When a glamorous socialite is found dead at her breakfast table, police detective Freya Winterglass is delighted to be assigned the case, even if it’s only because of her personal connection to the Gentry. But when the chief suspect turns out to be a svartalf, simmering tensions between the light and dark elves begin to boil over. Unless Freya can prove him innocent, more lives could be lost and her beloved city plunged into civil war. Gentleman jewel thief Lucian Thorne has been lying low for a while, but he cannot stay away from the charming detective inspector forever, even if she knows far too much about him for comfort. While she is distracted by the murder case, he and his friends plan to steal a solid gold statuette of a griffin, currently on display at the city museum—but they’re not the only thieves with their eyes on this particular prize. Neither Freya nor Lucian is prepared for the tangle of family secrets, ancient feuds and long-forgotten crimes that their activities will uncover, but a shared problem can only bring them closer together. Can’t it?

Burmese Griffin is a historical novel that moves from the present to medieval Myanmar. It was in the 16th Century that Portuguese fighters became a powerful influence over rulers in Myanmars Rakhine region. The name of one leader which stood out among these Portuguese buccaneers was that of Felipe de Brito. He had amassed treasure in the form of jewellery and jade, as well as priceless ancient icons. He was executed by a victorious Myanmar King by being impaled on a spear, for his blasphemous activity. One of which was to steal a huge sacred bell from Myanmars most sacred Pagoda! What happened to de Britos treasure? The scene moves to the present day. Tony Carvalhos misadventures in life are depicted to show his navet. But it is his wife, Jeanne de Mello, who is chosen to probe the whereabouts of the hidden treasure. For it is discovered that she was a descendant of Felipe de Brito. Myanmar experts, with an experience of the latest of knowledge of psychiatry, would combine with Buddhist exponents of meditation, to induce Jeanne to enter into a dream state. Jeanne would, in such condition, be enabled to reach out to her ancestor. She would thus learn where the treasure had been secreted. Events did not turn out exactly as planned. But the denouement was a destructive surprise for criminal elements in and from Singapore as well as partially satisfying astonishment for the Generals in Myanmar.

A romping adventure with twists and turns. A boy Thane is befriended by a magic man with a majestic griffin that has special powers and plays its mysterious role. Thane is on a quest to rescue his sister in a time of horses, castles, treasure, swords and a touch of magic. All up, a great adventure.

This volume contains a small selection of my favorite writings relating to the gold rush period in Queensland. I hope to provide the reader with a glimpse of the everyday topics and events that were of interest to the pioneer miners in the north of Australia. By largely avoiding sterile historical accounts in favor of primary texts in which personal opinions and first person observations are unselfconsciously expressed I endeavor to provide a sense of the social complexities of this era. The 'common sense' of this period is not our common sense. Many of the sentiments and prejudices expressed are jarring to a modern sensibility. Racist attitudes are unambiguously expressed. Empire is a stolid reality. Women are inferior to men. The 'great chain of being' provides an all-encompassing teleology by which all things under heaven might be ordered. Please enjoy a journey to the strangest land of them all - the past. James Moylan Researcher & Author

Work and well-being is one of the fastest growing areas of concern to business, public sector and government. This book looks at the causes of stress in the modern work-place, and offers practical advice for managers on how to combat stress in their employees, and put in place strategies for developing a healthy workplace.