An Irishman's Story of Survival

Every life is a tapestry of challenges, with resilience as its weft and weave. Amidst the torrent of trials that threaten to engulf one’s spirit, there stand the unyielding souls who, with a spark of defiance in their eyes, dare to face the tempest and emerge on the other side. They are the survivors, the dauntless hearts who tread the rocky path with an unwavering resolve.

Kevin O’Donnell is a beacon of such indomitable spirit, grappling with life’s relentless waves that seek to subdue him. In the turbulent era of mid-20th century, the world could be a harsh, unforgiving place for a young Irish lad. Yet, within Kevin lies a burning desire to carve out his niche, to transcend the barriers that life hurls his way and grasp the reins of a fulfilling existence.

Can his resolute will and earnest endeavor outshine the adversities that loom? Can he navigate the maelstrom and anchor himself to the shores of a prosperous life? Traverse the chapters of his journey within these pages, and unveil the saga of a young man’s undying spirit amidst the trials of time. Through Kevin’s eyes, explore a testament to the enduring human spirit that resonates with every beating heart that refuses to yield to life’s storms.

An Ordinary Man

While German bombs were falling on London people didn’t worry too much when hearing Hitler’s doodlebugs, the dreaded V1 flying bomb. But when the noise stopped then they were worried because they knew that the rocket was about to drop – on them!

David, hanging in a basket inside an air raid shelter, was oblivious to all of this for he was just a baby.

Growing up in West London he spoke with a cockney accent even though he wasn’t a true cockney. He went to a good school and later to an art college but not being impressed with the lifestyle of an artist or of an interior designer he left and got an ordinary job, His sporting interests included rowing with a club on the nearby River Thames and gaining instruction in the sport of judo but at the age of 18 he was looking for something more, an adventure.

He joined up for a three-year stint in a colonial police force in Southern Rhodesia and never looked back. He lost his cockney accent, learned a lot about police work and the native Rhodesians, both black and white, and his three-year stint turned into over ten.

Then using his police experience he started two successful private security companies, one in Rhodesia, the other in South Africa, and later emigrated to British Columbia in Canada where he started a third.

In 1984 he began working for the Canadian government, firstly in a security capacity and later in their commercial sector before taking early retirement on December 31st, 1999, and moving to the United States at the beginning of the new millennium.

Now in his fifth country of residence, he resurrected his artistic talents and began selling his art at various shows in the south-eastern United States. He also joined a local rowing club and within a few months was their manager and coach.

He has enjoyed many years of travel to over forty countries, has lived in five on three different continents and continues to live a healthy lifestyle which includes kayaking, cycling and plenty of walking.

An Owl's Tales

Life is a trail of crossing paths, some barely noticed, others with profound impacts. Did Santa bring that special football or the right Barbie doll? Did you pass that tough high school teacher’s course? Remember your first love? Was the pound puppy with sad but hopeful eyes ever chosen? Was the homeless beggar on the corner worth helping? The paths of Santa and teachers and loves and others who need help influence the course of our path, some for good, others not so much. But all of your paths make you, you.

Is it better to know or to feel what we should do? Maybe it doesn’t matter as long as the trail is guided by the heart. One man’s journey through a lifetime of crossed paths is portrayed in An Owl’s Tales. Some paths will sound familiar; some will challenge; some will motivate, while others will touch your heart. The wise old owl who sleeps with one eye open observes everything, reacts to little, but remembers. When your race is run, what will have been your important paths?

Anathema

As we move through our lives, do we know what lies in our past? Do we understand the persuasions that cause us to do the things we do? Does the influence that guides us emanate from a long time ago? We presume to create our own destinies, yet, are there others that have preordained our fates? Is it possible for potent thoughts, empowered by unworldly origins, to cross the spans of time and bring ruin to the unwary? A hateful mind desires revenge against the one it despises the most, vengeance that condemns the soul of its disliked adversary and all of his family, energized by vilest of powers to leap the span of ages and push this influence through the generations to bring perdition to all. Can those affected intercede and allay the ominous malediction? It must be done lest the consequences be more dire than the fires of Hell.

Angela's Letter

They say one never forgets his or her first love. So, what does a man do when he receives a letter from his first love – over 40 years after they last spent any time together – suggesting they reunite now that both are single and in their 60s?

Angela’s Letter is about two people and the challenges and joys they face trying to see if they can rekindle the love they shared many years earlier. Jack is a successful, retired widower just beginning to think about restarting his life 15 months after his wife’s death. Angela is his high school sweetheart, recently widowed, and an independently wealthy businesswoman. Angela has decided to live her remaining years to the fullest, and part of her plans include the letter she sends to Jack to see if he might be interested in renewing their relationship.

While genuinely intrigued by Angela’s proposal, Jack’s interest is tempered by his adult daughter’s attitude. Seemingly not yet over her mother’s death, her overbearing ways are poisoning everyone around her. Unbeknownst to Jack however, she is actually haunted by a foolish act from years before. Now Jack must do all he can to avoid having his daughter destroy her own life, as well as his opportunity for a new life with Angela.

Anything but Ordinary

Two members from a small circle of friends set off for a fun trip, split into half business and half pleasure. The whole town of Calhoun is excited for them, especially the art group. On their way to the airport, the pair of friends vanish.

The police are baffled and the case is moving too slow to satisfy the art ladies. Just a few months later, while one member of the group is participating in an art show at a shopping mall, a college student goes on a shooting rampage. The art ladies think this will happen again and again until the root of the problem is addressed, and they decide to take matters into their own hands. Tragic and complicated situations do not discourage this little band of feisty middle-aged artists. They are church-going, family-oriented, and strong-willed. Plus, they have a talent and passion for art. The same critical and analytical eye they use for detail in their paintings is applied to the cases they are determined to solve. The art ladies bring a wide spectrum of life experiences to the group, and their personalities are as different as light and dark. But the things they all have in common are a zest for life and loyalty to one another. Love, humor, suspense, integrity, and snappy dialogue play a large part in this story. Despite what they think, their little painting group and daily activities are not commonplace. In fact, everything about them is quite the opposite. Their lives, all the way around, are anything but ordinary.

Arlington

In Lisbon, 1941, an all-American boy, Manny, falls for a captivating French girl, Mari. Their whirlwind romance leads them to the heart of France, where they join the resistance against Nazi occupation. Together, they foil a German general’s plot to loot precious art and treasure, but their fight is far from over.

Mari, now pregnant, returns to her hometown to aid her father, a newspaper editor secretly forging documents to save Jewish lives. Meanwhile, Manny continues the struggle, first with the resistance and then as a soldier in the U.S. Army.

Arlington is a heart-wrenching and emotional tale, yet moments of humor, hope, and resilience offer respite, further immersing readers in the lives of both soldiers and civilians caught in the crossfire. The novel paints a compellingly honest portrait of war, expertly balancing thrilling twists and turns with profound emotional depth, leaving readers on the edge of their seats until the final, hopeful moments.

At its core, Arlington is a poignant love story set against the backdrop of war. Given the current state of global politics, it also serves as a timely and cautionary tale about the enduring fight for freedom and justice.

Art and Poetry by Pollock

Life was smooth sailing and quite normal up until my mom Janis was killed in a car accident heading from Santa Cruz California to Carmel when I was 11 years old. After her death, life changed drastically from a nice gentle breeze to a category five tornado; an inferno of drugs, lies and alibis. Let’s just say… No more smooth sailing. When the dust began to settle at the age of 24, I enlisted in the United States Navy and set sail for a better life and once again it was smooth sailing.

Here are some of my experiences, thoughts, and photographs of my artwork which I use as a way to process my childhood traumas.

Processing as I stack stones and transfer the negative energy into a beautiful piece of work giving it life; it lives then eventually dies, taking the negative energy with it.

I hope you feel something from these pages within.

As a Woman Thinketh

Mike Pauro, aka ‘Ajax Moon’ and his daughter, Morgan Deeble, aka ‘Bridey Moon’ remake the aphorism examined by James Allen for women. In this transposition of Allen’s classic, the authors revisit the impact of thought on health, purpose, achievement, ideas, and serenity from the female perspective. The work is accompanied by imagery from early 20th century postcards passed down for generations in their family. The images were selected to be contemporaneous of the era of James Allen (1864-1912).

As Though Nothing Could Fall

Four friends knew the streets better than most. One night, three of them made it back home. One did not.

Michael Bowen, a young detective destined to prove himself, is visiting his father with Alzheimer’s when he gets a phone call that the body of a young boy has been found in a baseball field. His investigation leads him into conflict with Francis Zaccardi; a ruthless criminal who has tortured the community of Boston for decades. The trail that Michael begins to follow becomes brutal around every turn. Along the way, he reluctantly must turn to Francis’s son, Thomas, who is struggling to deal with the death of his friend. A mysterious and daunting thriller, As Though Nothing Could Fall is a novel about familial struggle and the loyalty that comes from every edge of the human consciousness.

Attachment Patterns

Is the artist, Robert Boone, crazy? As his daughter, aspiring novelist, Isolde tells us, he sure doesn’t think so. Okay, yes, he recently found himself in the hospital loudly declaring he wanted to die, but that was a moment of unexplained weakness, of post-pandemic exhaustion. He’s fine now, calm, and self-possessed as always. Only the doctors don’t believe him. They’ve insisted he enroll in a three week, out-patient, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy program. Which is? “Psychotherapy in which patterns of thought are challenged in order to address unwanted behaviour patterns.” With no choice now, Robert Boone will reluctantly look at his life. In lectures and group sessions, he will examine his past, his unspoken fears and grief and his relationships both old and new. As his daughter, Holdie says: “Anything I tell you from this moment on was disclosed to me, remembered by me, surmised by me and in some cases (okay, more than some) was totally and completely made up. (By me.) Still, all of it is the God’s honest truth.” Is Robert Boone crazy? Isn’t everybody? We’ll find out.

Augers Affair

Harvey Ace is a horseplayer and winner. Santa Anita Park, also known as the Great Race Place, is his favorite haunt. He acquires a top-notch winning filly, but his quirky trainer, John Augers, is suddenly and mysteriously assassinated. Harvey vows to find the killers. He is thrown in the middle of intrigue and madness while protecting his winning racehorse, and a motley crew follows him into the maelstrom. He thrusts deeper into the mysteries of John Augers until, at a lonely home for children, he confronts the lady on the gilded throne and saves the day, and all involved. He is a winner!