Books published by Beaten Track Publishing

Embracing My Shadow traces Unoma Azuah’s challenging growth as a lesbian in Nigeria and how she navigated the paths of abuse, ethnic discrimination and homophobia in a hyper-religious and patriarchal Nigerian society. The struggles that dominated her growth as a girl with a nonstandard sexual orientation were further aggravated by the problems that came with being born of parents from two enemy camps. Her father was a Nigerian soldier, while her mother was an Igbo woman from defunct Biafra. Her parents’ romance was discreet. However, their situation became complicated when her father kidnapped her mother and her family as the Nigerian-Biafra war raged on.Despite striving and succeeding as a college student, Unoma’s sexuality remained the shadow that continued to haunt her, especially as she was forced to undergo a series of Christian deliverances to exorcise her of the homosexuality demon. These issues defined her formative years, and escaping her trauma became a mission.Embracing My Shadow, being the first Nigerian lesbian memoir, fills a crucial gap. It is a story of a real life experience, and it affirms the conflicts and voices of LGBTQI Nigerians who have been constantly told that their sexual orientation is un-African.Praise for Embracing My Shadow:“The long-awaited memoir from the acclaimed writer and LGBT activist Unoma Azuah is finally here, and it does not disappoint. Azuah’s lucid and poignant prose makes achingly palpable the vicissitudes of anger, love, pain, and heartbreak she experiences growing up as a lesbian in Nigeria. She writes with tenderness and humor and joins the ranks of writers like Chike Frankie Edozien and Binyavanga Wainaina whose memoirs highlight the complex lives and humanity of queer Africans.”– Lindsey Green-Simms, American University“Mesmeric, moving and powerful. Embracing My Shadow is not just a personal narrative, Unoma has also written a manifesto for love, freedom, and bravery. This book is history on its own – and this will touch lives.”– David Ishaya Osu, University of Kent

Pocket Guide to the Voice offers an easy and fun look at the voice, helped along by Ellie. With easy to understand exercises and digestible nuggets of anatomy and vocal function, this book will help open the door to your vocal journey.

Deano Decay and the Plaque Pack plan to attack the Gum Chums in the fruit garden. But will Tommi Toothbrush and the Protector Squad turn up in time to help fight Deano Decay and the Plaque Pack away?With bold, colourful illustrations from Daniel McCouid-Carr, this story has a tooth fairy chart to help keep track of the little Gum Chums when they fall out.

Liam Murphy has kicked his drug habit and now pays for the high living costs in London as an escort. His life is finally in balance. His only problem is that he obsesses about the minimum number of times he has to bend over to make ends meet. As long as he has his emotions under control, it'll be fine. That's what Liam keeps telling himself until he meets the young widower Alastair, also known as Ali, whose emerald eyes remind him of Ireland."I…I want us to have sex as though we're making love."Making love? Jaysus.I scratch my head. "Okay. You mean more kisses and shit?"Ali laughs."And shit." His face lights up and he looks about ten years younger. "Like cuddles."Featuring Liam from The Boy Who Fell to Earth.This title contains material some may find objectionable or trigger-inducing: mature content, drug use, suicidal thoughts.

Due to a misunderstanding, the troll that lives underneath one of the most romantic bridges in Paris inadvertently unlocks every single padlock lovers have left there over the years. L'Authoritié de Fée Folklorique are up in arms. He has no idea what all the fuss is about. The noise was driving him mad. He just wanted a bit of peace and quiet.A spell is cast, leaving the troll in a bit of a predicament. He is charged with the seemingly impossible task of fixing the locks before the spell can be reversed and he is allowed to return to his home. There are other complications, the least of which is the insistence and persistence of a fairy who is determined to help him against the wishes of his own people.Now the troll has a dilemma. What is more important to him? The only home he has known for two thousand years, or a fairy he has just met?

Niall doesn't speak to his neighbours. He doesn't speak to anyone. Avoiding conversation is easier than the pity and impatience he senses from everyone the moment he opens his mouth and nothing comes out. Since he split up with his partner years before, he hasn't had much to do with anyone and that has suited him just fine. He has his dog, Zen, for company. Zen doesn't care that Niall can't get through an entire sentence without stuttering. Zen is all Niall needs. And that's how it would have stayed until the day a new neighbour moves in next door. Zak is Niall's exact opposite-twenty-three years Niall's junior, bubbly, gregarious and never shuts up. His arrival fills Niall's quiet life with constant noise and constant company. Zen appears to have defected, and Zak doesn't seem to even notice that Niall rarely speaks. Gradually, Zak's endless patience brings Niall out of his shell. To Niall's surprise, he suddenly has a friend, a confidante and perhaps something more. And he didn't even have to say a word.

After years of working for the police-both as a beat bobby and undercover-Rob Simpson-Stone is moving on with no regrets. It may be too late to rescue his marriage, but his relationship with his seven-year-old son, Lucas, is back on track. Rob's grown-up nieces might be a taller order, but he's prepared to do whatever it takes to prove they no longer need to worry that one day he won't come home.Fate, however, has different ideas.When Rob fails to arrive at his leaving do, his former boss/new PI business partner Gray Fisher can't understand why nobody else is worried Rob is MIA, never mind that Gray is pointlessly missing out on a night in with Will.As the reasons behind the night's events unfold, Gray's past recklessness threatens to catch up with him, putting those he holds close in danger and forcing both Rob and Gray to forge reluctant alliances.

Journey back to childhood, where the buds of friendship and romance blossom; take a peek into the lives of the primary school children who would become…The Circle."A very sweet short story of blossoming friendships and childhood traumas." "…a wonderful, engaging story that made me feel good inside…¿Highly recommended for readers who love richly written characters and clever dialogue."Beginnings is a stand-alone prequel (novella) to Hiding Behind The Couch.WARNING: this story deals with themes of child sexual abuse, sudden infant death, and parents' marriage breakdown due to infidelity. All issues are written about sensitively and in a way that is intended to be accessible for children aged ten and above.

All's fair in love and war. But not in baking.A humorous story about baking and village life. Also includes a rockin' reverend, cakes and bunting. Do what you do best.So said Henry's grandad a year ago to the day as he handed Henry a small, red-foil-wrapped box that gave a metallic rattle when he shook it. Inside: a large bunch of mismatched keys held together by a ring the size of a bangle.The keys to the bakery.Henry's bakery.No going back. Definitely not after Margaret changed the sign on her shop so it read:THE Village Bakery & Grocery Home of the Banton BunNot THE Banton Bun, mind you-Margaret doesn't have the Joneses' secret family recipe-but a reasonable approximation.As for Henry doing what he does best… Henry Jones the Ninth is no baker, that's for sure. He wouldn't even know how to assemble a Banton Bun, let alone bake one. But he does know his way around computers, accounts, managing staff and stock inventory. And he rides a mean tricycle.You might wonder how that could be a good thing. Read on, and all will be revealed.

It's the old, old story. Demon meets girl, demon falls for girl, demon creates a perfect summer's day in the middle of winter. What could possibly go wrong?A novella featuring Remick from the novel Missing Beat.

Antonia Moskowitz is caught in the middle, always having to pick a side. Whether it's between her family's two religions or in her relationships, she has choices to make. But learning who she is has a price, and every decision has consequences. Sometimes it's hard to choose between being good and being right. Four seasons. Four kisses. One year to figure out what her heart wants.

Chris, a naïve twenty-four-year-old, breaks up with the first man he's ever lived with. In the months that follow, he travels from Queens to The Hamptons, Manhattan to Brooklyn to find love. In the process, he discovers more about himself and realizes the man he hoped to meet has been in front of him the entire time.Winter Blossoms will take you on a ride through the streets and subways of New York City. Every stop along the way highlights the 1980s' vibrant, gay nightlife. Part nostalgic romp, part coming-of-age story, Winter Blossoms will delight the reader as it comes into full bloom.

Our days were numbered but precious.Courting Light is the story of Josie, an eighteen-year-old about to leave home to start university in London. She volunteers at a summer camp for disabled children. When Josie is paired with the autistic teenager Lucian, she faces intense experiences that are truly eye-opening. To her surprise, Lucian is not the only one who captures her attention. Over the weeks, Josie develops powerful desires evoked by the camp's enigmatic young leader with a shaved head and tattoo on her skull.

Kit is a bit socially awkward. In fact, the rules of social encounters are mostly a bit of a mystery to him, but he gets by, with lots of lists and contingency plans. He doesn't have any plans in place for when he first meets Stephan, however, and he keeps bumping into the man in the most embarrassing situations. The trouble is, Stephan keeps turning up in unexpected places, arousing suspicion that this gorgeous man might just have some contingency plans of his own where Kit is concerned.

Love follows no rules. Like sun in winter and rain in summer, love can blossom in the most unexpected places. This richly diverse collection of stories proves that love is as universal and as varied as the seasons.The Stories: Tourist Season - Deven Balsam Machete Betty and the Office Sharks - Neptune Flowers Once Around Seven - Ofelia Gränd Winter Blossoms - Paul Iasevoli Year of the Guilty Soul - A.M. Leibowitz The Great Village Bun Fight - Debbie McGowan A Springful of Winters - Dawn Sister Out of Season - Bob Stone Seashell Voices - Alexis Woods Courting Light - A. Zukowski

Set on Malta and written partly as a homage to the beat generation writers, The Death of Poetry is a taut psychological exploration of relationships and situations that entwine the characters we observe through the narration. Opening with a seemingly unsuspicious death at a facility for 'the unhinged', our island detective at first feels it is just a circumstantial accident; after all, many inside are damaged and alone, having dealt with their addictions and afflictions. It is when a fresh victim appears, most definitely murdered, that he begins to unravel the fragile links and faint memories of those he now must confront from his own past-one he may not have wanted to remember for himself.

Brian can Find a lost child or a wanted criminal, but when his secret gets out, even Nick's skills and connections may not be enough to keep them safe.Brian Kerr is now free of his dangerous boss and his domineering brother. He's eager to start using his psychic Finding talent to help people, if he can figure out how to do that safely. His dyslexia, and his tendency to act simpleminded under stress, make building his new life a daunting challenge. And while his not-quite-boyfriend, Nick, is willing to support him, in bed and out of it, Brian doesn't want to lean on Nick. If their relationship is going anywhere, he has to be a full partner and handle his own problems.Nick Rugo's walking a tightrope instead of settling into the ordinary cop's life he'd hoped for. He's hiding too many things from too many people. He has told professional and unprofessional lies that will come back to haunt him. Now, with Brian determined to start Finding again, he's not sure he can protect the man he cares for. If all that wasn't enough to make him start punching walls, he also has a suspicion that Brian's brother Damon and sister Lori may be out there, lurking, ready to complicate their lives.