Cirrus@Austlit

'There are days when I sit alone watching the Bombora break at high tide, sitting motionless on a windswept sand dune with the seagulls that flock towards me. I humour them by throwing sticks with a quick flick of the wrist, watching them reduce in number as they slowly determine my worth. But it’s the groper holes that draw me in towards the late afternoon. There’s a big one a few hundred metres south of the point, and when a monster wave hits the underbelly of the cliffs, there’s an ominous lull before it sucks and gurgles, devouring kelp, sea foam and small fish down its black guts. I lay down with my head just above the opening and stick my hand inside to feel the power of its draw, breathing the toxic vapour as if it was my salvation. I slipped a couple of times when a wave broke over the top of me and I lost my hold on the jagged rock. Once I actually fell into the water, right in the middle of an ominous lull. Timed it perfectly. I knew then that life is all planned out, scripted to a certain point by the powers that be, the ones that hide in the stars and push all the right buttons. It takes the fear out of the event, the big day when I’ll break on through to the other side, when I feel the slimy black edges of that groper hole, and push forward until the darkness becomes a permanent fixture.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Joanne Winter has just graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine, ready to save the world from every disease known to man. She’s a doctor that wants to make a difference, but isn’t ready to start a private practice.

'She is called into her Professor’s office and given an action research project to complete; thrown onto the streets of Manchester, tasked to find out if medical drugs can cure heroin addiction. She befriends four girls on the streets and administers concentrated dopamine to one and sugar pills to the others, telling them that they are receiving only dopamine hits, setting up a controlled experiment designed to see how all the girls react and exactly who improves and who doesn’t. During the whole process, Jo learns what addiction is and how it can and can’t be cured, influencing her perspectives on treatment and the role that medicine plays.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Enter the world of international fashion and become immersed in a journey of intrigue, suspense, desire and blackmail. Experience the grandeur of Sarah's journey, as she grows from a shy lawyer to catwalk model on the big screen, fully emancipated and ready to set the world on fire.

'In the heat of the day, Sarah dreams of glitz and glamour, desiring to be more than what she has become. Before this occurs, she must battle her inner demons, a blackmail attempt and become a leader among others, strutting the catwalks of the world as a lead model in the most glamorous fashion shows on earth.

'Follow Sarah’s journey from old to new, from lawyer to model, and from girl to woman. An example that anything is possible and that anyone can change. An adventure where dreams come true, if one can only see new possibilities, and above all… to believe.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Kirra is a 17 year old girl growing up in the Aboriginal community of Karinya in urban Darwin. Her life revolves around her Aunty and boyfriend called Banjo. Kirra seeks a better life for herself and her people, as she is constantly subjected to extreme poverty and abuse; until one day Banjo wins a prize - an all-expenses paid stay at the local resort. Here they are mistakenly identified as robbers and pursued by the police. Through Kirra's journey of self-discovery she grows as a leader of her community and takes over. Through self-determination, she created a movement towards a mutual understanding of contemporary Aboriginal issues in which newly educated people took action to address injustices suffered by Aboriginal people.'  (Publication summary)