Cirrus@Austlit

'In 1959, Australians thrilled to every move made by a new criminal underdog, a Ned Kelly for the rock'n'roll era.

'Kevin John Simmonds was a charismatic crook whose brazen crime spree had scored him a lengthy prison sentence. But as he was led from court, he boasted, 'They'll never hold me.'

'Two months later, Simmo made good on his promise, staging a daring escape from Long Bay Gaol. When his bid for freedom took a deadly turn, legendary Detective Ray 'the Gunner' Kelly took charge of the search, putting the fugitive in the crosshairs of the biggest armed manhunt in Australian history.

'They'll Never Hold Me is the true story of an antihero with a code of honour who captured the public's hearts and minds even as he enraged the cops and the establishment. Brilliantly researched and written by Michael Adams, of the Forgotten Australia podcast, this never-before-told tale takes us beyond the public adventures that made Simmo into Public Enemy No. 1 to reveal the haunting tragedies he was trying to outrun – and the terrible fate that even he might not escape.'  (Publication summary)

'Mary Maguire was Australia's first teenage movie star and she captivated Hollywood in the mid 1930s. Mary lived on three continents and was celebrated in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Los Angeles and London. Her life was lived in parallel with seminal incidents of the twentieth century: the Spanish Flu; the Great Depression; the Bodyline series; Australia's early radio, talkies and aviation; Hollywood's Golden Era; the British aristocracy's embrace of European fascism; London's Blitz; and post-war American culture and politics. Mary knew everyone, from Douglas Jardine, Don Bradman, Errol Flynn and Ronald Reagan, to William Randolph Hearst, Maureen O'Sullivan and Judy Garland.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Coach and counsellor Alison Manning talks to Australian Author editor Michael Adams about her consultancy A Mind of One’s Own, which offers “head-freeing services for writers”'

'The creator of The Drover’s Wife on reimagining Henry Lawson’s classic short story from an Indigenous female perspective. By Michael Adams.' 

'One hero lost in a raging tsunami.

'One Sign pointing to a deadly battle.

'One day left until the end of . . . everything.

'With Sydney plunged into underwater chaos, the DARE winners are suspected of being responsible. After escaping from security officers, they must race to their final destination-- Felix Scott's mega-ship Infinite Horizon --and decode one last deadly sign. If they don't get this right, then it's game over-- not just for them, but for the whole world. The DARE winners will have to use all their wits to stop The Signmaker. But after a mind-blowing secret is revealed in Antarctica, they're in for a heart-stopping final face-to-face battle with an unimaginable enemy. Who will live and who will die? If you could be a hero, would you DARE? Seven Signs. One day left to save the world.' (Publication summary)

'Trapped in a cargo plane. High over the jungle. The DARE winners have no choice. They must jump! If they can get off the plane alive, and survive an attack by the remnants of Marco Bravo's army, the DARE winners will have to confront Felix Scott with all the evidence they have that he is The Signmaker. What will their enemy do if he's backed into a corner? From Bogota, Colombia, to Sydney, Australia, the DARE winners have to risk everything to get to the truth and stop The Signmaker's plan for world destruction-before time is up. But it's not just the clock that's against them. The tide is turning and they're about to face their most deadly challenge yet. If you could be a hero, would you DARE? Seven Signs. Two days left to save the world.' (Publication summary)

'RoboWorld’s robots are strong, armed and perfectly safe... until now. Now, they’re deadly weapons, with one thing on their minds... ‘Defend, destroy!’ While Zander lies dying on the ground, the rest of the DARE Seven are left to defend themselves with only small zap guns against a massive swarm of crazed robot animals—monkeys, tigers, growling lions, wolves, gorillas and more. It sounds like an awesome video game... except that it’s real. With the increasing intensity of The Signmaker’s sinister scheme, the next sign will lead to something even more dangerous than facing a pack of deadly robots. It will take the DARE winners into the heart of a jungle to face Bogota’s most despicable villain. If you could be a hero, would you DARE? Seven Signs. Three days left to save the world.' (Publication summary)

'A city in chaos. Seven in a desperate battle for survival. Billions across the world on the brink of apocalypse. The DARE Seven face danger from all sides: violent criminals are hunting them down, trigger-happy police suspect them of murder and The Signmaker keeps changing the rules of the game. As the clock keeps ticking towards the Fourth Sign, can Zander, Yasmin, Dylan, Andy, Isabel, Mila and JJ reach the next target and prevent the deadliest attack yet? Or will they fall victim as The Signmaker becomes ever more ruthless? If you could be a hero, would you DARE? Seven Signs. Four days left to save the world..' (Publication summary)

'Exploding oil wells.

'Millions of cars out of control.

'Two DARE winners in mortal danger.

'After Andy and Dylan are caught in a fiery explosion, Zander, JJ, Yasmin, Mila and Isabel realise their only chance to stop the next attack is to get one step ahead of The Signmaker. But the evil mastermind is far from their only problem, with the DARE winners now on the run from police, government agents and sinister suited thugs. Nowhere is safe. No-one can be trusted. Can they stay free long enough to decode the Third Sign, stop the next attack and reveal The Signmaker’s true identity? If you could be a hero, would you DARE? Seven Signs. Five days left to save the world.' (Publication summary)

'The DARE Award winners’—Yasmin, Zander, Andy, Dylan, JJ, Isabel and Mila—have been caught in a deadly battle of wits with a mysterious enemy who isn’t afraid to kill. Too late, they learned that the First Sign predicted catastrophic attacks which have left Egypt in chaos. Yasmin is missing. Many more lives are at stake. With Andy and Dylan in police custody in LA, can the remaining four DARE winners unravel the Second Sign—seven new symbols—and stop The Signmaker’s destructive plan before the countdown ends?

'If you could be a hero, would you DARE? Seven Signs. Seven days to save the world.' (Publication summary)

'Enter the DARE awards ...make your dreams come true! The seven winners of the inaugural DARE awards are thrust together on a life-changing journey, to cross seven continents in seven days. But on the eve of their adventure, they receive The First Sign. Before they can solve the puzzle of the mysterious symbols, a deadly attack throws one of them into a terrifying fight for life. Soon, all seven are battling an epic seven-day countdown to destruction. Can they stand together and solve The Seven Signs before their time is up? Seven teenagers. Seven signs. Seven days to save the world! ' (Publication summary)

'By the glow of the instrument panel, I see my face reflected in the darkened window.

'My God,' she says. 'Who are you?'

It's what I've been asked before. I don't know the answer.

'Danby is desperately fighting to save the last of humanity.

'But with Jack's sinister influence more powerful than ever, Danby's one hope for freeing his minions - and her little brother - seems lost. The only option now for the few survivors not under Jack's control is escape at any cost.

'Danby will also have to confront a danger much closer to home as she realises what she risks in the ferocious battle that looms. Embracing a brutal warrior code might save Danby's life, but the price is high.

'In the explosive final act of the Last trilogy, Danby must save who she can, even if it means abandoning hope for her last remaining family. With soldiers, marauders and toxic bushfires closing in, she has no choice but to fight before she can take flight.' (Publication summary)

'I glance at my fellow fugitives in the glow of the fire: black-streaked, white-eyed, faces fearful but fierce. Whoever any of us were a week ago, we've now become people we could never have imagined.

'After facing the heartbreaking truth in Shadow Valley, Danby is determined to have her revenge on Jack.

'With Jack dead, her little brother Evan and hundreds of other Minions will be free of his control. With Jack dead, she and her friend Nathan will be able to revive thousands more from the millions of catatonic Goners.

'But what if she's wrong - about everything?

'After Danby confronts Jack on a dying stretch of highway, all of her beliefs are turned inside out. Not only are his feelings for her real, he's working against the clock to save lives and rebuild society. To Danby's horror, it's Nathan who appears to threaten the new order.

'With her emotions raging and blood on her hands, Danby has to take a side in a deadly battle that'll decide the future of the world. And as allies become enemies and foes turn into friends, she'll have to embrace methods so dark that the price of survival may be her very soul ...' (Publication abstract)