Mostrando resultados por autor "Gary Troia" en Todas las categorías

A Bricklayer’s Tales: A Collection of Short Stories and Memoirs by Gary Troia is a raw, darkly humorous exploration of working-class struggles, self-destruction, and creative frustration. Told through the eyes of Ray Dennis—Troia’s disillusioned alter ego—these gritty, unflinching stories dive into the realities of depression, alcoholism, drug use, and the suffocating monotony of low-paid labour. From bleak construction sites to psychedelic escapes, each tale captures the highs and lows of a man trapped between artistic ambition and brutal wage slavery. Whether facing deportation in...

I Return to Versions of Myself: A Reckoning by Gary Troia is a deeply introspective memoir that delves into the complexities of self-discovery, mental health, and the pursuit of authenticity. This powerful and raw narrative explores the different versions of the author—some hidden, some lived openly, and others that embody darkness, depression, and self-doubt. Troia’s journey reflects the struggle to reconcile these conflicting selves, ultimately seeking the elusive, authentic version that lies beneath the surface. In this poignant memoir, Troia confronts the difficult and often painful...

Not a guide. Not a brochure. Not a list of cruise tips. Just one man, his wife, their eighteen-month-old daughter—and the Atlantic Ocean. In New York and Back, Gary Troia invites readers aboard Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 for a transatlantic crossing from Southampton to New York and back again. This isn’t a cruise review or a list of top ten must-do excursions. This is a travelogue of feeling—an honest, personal, and quietly profound account of what it means to step away from the noise of modern life and find mental clarity in the open sea. With disarming humour, philosophical insight, ...

"Author, Gary cements growing reputation...A collection of short stories that give a humorous account of life in a new country." (Salina Patel, The Hounslow Chronicle) "I liked the fact that some of the short stories in this collection were connected and followed on from each other, but at the same time they are stand alone. Great for people like me who are slow readers, I can read a whole story on the train to work and not have to wait all day for the ending." (Carol Wiggins) "I really enjoyed reading these short stories, they are easy to read. I would have liked it if there were more ...

A holiday. A voyage. A pilgrimage. In Sailing Back with Mnemosyne, Gary Troia invites readers aboard the Sky Princess for a seven-night cruise through Europe’s Atlantic ports—from Southampton to A Coruña, Bilbao, Bordeaux, and Cherbourg. But this is no ordinary travel diary. It is a contemplative, often tender meditation on movement—geographical, emotional, and spiritual. With his wife Marina and young daughter Aemelia (and Moshy, the beloved monkey-bear) by his side, Troia revisits not only places but memories and situations, both inner and outer, to measure how things have changed....

The Coach to Como After Gary announces that he will no longer fly, his wife, Poppo books a coach holiday to Lake Como. One week later, with the newly acquired kittens dropped off at the cattery, Gary and Poppo embark on a twenty-four hour coach journey to Italy. While the book itself is a narrative account of a journey to Lake Como, The Coach to Como is ultimately the story of survival, recovery and evolution. A colourful but incredibly honest account of the journey Gary has undertaken since he came to terms with his ego, his internal struggles with life, BDP, Bipolar, loneliness, ...

Set sail—but don’t forget your mask, your test result, your locator form, and your patience. In Covid Cruise Confusion, Gary Troia returns to the sea—but this time, cruising isn’t quite the sanctuary it once was. Against the backdrop of ever-changing regulations, masked smiles, and hand-sanitiser stations at every turn, Troia charts a journey shaped as much by government guidelines as by ocean tides. Still accompanied by wife Marina and daughter Aemelia, this voyage explores how it feels to cruise when spontaneity is replaced by protocol, when shore excursions are timed and tested, ...

Ray Dennis Does The Secret: A Simple Law of Attraction Story By Gary Troia "What happens when a man chasing miracles forgets the weight of reality?" Ray Dennis, an alcoholic English bricklayer, finds his life spiraling into chaos after being deported from the United States on a drug charge. Lost, bitter, and desperate to reinvent himself, Ray stumbles upon The Secret—a bestselling self-help book promising transformation through the Law of Attraction. Seduced by its message, he begins to believe that thoughts alone can reshape his fate.But as Ray dives deeper into the world of ...

One man’s chaotic journey through work, addiction, travel, and redemption—told with brutal honesty, biting humour, and unexpected tenderness. This definitive volume brings together, for the first time, all the short stories and memoirs from Spanish Yarns and Beyond, English Yarns and Beyond, and A Bricklayer’s Tales—collected in chronological order to form a raw, unconventional portrait of a life lived on the margins. Ray is a bricklayer with a weakness for booze, drugs, and escape. From London’s grim building sites to Spanish villages, American courtrooms, and cult meetings, his ...

New home. New baby. Same longing for open sea. In Baby on Board, Gary Troia returns to the ocean—this time joined by his wife Marina and their baby daughter, Aemelia—for a five-day cruise aboard Cunard’s Queen Victoria, calling at Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, and Cherbourg. But this is no checklist travel diary. With gentle introspection and honest storytelling, Troia reflects on how his relationship with cruising has deepened. What once felt like novelty now feels like home. The distractions of onboard entertainment take a back seat to something richer: the stillness, the vastness, and the ...

Amazon bestsellers top 100. In this short story collection, Gary Troia shares his adventures, travels and memoirs from his life. Anyone who has ever done building work for brutal wage slavery and wondered if they were going mad, will recognise the life of Ray Dennis, (Troia's alter ego) which evokes a vision of mind-numbing, soul-destroying workplaces and workmates. His is the voice of discord for the marginally employed, the creatively frustrated working Joe, who turns to a life of drink and drugs to elevate the monotony of life. Few have brought this world to life with such despair, black...

"Author, Gary cements growing reputation." – Salina Patel, Hounslow Chronicle "Enjoyable and descriptive...very interesting." – J. Collins "A rollicking good read." – Amazon Customer In a world obsessed with speed and convenience, Through the Porthole offers a refreshing alternative: the slow, meditative rhythm of travel by ocean. Join author Gary Troia and his wife Marina aboard Cunard’s majestic Queen Victoria for a ten-day cruise that docks in La Coruña, Cádiz, Malaga, Tangier, and Lisbon. This isn’t just a record of places visited—it's a wry, thoughtful, and often funny ...