Cirrus@Austlit

'A mature-aged student undertaking work placement at a boutique publisher learns there's more to writing than talent, and that success demands its own toll.

'When a multinational publisher looks for somebody to fill the vacancy heading their fiction department, a spited senior editor is determined to win the position at any cost.

'A middle-aged writer struggling with a lack of success, years of rejection, and questioning his own self-worth, re-examines just why he writes, and whether to go on.

'The Slush Pile Demolitionist features three short stories centered around writing and publishing that explore the darker side of creativity, the desperation of insecurity, and the uncertainty of the future.' (Publication summary)

'A prestigious nightclub.

'An aging hostess battling to retain her marquee.

'A beautiful and enigmatic woman with unparalleled ambition.

'A noble widower searching for love.

'Two irreverent barflies who may not be what they seem.
Three couples whose relationships will be tested until they question everything they know.

'A jaded stripper trying to find her self-respect.

'A modest twenty-something man gambling on a shortcut to fortune.

'And a mysterious old man who will reach into their hearts and twist and pervert everything they hold dear.

'Over the course of one night, temptation, seduction, and rage will touch each of them.

'And their lives will never be the same.

'Prudence is a dark psychosexual thriller that explores human boundaries, the desires they define, and the secret acts that shatter them.' (Publication summary)

'Luke Miggs wants more than small-town life: the grind of chores on the family farm, playing footy, drinks with friends. Like maybe doing something about his crush on Amanda Hunt, a barmaid at the local pub who's smart, funny, and ambitious. Or playing footy in the big league. At eighteen, it can't be too late, can it?

'There's the Curlews, at least, although the team's little more than battlers. If only they could take their footy seriously, like the reigning champions, the Little Reach Scorpions. Under their tyrannical coach, Claude Rankin, the Scorpions have dominated the competition for ten years. It seems nothing will be different this season.

'But when Adam Pride emerges from the night and tells the Curlews he wants to play for them, everything begins to change.

'Song of the Curlew is a story of friendship, bonds, and coming of age, and how the choices of our past can come back to shape our future.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.