Cirrus@Austlit

'When Jim and Anne Rennie's first child Patsy was two years old, Jim nearly died of cancer. Jim and Anne never expected to have a second child. Two years later Ellie was born. Diagnosed at birth with Down Syndrome, enrolled in Macquarie University aged four months, this is her story.

'You can call me Ellie is about courage, persistence and at times downright stubborn refusal to budge, as Ellie and her family battle to prove that she is an individual with the ability to achieve beyond all expectations.'

Source: Author's website.

'Set against the steamy tropical north of Papua New Guinea and Australia's Snowy Mountains, the winter playground of the mega-rich, is the story of Kylie Harris, a woman with a thirst for adventure. When glamour and fun turn to tragedy, Kylie is forced to reassess her life, and chooses to help others. As an aid worker she falls in love with Danno O'Keefe, the man of her dreams and her soul mate. Not everyone, however, can be trusted, and happiness is an elusive gift. Tragedy returns and Kylie must rebuild her life in the face of enormous pain and loss. Heartbroken, Kylie is convinced she will never again love so deeply or so passionately.

'She is determined to move forward. But can she find the courage to let go of her past? ' (Publication summary)

'From the steps of the Sydney Opera House came international acclaim . . . but at a price.

'All young Lizzy wants to do is sing, ride the boundaries of her family's Queensland property and dream of one day performing on stage. But when a freak storm hits the area, wreaking havoc and bringing tragedy, she swears never to sing another note.

'Lizzy, however, has a voice as uplifting as the pure beauty of the song of the bellbirds, and others are not quite so willing to let her remarkable talent go to waste. There is the loving but ambitious Sister Angelica, a natural teacher; the vibrant and dangerously attractive Maestro Leonard Rominski, whose charms Lizzy finds irresistible; and the irrepressible Gran, whose love sustains Lizzy through thrilling highs and crushing lows.

'But it is Lizzy alone who will ultimately decide if the price she must pay to sing is too high.' (Publication summary)

'From the bestselling author of Under Southern Skies comes the story of one woman's courage in a man's world.

'Joanna Kingsford is passionate about horses. The scent of leather, sweat and hay, the clatter of hooves – this is the world she shares with her father, the champion trainer Charlie Kingsford.

'Jo couldn't be less like Nina, her socialite mother. Nina wants Joanna to pursue more ladylike interests, like modelling and finishing school; Jo can't think of anything more unlikely, or more dull.

'But a tragic accident changes everything and Nina sees to it that Jo is kept away from the horses that she loves. Heartbroken, Jo is determined to prove she has what it takes to succeed as a champion trainer. In England, amid the winter frosts and the northern skies, her career blossoms and she soon finds love.

'But what of Jo's long-held dream of following in her father's footsteps back in Australia? Can the land and skies of home be so easily forgotten?' (Publication abstract)

'Sometimes life takes you on a journey you never expected . . .

'Alice Ferguson is eight years old when a savage bushfire tears her family apart and she is sent to live with her aunt in the tiny town of Billabrin. Lost and lonely, Alice finds comfort in the beauty of the outback. As her confidence grows she dreams of creating her own home and of one day breeding the best wool in the country.

'Alice's strength and spirit take her far from her roots and the land she loves. As tragedy strikes again, Alice must summon every ounce of her will to keep her dream alive, but nothing can prepare her for the treachery of her jealous cousin or the betrayal of the only man she ever loved.

'A beautiful story of passion, courage and determination from the bestselling author of Under Southern Skies and Ride with the Wind.' (Publication summary)