Six years ago, I commissioned an artist to create a stained glass window panel to celebrate our 40th Anniversary. The artist captured our interest in books, gardening, football, the Bronte sisters and an outlook over a journey which lay ahead for us, unknown and awaiting the first step.
This glass art takes pride of place and attracts many favourable comments from those who visit and see it.
This year, in a few weeks, we celebrate our 46th Anniversary, no such artwork is planned this time, but there is something special in hand.
My next book is to be published on 30th September.
Already showing as an eBook for pre-order through Amazon and the paperback will appear very soon.
Thank you in advance for choosing to read this second installment of my Snow Globe series.
I can’t wait to read this book!!!
You are so kind Irene, I will have one sent to you :-))
You are so kind Irene, I will have a copy sent to you :-))
Congratulations 🎉
You are so kind, thank you so much 🙂
💕
You are so kind, Thank you :-))
💕
I can’t seem to find it, but I will look again on the 30th!
Hi Lesli,
It may be a delay reaching the US. This link takes you to the UK listing
Kind regards
Paul
I just bought my copy, so it’s all good! Can’t wait to read it!
You are so kind, thank you. I’d love to hear your feedback 🙂
I will be away for a while, while I consider content and coverage here.
Thank you for following me, thus far.
In June 2013, when I posted my first picture to Flickr in the hope the local paper would select it to publish, that was all it was: a picture. No words, no explanation of what it was a picture of.
Thirteen years later, following the online meeting of many, now friends, who encouraged me to write, I did, and shared my time during the care for our son between creating a garden that he could more easily access and writing.
I started by adding words to my pictures, then I wrote articles for an autism magazine, and then, with that gentle push, I wrote a book. Then a second, then a third. I can’t quite believe that my fourth is also ready to roll.
All these books are available as an eBook and paperback.
Marc’s Garden, a memoir about raising our son and understanding his disabilities. Strange Conflicts, a work of fiction, which explores questions medics cannot answer. Retribution continues the story of those characters in Strange Conflicts. Battling darkness, love, and loss.
If you have read them, thank you so much. If you intend to read them, I am honoured that you are.
Retribution will be available very soon, and my fourth book will hopefully be available sometime next year.
Many will know me for my garden, my writing, and caring for our son, who has additional needs. A few who know me better will know me for my strong faith and spiritual beliefs.
I was overjoyed to receive my first royalty payment on the sales of my first book, Marc’s Garden. It wasn’t much, but people bought it. I am so grateful to them, and so proud to have written it.
I gifted those royalties, and more, to a family who, like ours, are raising a family with additional needs, and Lord knows how much raising a child with disabilities costs these days. A cost that continues into adulthood. We will never be financially rich, but the love in our hearts, and the faith we hold, is richer than money could replace.
The family had not asked for it, but I have since learned that my gesture, a gesture with no strings or obligation attached, has averted demand notices and allowed the family space to breathe a little easier.
Since, I have made other similar gestures to different families, though not always financial, with similar and real consequences of benefit.
My message is simple. Be kind. Mankind is all around you, and there are those who, though maybe hidden in the crowd, will greatly value a smile or a kind word, a gesture of help, repairing a dripping tap, or mowing someone’s lawn. Maybe a coin to help at a certain, yet essential time. In some cases, just to be acknowledged is worth a fortune, rather than just walking on by, turning the other way.
Give and seek no reward; the kindness is in the giving, and the willingness to do so without being asked.
Though I am thrilled to be a published author, now in my late sixties and with three books to my name, that thrill is nothing compared to knowing my actions have helped another.
Please share this post with anyone you feel may benefit from receiving a kind word, or maybe even offering one.
Thank you
You are a role model for kindness Paul!!
You are very kind Nora, thank you so much :-))
I had a story that I believed should be told. A story that followed our real life as we raised a son with additional complex needs.
Many who knew us urged me on to share our experiences and to let others know they are not alone in doing what we do.
Creating an awareness of often hidden disabilities was key. I wanted to do something to encourage society to understand what many people live with and to explain what difference just a little extra consideration can do to make the world just that little more inclusive.
Reviewed favourably by The National Autistic Society and receiving some very kind feedback, this was my introduction to writing and becoming an author.
“Experience both the heartbreaking and inspiring tale of Marc’s Garden, where this astonishing fatherly love becomes a beacon through the darkest of hours. His son, Marc, is born with severe epilepsy and is later diagnosed with autism. The doctors offer a serious prediction; Marc may not live beyond his childhood years. Struggling with devastating isolation and societal misunderstandings, he fights some overwhelming medical battles all alone. This touching memoir will take you to the raw reality of a world that seems to be too indifferent, and the incredible strength it takes to turn despair into hope.”
Available through Amazon, Bookshop.Org, Waterstones, Foyles, and all good booksellers as well as directly from Olympia Publishers, and is available as a paperback and eBook version.
As I wrote this book, a nonfiction memoir, I found myself considering so much more that needed saying. Though I explain about our son’s meltdowns, periods of unconsciousness, loss of memory and his biggest challenges through pain, anxiety and rage, I wanted to find a way of explaining better the dark places his mind goes, and to a degree, ours as well, as we strive endlessly to support him.
Born from these considerations, my second book, this time a work of fiction, gave me the freedom to expand on how I see his pain and ask the question, what if?
Strange Conflicts was the result.
All of it is a work of fiction, but the basis for the plot came from the struggle our son lives with day by day. Explained in detail in Marc’s Garden.
My son gave rise to my protagonist, Theo Sullivan, and his own struggles came out of my earlier book and our son’s experiences, and I let my mind go where my own hopes and fears drove my creativity.
Early feedback has been positive, so much so that I have written a sequel which will be available soon.
“What if the mind, tormented by pain, could travel to a place of healing and light? And what if that place was under threat? When Theo Sullivan’s seizures leave him unconscious, he wakes in a world of snow-covered lanes, candlelit chapels, and beings who seem to know him intimately. Here, in a realm beyond life, he learns that his journey is not yet over. As darkness encroaches and a loved one’s soul hangs in the balance, Theo must summon a courage he never knew he had. Inspired by a father’s own questions about his son’s suffering, Strange Conflicts weaves a heartfelt, thought-provoking tale of resilience, love, and the eternal battle between light and shadow.“
This book is available as an eBook and paperback through Amazon, Bookshop.Org, Waterstones, Foyles and all good booksellers as well as directly from Olympia Publishers.
This story gave rise to a sequel which will be published soon.
Theo Sullivan’s story continues where it left off in Strange Conflicts.
“Theo has survived the impossible. Now something impossible has followed him home.”
After a violent seizure and a medically induced coma, Theo wakes changed. He speaks of ancient names, sees through darkness, and carries memories no young adult could possess. For Natalie and Adam, the miracle of his survival becomes something far more terrifying, proof that their son is tied to a war older than time.
Demons are gathering. Realms are weakening. Lamashtu and Typhon want retribution, and Theo may be the only force standing between light and Chaos.
To protect him, his parents must accept a truth buried across lifetimes, they were never only his parents. They were chosen as his guardians.
I can’t wait!!!!
I’ll keep you updated, Irene. Also, you may be interested in my recently completed follow up to this one. Third in the series and a conclusion to Theo’s journey. I’ll share more on that title, ‘Final Forfeit’ in the coming weeks. 🙂
Retribution is my second fictional book, which expands into a sweeping dark fantasy that deepens both its mythology and its emotional core, following Theo as he confronts the full impact of his ancient purpose. Bound to his severely disabled physical body yet awakened to immense spiritual power, Theo exists between worlds, fragile in flesh, formidable in spirit. After surviving a devastating medical crisis, he begins to remember who he has always been. The reincarnated guardian who once banished Chaos beyond the boundaries of creation.
That banishment is failing.
As cracks spread between realms, demonic forces long imprisoned begin to rise. Led by ancient entities such as Lamashtu, Typhon, and Erebus, the darkness seeks retribution against the one who condemned it to exile. While villages are attacked and fear spreads like a contagion, Theo is drawn ever deeper into the spiritual realm, where his presence is both a beacon of hope and a provocation to the underworld’s void.
Theo’s journey is one of descent, literal and symbolic. When the fragile thread connecting his spirit to his physical body is severed, he finds himself trapped beyond the living world, forced to navigate limbo and hell without the comfort of knowing he can return. The underworld is not merely a place of torment, but a vast, ordered domain whose ancient guardians have grown stagnant, resentful, and corrupted by the very darkness they were meant to contain. To survive, Theo must confront them not as a weapon, but as a ruler reclaiming an authority he barely remembers how to wield.
Yet power alone is not enough. Theo’s greatest fear is not death, but becoming something cold and merciless, another tyrant shaped by the abyss. Throughout his descent, he clings to the relationships that have defined him. The unconditional love of his parents, Natalie and Adam, the quiet strength of his allies, and most powerfully, his love of Clementine. These connections remind him that compassion, not dominance, is what once allowed him to defeat Chaos. In hell, where empathy is treated as weakness, Theo learns that it is, in fact, his greatest strength.
Above, the battle continues without him. Natalie and Adam awaken fully to their own forgotten roles as guardians, charged with protecting Theo’s vulnerable body in the physical world while demonic forces circle ever closer. In another realm, Clementine, Annie, Tobias, Naomi, Stephen and others rally a besieged village, discovering that fear fuels the enemy, while unity and love strip it of power. Each confrontation reveals the cost of the war, not just in blood, but in spirit, as hope is tested and faith nearly breaks.
Loss becomes unavoidable. When Stephen is claimed by the darkness, the war ceases to be abstract. His believed death reverberates across realms, sharpening the resolve of those left behind and reminding them that survival is not guaranteed, even for the brave. For Theo, the loss is devastating, but it also clarifies his purpose. He understands that saving creation does not mean preventing death, but ensuring that love, memory, and meaning endure beyond it.
In the depths of hell, Theo confronts the escaped mother and father of all demons and the darkness at its source. Rather than destroy it through force, he turns its nature against itself, commanding the guardians of the underworld to restore balance and accept responsibility for what they allowed to fester. In doing so, Theo reclaims his role not as a conqueror, but as a steward, one who governs through understanding rather than fear.
When the realms finally begin to stabilise, Theo learns that his compassion was never bound to a single lifeline or body. It exists in every bond he has forged, every life he has touched, and every act of love that defies despair. Even as the immediate threat is contained, the world is irrevocably changed, and so is Theo. He emerges not unscarred, but resolute, aware that the war against Chaos is not a single battle, but an ongoing choice.
🎉💪🏻congratulations
Thank you so much 🙂
Congrats Paul!!
Thank you so much, Nora 🙂
I am delighted to announce that the sequel to my book, Strange Conflicts, titled “Retribution,” is now under contract and will be released as an eBook and a paperback in the coming months.
The story picks up where Strange Conflicts left off, taking Theo on a journey you cannot imagine.
My publisher wrote, “Thank you so much for sending us your story, “Retribution.” Your writing expands the story into a rich, dark fantasy that balances sweeping mythology with deep emotional resonance. What shines is the way Theo’s journey blends epic stakes with human vulnerability, creating a protagonist who is powerful because he feels. Your worldbuilding is vivid and assured, moving confidently between realms while keeping the emotional core strong. An excellent read. Well done!”
I’ll keep you posted on upcoming details.
I may have already said this, but I can’t wait for your new book!!
Congratulations Paul!
Thank you so much, Nora 🙂
Our son’s journey began with a challenging start, marked by a brain haemorrhage at birth. His life has been a testament to resilience, navigating through autism, partial paralysis, and epilepsy. Each condition presents its own unique set of hurdles, and when they converge, they can inflict severe torment.
As our son’s seizures have intensified, he has been experiencing longer periods of unconsciousness, often followed by almost complete memory loss. As I stand by him, supporting him through his trials, I am filled with a profound sense of wonder and concern about what his mind and consciousness endure during these increasingly frequent episodes.
Experts have told me that during his seizures, our son’s mind experiences a void, a state of nothingness until he regains consciousness. Yet, in his recovery, he often refers to things we cannot comprehend and calls out names we do not recognise. There are even moments during his seizures when he seems to be smiling. I attribute this to a grimace or a Gelastic seizure, but I can’t help but wonder if, in his extreme pain, his mind has found a place that brings him relief.
When he was five years of age, our doorbell rang. Our son looked out the window and declared, “It’s Uncle Judd.” We opened the door, and nobody was there. Judd had passed away some months earlier.
This story is fiction, but I have sought to explore an answer to my question of where our son’s mind may go during his unconsciousness. My protagonist and all the characters are figments of my imagination. However, it would be accurate to say that I have drawn upon our family observations and experiences supporting our son over the years as the basis for the premise: what if …
This book is available through Olympia Publishers, Amazon, Bookshop.Org, Waterstones, Foyles and all good booksellers.
Very pretty
Thank you so much 🙂
Happy Anniversary! This past August we celebrated our 47th, got married in 1979.
Congratulations to you as well, Irene 🙂