I wrote the poems in this collection over a period of more than four years - from 25 January 2012 (Before your life is through) to 22 June 2016 (Survive and thrive together).In March 2013, I went to bed one night feeling absolutely fine and awoke the next morning barely able to move, with no feeling at all in my right arm. I spent a few months in absolute agony, unable to use my hands, I wasn't able to do much for myself and could hardly walk before I was eventually diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Treatment began easing things a little but the following year I was dealt a second blow when I was told that I also have Scleroderma, a rare disease for which there is currently no cure. I decided then that I couldn't give up. I had to fight all the way. I wanted to help raise awareness and use my experiences to help others who are encountering hardships to understand that our mind is a powerful tool and whatever life brings, we can choose not to dwell on the negatives and find something positive to focus on. The illnesses reduced my physical capacity profoundly. They can often be life-limiting and drastically reduce life expectancy. I have chosen to let them give me a new perspective on life - how we have to cherish everybody and every moment while we still can.If, through my words, I can encourage even just one other person to connect more deeply with life's riches, and develop new optimism, my life won't have been in vain. I have selected the poems for this collection specifically because I have a passionate wish to help others to benefit from the very precious help and guidance I have received. Alison Rhodes

IntroductionIn the summer of 2012, Paola Cannas, by then in her 80s, invited her son, Marco Vichi, to dine with her. At that meeting, she asked him if he would read two of the poems that she had written. She wanted to know if they were any good, and whether or not he liked them. As he read them he was moved to tears by their beauty, simplicity, honesty and goodness, and he felt sad that he had not known his mother in this way before. He subsequently collected together all her poems, some written on scraps of paper, others in old jotters, all of them scattered in drawers and boxes around her home.Marco , a well-established author, wanted to be certain that his mother's poems were valued in their own right - 'walking on their own legs' as he said. He identified a possible publisher in Pisa - Felici Editore - but did not at first reveal that the poems had been written by his mother. He received a very quick response to say that the poems would be published. Respiri e Sospiri - 'The little big book', as it became known in Italy - was received with tumultuous applause across the country. When Marco told his mother that the poems were to be published, she said, 'I only wanted to see if you liked them. Do you mean they liked them too?' Shortly before she died, Paola was interviewed by the Florence newspaper Corriere Fiorentina.These beautiful poems were written at various stages throughout Paola's life. Using freeform verse, she draws the reader into each situation and experience with some of the clarity, depth of vision and gentle affection with which she was gifted. These poems speak for themselves. Paola Cannas was born in Lucca in 1928, and lived all her married life in Florence (Tuscany). She died in her beloved Tuscany on 17 March 2013. She had very deep feeling for Sardinia - the land of her forebears.* * * * *I translated these poems almost immediately after reading them. I had been so moved by them that I wanted my wife and friends to be able to read them, too. Paola's dying wish was that any possible proceeds from publication of her poems should go to charity. Her son, Marco, nominated Il Filo di Juta (The Jute Thread), which, based in Florence, builds schools in Bangladesh. In 2014, a school to teach literacy to the children of Bangladesh was renamed 'The Paola Cannas School'.Having read the translated poems, Augur Press wanted to make them available to the English-speaking world.Bernard Wade, translator, Dublin, Ireland and Lucca, Tuscany, April 2015. * * * * *When we received the first sample of the translated versions of Paola Cannas' poems, we knew immediately that this material carried a depth of focus that is rare. And we knew that the poems had been translated by someone who loved and really felt and experienced them in both their original language and its translation. Meaning can be lost in the process of translation, but in this case, the poetry has retained the original vital message - sometimes gentle, sometimes forceful, always powerful, filled with truth and spiritual wisdom. Mirabelle Maslin, Augur Press, April 2015.

This book provides a fascinating, detailed account of the family background and social context in which the writer's eating disorder developed and manifested. However, this book covers much more than an account of the sufferer's lengthy struggle with anorexia nervosa and its many effects. The book is about the author's lifelong work to recover, and to understand the illness from a psychological and spiritual perspective. It also includes broader discussion of related social and ecological matters.

A parent's ability to be able to see and understand things through the eyes of their child is fundamental. The child will come to feel truly known by the parent, and the parent helps him to make sense of what surrounds him. And where can true comfort be found? True comfort arises from the knowledge of relationship that is based on trust. And what about the needs of the child of the past that dwells inside each 'adult' state. This book opens up a whole new world of understanding for parents and carers.

The author documents her experience of the diagnosis and treatment by plastic surgery of the lentigo maligna melanoma which was in, above, and to the side of her left eyebrow. She also describes the first appearance and the development of brown markings which were the precursors of the lentigo maligna melanoma. The book directs the reader to www.lentigomalignamelanoma.info where there is a series of photographs with dates and descriptive captions. These images show the early brown markings, the lentigo maligna melanoma and stages of its treatment.

This is an eco-mystery, involving dolphin communication with humans. Stephen is an American journalist whose career has become aimless as he searches for a truly meaningful story. Suddenly his life is turned upside down as he receives a cryptic text sent by Jill, a glamorous war correspondent from his past. Now living quietly in a corner of Northern Scotland, Jill enjoys the company of dolphins near her cottage on the Moray coast. Possible romance is sidelined, as far more urgent events prompted Jill into the hurried contact with her one-time partner. She has stumbled upon a puzzle that could affect the future of the entire world. An ambassador dolphin called Spike has approached a young girl at eerie Chanonry Point. He has a crucial message for mankind, and needs Stephen and Jill to spread it worldwide to halt environmental catastrophe.

Deep in the Cheshire countryside, Philip Thornton has created 'Field Fare' - a hotel with a special reputation for its game dishes. The building contains a secret, known only to Philip. Feeling lonely while her husband, Grant, is away, Teresa dines at 'Field Fare', and Philip entices her to sample a unique cordial. When Teresa confides about her experience to Carrie, her young herdresser, she learns that Carrie has had a similar encounter. Could there be more? Concerned, Teresa approaches her friend, Monica. Aided by Grant, they devise a plan...

This is the first book in a series of self-help fiction titles. By reading about the lives of fictional characters, the reader learns much about how to unravel present day problems. The understanding of stresses that began in childhood years casts light on why the characters are struggling with the difficulties that they are having now. Description on the back cover reads as follows: Newly unemployed, Miranda is feeling directionless and dejected. Then she encounters Kate, a former work colleague. Kate is now facing redundancy. Their friendship is rekindled, and as the two women share their problems and dilemmas, they begin to confide about experiences that have affected their lives. Miranda had helped to mother her two younger sisters when they were growing up, but they rarely contact her and she feels puzzled and hurt by this. It emerges that the impact upon Kate of her father's leaving when she was young has many facets. Inspired by memories of her Granny Ann, whose many stories delighted her, Miranda's creative self begins to emerge, and Kate's vision of her own future matures. Miranda and Kate gain confidence and optimism about self-employment, and their personal relationships begin to flourish.

This is the second book in a series of self-help fiction titles. By reading about the lives of fictional characters, the reader learns much about how to unravel present day problems. The understanding of stresses that began earlier in life casts light on why the characters are struggling with the difficulties that they are having now. Description on the back cover reads as follows: Victimised by the new office manager and worried about her mother's health, Lynne feels at a very low ebb. When she decides to be more open with her mother about her concerns, she is surprised to find that they both benefit. Lynne's mother is determined to help her daughter explore why she had lost interest in finding a partner for herself, and she approaches the subject sensitively. Thus supported, Lynne faces the challenge of preparing to look for a new relationship. Together Lynne and her mother take a number of positive steps that lead to change and enrichment of their lives.

This story takes place in a primary school in Scotland (where pupils attend for seven years, class P1 to class P7.) It is suitable for all readers aged eight and upwards. It is the last week of the summer term. The teacher of the primary 6 class has flu, and a supply teacher stands in for her. She turns out to be a wonderful teacher, and also she has some great ideas for the summer holidays. The 24 pupils in the class start to make plans for some projects...

Soon after Nicholas' thirteenth birthday, his great-uncle John reveals to him a secret -- handed down through hundreds of years to the 'chosen one' in every second generation. John is very old. His house has long since fallen into disrepair, and as Nicholas begins to learn about the fifth key and the pledge, John falls ill. Facing these new challenges and helping to repair John's house, Nicholas begins to discover his maturing strengths. The unexpected appearance of Jake, the traveller whom Nicholas has barely known as his much older brother, heralds a sequence of events that could never have been predicted, and a bond grows between the brothers that evolves beyond the struggles of their ancestors and of Jake's early life.

This is a historical novel, set in harsh times. There are many threads to the plot - all of which contain much intrigue and factual information about what life must have been like 300-400 years ago. One dark winter's night, an unseen force attacks Molly, leaving her for dead. On their return from snaring rabbits, her husband, Sam, and his brothers, James and Alec, discover her, and slowly nurse her back to life. But she cannot speak. Determined to avenge Molly and help her to regain her voice, the brothers search for clues. Could her affliction be due to a curse? The birth of Sam and Molly's son, Nathan, raises questions about his ancestry. Who was Molly's father, and how did he meet his end? Might there be a connection between violent events of long ago and Molly's present state?

Orphaned by the age of ten, Emily lives with her Aunt Jane. While preparing to move house, they come across an old diary of Jane's, and she shows Emily some intriguing spiral patterns that appeared in it just before she, Emily, was born. Clearly no passing curiosity, these patterns begin to affect Emily in ways that no one can understand, and as time passes, something momentous begins to form in their lives.While studying at university, Emily meets Barnaby. Sensing that they have been drawn together for a common purpose, they discover that each carries a crucial part of an unfinished puzzle from years past. It is only then that Emily's true purpose is revealed.

I am a therapist of many years' experience. I have written this collection of essays, short stories and reflections as my contribution to helping any reader to see more clearly what is happening in daily life in his or her immediate surroundings. The subjects in this collection of writings are drawn from a broad range of human experience, and they touch the daily lives of most of us, whether or not this is apparent. In our society, we are mostly helped to see what we are meant to see. But each household, be it single person or more, has much that is hidden from view, and society itself (the collective version of the household) shares many tacitly-agreed 'blindnesses'. Those who comment openly upon secrets and blindnesses find that they have a mixed reception. "The Tale of the Emperor's New Clothes" is far from having lost its relevance, and of course, we all accept that the world is not flat! Much of our understanding of life is programmed in us by what we have seen and experienced around us when we were small. Unless we make considerable efforts to find ways in which we can view this original patterning in an objective light, we are likely to continue to enact the habits and belief systems which we absorbed during our early years. Such causal links might not be obvious to those who live life without looking sufficiently beneath the surface, and the consequence of becoming aware of them can at times provoke feelings of denial and shock. However, we must accept the fundamental truth that full or partial obscurity only serves to enhance the power of the links and their consequences.

Spiral patterns in a book, a strange tape of music from Russia, and an oddly carved walking stick all have a profound effect on a group of friends in England. Ellen is thirty-something and alone, until a chance meeting with a young widower, Adam Thomas, starts a chain of uncanny events which enthrall and endanger them both. Choice and contingency, happenstance and coincidence all blend to bring the two together, and lift the pall of loss covering their lives. A rich backdrop of music, archaeology, books and plant lore enables the author of Beyond the Veil to touch deeper issues of bereavement, friendship, illness, recovery and the impact of objects from the past on our lives. Altered states, heightened sensitivities and unseen communications are also explored, as is the nature of spiritual ecstasy, in a thoughtful novel that gives separate paths an unusual and satisfying convergence The debut novel from Mirabelle Maslin.

Fay is suffering from a mysterious illness. Her family and friends are concerned about her. In her vulnerable state, she begins to be affected by something more than intuition, and at first no one can make sense of it. Alongside the preparation for her daughter's wedding, she is drawn into new situations together with resonances of lives that are long past, and at last the central meaning of her struggles begins to emerge.

The main author of this book is a therapist of many years' experience. It is predominantly about sexual abuse of children with its long-term consequences and therapeutic aspects, but it is couched in the arena of broader social comment. It is in two parts: the first is presented as fiction, and the second is a number of relevant submissions and essays. The final essay was written by a psychiatrist - who is one of the editors.

Tracy is twelve. A change in holiday plans means she spends her summer with her older cousin, Flora. Flora's mother, may, runs a bed and breakfast business. Tracy doesn't know quite what to expect... A kaleidoscope of events and encounters leads Tracy and Flora into new experiences. Unfamiliar feelings and dilemmas abound. The interweaving of relationships with friends, their families and many others, gradually opens up a world of creative possibilities for everyone. This book is suitable for readers of all ages. Although it is a novel, it was written by a therapist with the specific intention of helping people to understand their feelings and communicate effectively about their emotional dilemmas, with a consequent opening up of positive choices in life.

Spiral patterns in a book, a strange tape of music from Russia and an oddly carved walking stick all have a profound effect on a group of friends in England. Ellen is thirty-something and alone, until a chance meeting with a young widower, Adam Thomas, starts a chain of uncanny events which enthrall and endanger them both. Choice and contingency, happenstance and coincidence all blend to bring the two together, and lift the pall of loss covering their lives. A rich backdrop of music, archaeology, books and plant lore enables the author of 'Beyond the Veil' to touch deeper issues of bereavement, friendship, illness, recovery and the impact of objects from the past on our lives. Altered states, heightened sensitivities and unseen communications are also explored, as is the nature of spiritual ecstasy, in a thoughtful novel that gives seperate paths an unusual and satisfying convergence.