Kindle Edition Amazon Memiors of an Ordinary Guy Category:  Memoir Publisher: Completly Novel ISBN-10:  1849146918 Type: Non-Fiction Pages: 326 Copyright: April 13 2015 ISBN-13: 9781849146913 Price: $3.99 (eBook) Life… Where do you start? Oh, much before the days of computers, brick-sized mobiles, mobiles that you could fit into the palm of your hand, social networking and, of course, not forgetting texting….. Technology….. That was the downfall of everything He was born in the sixties, grew up in the seventies, became a man in the eighties and threw everything away in the twenty first century. Yes, Mel Smith is just an ordinary guy. His story starts in 2012, after he foolishly let his marriage and a happy family life slip away. Now, single and alone, he lives in his one-bedded staff accommodation room, a room he has to call home. Scrunched up on his over-used, spring-laden bed, his fingers are poised, hovering over the keyboard. Mel is ready to share how he got to this stage in his life, to tell his memoirs, growing from boy to man and all that that it entailed. Along the way, he meets an assortment of characters from family, friends and lovers, to complete strangers. But, of course, no story would be complete without a baddy added to the mix and Mel certainly meets his fair share of them. Throughout his life, he has a humorous journey of discovery, disappointments and adventure. It all starts in nineteen sixty four.       Excerpt CHAPTER ONE Back to the Beginning So that’s how I got here, writing my memoirs. I do have lots of truths to tell, so let me rewind and take you on my journey of reminiscence, to a time before technology took hold of me and became my downfall, back to those hazy days of summer, when the sun always seemed to shine. Back to my youth. *** My earliest memories date back to when I was a bonnie wee lad, swinging to and fro in my wooden-slatted swing, which Dad had strung up in the back door leading from the kitchen, to what then appeared to be an extraordinarily large garden. The aroma of Mum’s home-cooked pie and cabbage filled the air, as I swung backwards into the kitchen and the summer sun scorched my blonde curls, as I ventured forth into the garden. Is it just me, or do the memories of your youth distort the truth? Looking back now, I seem to remember the odour of cabbage staying with me as I swung, not only into the kitchen but also out into our miniature plot that backed onto an extraordinarily large field, where Mum would take me, while she picked potatoes for a living. Well, that’s when I wasn’t happily swinging with a nappy full of cabbage-flavoured shit for a cushion. Oh, those hazy days of summer. Just like my clothes in later years, this swing had been handed down from sisters to brothers. I come from a fairly large family, which I think had something to do with Mum and Dad not having a TV at that time. Let me take a moment here to introduce my family. Carol is the eldest and then comes Shelagh. Wendy and Maureen are followed by the twins, Maurice and Lorraine and then, of course, there’s me, the baby of the family, or Beanpole, as Mum often used to call me her little beanpole. As I was saying, those were hazy summer days and one image springs to mind. Jenny. I suppose you could class her as my first girlfriend. *** I was about seven as I recall, the colours seeming so vibrant, yet dreamy, as I lay beneath the soft blue sky, the sun’s rays filtering through cotton wool clouds, warming my brow. The lush greens of the grass were like a soft under blanket and Jenny’s turquoise-covered lap was my pillow. We were amidst a kaleidoscope of colours. As I lay dreaming, Jenny placed a band of yellow and white over my head, a chain she had made from the myriad of daisies that surrounded us. I don’t have many memories of my early days; obviously not a lot happened there, so let’s skip forward a few years to my schoolboy encounters.

but happy and not a care in the world
This book took me back to my childhood...it takes you back to those carefree days when you could go out on your bike with a packed lunch of jam sandwiches waving goodbye to your mum and not arrive back home until early evening totally shattered..but happy and not a care in the world..knowing that your parents were not afraid to let you out of there sight.
It made me feel warm and nostalegic....Well done.

regret and love. I found this story intriguing and absorbing
Memoirs of an Ordinary Guy is an account of a man who looks back over his life with honesty, humour, regret and love. I found this story intriguing and absorbing. The honesty and humour Mel uses highlights his character for me as he laughs at himself. He warns us in the beginning that the end of his tale is racked with sadness and he leaves us with an understanding of why.
A lovely written book which will have his reader wanting to know more.

Ever wondered what he's thinking?
Mel takes the reader on a journey through time in sound bites about his life. The story starts in 2012, after he foolishly let his marriage and a happy family life slip away. This is a lively account of his memoirs; from boy to man and how he got to this point in time where the story ends. Despite the obvious humour sprinkled throughout the book, the reader will be able to empathise with Mel's challenges along the way, along the the "What the hell was he thinking!?" moments when he makes the wrong choices with disastrous consequences. I hope Mel goes on to write a second book of memoirs, this was a totally enjoyable read that many will be able to relate to. Highly recommended.