Cirrus@Austlit

'Usually, Scott gets home to one of his mother's crazy rants.

'Today? Silence.

'Which makes a nice change--except that today, evil shadows lurk in the pantry where the food should be.

'Can Scott track down his mother, banish the shadows, and find something to eat in peace?

'A dark fantasy tale featuring one of the characters from Laurens' popular Sanctuary series.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Abbi the Labrador loves her people--but she loves her bunny friend Zac even more. So when he pleads with her to let him out of his cage one night, she does.

'Even though it's the wrong thing to do.

'Even though the consequences will be worse than she ever imagined.

'A tragic short tale about the true meaning of friendship--and guilt.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Ellie looks forward to her regular spa visits. Running into that jerk Brandr again? Not so much.

'Too pretty for anyone's good, Brandr arouses lust in everyone he meets--and Ellie hates the way he inspires her body to burn. She knows what she wants out of love, and she'll do whatever it takes to maintain her control.

'If you love enemies-to-lovers with a touch of magic, you'll love Answer The Question.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Springtime promises hang in the air. And Red wants her happy ending--no matter what her mother might have said.

'No matter what the cost.

'A darkly optimistic sequel to the Little Red Riding Hood tale, for people who want to believe in hope.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'On a hot and stuffy afternoon, Chay and Sham want ice cream--and to spot the strange dragon that appears on the streets every Tuesday first this time.

'But when a metallic, boxy beast appears blowing smoke and vomiting people, what Chay gets costs her a lot more than she bargained for.

'A cautionary tale about getting what you thought you wanted, and the weighty impact of over-active curiosity glands.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Ambrose sits alone in utter darkness, in a house nobody wanted, on a rug nobody loved, about to reach the pinnacle of all his dreams and hopes and plans.

'What a pity it requires his death first.

'Let's just hope the prize makes the price worthwhile.

'A wistful, melancholic reminder of the importance of love.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Soulbonds mean a slow, lingering death for those who carry them--and Guiro's soulbond is nearly at an end. But if he dies near other people, the soulbond will jump to them.

'And so, at the end of a long, cobbled alleyway, Guiro lingers over his very last approach to the door of the place he used to call home. Just for a few more minutes, he needs to pretend he belongs.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The stinking, rotting Maliche devour the world, one city at a time, taking death away from humanity and replacing it with a shambling, eternal half-life.

'Imber holds the box, a magic box, that may be the key to the Maliche's destruction.

'If only she knew how to use it.

'A post-apocalyptic zombie story about the real value of death--and life.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The bad: Fed up with James trying to run her life, Ella hangs up on her boyfriend at the bus stop.

'The worse: Having to share the bus ride home with middle-aged drifters.

'But the worst of all? The skinny, shell of a man in the business suit next to her starting to cry. Can people not just keep their problems to themselves for once?

'A coming-of-age story that reminds us not to judge others before we know them.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Tommy, aged five, pens his Christmas letter. His request? More brains for his family; they just don't understand him.

'He begs his mum to post the letter. With only one day left, it may not get there in time--he might end up with no presents.

'Or, he might end up with exactly what he requested.

'Santa Claus is coming. Be careful what you wish for.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A plain, ugly scrap lives in a quilt-maker's basket, surrounded by brighter and more beautiful scraps.

'The ugly scrap longs for a purpose, a quilt to call home... but it might as well dream of flying.

'Until one day, its life changes forever--well beyond even its wildest dreams.

'A hopeful Christmas parable about waiting for our purpose in life.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The medical assembly has finally arrested the last existing Power, one of the super-powered, nearly-immortal beings tasked with preserving the balance of the world. All too often, though, their battles have ravaged cities, so the capture of the last one delights everyone.

'Everyone--except Rordan. He stands in the cold, snowy street, capturing the story for his local paper--sinking further and further into despair. A world robbed of magic? It hardly bears imagining.

'Then a woman in the street catches his eye, a woman with hair of flame and eyes of fire. And Rordan realises: no one ever proved how many Powers existed. Maybe--just maybe--a bigger story waits to be told, one that might just save humanity, if he can expose it in time...

'For anyone who values a sense of wonder, and believes that everyone is worth of love.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'When Adelaide falls from her horse in the paddock near home, her mother freaks out. But not without cause: Adelaide's terminal illness grows worse by the day, eating away at her energy, her body--and her independence.

'But that's nothing compared to the tragedy that happens next in the paddock, a tragedy that threatens everything Adelaide holds dear.

'Inspired by Greek mythology, Sea Foam and Blood reminds readers of the importance of self-determination in crafting a better future for ourselves.'

Source: Publisher's lburb.

'Tonight: the formal dance. Everything she ever dreamed of.

'But the face looking back in the mirror? About three shades too orange.

'She needs to exchange this foundation pronto, before her plans--and dreams--for the night burn down.

'Because tonight will be perfect. No matter what the price.

'A wicked little story about the lengths that people go to for that one perfect evening.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The small town of Renph: a cosy, happy little place--at least until recently. Now, violence explodes in the streets, rumours whisper in the dark, and people hang in the square.

'And no one knows why.

'No one--except Tikva. But what can a seven-year-old do against a tidal wave of hatred? Or against the strange flame-haired woman who rode into town on her jet-black horse?

'A richly imagined tale that demonstrates the power of love--no matter what the age.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Zac, young, smart and adventures, roams the eucalypt bush and pine forest around his house to his heart’s content. But not over the old train tracks. Never that far. 

'Until one day, he feels something magical calling…

'He knows he should ignore it. But even he can’t imagine the consequences for listening this time.

'A tragic story about the mistakes we can make while grieving, and how clinging to our grief can cheat us of everything we ever loved, or hoped or dreamed for.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'Tired, war-weary and worn, he longs for peace—and home. But the smell of blood reaches him as he travels: a giant, half-dead dragon—and a gang of bandits guarding it. 

'He swore to never kill again. 

'But once again, he faces a choice. Because today, someone must die. 

'A wistful story about promises and peace, and the precarious nature of both.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'Simon Baker, 86, aging rapidly in an aged care facility. Just an ordinary man, coming to the end of an ordinary life…

'Except something else tickles the edges of his mind—of his memory. If only he could remember his real identity. Before time runs out.  

'A quiet science fiction tale about the importance of memory, that resonates with anyone who’s ever watched a loved one fade away.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'She waits on a frosty street corner in old Russia, armed with the gadgets her sponsor gave her. Ivanov draws near—to her, to his death. 

'But first, she needs to know: Vasiliy Ivanov, good man or bad? 

'Killing a good man risks her integrity—and her soul—so no matter what the bounty, she must make certain. 

'For everyone who ever wondered about doing bad things for good reasons—and anyone who ever doubted what they believe. '

Source : publisher's blurb

'In a world where only priests make art, she listens as strange noises range outside her cell. 

'She assumed the authorities wanted to question her about her little brother. 

'But the truth? Much more sinister than that. 

'The price for her transgressions? Everything she ever held dear. 

'A cautionary tale about crossing boundaries, and the power of art to affect reality.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'The markets crowd her senses, busy with sound and bustle and smells. Tundra needs to escape the sensory overload—she needs to run. 

'That means sneaking away from her mother, of course. Tricky, but not impossible. 

'And what she finds? Something that promises all her dreams come true—if she doesn’t kill them out of misguided love first. 

'A tale of freedom and a love of wild things that proves that if we love something, we must let it go. '

Source : publisher's blurb

'Adela never imagined her life would end here: alone in a filthy spare room with a bucket for a toilet after days on days of torture. But she can wait a few days for her captors to tire of her—or she can save them the trouble.

'Not that they left anything for her to use for those purposes. 

'Of course, a third alternative might exist. She knows the nephew of this house’s owner, after all… 

'A dark, heart-twisting story that proves that even the darkest tales can have happy endings, for everyone who believes in hope—and unexpected allies.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'Kitty’s husband returns from the magical war distant and reserved. To help him recover, she plans the perfect—albeit belated—Christmas. 
Red and gold ornaments. Boxes with bows. She hopes her husband loves everything, even the present under the tree that, well, wriggles. 

'But Doug can smell it from all the way across the room. And he doesn’t like what he smells.

'Does this spell the end of their relationship after all? 

'A richly-imagined, private moment in a world where people can choose to be transformed for the sake of their country—for everyone who wants to believe that soldiers deserve a happy ending.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'Every year, the tower fills with the souls of the dead.

'Every year, the city throws someone living in to lead the dead to the afterlife.

'The strange visitor arrives in the nick of time, just as Natalie contemplates giving in to the feelers of darkness that surround her.

'She can stay strong long enough to entertain a guest. But after that? Who knows.

'A hopeful tale for everyone beset by the Black Dog.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Parent-teacher interviews: a teacher's worse nightmare.

'Especially with a parent like Alison Young.

'The city crumbles, concrete decaying, plastic corroding…

'They hunt one of the beasts causing the destruction to a petrol station, crumbling and leaking fuel throughout the parking lot.

'Nuns, possibly magical—Mary never could get the story from her mother straight—raised her mother. They provided her food, and care, and love—and left her with a legacy.

'Because when Mary reached maturity, it came with a surprise: plant magic.