JOHN MARTIN

In February and March of 1849, the "Illustrated London News" carried a series of announcements about the works of the painter John Martin being exhibited at the British Institution, the third of which included an account of his early life. On the 17 March the paper received a long letter from the artist, reproduced here in full, in which he demands a right of reply. Their article is, he claims, "so unfortunate a tissue of errors from beginning to end, that it can only have the effect of misleading your readers." Martins brief autobiography makes fascinating reading. Beginning with his youth in Newcastle where he was apprenticed to a coach-builder, it recounts his initial struggles in London and the eventual recognition accorded to his vast, apocalyptic landscape painting and stunning engravings, ending with the civic works he devoted himself to in later years. The reader is left in awe of Martins determination and drive.With an introduction by Martin Myrone, Lead Curator of Pre-1800 British Art at Tate Britain, this engaging book provides many new insights into the work of this extraordinary painter of sublime landscapes and the times in which he lived.

I could see that still no one had been able to get out from the cockpit. It must have been at this moment that I thought I was going to die because I became remarkably calm.Trapped inside a burning Lancaster bomber, 20,000 feet above Berlin, airman John Martin consigned himself to his fate and turned his thoughts to his fiancee back home. In a miraculous turn of events, however, the twenty-one year old was thrown clear of his disintegrating aeroplane and found himself parachuting into the heart of Nazi Germany. He was soon to be captured and began his period as a prisoner of war.This engaging and compulsively readable true-life account of a Second World War airman, who cheated death in the sky, only to face interrogation and the prospect of being shot by the Gestapo, before having to endure months of hardship as a prisoner of war.

The Universe Loves You: My personal history and your guide to making positive and meaningful contact with our Star Family. Have you ever wondered if there is intelligent life beyond Earth? Do you want to communicate with beings from other realms and dimensions? Do you believe that the universe is a friendly and loving place that wants to help you grow and evolve? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this book is for you. You will learn:How to prepare yourself mentally, emotionally, and spiritually for contact with beings and energies beyond this realm.How to use your own unique skills, gifts, and intuition, to tune into the cosmic frequency.How to recognize and interpret the signs and messages from our Star Family.How to find your place among a world of contactees and experiencers who share your vision and passion.The universe loves you and wants you to know that you are not alone. You are part of a vast and diverse cosmic family that is waiting for you to reach out. This book will show you how to take the crucial first steps while embarking on your own amazing journey of discovery and transformation. John Martin is a classically trained guitarist living in Sandy Springs, GA. From a lifetime of playing music, while making his way through this challenging world, he has performed for many thousands of people from all walks of life, while also sharing the great gift of music, positive thought, and love into the cosmos.

Designed to help the learner develop their basic language skills, this book consists of informative reading texts with comprehensive notes, word lists, further explanation on points of grammar and a

One Left of L is about people, relationships and the opportunity to see and understand both very differently.If you relate to others, intimately, socially, or professionally you will find One Left of L to be helpful, freeing and full of insight.You will never see yourself or those you relate to the same way after reading this book.Practical, fun, relationship-changing steps are presented as alternatives to what we have and where we have been.Now instead of simply saying "we cant" or "we dont know how to" or "we made a mess" there is a simple, easy to follow guide that makes sense on so many levels.For those who want to get along, make a difference and do better, this is for you.If you only read one book ever, read this one.

Under Pressure is a very simple book that asks the reader some basic questions about their life, their upbringing, and their point of view.Permission is offered to be new and different, and used to see life through new glasses. Permission will allow the reader to move forward in very different ways. Relationships will change as insight grows and permission is understood.

We are all in search of something. For many that something is nothing more than direction and encouragement.A word or a phrase here or there that helps us to focus, pause and consider.The world needs to be a kinder, gentler place, and who among us doesnt look for hope on some front?The little book you hold in your hands has a few words that might help as we face the demanding, difficult job of living life.

"You do remember the Tasmanian Tiger, dont you, Noah? A shy, marsupial dog-like animal that hunted and ate mainly small marsupials? I expect that caused you a few sleepless nights on your ark for those 40 days and 40 nights?"Jerome OFury features in several of the stories in this collection of funny, flash fiction.In this one, he is sending a letter to Mount Ararat.There are other tales in this collection, too. Santa Clauss Resignation, Living Next Door to Rembrandt, Message from the Sharp End. And more.

A darkly comic tale of secrets and small-town strangeness.Billy Gumboots has spent years avoiding Windy Mountain. But when he finally returns, the local undertaker seems oddly eager to help him. Why? Whats in it for him?Before long, Billy is dealing with more than just buried secrets. Theres a handyman who quotes Latin, a fiery Feng Shui consultant who thinks his chakras are a mess and an old chap who might be his father but swears he isnt.Trapped in a town that knows everything except the truth, Billy has to wonder: can you ever really outrun your past?Full of offbeat characters and dark humour thatll make you cringe and laugh in equal measure, this entry in the Windy Mountain series rewinds the clock starting before Book 1 and finishing after Book 7.

Three laugh-out-loud adventures. One mysterious island. A secret hidden since World War II.When a pint-sized lawyer flees Hobart in 1974 after crossing the wrong criminals, he lands on an uncharted island off Australias east coasthoping to disappear.Instead, he becomes Mad Bill, the islands cantankerous new hermit.But hes not alone for long. A wave of oddball visitors crash into his strange paradise, each one funnierand nosierthan the last. Together, they stumble upon clues to a long-forgotten mystery: why was the British Army ever here?The Funny Capers DownUnder trilogy is a wild mix of humour, mystery, and absurd adventure. Perfect for readers who enjoy quirky characters, fast-paced storytelling, and a few surprises along the way.If you like Carl Hiaasen, Tom Sharpe or Christopher Moore, youll love this hilarious Australian twist on comic fiction.

Its not every day a group of jumpsuited crooners roll into Windy Mountainespecially ones with suspicious minds and surprisingly good detective instincts.When a garden ornament goes missing, the new owners of the Windy Mountain Tasmanian Tiger Museum are faced with an escalating puzzle.The clues include a skeleton, a chess set, a concrete marsupial with a secret pouch, and the arrival in town of some unsavoury characters.Oodles, Wish-Wash and the Mayor are off in Ireland researching family history, and have washed their hands of the museum.Theyre still in contactsort ofvia a string of mostly unhelpful emails to Moose, Joffa and Katy.Fat lot of good that is.Good thing the sideburned heroes are ready to step up!This is book 3 in the funny and offbeat Windy Mountain series, where each book tells its own storythough the characters tend to wander in and out of trouble across titles.

Something strange is happening in the town of Windy Mountain and it might have stripes.When an elderly museum caretaker discovers an article about Dolly the sheep, he gets an ideawhat if the extinct Tasmanian tiger could make a comeback?Despite the misgivings of his even-older best mate, he sets out to bring science to the bush in this quirky, small-town comedy. Together they recruit a cricket-mad retired optometrist to help clone a thylacine and it doesnt end well.Soon, rumours are flying. The towns greenhorn police sergeant is sniffing around, a protest meeting is brewing, and not everyone is thrilled about mixing science with nostalgia.Packed with offbeat humour and unforgettable characters, Blokes Send in the Clones is the ninth novel in a heartwarming and hilarious series set in a uniquely Australian town. You dont have to have read the others to enjoy this oneit stands proudly on its own four paws.Perfect for fans of small-town comedies, gentle mysteries, and books that blend warmth with wit.

Its 2020. The former mayor thinks the world has gone soft with all this talk about a global pandemic so hes furious when hes forced to go into lockdown.Whats even worse is that he has to share a small weatherboard house with two less well-off octogenarians for three months.He isnt on speaking terms with either man and theyre well below his social station. One used to be the town drunk, for goodness sake!James Northan has to submit to a future of face masks, hand sanitisers and a life of much less luxury than he is used to.He does get his own back on the two buffoons but he doesnt realise they have some nasty tricks up their sleeves too.Blokes in the House is a gateway novel into the funny Windy Mountain series.Its a black comedy born from the blackest of times.If you like your books soaked in laughter, with a dash of mystery and intrigue, and with a liberal dose of quirky characters, you wont want to miss it.Who knew that Tasmanian Tigers and hitmen were going into lockdown with the old men?Get it now!

This time, the magician needs to disappearfor real.Hobart, 1974. Australias first legal casino has just opened, and lawyer William Clarin is betting on a political career to salvage his floundering legal practice.But when some American gangsters mistakenly assume hes nicknamed The Magician because he can make criminal charges vanish, William faces a stark choice: fight or flee.On the run and out of his depth, he finds himself outgunned, outmuscledand very much at sea.Hell need more than sleight of hand to survive.This fast-paced novella sets the stage for the darkly comic mystery of Mad Bills Island.

Some secrets should stay buried. Especially on Mad Bills Island.Major Billycock-Smythe thought he was chasing answers about World War II. Instead, hes stuck on the island he was so eager to reachand desperate to leave.The truth about what the British were really up to comes with a twist he never saw coming.And just when things couldnt get weirder guess who shows up? They wouldve known he was still aliveif only theyd licked him.This darkly comic finale ties up the Funny Capers DownUnder series with one last absurd adventure.

When a strange helicopter buzzes the shearing shed where hes hiding 12 illegal immigrants, Major Jeremy Billycock-Smythe leaps to exactly the wrong conclusion.If youre allergic to satire, please consult a responsible adult before proceeding.Major B.S. is an unfiltered Englishmanclueless, politically incorrect, mildly unhinged and catastrophically wrong about almost everything. But dont worry: hes surrounded by characters who are smarter, kinder and far more aware of what century theyre living in.Set somewhere near Canberra, this jagged Australian comedy of errors pokes at bureaucracy, bigotry and bad decisionsall with a sharp wit and a cast of gloriously oddball characters.

If Mad Bill hates visitors so much why does he make it so hard for them to leave?When Ralph gets chased into the bay by an angry mob, he thinks hes going to die. Then a fishing boat hauls him outand keeps going.Its not a rescue. Its a fishing trip.Trapped at sea with a crew of oddballs and growing dread, Ralphs situation goes from bad to bizarre. Especially when they land on an island run by a shotgun-wielding recluse known only as Mad Bill.Escape? Not likely. Survival? Maybe.This darkly comic adventure is Book 2 in the Funny Capers DownUnder trilogywhere the jokes are dry, the dangers real, and the characters are just a bit cracked.

Jack and the Jellybean Stalk is a laugh-out-loud collection of 51 short tales from John Martins early years as a bewildered new dad.Before he was writing funny mysteries, he was dodging flying nappies, navigating toddler theology, and getting peed on by a baby who hadnt quite figured out aim.These (mostly true, occasionally embellished) stories tackle the joys and absurdities of parenting from childbirth to circumcision, pets to Santa Claus, and learning how to survive the day when Mummy isnt home.Heartfelt, honest and hilariously relatable, this book is for any parent whos ever wondered if theyre doing it right or at least not doing it worse than John Martin.

The deeper they dig, the darker the legacy becomes.After uncovering long-buried secrets about the founders of The Sanctum, Joe, Alex, and Nicky find themselves drawn into a mystery that reaches far beyond wealth. Hidden treasure beneath the waters of Jonders Cove is only the beginning. When a forced break sends them on a road trip to Cape Town with five-year-old Brian, the journey becomes more than just an escapeit becomes a reckoning.As they navigate the beauty and chaos of Cape Town, Joes inner darkness resurfaces. At the Castle of Good Hope, he loses his gripand Brian is pulled into the storm with him. What they discover there is more than history. Its a truth that shakes the family to its core.In Cape Town, they meet Johanan eccentric, flamboyant curator of a property theyve inherited in Llandudno. But Johan is more than a caretaker. He becomes a mirror, a mentor, and a father figure Joe and Alex never knew they needed. His presence brings warmth, humor, and healing, especially during Nickys unforgettable film-themed birthday celebration back in Jonders Cove.But joy is fleeting. Joes darkness strikes again, leaving Brian in a coma and the family reeling.As the new year dawns, Brian begins to recoverbut new revelations emerge. The seven ships discovered beneath Jonders Cove hold more than relics. They hold answers. A trip to Paris becomes inevitable, bringing unwanted attention, lavish distractions, and truths that could reshape everything.Price of Power is a story of legacy, love, and the cost of uncovering what was meant to stay buried. As Joe and Alex confront the shadows of their past and the weight of their future, they must ask: how much are they willing to sacrifice to protect the ones they love?

At nineteen, Joe Smith thinks his life is finally taking shape. Working as a bicycle delivery man in New York, his days are simple, predictableuntil the morning he is summoned to his fathers office. What he hears there shatters everything. His parents are dead in a tragic accident, and their final wish sends him far from the only home he has ever known to a remote coastal village on the southwestern shores of South Africa. There, in the quiet town of Jonders Cove, he must live with a grandmother and uncle he has never metfamily his parents never once spoke of.But Jonders Cove is not the refuge he expects.Beneath its serene beaches and Afrikaans traditions lies a centuries-old legacy, guarded by a hidden organisation with roots stretching deep into history. Joes family is at the heart of itand so, unknowingly, is he.As Joe struggles with grief and displacement, he meets Alex, a local surfer whose presence awakens feelings he has never confronted. Their connection is immediate, profound, and unsettling in both the best and hardest ways. With Alex by his sideand Becky, the sharp-minded daughter of the hotels chefJoe begins to unravel the truth behind his familys secret.The more they uncover, the more dangerous their world becomes.Whispers of an ancient organisation, the Sanctum, echo through the Cove. Dedicated to fighting hidden evilshomophobia, racism, child abuse, bullying, and the cruelty humans inflict upon one anotherthe Sanctums members are guardians, protectors, and sometimes unwilling heirs to roles they never asked for.And Joe is next in line.When Joe and Alex are abducted one devastating night, their bodies are pushed to the brink and their minds to the edge of breaking. Believing they face death, they fight togetheronly to rise into a world rewritten. Their ordeal was not an ending, but an initiation.Joe and Alex emerge transformed, bound not only by love but by destiny. They are revealed as the next Admiralsleaders of the Sanctum, charged with carrying forward a mission that has shaped their bloodline for centuries.But leadership demands truth. And truth demands sacrifice.As Joe steps into a legacy built on secrecy, protection, and pain, he must confront the lies that shaped his childhood, the prejudices that destroy lives, and the power he now holds to make a differenceor repeat the mistakes of generations before him.Secrets Unveiled is a sweeping story of grief, identity, and awakening. It is about choosing who you become when the world tries to decide for you, about love found in unexpected places, and about risingtogetherinto the truth of who you are meant to be.Book One is only the beginning.