Brian McKechnie

Brian and Valerie live on the coast in South West Scotland. As well as producing inspirational and educational articles and books, they also write, record, and produce their own original music, write poetry, and photograph all aspects of daily life especially the natural, architectural, and ancient elements.

Authors BH & VHM McKechnie (2024). Details of our 15 publications. All our publications are available in the Amazon Bookstore as an eBook or paperback.

1. A Tome Of Idioms | Complemented By Some Familiar Proverbs And Sayings (Their Meanings And Origins Explained) (also available in hardback)

This book contains over 900 easily readable entries in systematic order augmented by an extensive Bibliography. This book will be of general interest to everyone who has a curious, inquisitive, questioning, or enquiring intellect.

2. Achieving Motivational & Inspirational Inner Strength Through Words

Everyone at some point in their life may need a little inspiration to get them through another day, a life event, or bad times. We have tried to give anyone who is struggling with a problem, complication, dilemma, dispute, issue, obstacle, or worry, positive words to help them find some clear, confident, and conclusive resolutions to their issue.

3. American Football | Untimely and Tragic Deaths

First published in 2024, this book details the deaths of over 255 individuals, who died too early, and often in tragic circumstances, from the world of American Football (Arena Football, CFL, College Football, NFL, USFL, and XFL), and the achievements they left behind.

4. Bizarre Deaths | Famous Individuals and Others Who Died In Horrific Circumstances

First published in this book provides details of individuals from the world of film, literature, music, sport, theatre, and television, as well as many ordinary people, who died in bizarre, extraordinary, peculiar, strange, or unusual circumstances.

5. Hilarious Quotes | Over 2001 Witty Quotes From The Famous And Not So Famous

This first edition contains 2,043 easily readable entries detailed in 78 distinct categories.

6. It’s the Law! The Little Book of Bizarre, Strange, Unusual, and Weird Laws from Around the World

First published in 2022 this book contains 458 unique entries from 66 countries. When travelling carry this little book wherever you go to help reduce the chances of being culturally insensitive, causing personal embarrassment, annoying the local population, being arrested, or even to avoid being fined or imprisoned.

7. Revealed | How 400 of the Most Influential Bands in the World Chose Their Names

From rock to pop, folk to blues, and electronic to heavy metal, have you ever wondered how the most well known bands in the world chose their names? Find the answers to this question and many more unbelievable, astounding, intriguing, and surprising facts about band names.

8. Revealed | The Hidden Meaning Behind The Lyrics Of 501 Classic And Popular Songs

This first edition has been published as a comprehensive, concise, compact, and efficient guide to the meanings and origins of the lyrics to familiar, well-known and acclaimed songs. Each entry is written in a clear and uncomplicated style.

9. Short Finals (Aviation Novel)

Strap yourself into the jump-seat, make sure your harnesses are pulled really tightly, and let Scott ‘Sunshine’ Gibson give you the flight of your life. Join him as he meets up with some old and new comrades, Ryan ‘shut-eye’ Davis, Lawrence ‘sticky’ LaBelle, Jack ‘crackerjack’ McCleary, Carson ‘sleepy’ Sandmann, John Edward ‘long john’ Silver, and Sebastian ‘Atlas’ Williams, aboard a Beech 18, Boeing B-29 Superfortress, Boeing Clipper, and a Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer and share in his adventures from Newfoundland to Mexico to Malaysia in the late 1960’s. Hang on to your hats boys. It’s time to fly.

10. The Last Question (Science Fiction Novel)

Why are the ‘Traits’ coming? Who are ‘The Gathering’? Why is there a blue planet for sale? What is 757575? Who will ask the last question? What will that question be? The answers to these questions and more are contained inside this book. However be warned that sometimes it is better not to know the answers to certain questions.

11. The Little Book of Superstitions Omens & Signs | Their Meanings and Origins Explained

First published in 2021 this book contains over 411 entries in 42 categories. You may be familiar with phrases such as; ‘knock on wood’, ‘bless you’, ‘never walk under a ladder’ or what happens if you break a mirror. However, do you know… why we place a candle inside a turnip? What it means if a cat sneezes? Why the number 5 is insulting? Why the writer Charles Dickens always carried a compass?

12. The Little Book of Big Excuses: 420 Hilarious Excuses

Excuses, excuses, excuses. Need an excuse, not to go to work or school, or attend a meeting, or escape from a really boring person, or clean your room, or not to go to bed, or not do your homework, or not pay an invoice, or not go to a social event? Then look no further than inside the covers of this book. There are excuses for every occasion. If you do use one just remember which one, and who you used it on.

13. Untimely And Tragic Deaths In The World Of Football

First published in October 2023 this book details the deaths of over 525 individuals, who died too early and often in tragic circumstances, from the world of football, and the achievements they left behind. It also includes details of tragic aviation accidents involving footballers or football teams. There is also an alphabetical list of countries and locations of individuals final resting places (where known).

14. Untimely And Tragic Deaths Of The Renowned The Celebrated The Iconic | Featuring Ordinary Individuals Who Died In Bizarre Circumstances (also available in hardback)

This second edition, published in 2024, now increased to 583 pages, containing over 660 easily readable compact entries, in systematic order, augmented by an extensive bibliography, and an alphabetical list of countries and locations of individuals final resting places (where known). It details the deaths of individuals, who died too early and often in tragic circumstances, from film, literature, music, theatre, and television, and the achievements they left behind. In addition, some ordinary people who died in bizarre, freak, or strange circumstances are also included.

15. What Rhymes With Poetry? | 21 Original new rhyming poems

Drawing on our extensive experience of writing, we have gathered in one book a selection of our original new poems. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we enjoyed writing them. The twenty-one poems embrace many popular, and not so popular subjects and themes, such as; Christmas, The Dying Earth, Folklore, Friendship, Greek Mythology, Lost Civilisations, Love, Mythical Creatures, Nightmares, Noisy Neighbours, Nostradamus, A Planetary Auction, The Solar System, Rubbish, Sadness, Science, and War.