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.

Anger Management

Have you ever felt disconnected, unsure of your place in the world? Have you ever felt that society glorified the imbecilic and that most civilized problems could be cured with common sense? Have you ever wanted to make your own justice for it and punish the corrupt and perverted that destroy our trust? What if you found a way to do it?

Follow an unnamed narrator, through his daily life of work drugs and violence, finding ways he can exploit the loop holes to his needs, his outlets, how a simple fender bender can change everything. Is he a hero for doing what should be done for the better of society or the villain causing it?

Are You Free?

The Morettis are a Sarasota family of Cafeteria Catholics, (rejecting some Vatican doctrines—mainly pelvic issue ones). Widower Dante goes to his first Confession in decades. He confesses gossip: telling his two daughters of his brother Nick’s fling with the caterer for his wedding vow renewal with Nick’s then-wife Rosemary. An unusual Penance surprises Dante. Tantrums of Nick’s ex-wife Rosemary impact events. Dante wants another good woman to love, but dating yields only stories that amuse his girls.

Dante’s gossip is repeated, changing with each teller. Floridians talk about freedom (yet yearn to mate). An undreamt-of source for finding love and fulfilling Dante’s Penance offers challenge and hope. Her name is Abigail.

Soon they’re doing everything in a pandemic. How could anything go right?

Are You Free? offers a witty rumination on family, religion, and the search for love in many forms – grief, longing, regret, surprise.

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).

Awake in Dreams Sleeping Death Away

Awake in Dreams Sleeping Death Away is a pun on the different states of consciousness, which is open to multifactorial answers. In reality, the observations in the poems leave the readers perhaps with more questions than answers.
The three states of consciousness—awakening, sleeping, and dreaming—hint at the fine line between life and death. The entire book can be seen as a dream.

Awake in Dreams Sleeping Death Away does not try to scientifically claim any truths, but it does attempt to question what we may hold as true. It is more important to experience the poems, rather than to actualize them in an objective manner. No doubt the meaning or truth in these poems, if any can be found, will be organic and morph with each new reader.   

Back to the '50s

Back to the ’50s, a book of poems highlighting life in America during the 1950s by Earlene Green Evans will take you on an exciting trip without luggage or a ticket. After experiencing the ‘good old days,’ you may not want to return to reality. You will stroll the street of an ideal crime-free neighborhood. How about squeezing into a neighbor’s crowded living room to view outrageous, funny comedians or cowboys and Indians on a dinner plate size black and white television screen. You will make an appearance in your stylish poodle skirt with a matching off-shoulder blouse. Then, rack your brains trying to understand the impact of Russia’s Sputnik. Dance to exhaustion with the music of the famous Drifters. Perhaps you just prefer to relax in the cool breeze on a strong tree limb with your favorite book.

Back to the ’50s will definitely rekindle buried feelings, old habits and foggy thoughts of people, places and things in the safe haven of the fabulous ’50s.

Ballsy

In this collection of novellas by Perry Glasser, three very different women find themselves confronting a world of men unable to see them for who they are.

They are pursued, tracked, and fearful, but they are never timid.

When they turn to face their foes, they must rely on their extraordinary courage and will to prevail.

Call it guts, call it bravery – or call it ballsy.

Basa, Swords, and Mayhem

The world fades as dragons, having turned on their human masters, seek to destroy civilization and rule supreme. Dragon Slayers – a cursed family with the power to steal dragon souls and abilities – stand as humanity’s last defense.

Basa Alkire emerges from hiding to join the Fallen Embassy, dragon-fighting warriors. But he soon discovers his uncle, their leader, is a dangerous zealot. Deception and betrayal lurk around every corner. Amidst the chaos, an even darker secret comes to light. Goddess Vulpecula deceived them all when she created Ashwick, a mighty sulfur dragon birthed pregnant with a vile demon child. Now, the moon goddess favors only darkness, and humanity’s days are numbered.

As the end nears, Basa must battle lethal foes from without and within. Will this world belong to dragons and demons, or can Basa turn the tide before all is consumed by death and deceit?

Because of Eve

Michael Katz is a medical student moonlighting as a detective for a small agency. When he opens a door on a routine case, his life is forever changed. The trail of a student-loan defaulter leads him to a shocking discovery: the unresponsive body of Anne Richards, with no indication of how she died. An autopsy reveals that she was pregnant, yet still a virgin. Alongside Anne’s sister Gail, Michael joins forces with Detective Lieutenant James Durant to uncover the truth behind her death. Their investigation delves into the dangerous world of black-market mobs, government secrets, and international controversy. Together, they uncover answers that will change the course of history.