This work describes a programme, "Creating Lasting Family Connections", which is based on COPE's demonstration programme, "Creating Lasting Connections" (CLC). CLC was designed as an ecumenical, community based programme that focused on increasing community, family and individual (youth) protective factors that would lead to delaying the onset and reducing the frequency of alcohol and other drug use among at-risk 12-14 year olds. CLC received the Center for Substance Abuse Pre vention's Exemplary Prevention Program Award for 1994; it has been included in the International Youth Foundation's YouthNet International, a directory of youth programmes worldwide; finally, it was selected as one of only seven model prevention programs by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention for national dissemination. While the programme focuses on alcohol and other drug-related issues and outcomes, much of this approach is applicable to youth and families across a larger spectrum of issues and behaviours, including violence and inappropriate sexual behaviour.

Frank is a reformed alcoholic. He lives at home with his mother, Elisabeth - at least, he did until she went into a nursing home suffering from dementia. He is devoted to her and conversely hates his estranged father, Geoffrey. So when elder sister Pat calls to tell him Dad is dying and wants to meet him, Frank is forced to face up to his demons. But what are they? And how did he acquire them? Every family has its secrets and Frank's is no exception. As much as he tries to forget, something happened a long time ago that has coloured his life ever since - and he can't live in peace until he confronts it. Seen from the perspective of four separate family members, The Burden examines an individual's contrasting relationships and the different emotions they inspire.

Alan Harrison is a perfectly ordinary, middle-class, middle-aged and happily married man. But when his wife, Susan, suddenly dies, his life starts to disintegrate. Rather than stay at home where the memory of his wife still haunts him, he decides to spend the summer in Sweden at the invitation of his in-laws. On the shores of Lake Malaren, he discovers fresh reasons for living and a contentment he had not previously thought possible. But unexpected guests arrive to disturb his new-found peace and he is forced to take unprecedented steps to recover it. Set against a backdrop of stunning Swedish scenery, MALAREN shows us the redemptive power of physical labour and male bonding as an unlikely hero struggles to overcome his challenges.

Barry Mullins isn't the sharpest tool in the box. But he has a particular talent - he knows how to fight. A successful career in the ring seems assured but those around him try to take advantage, and when greed, jealousy and ambition conspire, Barry gets backed into a corner. Can he battle his way out? Or will he get dragged down? Fame and celebrity are king, but there can only be one winner, and for those who succeed there are thousands of others with unrecognised talent who fall by the wayside. Boxed In helps us understand their story and gives us clues as to why the promise of youth so often fades. 'In Barry, author N.E.David has created a hero for the age of uncertainty. A book that shines fresh light on our times.' Peter Bartram, author of the Colin Crampton series

When Michael Blake takes early retirement from the British Embassy in Cairo, he books a long-awaited birding trip. But halfway up the Nile he meets Lee Yong and things begin to change. Their tour guide Reda isn't all he seems either and when the Egyptian revolution kicks off, Blake finds himself embroiled in a tangled web of love and intrigue. Set against the background of the events of January 2011, Birds of the Nile is a powerful story of loss and self-discovery as three disparate characters, each with their own agenda, seek to come to terms with change. Part political thriller, part love story, Birds of the Nile is N.E.David's debut novel. Poignantly written, it reminds us of the complex nature of global cultural interaction and how, as individuals, we try to deal with it.