Books published by Opitus Books

The plague is over and it's time to rebuild. Different ideas about how to do this risk destroying the little that's left.

It took 6,000 years to create the species-rich grassland for which the UK is globally famous, but since the nineteen thirties over ninety seven percent of these wildflower meadows and other species-rich grasslands have been lost. Fertilisers, herbicides and insecticides have destroyed many of the flowers, birds, insects and animals that used to enrich our countryside. The companion to this book, 'Flora - ten years among the flowers of an endangered landscape' attempts to capture the essence of the flowers that have decorated the traditional meadows of the West Yorkshire pennines.Upland hay meadows are governed by the weather and the seasons, and the process of natural haymaking, where grass is grown without artificial fertilisers or weed killers, and cut just once a year. This allows a unique range of wild plants to thrive among the many species of grasses that flourish in such conditions. 'Flora - the pocket guide' is a companion to the larger book and is intended to facilitate easy recognition of wild flower species of the upland hay meadows in northern England.

In 1583 astrologer and magician Dr John Dee finds a remarkable jar with fantastic powers. He employs it in the service of the Queen to save the nation from imminent peril. 400 years later the jar appears again, this time in the hands of a young couple honeymooning in Cornwall.The question is, have they found the jar, or has it found them?"Skilfully mixes historical accuracy, insight into human behaviour, spies, mystery, adventure and a healthy dose of derring-do, to arrive at a story which captures the reader from the start, taking them on an adventure which leaves them wanting more." Will appeal to fans of Dan Brown and Tom Harper.

The three titles in the REBOOT series tell the story of an unstoppable virus that sweeps the world. In Book 1, Paradise Girl, 17-year-old Kerryl Shaw describes in her diary how the virus spreads and destroyes her life.Book 2, Aftershocks, is the story of her twin brother, who leaves their home to find out what's happening elsewhere and if a better life is possible for them. He travels the length of the country, encountering both the best and the worst of humanity on a journey that is both a pilgrimage and a voyage of self-discovery. In a series of exciting episodes he is robbed, captured, tortured, and at the end has to make a momentous choice. On the way he realises that not everything - or everyone - is as they at first seem.The story concludes in Book 3, Jericho Rose - resurrection.Aftershocks won a Chill With a Book Readers' Award.

An unstoppable virus sweeps the world. 17-year-old Kerryl Shaw records its approach and the devastation it causes in her diary. Finally all aound her succumb. Left on her own, it isn't long before the isolation affects her sanity and she begins to lose her grip on reality. She imagines a reader for her diary, and calls him Adam. As the empty days pass, Adam becomes increasingly real to her until he dominates her life and she becomes emotionally obsessed by him. Is he there, or is he a figment of her deluded imagination? It's only in the final pages that we discover the truth in this captivating psychological thriller, which saves its final suprise until a twist at the very end.Paradise Girl has received a 'Chill With a Book' Readers Award, a Chill Book of the Month Award, and an Indie BRAG Medallion. It was a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Awards.