James Collins

Following the success of 'Symi 85600' and his two other collections of thoughts from a Greek island, James Collins takes us further afield with his fourth book. Part memoir, part observation, this scrapbook of anecdotes and witty observations takes us from Romney Marsh to Greece via a graveyard campsite, an adult film festival, and some unusual wordplay. What to expect when dining with the Turin jet set, what to learn when moving to Symi, and how to behave when held at gunpoint in Egypt; it's all here along with a few train journeys, some mountaineering, and Symi's first civil partnership. Oh, by the way, there is a fair amount of nonsense too.

"Their faith was stronger than his reason." The Saddling is a mystery/thriller set on the Romney Marshes in Kent. The follow-on novels, 'The Witchling' and 'The Eastling' are now available from Amazon, KU, and Kindle. To inherit his aunt's fortune, Tom Carey must unlock a one-hundred-year-old family mystery. The solution lies on the Romney Marshes where the village of Saddling lives by an ancient Lore. Unknown to Tom, the villagers set in motion a chain of calculated events that will ensure that the winter solstice will witness their last ever 'Saddling' festival. Unaware that his life is in danger, Tom befriends two village youths. Through the mists of fear and confusion, their friendship forces Tom to confront his own sexuality. Tom finds himself the unwitting hero in a struggle between superstition and sense, denial and love, with no escape from either." Meticulously imagined in the eerie mists of Romney Marsh. A wonderfully evocative landscape of mystery." Ann Butler Rowlands (Author of 'Heaven')Praise for James Collins: "Comparable with the best of Stephen King." Charles Allenden"Very gripping, imaginative read." Amazon"He has mastered that technique of forcing you to start the next chapter as you really care what happens to these people." Derek Stephen"A real page turner and kept me guessing right to the end." David Hendry

For James Collins nature, spirituality and everyday experiences intersect to illuminate the soul of the reader as much as that of the poet. From the ruins of an old church to casualties of urban landscapes, Collins writes through the darkness to a terrestrial, cosmic refuge of light and hope. This collection examines one's ever-changing station in life and is as much a spirit map for the reader as a compilation. ~Chance Chambers, Nashville poet

'Remotely' pokes fun at British reality television." There are more plays on words and double-entendres than a Carry On film or a seaside postcard. It had me smiling, giggling and laughing out loud - a real feel good story." Britain's newest and most pointless TV talent competition is coming to Middlestone-On-Sea. 'So You Think We're Remotely Interested' has taken Friday night viewers by storm as it streams live variety shows from remote, provincial theatres across Britain. The theatre with the most audience votes wins regeneration and revival, and lord knows, Middlestone-on-Sea needs both. The dying seaside backwater rests its hopes on the performance of two ex-best friends, gay Gary and straight Stag. The visiting celebrity judge, the mysterious and timeless Miss P, knows that for all to be well, they must mend their broken friendship. But there is no success without trial. She magically swaps Gary and Stag into each other's bodies. Secrets are learned, comedy ensues, and yet the community remains divided. Rifts must be healed, differences accepted, and bodies swapped back before the season grand finale in four days' time otherwise Middlestone will lose everything." Once you start on James Collins' coming of age, body-swap comedy, you won't be remotely interested in putting it down." G. J. Mugwatch MPSome Amazon reviews for James Collins "Brilliantly observed and a wicket wit.""Lots of laughs and loads of page turning moments. Yes, it was hard to put down.""Another unputdownable book that had me engrossed from beginning to end, and chuckling.""Finished this book yesterday and oh so amusing, would love to see it as a film.""More, I want more I truly could not put this book down."

Advanced oxidation technologies (AOTs) oxidize a broad range of contaminants, including those that are not readily removed with other advanced technologies. The need to treat an ever expanding range of regulated and emerging contaminants has led to an increased interest in AOTs. This handbook provides the fundamentals of the design and operation for advanced oxidation technologies. The possible applications—micropollutant treatment, treatment of taste and odor compounds, and water reuse treatment—as well as the advanced oxidation types are covered. The authors look at AOT facilities including possible locations, key design criteria, and start-up, operation and maintenance. They also cover equipment basics and the safety and handling of AOT equipment. Case studies and considerations for water utility managers such as using an engineering firm vs going it alone are particularly valuable for the beginner as well as the more advanced operator.

There is something of shimmering moonlight in these poems as well as something tremulous lingering in the shadows that renders the writing both mystic and intimate and makes it difficult to know where the poem ends and our own thoughts begin. ~Earl LeClaire, poet

What horrors would you endure in the name of friendship? Drover and Pete are two hopeful drifters looking for a better life. Desperate for food, they break into an isolated house deep in a forest. There they accidentally shoot an old man just as the rest of his family arrive for a birthday gathering. Under intense suspicion from the family, the boys attempt to cover up the accident. But they are not the only ones keeping a murderous secret. Mistrust and deception unearth a primeval ritual as the lies give way to a terrifying truth. With time running out and a deadly force closing in, Drover and Pete's survival rests on the strength of their friendship, but they must face some horrific choices in order to stay alive.

A year living on Symi, a Greek island. James' blog posts from 2013, edited and set out in printed form with images by Neil Gosling, take us through one whole year living on a small Greek island in southeast Greece. From winter storms to summer visitors, from photo walks to book signings, and from goats to shrimp festivals, Village View gives us an upfront, honest and mildly edited account of James and Neil's eleventh year on Symi. "Symi's charm is in its people and the minutiae of their lives; James's great talent lies in his careful observation of the absurd and the amusing, the dramas and the difficulties, because nothing in Symi is ever simple, and in reporting what he sees with kind humour and a writer's eye for the details essential to lively travel writing." Anne Zouroudi, author of Bloomsbury's Greek Detective mysteries.

Carry On Up The Kali Strata is a collection of articles about living in Symi, Greece. Previously written for www.symidream.com and The Symi Visitor, here they are gathered together with photographs by Symi island photographer Neil Gosling. If you've enjoyed "Symi 85600" you will like to read this follow up." Symi's charm is in its people and the minutiae of their lives; James's great talent lies in his careful observation of the absurd and the amusing, the dramas and the difficulties (because nothing in Symi is ever simple), and in reporting what he sees with kind humour and a writer's eye for the details essential to lively travel writing." Anne Zouroudi, author of Bloomsbury's Greek Detective mysteries.

Is love at first sight possible or just an old-fashioned romantic idea? And what if, to further complicate things, you meet the love of your life and then lose her phone number? "Then "what if, after the impossible happens and you find her again, she's now about to marry a roguish lothario who is also your best friend? The complications don't end there for Peter Russell, the winning hero of James Collins' charming, generous, and romantic first novel. Part modern-day Jane Austen, part Tom Wolfe, "Beginner's Greek" is a romantic comedy of the highest order, with characters who are perfectly, charmingly real as they swerve and stumble from fairy tale to social satire and back again.

A hugely romantic debut novel about love and destiny. ‘Love in the Air’ is set in New York City and tells the story of a young man named Peter Russell and a young woman named Holly Edwards. Peter works for a prestigious financial firm on Wall Street, and Holly teaches Latin at a private girls' school – when they sit next to each other on a plane journey, an intoxicating tale of romance, coincidence and thwarted plans starts to unfold. Other characters include: Jonathan Speedwell, an extremely handsome writer who is also Holly's husband, Peter's best friend and, crucially, a cad; Charlotte Montague, Peter's rather tiresome and pretentious wife; Arthur Beeche, the dignified, formal and very, very rich proprietor of the firm where Peter works; Julia Montague, Charlotte's beautiful, young step-mother and Dick Montague, a successful, vain lawyer who is Charlotte's father. Take all these characters and throw in miscommunications, letters going astray, adulterous relationships, fiendish behaviour and ultimately an ending in which everyone gets their due… The result is a debut novel that is charming, fresh, clever and beautifully written; a deeply romantic story about the transformative power of love.