Books published by Karen Mc Dermott

A motivational story of how a mum founded Operation Christmas Magic to help families in need at Christmas.

¿Brondo Violaris was just a good little Greek church boy who grew up on the outskirts of Melbourne in a traditional Greek family full of loving, but dominant women. On the morning of January 15, his thirtieth birthday, he had decided to kill himself because he suffered from depression and low self esteem, thought he was just a loser with nothing left to live for. Everyone else had the great careers, big houses, flash cars and marriages by the time they were thirty, while Brondo still lived at home with his grandmother Yaya and Uncle, barely able to hold down a job or get a date. That was, until he met and fell for the beautiful, confident Sheena Baxter, who, like him, had come from a family of diabolical dysfunction. He thought he'd won the lottery; life was finally giving him a chance at love. There was just one problem. Sheena Baxter was married. To a gangsta.This is Fivos Panayiotou's debut novel and work of truth, based on his shocking real life story.Fivos Panayiotou grew up on the outskirts of Melbourne in the 80s in a traditional Greek family. As a first generation born of AustralianGreek heritage hailing from Cyprus, he was raised in the multicultural area of Brunswick and ate meat pies and was a devout fan of Carlton football club like any normal kid in Melbourne's eastern suburbs. He has a particular interest in working with the elderly in aged care and is a dedicated uncle, family man and man of God. He is a survivor of domestic violence and strong advocate against psychological abuse and wishes to speak out on this largely unrecognized aspect of men's mental health. Fivos is currently at work on his second novel, due for publication in 2021.

This book is for those who are grieving over the loss of a loved one who suicided. I've written something that I hope will give you comfort during this heartbreaking time. There are so many emotions to navigate in the post suicide slipstream and those feelings don't run to a schedule or make sense to someone that has not shared the experience of suicide bereavement. I'm Fiona Jefferies and I've lost someone I loved dearly to suicide. After taking up too much real estate in my head over the years, I wanted to share what helped me through the grief (therapy, hugs and rock n' roll) and what didn't (consulting a tarot reader in a suburban shopping centre). I'm sending you love, strength and the songs of Nine Inch Nails to get you through. There's life beyond the mourning after.

Nanoo is Ollie's beloved grandmother. She is not a typical gran who sits knitting scratchy jumpers and drinking tea; she's an astronomer. She knows amazing things and can point out all the stars and their names. Nanoo discovered the planet Terenza a trillion light years away, in a galaxy east of the Moon. So when Nanoo disappears, Ollie cannot accept she's gone. He's worried and sad, and he feels helpless on his farm in the Outback with just his faithful labrador, Chloe, to talk to. His luck changes when Starchaser, from the planet Terenza, and his Star-fordshire Terrier, Buddy, arrive in Ollie's garden. Together the boys and their dogs go on an epic adventure which takes them from Broome in Australia, up the Steps to the Moon and to Terenza. But will Ollie fi nd Nanoo and will he bring her home?