Cirrus@Austlit

'Sneaking through airport security, two passports burned a hole in his pocket; one allowing him to run, the other never allowing him to escape. Leaving behind a devastated family and the girl it was impossible to forget was never going to be easy. Simon was brutally attacked in a South African prison cell a er a night out with his brother, Jaco, ended in violence.

'A week later, he was struggling to button his shirt beneath the pinstripe suit as he climbed the corporate ladder of the recruitment industry. In the aftermath of his mistakes, the only thing distracting him from the torment of suicidal thoughts was the pretty redhead sitting across from him in the cube farm. In his quest to end peace and redemption, the last thing he expected to find was love.

'From bestselling author, Kelly Van Nelson, comes this gripping coming-of-age novel about a young man battling his inner turmoil after a harrowing incident changes the course of his life forever. Rich with emotional undertones of overcoming guilt, battling with a strewn identity, and a budding romance which seems doomed from the very beginning, this story unravels an intriguing and touching analysis of what happens to a soul plagued by misfortune. In a journey from the southern tip of Africa to the shadows of Edinburgh Castle, this eloquent reflection captures the contrasts of society and the power of family and friends in the recovery of trauma, but first there is a detour to the darkest corners of the mind' (Publication summary)

'"Nobody who comes from a broken home 

'wants to be broken."

'Retrospective takes a raw trip down memory lane, delving into the mind of a child navigating the streets of a council estate in northern England, stripping back the layers of young adulthood in the search for love and acceptance beneath the glare of the city neon lights, and finally crossing the bridge to a place where troubled past meets optimistic future in a literary celebration of transformative determination and steely inner strength.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Punch and Judy explores the tangled intensity of a toxic relationship. Kelly Van Nelson, brings her trademark gritty style to this modern poetry collection. She takes readers on the rollercoaster journey from attraction and desire of a couple initially meeting, through the turbulence of abuse at the hands of a puppet master, to eventually finding the courage to cut strings and break free. Punch and Judy challenges the taboo and delves into what goes on behind closed doors, bringing much needed conversation on domestic violence to the forefront of society.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Graffiti Lane looks at life through an unfiltered lens. With unflinching honesty, Kelly Van Nelson offers an intensely personal perspective on the grittiness of urban living in an eclectic mix of traditional, shadow and freeform poetry. She fearlessly tackles issues of intimidation and discrimination, including playground and corporate bullying, domestic violence, marginalisation, gender inequity, mental health and suicide. Yet while the writing is raw and the darker side of human nature is being exposed, there is an underlying sense of hope. The underdog is beaten down but not defeated and has the resilience to bounce back and rise again.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.