Cirrus@Austlit

'When Pellar graduates from Weishi House, his first contract is to assassinate a high-level noble in the Jadid princedom.

'Easy. Good money. And a chance to get out of Jadid's freezing miserable country.

'But all is not as it seems.

'Jadid's senior prince has more problems than he can handle. His son doesn't want to be heir. A northern visiting spy is poking his nose into every place he shouldn't. The prince's telepathic female advisor can't find the prince's son, either.

'But does she even want to find the boy?

'Maybe an assassination contract is exactly what Jadid's prince needs?

'Or not.

'Maybe Pellar has something else planned.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Welcome to all things wild and wonderful in Aiki Flinthart’s Worlds in Words. If you enjoy fantasy and science fiction, this collection is for you. Immerse yourself in 20 diverse short stories and a sumptuous gathering of 30 dark micro-fiction tales.

'From gargoyles, dryads, and goddesses of old, to superheroes, aliens, monkeys, and unexpected everyday saviours, this collection has it all and more.

'Some thought-provoking, some fascinating, some just plain fun.

'And all showcasing Flinthart’s gifts as an author – characters you’ll love (or love to hate), immersive worlds, rich writing, and excellent story twists.

'Sit down with Worlds in Words, a cup of coffee, a pile of chocolate, and a few spare hours. You won’t regret it.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Young midwife, Heather, has reached breaking point. Too many years of giving everything to save babies and women who can’t afford USA health care. Too little love left, when all men do is take strength from her. Too much hiding and running.

'But when she discovers O’Conner Inc private investigator, Kade Miller, is tracking her, the only choice is to face him. A disastrous decision. Unprepared for her attraction to Kade, she cannot hide all her secrets.

'Secrets which could be devastating for both of them if she can’t keep him at arm’s length.

'Kade Miller is forced to take on a PI job he’d rather avoid: hunting down another baby-killing illegal midwife. But when Kade finally catches the woman, he is drawn not only to her, but also into a world of intrigue and danger. For she has strange abilities that influence him in disturbing ways. Reminding him of losses he’s tried to forget.

'She’s also beautiful, frightened, and hiding something important.

'The only thing Kade knows for sure is that he needs to get Heather back to New York and uncover her truths.

'Can he do that and still protect his own heart?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The jundom of Mamlakah is on the brink of economic collapse. Poverty is rampant and a slavery-based economy threatens the jundom’s peace and its peoples’ freedom. Only the twenty-one noble Jun families are safe.

'When Teya’s six-year-old brother, Perrin, is captured to be sold as a slave, Teya is determined to free him.

'To do so she must become what she hates most—a xintou-telepath—and co-operate with those she swore never to trust—a noble family. Working with Dallan Johnston, she must learn to harness her unique psychic gifts and help prevent slavery from gaining a foothold in Mamlakah. Only then will her brother be safe.

'But Dallan and the jun families are just out to use Teya for their own ends. And secrets from Teya’s past threaten to destroy Mamalakah’s future.

'Can she and Dallan overcome their mutual mistrust and work together? If they fail, Perrin, Teya, and the entire jundom will be enslaved; the future of Mamlakah forged into darkness and pain.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Rascals and rogues, thieves and pirates, scammers and scoundrels. Sixteen tales by sixteen fabulous Australian authors. Once more the Springfield Writers Group has delivered a rip-roaring array of short stories to keep you glued to the page.

'What’s your poison?

'Fantasy action? Steampunk pirates? Wild west science fiction? Or maybe you prefer heart-wrenching family drama; LGBTQ; murders and detectives; laugh-out-loud comedy.

'The mix of genres means every reader will find something to enjoy.

'This collection features works by award-winning Scottish thriller author, JA Henderson, Aurealis short-listed science fiction author Pamela Jeffs, and Aurealis-award shortlisted and Amazon best-selling author, Aiki Flinthart.

'If you’re looking for your next page-turner, look no further. Dive into Rogues’ Gallery today.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The galaxy is a strange place full of weird creatures and even weirder sentient beings.

'See it through the eyes of four outcasts, banished to Asteri Station on the fringes of the Hegemon Economic Alliance. Absinthe Krull, the Aquanorian with a dark past—who runs The Zoo, the bar on the Asteri. Ori Bligh, a young Terran whose life of privilege has been destroyed by a stupid mistake she’s desperate to put right. Zev Smith, maintenance master for the station, in hiding for forty years for a poor decision; and Cordelia Bane, bounty hunter with a stack of debts to clear.

'When first Ori then Cordelia arrive on Asteri, the stories they hear at the Zoo slowly reveal not only the oddities all four have encountered in their travels, but also things all four would prefer left in the shadows of the past.

'And, in the end, will help them decide on a new future.

'Fourteen stories from all corners of the galaxy and covering five hundred years of history. If you love science fiction, weird west, humour, and darkness, then The Zookeeper’s Tales of Interstellar Oddities will keep you pinned to your seat.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Four-and-twenty extraordinary women; one chance to save a kingdom.What would you sacrifice to save your family, your loved ones, yourself?

'In September 1486, the reign of King Henry VII of England is again threatened by York loyalists. The only thing standing in the way is a four-hundred-year-old sidhe who just wants to be left alone, and a group of London women with a lot to lose if England is plunged back into war.

'But, in 1486, women have no power. Only the ability to make difficult choices and sometimes-heartbreaking sacrifices. Become immersed in the fascinating, perilous lives of these women, as told through the medium of 25 interwoven short stories. A prostitute selling her daughter’s virginity to pay her debts; a nun returning to the world after 30 years; laundress whose son is murdered; a lady’s maid hiding her Jewish culture; a blind musician running from a forced marriage; and more.

'Each story is a piece in the puzzle. Each woman faces her own trials as she plays her small part in the desperate attempt to protect King Henry and his wife, Elizabeth of York.

'Because if they fail, England will once again be thrust into civil war between the Yorks and Lancasters. And these four-and-twenty women have already sacrificed too much.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

 (Publication summary)

'Even steel can be broken.

'Mamlakah is once again on the brink of war, this time over who sits on the throne. Alere, Jarran, and Mina race toward Madina to claim Jarran’s inheritance as Jun First. And with a Weishi House kill-contract on her head, Alere must unlock new yanstone powers – which lead her further down a destructive path Mina cannot condone.

'But Nasra Connor and Jun Fourth Hassan Wen-Gates reach Madina first, and they pave the city’s streets with blood to secure the throne. Xintou House’s students and Bonded Xintou are murdered. Mistress Li, the two Jun Seconds, and Jarran’s daughters are imprisoned and slated for execution.

'Even if Alere can reach Madina in time to prevent the executions, her fighting skills are no use against Nasra and Rohne – the two most powerful Xintou in existence. Her only chance is if she and a reluctant Mina can master the yanstones. But Mina is unwilling to use the yanstones’ brutal powers against her old friends.

'So Alere will gamble her mind, her life, and the sanity of everyone she loves on one, dubious, chance of victory. If she can’t prevail, Kalima will be subjugated beneath the steel will of the strongest xintou in history.

'All chance of freedom… lost.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Rowan Gilmore and her sidhe companions are in a desperate race to stop the truth of the sidhe's powers being revealed to the world. For once humans are aware of the sidhe, fear and greed will do what the Mors Ferrum has been unable to achieve -- wholesale slaughter of the Ruadhán Sidhe.

The chase takes Rowan to Italy, where Maeve enlists the help of her son, Dante, to intercept the parcel of vital information sent to the Mors. But they're too late. The package containing everything the world doesn't know about sidhe ends up in the hands of Alexander Dyson - the leader of the Mors Ferrum.

Now Rowan must decide who to trust - and how deeply - in order to save her people. Every one of her companions has an agenda. Every one of them wants to use her for their own cause. As does Dyson. But who is telling the truth and who is lying?

In this epic clash between the Ruadhán sidhe, the Dark sidhe, and the Mors Ferrum, whoever controls Rowan's powers will determine the future of mankind and sidhe alike.

But what if she's been on the wrong side of this battle, right from the start?

Rowan Gilmore and her sidhe companions are in a desperate race to stop the truth of the sidhe's powers being revealed to the world. For once humans are aware of the sidhe, fear and greed will do what the Mors Ferrum has been unable to achieve -- wholesale slaughter of the Ruadhán Sidhe.'

Source: Author's blurb.

'Your worst moments define you. If you let them.

Two weeks after Rowan Gilmore's life exploded into chaos, she is in Brisbane, Australia, hunting down Michael Eisen and the Mors Ferrum.

With her mother, Anna, still in Eisen's hands, Rowan is forced to continue working with Maeve and Logan Freyson - even though they betrayed her. And once the Freysons and Eisen finally discover what the ocair is, both sides want to use Rowan as a weapon in the thousand-year-old war between the sidhe and humans.

She just wants Anna back.

But to free Anna and protect the sidhe, Rowan has to overcome Eisen and his pet Dark sidhe.To do that, she must release the shadows of her father's memories, locked deep in her mind.

With her father unleashed, she's an unstoppable destructive force that could save Anna and the sidhe.

But releasing him could also destroy everyone she loves and set the world on fire.

To save what she loves, Rowan will have to become the monster she most fears. But who will she be, then?'

Source: Author's blurb.

'Rowan Gilmore and her mother, Anna, have spent most of Rowan’s life running, hiding Rowan's speed, strength and precognitive powers—but without knowing why she’s different, why they have to hide, or who from. And Rowan’s sick of running scared. But she has to continue, because she also harbours a dark power that emerges only when she’s afraid or in danger. A power that can kill indiscriminately. When she moves to Australia, a street fight reveals Rowan's abilities to a stranger, Fynn, and she must decide whether to run again or stay and risk discovery by her pursuers. Her mother has found happiness with a new partner and Rowan is reluctant to wreck it. So, after foiling another kidnap attempt, Rowan makes her decision. The time has come to stand her ground. Fynn becomes and unexpected ally, with promises to help fight her unknown enemy – and to reveal the truth behind her extraordinary abilities. But what’s his agenda? Can he be trusted? And who are the Mors Ferrum operatives he says are chasing Rowan? What do they want? What is the ocair thing they keep asking about? Rowan has too many questions and not enough answers; too many unknowns - including herself. For what happens if the darkness lurking in her mind wakes and comes out to play?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Imagine a world without iron, or coal, or oil, without industry or high-tech, without war since it's foundation five hundred years ago. Now imagine the effect of discovering mineable iron ore....

'Kalima, an Earth-colony world with little mineable iron and no fossil fuels, is entrenched in a feudal society by the lack of this vital resources. But things are about to change. When Alere Connor, failed xintou (telepath) but skilled swordswoman, is sent to act as mistress to Jun First Alan Yang-Black, she becomes the unwilling focus of a revolution. On his deathbed, Alan reveals the existence of a hidden iron ore deposit. With several factions vying for political domination of the Jundom, control of the iron would tip the balance of power. Alere, accused of the Jun First's murder and fleeing for her life, must reach and warn the Jun Second, Rafi Chan-Sala, on whose lands the iron ore lies. If she fails, all out war is inevitable - the first ever war in the seven hundred year history of the Earth-colony.

'On the way, Alere will uncover the old and bloody secret of her own existence, the reason for her failure as a xintou, and unlock and even darker future for herself and her companions.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'An Anthology of short stories by the Springfield Writers Group. These 18 stories span two thousand years of Earth's history and half a dozen different genres. All with a common thread: Halley's Comet. Dive into ancient Greece and Babylon, into Anglo-Saxon Ireland and Viking-era France. Indulge in tales of Genghis Khan, medieval Japan, regency-era England steampunk, alternate universes, and modern-day technology. From science fiction, to romance, to historical fiction and fantasy, there's something every reader will enjoy. Trace the comet's influence on lives, loves and families throughout the ages.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Kalisa Brooker is trying to move on with her life.  Men are not in her scope right now, for some very good, very painful reasons.  She needs to find herself and prove to the world she's able to cope on her own.

'Enter Alex Schiffer, who has his own issues to deal with.   In trying to resolve them, he buys time with Kali on Ebay, enlisting her as his unwilling, unwitting accomplice in a sting operation.  With the help of her secretive, meddling twin brother and her glamorous best friend, Alex is set to overturn Kali's life, whether she wants it or not.