Cirrus@Austlit

'In a world hidden beneath our own, a war rages between two of the most ferocious creatures in Heaven or Hell: Werewolves and Vampires - Immortals. Their weapon of choice? A deadly disease! Caught up in the cross fire? The whole human race. The Vampire Council must protect the human race from ultimate destruction. Daleina Stark and her two colleagues, Richard and Scott, must eradicate the disease before it is too late. As Daleina and her colleagues fight against time to find as an antidote, will the chilling truth to the conspiracy be uncovered? ' (Publication summary)

'The slap of spray on her face, the exhilaration of the boat cutting through waves, the call of the sea birds and the summer sun warming her skin...

'Through all the challenges - starting a new school and making new friends, and a father who is absorbed in his work, missing her mother - Jodie finds solace in sailing. But will the ocean turn against her?

'Can she save the lighthouse from development? And why are there dead penguins floating in the water? Who is the girl in the photo that she finds hidden under the stairs? And, most importantly, where is her mother?

'Jodie's voyage of discovery takes her to a place she never dreamed she'd be ... But how will she convince her father that it is real? ' (Publication summary)

'This is the story of adventure and misadventure in one of the most ancient landscapes on earth-the Pilbara province of Western Australia.

'Twin teenagers Joan and Mark join their prospector uncle Paddy Quinlan and his mate Bluey Smith for a holiday in the outback looking forwards to some camping and propecting. But the group discover much more than just a few small nuggets when they come across a suspicious mobile laboratory run by Eastern Europeans. Are they really scouting for mineral deposits? Or are they somehow connected with those mysterious midnight aircraft flying in and out of the Pilbara?' (Publication summary)

'After the mysterious disappearance of her mother Marella, Imogene Fuller is left as the sole carer of her younger sister, Clementine. Forced to give up her dreams of becoming a photographer, Imogene vows to support her sister's ambitions of becoming a professional dancer, taking a menial job at Johnny's Mega Market, in the girls' hometown of Miller Creek.

'Discontented and unfulfilled, Imogene meets Henry Bishop by chance, and his sister Aggie, the embodiment of everything Imogene wishes she could be. However, when Aggie goes missing unexpectedly, Imogene and Henry come across her journal, which sheds light on Aggie's fragile state of mind in the months leading up to her disappearance. Imogene and Henry then embark on a perilous journey to find her, while beginning to uncover dark and frightening secrets hidden in the rugged outback, and also answers about what really happened to Marella Fuller, the day she disappeared.' (Publication summary)

'Discrimination towards others is sometimes based on as little as difference of appearance or culture and fuelled by intolerance. When confronted by it, do we turn our backs and walk away, or take a stand beside the oppressed?

'1985 and Pat the narrator returns to his small wheat town to settle his father’s estate. He recalls the events when he first moved there from Sydney as an eight year old in 1955 with twin brother Doug and his GP father.

'Season of Hate is the moving story of the friendship between the boys and Johnny, the mute Aboriginal teenager. In those first two years in their seemingly ideal world, the boys are exposed to the best and worst of human nature as they become aware of the undercurrents of discrimination and racial bigotry that erupt into violence.

'In particular, that one night where Pat’s own life is challenged. The night where one wanton act places the town’s very livelihood in jeopardy.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'''What are these two long strings, Nan? What do they do? Please show me so I can wear these shoes just like you used to!" Michelle is staying with her Nanna and is frustrated when she cannot work out how to do up laces on a pair of old fashioned shoes she has found. Michelle asks her Nanna for help. With infinite patience and love, Nanna teaches Michelle how to tie shoelaces and in the process, Michelle develops fine motor skills, strength and hand-eye co-ordination. Along the way she also develops new language concepts and vocabulary. Parents, teachers, grandparents and carers everywhere will love Old Fashioned Shoes because children need exposure to experiences that develop fine motor skills, hand-eye co-ordination and strength. These experiences prepare them for their future years and assist with writing and independence. They also need to learn to ask for help and to overcome frustration in order to develop a new skill - and experience the resulting sense of achievement.'  (Publication summary)

'Charismatic photographer and ex-ranger Jason McNeil lives and works in the iconic Daintree forest in Far North Queensland, the oldest surviving rainforest on the planet. Jason encounters the reclusive and awkward Swede Nils Bergstrom, who is searching for a cure for an horrific disease which he encountered in Africa, which also occurs in the Daintree.

'When Nils disappears, Jason, assisted by his girlfriend, Sunita, a masseuse at a Port Douglas resort, starts to ask questions. Jason and his friend Steve, a member of the local Yalanji people, head into the rainforest along the notorious CREB track and undertake a treacherous hike up Roaring Meg creek. They locate Nils but in tragic circumstances. Even though the police are now involved, Jason continues with his own investigation, which brings him into danger as he gradually exposes a web of competing interests.

'This entertaining and informative contemporary thriller explores the growing interest in biodiscovery and the modern crime of biopiracy, against the back-drop of the beauty and challenges of the Daintree World Heritage site, a startling contrast to the laid-back and popular resort world of Port Douglas.' (Publication summary)

'Adventure turned nightmare: how did Alexander Dulaine's search for a lost plane become a struggle between life and death? Highly intelligent, independent, strong-willed, yet vulnerable, Alexander Dulaine is a woman on a mission. She engages Jed, a part-time adventurer, to launch a search to find the wreckage of her grandfather Karl's USAAF aircraft lost during World War II in Northern Australia that has a connection to the Torres Strait legend of the ruby, 'Fire Eye'. She is seeking to honour her grandfather's memory and perhaps solve some family secrets. As Alexander and Jed journey deeper into the unforgiving Australian outback, they discover that they are not alone and it's not just snakes that they should fear. Compelling, dramatic and with a hint of romance, Fire Eye is for adventure-seekers everywhere. ' (Publication summary)

'This is the way the world ends: not with a bang but a fifteen metre WAVE! The Ross Ice Shelf in the Antarctic, a lump of ice about the size of France, is forecast to collapse into the sea creating a fifteen metre tsunami that will race around the globe destroying much of the world as we know it. This dire prediction, made by the British Antarctic Survey, New Zealand Scientists, and the Pentagon is ignored by most of the world's population; but not by beautiful, smart Tanya who has worked her way up from poverty to the top of Sydney society, or, to her surprise, by her father-in-law David Bower. They persuade the family to abandon their happy, fulfilled lifestyles to create a secure settlement in the Blue Mountains, enabling them to survive the catastrophe but witness the complete destruction of Sydney and all of Australia's coastal cities. From this, the depths of despair, they find ways to start to rebuild the vibrant society that once existed.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Abigail has a secret. A secret so dark, so damning, that she has to bury it deep inside. It must never, ever, be told. She has guarded this secret with her life and it has poisoned everything. Which is why, on her sixteenth birthday, Abigail tries to kill herself. This is her story...'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'What would you do if the people you once knew want to kill you? Tatiana is a half blood: half human and half vampire, and she's on the run. She thought Michigan was a bad idea until she met Ethan. She starts to fall for him, not knowing what he is, or what his intentions are, but someone's keeping a secret from her, a secret that will change her life forever. With no other choice Tatiana goes into battle to fight for her life, alongside the people that no vampire would ever trust.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'When sixteen year old Aisley Brannon first comes to live at Sheldon's Seat, little does she know of the tragic history she is about to uncover. A school project throws her together with five friends as they decide to make her home the subject of their presentation. What ensues is a hundred year old journey of mystery and discovery, running alongside the turmoil of a modern teenage love story.' (publisher's blurb)

'One winter morning when Christopher was collecting twigs for the fire, he found a piece of bark shaped like a little foot beneath the old willow the locals called The Spooky Tree. The hermit who lived in an abandoned quarry told him it was magic and it would grant one wish, but after the wish it must be returned to the Spooky Tree or the tree would come looking for it. Christopher didn't believe him and gave it to his younger brother Mitchell for Show and Tell. What was Mitchell's wish? Where did the strange Mr Agasvari come from before he became a teacher at Wombat Gully Primary School? What happened when the little bark foot was stolen by the school bullies and what happened after Mr Agasvari vanished? From the very first page to the last, the mysterious events in Mr Agasvari Goes to School will keep children of all ages enchanted and entertained. ' (Publisher's blurb)

All Alaine has ever wanted is to become a paladin in the Order of the Goddess Minda and now the moment has arrived when she must prove her worth or relinquish her dream.

'Twenty-Four Seven psychologist and telephone counsellor Cherie Dexter is on call; not only to clients in distress but also to her aging father Tom, who is rapidly slipping into dementia. On top of the daily chaos, she must fight to keep her business afloat and her hare-brained partners under control. Just when she thinks nothing else can possibly go wrong, it does, and Cherie finds herself embroiled in a life and death situation that puts all her skills and training to the test.Could telephone counselling really be this dangerous?'

(Source: publisher's blurb)

'Imagine that your world was like a Bollywood movie. Every day full of angst, drama, colour, music and dancing. India Singh wants her life to be like that. She is determined to make herself into a Bollywood Star. She is directing her family through the camera of her imagination. Her sister Shanti would rather be a horse, but she also likes to dance. Their brother Rahul is happy to step in to play the handsome hero, so is Vijay, her friend Sunita's brother.

'India has a chance to go to Mumbai but her dream is shattered when her protective father uproots the family from their Darjeeling home to move to Sydney. India struggles to find her niche in Australia, torn between her traditional Indian home and the exciting Western World. To India, Sydney is an unfamiliar cross-cultural barrier that prevents her from pursuing her Bollywood dream.

'In Sydney, India finds herself immersed in a new cast of characters when the family stays with their Australian relatives. Although she is determined to hate everything about Australia, she finds herself being drawn into this thrilling new world.

'This story is about dreams. It's about following your passion. It's about one young girl's struggle to find her place in the world. It's about resilience and optimism. It's about how a small dose of Bollywood magic can brighten up our lives.' (From the publisher's website.)