoven calling him. For therapy, his doctor and daughter Joanne accompany Sam to the Beethoven Museum in Vienna, once the composer's apartment. Can lonely Joanne, at last, get closer - to her strange Dad ?Lives which could be ours when driven to extremity, yet lives which can triumph over despair, glimpsed through psychological suspense, ghost stories and a romance.Raymond Nickford has a degree i...

Can Miranda trust her hypnotist ? Can a family avoid being split by the paranoia of one ? Can an unexpected romance survive ? There is a sense of 'presence' of ghosts, but the 'Cupboard of Skeletons' houses people with dark secrets which haunt and test their lives, those who challenge fate and, against all odds, can find something of their dreams.The stories reflect a whole spectrum of emotions ; from tenderness to private anguish, from outward normality to the inw...

The body of Eddy's mother was found entangled in fungus-laden roots of the rotting ancient yew on the cemetery side of the family's garden fence. At nights, Eddy stutters, imploring his father to believe that the tree – or is it his mother – seems to call him. Dad just keeps saying “Grief works in strange ways, boy. You'll heal !” But that tree... Mum... calls. Should he sneak out... to the cemetery side? Or had Mum gone to that cold place which Dad kept saying was “Just death by m...

Broken by his street-hardened London students, reduced to paranoia, can Amy's teacher stop himself losing she, alone, he might have trusted, might have loved ?Mister Kreasey's DemonVisiting his apartment to bring her teacher a long overdue essay, Kreasey noticed :"Amy stood on her very highest heels, the ones that gave her an extra three-and-a-half inches over a world that had always seemed to look down on her beyond the narrow backs streets from wh...

The Tiger Cage is the gripping and harrowing true story of Jonathan Wheeler, who spent 18 years in Thailand’s notorious prison system. Enticed by an offer of $10,000, Wheeler agreed to smuggle heroin from Bangkok to Taiwan - a decision that ultimately cost him nearly two decades of his life. His memoir provides an unflinching look at the brutal realities of life inside Thailand’s most feared prisons, including Bang Kwang, also known as the Big Tiger.Inside its oppressive walls, Whe...

Why, Pavlos wonders, must he be hypnotised by his dad ? Why the nausea, that pit of obedience, the next "Greek lesson" ? What 'family' could it be, when his father wanders in the Troodos mountains and digs for relatives he knows were all incinerated during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974?Raymond Nickford has a degree in Psychology and Philosophy from University College of North Wales. Troubled souls, the lonely, his inspiration.Aristo's Famil...

Why, Pavlos wonders, must he be hypnotised by his dad ? Why the nausea, that pit of obedience, the next "Greek lesson" ? What 'family' could it be, when his father digs for relatives he knows were all incinerated during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974?Raymond Nickford has a degree in Psychology and Philosophy from University College of North Wales. Troubled souls, the lonely, his inspiration.Aristo's FamilySet in Paphos on th...

Travelling fairs hold a special place in English history and traditions. Once or twice a year local towns and villages are overwhelmed with a cacophony of sounds, sights and smells, bringing magic and excitement into peoples’ lives before, all too quickly, moving on. The transient nature of travelling fairs is part of their magic, and an integral part of that magic is the transport that carries the people and the rides. More than just vehicles however, fairground transport is often an inte...

Tracking the development of the English Fair, Allan Ford and Nick Corble capture the diversity, sounds, smells and sensations that have beguiled the Great British public for centuries – from the days of charter fairs through to modern winter wonderlands and theme parks. A nostalgic journey through the history of one of our most endearing and popular pastimes, Frost Fairs to Funfairs is a fascinating look behind the curtain of this ancient and enduring tradition, encompassing the many attra...

The Indian Scout motorcycle is the favoured mount for Wall of Death riders all over the world. Drawing upon modern and archive material, Wall of Death owner and rider Allan Ford and author Nick Corble explore the reasons behind this relationship and bring the story of the Wall up to date, including behind the scene details of the latest Wall of Death speed record achieved by Guy Martin. It’s a story that spans more than a century, starting with experiments with motorised bicycles in the 18...

“[Mamatas] is the People's Commissar of Awesome.”—China Miéville, author of EmbassytownWelcome to the People's Republic of Everything—of course, you've been here for a long time already. Make yourself at home alongside a hitman who always tells the truth, no matter how reality has to twist itself to suit; electric matchstick girls who have teamed up with Friedrich Engels; a telepathic boy and his father's homemade nuclear bomb; a very bad date that ...