Cirrus@Austlit

'James Newton is a Vietnam veteran who is wounded in spirit and in body. As a freelance journalist, recently divorced, he is tasked with interviewing a legend by the name of Chocko from Morocco, who lives in Arthur River, in the north-west of Tasmania. James is astounded by the revelations of the old soldier, who was a member of MI5 during World War Two and has become an activist in Tasmania’s environmental conflicts. Parallels emerge between the lives of the two men, as they share their experiences of the deepest horrors of war which, not entirely exorcised, have affected family life. James and Chocko conclude that nothing has changed, other than the size of wars. Those who fight usually suffer for the rest of their lives, and so do their families. Ray Clift has based Loose Lips on many stories recalled from the years when he rubbed shoulders with service people.'  (Publication summary)

'Edgar Williams is lost after the tragic death of his wife Jackie and can’t find a way to shake off the black dog. Therapy doesn’t help. His spiritual son Joe suggests leaving it to God. However, he returns to his boxing club, fellowship with the Freemasons, and his Geelong RSL, which help to fill in the hours of loss. A friend suggests a medium, who tells him of some remarkable developments to come in his life. When intruders ransack his home, Edgar hits the main offender with a golf club, putting him in a coma. In court, Edgar calls the judge fig jam (the acronym of the book’s title) and runs away. Finally he is arrested and - unwilling to apologise to the over-bearing judge - goes to gaol. But happier times are on the horizon and an unexpected turn of events sends Edgar on a path which he never envisaged.' (Publication Summary)

'Edgar Williams grows up in Geelong, Victoria, in comfortable surrounds. His education at a private college enables him to enter the prestigious Australian Naval Academy. He graduates with flying colours and serves on the aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney III. Although Edgar is a champion boxer, the commander treats him badly. Edgar wonders what he has done wrong. When he wakes up af-ter a vivid sexual dream and resorts to an unusual way of relieving himself, he is spotted by the ship’s spy. The commander relishes shaming Edgar in front of others and Edgar regretfully leaves the service. Adapting to civilian life, Edgar returns to his childhood love – the English language – and finds employment as an editor at a publishing house. As a successful publisher later in life, Ed-gar discovers the reason why his former commander hated him. The Publisher is a poignant, whimsical, sometimes satirical tale of a man who overcomes a shameful stigma and eventually finds his vocation.' (Publication summary)

'In the first of these linked stories, Smithy's cupboard has always been his refuge despite its different locations and uses. It serves him well in his childhood days on the Wimmera area broad-acre farm in Victoria where he was born and grew up. He plays with his toy soldiers inside the secret place. As he grows to observe wild life and later hunt game, he makes hides. His career in the army leads him to join the SAS as one of Australia's top snipers. His clever use of hides and secret areas makes him well known and respected, and he is drawn deeply into CIA operations. A family tragedy changes his outlook and leads him into a crime of vengeance. He uses various means to assist him in his own personal therapy and he frequently seeks the confessional, yet perdition ticks away inside his mind like a noisy metronome.

'In She Walks the Line, Dave Smith's daughter Suzie is in the USA on tour with her country and western band. She impersonates Johnny Cash and June Carter with her rendition of 'She Walks the Line'. However, she also has a top secret mission: after courageously disarming a crazed man outside the entrance to the White House, she has been recruited to gather intelligence for the Secret Service. Suzie falls in love with an agent who has a lot of military experience and an undiscovered enemy lurking. Extreme danger, coupled with great humour, follows Suzie, with twists, turns and dramas which she overcomes in her uncompromising fashion. The spirit of her mother offers encouragement and cautions her about aping her father, but in the end she knows what she must do to stop the stalker, because Suzie Smith is her father's daughter, his Doppelganger, who also meditates in a cupboard.' (Publication summary)

'In his first journey, Hamlin Baylis Wells, thirty years an undercover detective, has a major decision to make. His immaculate career and religious convictions are at odds with an impulsive decision not to declare a large sum of money found during a police operation. In the resulting journey of self-discovery, he finds a way to atone for his decision.

'Hamlin's last journey is full of twists and turns for the former policeman. The property for homeless men he established in south-east South Australia is a resounding success due to his efforts and those of his friend Father Kelly. Before Father Kelly's death, there are hints about the incoming priest, who was known as a bully and a schemer. After a violent confrontation, Hamlin walks away to Tasmania, where an inheritance awaits him and he and Sally, his neighbour, become lovers. He resumes his Army Reserve activities with the Medical Corps and is also accepted as a St John Ambulance volunteer. But danger enters his life in the form of an old and bitter enemy from his police days.' (Publication summary)

'Enjoy a kaleidoscope of social history and down-to-earth humour as Cops, Crooks, Courts & Spooks traces the life of Ray Clift through sickness, recovery, sadness, the discovery of the truth about his birth and many life-threatening moments as a long-serving Adelaide police officer, during which he received citations for courage. Not satisfied with a quiet retirement, he moved into a fifteen-year career as a court sheriff’s office in the northern suburbs of Adelaide. He also served some years in the Reserve forces, most of it in Army Intelligence. The book includes accounts of Ray’s contact beyond the veil with Grey Eagle, his spirit guide, who leads him in automatic writing and helps him understand his vivid dreams. Ray also describes his encounters with ghosts, which are revealing and often very funny. ' (Publication summary)

'The sequel to Smithy’s Cupboard finds Dave Smith's daughter Suzie in the USA on tour with her country and western band. She impersonates Johnny Cash and June Carter with her rendition of 'She Walks the Line'. However, she also has a top secret mission: after courageously disarming a crazed man outside the entrance to the White House, she has been recruited to gather intelligence for the Secret Service. Suzie falls in love with an agent who has a lot of military experience and an undiscovered enemy lurking. Extreme danger, coupled with great humour, follows Suzie, with twists, turns and dramas which she overcomes in her uncompromising fashion. The spirit of her mother offers encouragement and cautions her about aping her father, but in the end she knows what she must do to stop the stalker, because Suzie Smith is her father's daughter, his Doppelganger, who also meditates in a cupboard.' (Publication summary)

'Hamlin Baylis Wells, 30 years an undercover detective, has a major decision to make. His immaculate career and religious convictions are at odds with an impulsive decision not to declare a large sum of money found during a police operation. In the resulting journey of self-discovery, he finds a way to atone for his decision.' (Publisher's blurb)