When dreams collide with reality the results are rarely what you expect.

Craig Briggs dreamt of a new life, free from the stresses and strains of modern living. Unlike most of us, he decided to follow his dream.

In May 2002, Craig, his wife Melanie and their dog Jazz packed all their worldly belongings into their ageing executive saloon and headed off to Spain. Not for them the tourist-packed Costas of the Mediterranean or the whitewashed villages of Andalucía. They chose Galicia, an unspoilt paradise in the northwest corner of Spain.

With help from the locals, they quickly settle in to their laidback lifestyle. Long, lazy lunches fill their days and lively village fiestas keep them up until the early hours. 

It’s only when they start searching for a new home that the problems begin. They encounter a freelance estate agent of dubious character and risk life and limb tiptoeing through dirty, derelict, and dangerous buildings.

Worse follows: a brush with the law, a builder who downs tools, a floating swimming pool, and the mysterious disappearance of their life savings.

Join Craig, Melanie and Jazz along a colourful, bumpy and sometimes perilous journey and immerse your senses in the sights, sounds, and tastes of a Spanish adventure.

When the dream becomes a reality, the results are beyond imagination.

Craig Briggs’s bestselling travel memoir Journey To A Dream told the true-life story of his move abroad with wife Melanie and their dog Jazz. Not for them the tourist-packed Costas of the Mediterranean or the hills of Andalucia; they chose Galicia, an unspoilt paradise in the northwest corner of Spain.

In Beyond Imagination Craig and Melanie begin to realise their dream and finally take procession of their new house. When it comes to choosing a name for their new home one phrase stands about above the rest El Sueño (The Dream).

Transforming a sunbaked barren plot into a garden oasis tests his resolve and physique. An eye for a bargain sends them on a quest to secure a national treasure. As the adventures unfold new challenges appear.  

Village neighbours are quick to introduce themselves and eager to assist when a communications oversight jeopardises their future, but even they are powerless to help when planning officialdom threatens to shatter their dream.

Stroll hand in hand with Craig and Melanie as they settle in to their new surroundings, and journey with them as they embark on a life Beyond Imagination.

In ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES Craig’s attempts at winemaking produce mixed results but fail to dampen his enthusiasm. Life in the Galician countryside is rarely uneventful and when Melanie is rushed to A&E it’s Craig who has to pick himself up off the floor.

Having successfully bought, renovated, and sold a property they decide to seek out a new project. After months of searching they eventually find their prize, a romantically appealing farmhouse in a ruinous condition. When the slow turning wheels of Spanish bureaucracy threaten to scupper their plans they’re forced to hold their nerve.

More adventures follow. A birthday surprise ends with Melanie in tears and a festive break to Lanzarote puts Jazz in a spin.

Tasked with preparing their friends’ house for holiday letting, Craig and Melanie find themselves in a race against time. Broken bones and blocked drains conspire to defeat their efforts. With confirmed reservations just weeks away, they have little choice but to soldier on.

Craig’s easy reading style, keen sense of humour, and attention to detail transport the reader on a journey of ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES.

In OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD Craig and Melanie finally take possession of a romantic ruined farmhouse in the sleepy village of Vilatán but all is not as it seems.

Hidden behind the picturesque facades of quaint village houses lies a family feud of biblical proportions. When sibling rivalry threatens to delay their renovation project, the local community rallies to their aid.

The shortcomings of buying a property without public utilities soon surface. Mystical powers and divine intervention locate a likely water source but connecting to the national electricity grid proves far more difficult. Progress is slow, hindered in part by the leisurely pace of Spanish bureaucracy. When patience fails, they take matters into their own hands.

Life in Galicia is never dull. Craig and Melanie’s thirst for knowledge takes them into the shady world of moonshine production where a chance encounter with a man of science saves them from getting blind drunk. Craig’s eye for an opportunity produces mixed results, from death defying accidents to intercontinental travel.

More than ever, Craig and Melanie are learning from the past, living in the present, and looking forward to the OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD.

Sell up, move abroad, and live the good life. How difficult could it be?

When Craig Briggs and his wife Melanie followed their dream of a life in the sun, things didn’t go exactly to plan.

Craig’s bestselling memoir Journey To A Dream began this life-changing story. The fifth book in The Journey series, Driving Ambition, chronicles their ever-evolving lives.

In Driving Ambition Craig and Melanie get to grips with their latest property restoration project. Keeping costs down comes at a price. Suppliers and subcontractors test their patience and beasts in the bodegas keep them on their toes. With the help of their builder Manolo, they transform a romantic ruin into luxury accommodation for the discerning traveller.

But there’s more to life than work. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance takes precedence.  Their quest for the Holy Grail is a great success and leads to an amazing discovery. Wacky ideas keep life interesting. Who said you need to work in an office to hold an office Christmas party.

Craig’s driving ambitions have mixed results but the trip of a lifetime takes them far from their rural home in Galicia and all the way to Wollongong in Australia via Shanghai in China. A forty-nine-day tour to six countries on three continents, flying 27,000 miles and driving over 13,000 kilometres.

Once again, Craig’s attention to detail and flowing writing style will keep you turning the pages.

The sixth captivating volume in The Journey series from Amazon bestselling author Craig Briggs. THE DISCERNING TRAVELLER continues his fascinating account of life, love, and adventure in Galicia, Northern Spain.

Follow Craig and his wife Melanie as they strive to complete their building project on time and within budget. Establishing a holiday rental property is a risky and challenging business. A late booking is no joke when frantic preparations lead to a personal injury and a mix-up at the hospital ends in hysterics.

Their journeys take them from Galicia to the Costa del Sol, England, and Portugal. They visit palaces and cathedrals, churches and castles, and a day trip to a ski resort is an eye-opening experience. Tour with them as they drive along stunning coast roads and circumnavigate breathtaking waterways. Food is a passion and wine their obsession. They feast on the gastronomy of Galicia, English staples, Portuguese specialities, Chinese delicacies, and Indian delights.  

At the heart of their exploits are the wonderful characters they meet along the way, from helpful neighbours to caring professionals; local characters to airline jobsworths.

He’s done it again. Craig has crafted another page-turner that will have you laughing and crying in equal measure and leave you hungry for more.

From Amazon bestselling author Craig Briggs, The Journey continues with book seven in the series, A SEASON TO REMEMBER.

Craig and his wife Melanie have put their hearts and souls into lovingly restoring a ruined Galician farmhouse and converting it into a holiday rental property. Their financial future rests on making it a success. Will their hard work pay off, or will they find themselves short on luck and out of pocket?

They approach their challenge with optimism and enthusiasm, and pull out all the stops. Travellers from around the world are treated to an evening of free wine and tapas, but not everyone plays by the rules.

Spring, summer, and autumn are dedicated to their fledgling enterprise. Winter belongs to them. Their destination of choice is the Costa del Sol. Often referred to as the Costal del Crime, it doesn’t take them long to find out why.

Craig’s flowing writing style invites the reader to share in their adventures. Experience the highs and lows, and the tears and joys of a route less travelled.

From Amazon bestselling author Craig Briggs, The Journey continues with book eight in the series, AN EXCELLENT VINTAGE.

Craig and his wife Melanie are working tirelessly to ensure the success of their holiday rental property. Maintaining the correct work-life balance is equally important. When marauding sheep threaten the survival of their new vineyard, taking matters into their own hands has life-threatening consequences.

As if they didn’t have enough to do, Craig decides to adopt another vineyard. Upscaling production requires serious investment in both time and equipment. Even the best-laid plans don’t always run smoothly and when things go awry, thinking outside the box has mixed results.

Family loss leads to a solemn vow but some promises are meant to be broken. Enter Slawit, an unusual name for a curious companion. Will this new addition to the family be their greatest challenge yet?

From the Moscow ballet to Malaga flamenco, the rural north to the coastal south, Craig and Melanie’s journey is nothing if not varied. Craig’s flowing writing style sweeps the reader along from one situation to the next and his detailed descriptions allow them to share in the adventures.

From Amazon bestselling author Craig Briggs, The Journey continues with book nine in the series, LIFE IN A FOREIGN LAND.

The new year gets off to a flying start. Four and a half years after first putting pen to paper, Craig finally completes the first draft of his memoir. When traditional publishers rebuff his advances, he decides to go it alone. Marketing is a familiar discipline, unlike social media. The thought of entering this online world fills him with dread.  

Craig and Melanie share responsibility for training Slawit and are equally culpable for her lack of improvement, but not even they could foresee the consequences of leaving her home alone. To make matters worse, it wasn’t their home.

The couple are over the moon when they finally achieve a long-held ambition to make wine they’d be prepared to pay for. When Craig reaches a milestone birthday, he receives a life-changing gift from an unlikely source. Those boots were made for walking.

Join Craig and Melanie on another unpredictable adventure. Dance the night away to tango, ballet, and foxtrot, cook up a winter warmer, and accompany them to fun-filled fiestas. Craig’s relaxed narrative and attention to detail take the reader on an unforgettable journey.

The debut novel from Amazon bestselling travel writer, Craig Briggs.

The choices we make, determine the path we take …

Thomas Swift feels that life is passing him by. He’s desperate to break free from his predictable routine. A chance encounter sets in motion a series of events culminating in a life-changing move to a remote rural hamlet in northern Spain.

Tom’s trade skills make him the perfect candidate for Samantha Taylor, an intelligent and independent young woman determined to renovate her ruined farmhouse. Tom and Sam make a great team but a bureaucratic oversight threatens to derail their future. In their determination to succeed, they take matters into their own hands. What starts out as a flight of fancy becomes a credible plan to retake control.

Do Tom and Sam have what it takes to pull off their audacious plot? Will they find happiness together, or will fate intervene?

To celebrate ten years since the publication of his debut travel memoir, Amazon bestselling author Craig Briggs is delighted to present a Special Tenth Anniversary edition of Journey To A Dream.

This Special Tenth Anniversary edition is only available in hardcover and includes a never before published chapter, previously unseen family photos from Craig’s private collection, and some of Melanie’s irresistible “needs must” recipes along with a few of Craig’s favourites.

In May 2002, Craig, his wife Melanie and their dog Jazz packed all their worldly belongings into their ageing executive saloon and headed off to Spain. Not for them the tourist-packed Costas of the Mediterranean or the whitewashed villages of Andalucía. They chose Galicia, an unspoilt paradise in the northwest corner of Spain.

With help from the locals, they quickly settle in to their laidback lifestyle. Long, lazy lunches fill their days and lively village fiestas keep them up until the early hours. It’s only when they start searching for a new home that the problems begin. They encounter a freelance estate agent of dubious character and risk life and limb tiptoeing through dirty, derelict, and dangerous buildings.

Worse follows: a brush with the law, a builder who downs tools, a floating swimming pool, and the mysterious disappearance of their life savings.

Join Craig, Melanie and Jazz along a colourful, bumpy and sometimes perilous journey and immerse your senses in the sights, sounds, and tastes of a Spanish adventure.