My BOOKS
A Book in Time
Winner of the prestigious 2020 Page Turner Awards, A Book in Time is a truly enchanting work of magical realism by “a hugely talented storyteller.” This exceptional novel has been described by publishers, agents, and literary judges alike as “visionary”, “ambitious”, “magical”, “unique,” “refreshing”. You will never have read anything like it before. And if you’re a lover of books, or you work in a profession to do with books, you will be hooked from the first sentence – a sentence that is extraordinarily unusual and captivating.
A Book in Time is really a love story about a book’s longing over two centuries for the mother who bore it. Adopted by many different owners – some loving, others unscrupulous – this book longs to be reunited with an elderly author who cherished it as if it was her only child. As the book passes through many hands, it observes not only the way people treat it, but each other, and in all of this, its mother’s love sets the high standard against which everything is lovingly judged.
In a strange demonstration of synchronicity, the author – Mark Stibbe – experienced the culmination of his own search for a mother after completing this novel. Having been orphaned in 1960, and having never met or known his birth mother, Mark met her for the first time at the end of 2021, shortly before she died. So, there is more than a hint of Mark’s own search in the book’s quest for its author.
In the case of A Book in Time, in perhaps a unique way, art has magically imitated life even as life has magically imitated art.
Do Dogs go to Heaven?
In March 2022, Nev's Border Collie, Sophie, died aged 15. Mark, hearing the news, wrote to console his old friend. This kickstarted a long and heartfelt email conversation about where Sophie is now — a conversation that broadened and deepened into the larger question, Do Dogs Go to Heaven?
Many of us want to know if we will see our beloved animals again in eternity. In this pioneering and unique book, Mark and Nev address this issue as it relates to dogs. They do so not in the form of a philosophical debate, but by sharing powerful stories, spiritual reflections, and memorable quotations.
As you journey with them through this book, you'll discover how the relationship between humans and dogs has a unique spiritual purpose. As the two friends put it, "the love of a dog is inseperable from the love of God".
House of Dreams
Tony Lawson is a world-famous dream therapist, but he hasn’t dreamed in years, and he needs more therapy than he can give. On the day his divorce is finalised, he is driving past a village when he sees a large old house for sale. Walking through the gates, he is captivated by its history and mystery. That night, he starts dreaming again.
Drawn by its magic, Tony buys the property and discovers it once belonged to Queen Catherine Parr. As the house tells more and more of its story in Tony’s dreams, Tony is led by both the living and the dead to a startling and seismic discovery – one that will transform both the house of his soul and the soul of his house.
House of Dreams is a magical tale about a 500-year-old Tudor house - its ghosts, its traumas, its treasures, and its secrets. It may only have two storeys, but it tells many tales.
After reading House of Dreams, you will never see houses in the same way again.
Fathers
Winner at the 2023 New York Book Festival
Fathers is an inspirational and practical manual for all dads – not just biological fathers, but all kinds of dads, including foster fathers, adoptive fathers, substitute fathers, and other father figures. It is a unique guide because it is the first book on this subject to be based in both Scripture (the timeless wisdom of the Bible) and science (especially the new science of fatherhood).
Dr Mark Stibbe has specialised in fatherhood, father wounds, and the healing of the orphan heart for over a generation. His approach combines insights from a famous ancient parable about a devoted dad with the latest research into fatherhood in psychology, anthropology, and neuroscience. This creates a very insightful as well as readable mix of ancient and modern wisdom.
Mark shares stories from his own experience as a dad, many of which describe his mistakes. This creates a very inclusive and relatable writing style that dads will find engaging. He encourages all fathers and father figures to understand that we can improve as dads over time as we learn from failure and commit to cultivating seven basic skills that are accessible to anyone and everyone.
F is for Fun
A is for Affirmation
T is for Time
H is for Hugs
E is for Example
R is for Rules
S is for Security
Good dads, Mark says, evolve over time as they apply these seven habits in guiding their child through all the stages of life.
This book is essential reading for both expectant and experienced fathers.
Dead Man Talking
An outstanding African American Pilot is missing, presumed dead, at the end of a mission over the Atlantic in 1944. 80 years later, his granddaughter – Maya Hailey – teams up with a young history professor – Cameron Stone – to find out what really happened to him. Drawn by supernatural forces, Hailey and Stone discover that the young pilot was not on board his seaplane, nicknamed the Lady of the Night, when it crashed. His fate – one that will lead them to doubt the very people who were supposed to protect him - was even more traumatic.
As Hailey and Stone begin their approach towards the truth, dark powers become more and more deadly in their attempts to thwart them. As the search reaches its thrilling climax, Hailey and Stone not only have to learn to cross the racial divide between them, but also the bridge between the material and the spirit world, if they are to succeed in restoring George Hailey’s legacy.
Dead Man Talking – completed in time for Black History Month UK 2024 – is not only a page-turning WW2 thriller. It is also the ideal fictional resource to accompany discussions about racism, especially among young people of school and university age.
Your Heart Will Go On: Recovering from Heart Failure
Heart failure is one of the biggest health problems today. It already causes more deaths than the most common cancers combined. It is also the number one reason why people over 65 are hospitalised.
When Mark Stibbe (63) was rushed into hospital with acute failure, it set in motion seven days of intensive cardiac care. The amazing NHS treatment he received quite literally saved his life.
Your Heart Will Go On is the first memoir to focus exclusively on heart failure. It’s a funny, honest, uplifting account of how Mark received a second chance to live – really live.
If you’re looking for a hopeful story to put in the hands of someone suffering from heart failure, or someone supporting a sufferer, this is the go-to book. It is therapy for both the body and the soul.
The Man Who Ran
When Jake Graystone becomes addicted to poker, he decides to abandon his family and indulge his new-found craving without restraint. Running away to a northern city on Christmas Eve, he discovers the Arcadia Casino and starts to play. With the help of a rare gift for reading his opponents, he quickly gains fame and fortune.
One year later, again on Christmas Eve, Jake is challenged to a heads-up match by a player called the Undertaker. When his adversary tilts him, Jake finds himself on the run again. With the help of a German Shepherd and a homeless friend, Jake outfoxes the gunman who pursues him - until one fateful night when they come face to face.
The Man who ran is a Christmas thriller with magical elements. It is a page turner that charts a healing journey as riveting as the ones walked by Ebenezer Scrooge (A Christmas Carol) and George Bailey (It’s a Wonderful Life). It is a tale that looks with empathetic imagination at issues of addiction and homelessness.
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Project Lazarus
The Hailey and Stone Case Files - 2
Dr Jones is a popular university lecturer and a YouTube sensation. He is also a good friend of Professor Cameron Stone. When Jones invites him to see a 17th century
masterpiece, The Raising of Lazarus, Stone anticipates a stimulating afternoon. After all, his friend is a leading New Testament scholar and an expert on the Lazarus story.
When he arrives at the Ulster Museum, Stones is shocked to find his friend looking deathly pale and gravely ill. With what turns out to be his last words, Jones hands over the keys to his house before collapsing to the floor. The painting is the last thing he sees.
At first, this looks like a tragic and untimely heart attack. But after Maya Hailey travels over from the States, she and Stone head to Jones’s house. What they discover there will lead them into the very heart of darkness.
Story Structure 101
Have you ever wondered how a story should be structured? Maybe you’re a writer and you want to learn how to design your material in a high-impact way. Maybe you love fiction and film, and you just want to know how great stories are designed. If either of these describes you, Story Structure 101 is a must read.
In this ground-breaking book, Dr Mark Stibbe finds his inspiration in a surprising place - the Requiem Mass.
This rite follows the seven stages of the journey of the departed soul from the darkness of this life to the light
and rest of paradise. In Mark’s book, these stages provide analogies for the seven beats of a great story:
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Setting the Scene
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Establishing the Need
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Raising the Stakes
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Preparing the Way
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Seeing the Light
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Paying the Price
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Receiving the Reward
Mark describes what these seven beats look like, offering a practical and innovative blueprint which he calls ‘the Requiem Story Structure.’ He uses multiple examples from fiction and film along the way and provides worksheets at the end of each chapter. If you love stories, you’re going to find this a vital resource for your journey of creativity.
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