Bøger udgivet af Stephen C. Challis

The invasion by Allied forces on the coast of Normandy on June 6, 1944, was the culmination of a great deal of planning and cooperation between the allied forces, countries, and individual branches of the service. It resulted in the largest seaborne invasion in world history. It is unlikely we will see it's like again.Many authors have written books and biographies about the bravery and sacrifices made on that day, particularly the carnage at Omaha Beach. This book, written to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day, is not about that day, but covers the period of dusk from June 5th to dawn of June 6th, 1944.This book is my tribute to those from both sides of the Atlantic who came together to ensure the world was freed from a great tyranny. There are no fictional characters in 'The Long Night'. Other authors and historians have received written accounts from survivors of 'The great Crusade', who have provided much of the information. In the 70s, I had the good fortune of visiting Normandy and Pegasus Bridge. I spoke to locals who were there and had vivid memories of that night. Friendships forged between the French people and their liberators lasted a lifetime.

Cruel is the Snow is an account of the Massacre of Glencoe. The story is through the eyes of a fictional resident, Annella MacDonald. Though she is the only fictional character in the story, all events described are based on eye witness accounts, court transcripts, and official records. The events described actually happed, and the perpetrators were guilty of the most serious crime to the people of Scotland.The crime of 'Murder under Trust' is committed when the killer turns, without warning, on guests or friends who have shown them deep hospitality. Those guilty can expect to be totally ostracized by their fellow country; this condemnation is handed down from generation to generation. Even today, there is little trust between the MacDonald and the Campbell Clans. 'Cruel is the Snow' is, by necessity, a violent and shocking novel which makes portions of disquieting reading, but I believe it is a history that should never be forgotten.

Forward by Robert M. Ekes, M.AWhen we hear of an atrocity such as a mass murder in a mall, or a theater, or of someone's murderous rampage against children in a school it affects us all. We recoil in shock, disbelief, horror, and with many questions. What exactly happened? How did it happen? How was it allowed to happen? And most importantly what can be done to stop it from happening again?In my own 25 year career as a clinical mental health therapist and consultant I treated many children, adolescents, and adults. I have been struck by the level of aggression and violence displayed by some people and I made efforts to study and research the origins of such aggressive behavior. Some of the research findings seem like common sense yet I am frequently dismayed that they don't appear to be recognized or utilized.Upon reading Compulsion to Kill I was gratified to see that Stephen Challis is also aware of the research that I had seen in my own reviews of the professional literature. He discusses the findings and their significance. Mr. Challis also presents much more valuable information that we need to know as we search for answers and for antidotes to shocking violence that we see in our headlines.

Storm of the Shawnee is a sequel to Stephen Challis' Wildcat Mountain; set 5 years after the battle of Blue Licks, William and Becky have married and have a 5-year-old son, Billy. They have settled in the small outpost of Little Mountain in the Virginia County of Kentucky. While attending a wedding for frontier scout, Simon Kenton, William and Becky have their son kidnapped in a raid by the Shawnee Chief, Blue Jacket, bringing the War on the Frontier right to their doorstep.William, now a captain in the militia, desperately tries to keep Becky in check while he joins with Kenton and Boone in negotiating a prisoner exchange with the Shawnee. The exchange is scheduled, but some Kentuckians attack the Shawnee and attempt to recover what they see as stolen horses, making it short-lived.As the situation deteriorates, the Shawnee and Miami tribes unite under Chief Little Turtle; and in response, President Washington orders an army raised to fight them. The scene sets the stage for the bloodiest encounters so far, as General Harmer leads the US forces to annihilation on the banks of the Wabash River in November 1791. The North-West Frontier is the setting for this novel, which is a period of great uncertainty. The United States had finally produced a Constitution and a Bill of Rights that the colonists could live with. They had also elected the country's first president, General George Washington. In the soon to be state of Kentucky, politicians and land speculators had sown mistrust and anger with the Native American tribes, and this had led to increased raids on settlers who had settled on land given to the Shawnee and Mingo by treaty. The Kentuckians felt no obligation to abide by any treaty that restricted what they considered their right to claim land anywhere they chose. To make matters worse, the British who were still smarting from losing the war of Independence were happily supplying arms and ammunition to the Tribes, besides providing advisors such as Simon Girty. Another war with Britain was on the horizon. Although Storm of the Shawnee is a fictional story as far as the main characters of Becky and William Tritt are concerned, the Historical figures are very much real. The events described are totally accurate and based on letters, reports, and eyewitness testimony.

In 1782 the State of Kentucky did not exist. The land we now call a State was a vast largely unexplored wilderness. The City of Lexington was a small settlement with less than 10 houses. Mount Sterling, Clay City, Winchester, and Stanton were still a long way from coming into being. Most of the land was heavily wooded and settlers had only been venturing into the area for around two years, thanks to the efforts of Daniel Boone, who had blazed a trail through the Cumberland Gap. There were no roads and travel was by packhorse or walking. The military (Militia) and some families did possess horses but these were still fairly uncommon.The events in Wildcat Mountain are based on actual recorded documents and eye witness accounts, a small number of incidents are fictitious. But not all of the characters portrayed. A list of Fictional Characters is included in the appendices as is a biography of the main real life characters, this is to dramatize the story and bring it to life. However the accounts of the Estill Battle of Little Mountain, and the battle of Blue Licks were real events and are accurately depicted, as recorded by those who were there.William and Elizabeth Chenault, James Estill, and Daniel Boone are real people. The Chenault's direct ancestor William Tandy Chenault still lives in Mount Sterling and assisted with some of the historical details. Although Wildcat Mountain is a work of historical fiction, this novel is a stark, accurate, and uncompromising view of life on the frontier in 1782.I have reflected in it, the views of society as it was at the time. I make no apology for doing so, and in no way imply approval or otherwise of the practices of racism, slavery or savagery that the novel portrays.

Queen Anne's Curse is a work of fiction but is based on a number of true life events. The characters of Sir Michael Walker, Geoffrey Hawthorne, Caroline De Winter, Debbie and David Spencer, and Dr Ruth Walker, are based on real people; I have met during my career in both law enforcement and public life. In fact, Sir Michael Walker is a senior psychiatrist at the University of Northern England in the United Kingdom, and the various Hampshire police officers are loosely based on my colleagues who served with me in the last part of the 20th century.The Mary Rose's sinking is still shrouded in mystery. Although the majority of historians agree that it was bad seamanship. But there's still those who think a more supernatural cause was to blame.Human remains recovered from the ship have made it possible to reconstruct some of the crew using state of the art computer generated and forensic facial recognition software. One of them was the Archer who, when the ship sank, found himself stuck in a warehouse beneath its decks. The basis for the reconstruction of Mary Rose, which is currently on display at the Portsmouth Ship Museum, was this unknown sailor. Little is known about this man but I have attempted to give him an identity based on a typical Tudor archer of the period, who was aboard the Mary Rose. His story is typical of those who served in Henry's navy in 1545. Many of the historic details of the history trail of the ring depicted in the book are real documented events, such as those surrounding Isadora Strauss, and James Longstreet, and the fire that claimed the lives of some of Joan's descendants. The Queen Anne's Curse is, therefore, a combination of fact and fiction in which sometimes the boundaries are blurred. It's not entirely accidental, though.

Two years have passed in England since the events that brought paranormal evil to southern England. It also brought together retired Chief Inspector, Geoffrey Spencer, and internationally renowned Psychic, Caroline De Winter, two people from vastly different backgrounds. (See 'Queen Anne's Curse') Now, as the memories fade, we find Caroline and Geoffrey recently married and embarking on their honeymoon to the idyllic Mediterranean island of Crete. Evil forces quickly shatter their honeymoon, posing a threat to Caroline, Geoffrey, and their friends. All this unrest seems to stem from a contaminated area at Rodin point, a few miles outside the city. Since 1944, a past top secret site run by the German SS and staffed by a team of top physicists has been closed it to the public, and it is widely believed that it is highly toxic, even now containing lethal doses of radiation. In Crete, Caroline and Geoffrey make friends with the local police captain, Dimitris and his English wife, Angela, while visiting a tourist spot. But things take an ominous turn when a young teenager appears at the site and Caroline realises she is the only one who can see her. Within days, the idyllic honeymoon takes a darker turn. It turns out that Dimitris' father was also a commander in the same precinct and vanished mysteriously, allegedly killed in a shootout with German deserters. However, they denied his wife the chance to see the body or attend the funeral. As Dimitris tries to discover the truth, Caroline discovers shocking evidence that changes everything, but she cannot tell Dimitris or even her husband without putting their lives in danger. A German female tourist arrives who is not all she appears to be, and a columnist from a national news magazine, complicate matters. All from different backgrounds, they all have a connection with the island mystery, but are their interests in discovering the truth or suppressing it?All turn to Caroline for answers. Caroline must navigate a hard path to soothe the unease in the spirit world and ensure that the secret of Ronin Point remains undisclosed. The Dark Island is a book that draws on factual information and follows three separate time lines, taking the reader from the end of WW2 to the heart of America's space program in the 60s. This book is one of the most complex ones that I have written. It will keep you guessing until the shocking Finale.