Cirrus@Austlit

'Spring in Paris … the perfect time to turn over a new leaf

'In the heart of a city blooming with flowers, three women face life-changing challenges. Driven by grief over the sudden death of her mother, Corinne, Sydneysider Emma Taylor has taken refuge with her Parisian grandmother, Mattie, in her house with its secret garden. Determined to unlock the mysteries of Corinne’s past, Emma’s only clue is an enigmatic photograph.

'Celebrated garden designer Charlotte Marigny believed she had a happy marriage, until her husband, Tom, inexplicably started to withdraw from her. Needing time to think about the future, she has fled their home in London for her native Paris.

'Meanwhile, widowed Parisian florist Arielle Lunel had finally managed to get her life together, after her husband’s death and the discovery of his crippling debts three years earlier changed everything for her and their young twins. Now, her world is again turned upside down when her controlling parents-in-law arrive with a disturbing proposal...

'Drawn together by loss and the romantic gardens of Paris, the paths of the three women begin to intersect as they develop an unexpected friendship that will transform their lives.'  (Publication summary)

(Publication summary)

'As the children of French expatriates in Australia, yo-yoing constantly between the two countries, my siblings and I grew up in two worlds. And part of that was expressed in different experiences of landscape. In Australia, we lived in Sydney, but my parents also bought a seven-acre bush block in the nearby Blue Mountains, not to build on, but simply to be in the bush. It was my father’s favorite place. We would go there on weekends, and Dad, machete in hand, would clear a path for us through the undergrowth down to the creek. There, we’d sit and eat Maman’s excellent picnic lunch, drink from a canvas waterbag my father had hung on a tree, and try to catch yabbies in the creek. There were dangers: the occasional bull ant or two (ouch!) and once or twice a snake caused much excitement but there were also sweet-voiced birds, and the odd kangaroo (though most of them kept away, given the racket a gaggle of lively kids created!). Back in France, in the southwestern village where we owned a beautiful old house, the nearby forest of Goujon was also a favorite family haunt. There in the green depths filled with birdsong, you might come across hares, rabbits, and hedgehogs and once, a curious young fox. There were dangers there, too—including the occasional viper, but most of all, our father told us, the forest of Goujon was reputed to be enchanted so we must on no account wander off or we might never find our way out again.'  (Introduction)

'Flying high above us, or landing at our feet; chattering in the park and wheeling in the air; in the forest and the plain, the land and the sea, the city and the country, birds live alongside us, with our world, and their world, touching and meeting in a special kind of many-voiced, many-winged magic... Bird's Eye View is an enchanting, funny and touching short collection of poetry and prose by award-winning writer Sophie Masson and pictures by acclaimed illustrator Lorena Carrington, vividly illuminating the world of birds, and the world as seen by birds. A perfect little gift book for any occasion.' (Publication summary)

(Publication summary)

'Life doesn’t always serve up the perfect dish, but second chances are always on the menu There's nothing quite so beautiful as Paris in the spring; and when you add in the chance to learn the French way of food, in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, who can resist? Not Gabi Picabea or Kate Evans who have come from Australia to Sylvie Morel's Paris Cooking School.

'Both are at a crossroads, and learning to cook the French way in Paris, far away from all their troubles, seems like the perfect escape.

'Still bruised from a shocking betrayal by her ex-husband, Kate is trying to find a new place for herself in life, and emotional peace, while French-Australian artist Gabi is struggling with a crippling creative block.

'Meanwhile, Sylvie herself is facing challenges of her own – a mysterious harassment campaign against the School and a reassessment of her relationship with her commitment-shy lover Claude.

'For each of the women, that extraordinary April in Paris will bring unexpected twists and transformations that will change the course of their lives.

'A delectable novel about love, hope and the consolations of the perfect strawberry tart, The Paris Cooking School is a treat for the soul.' (Publication summary)

'Ancient Roman province of Britannia, AD 84.

'Eleven-year-old Livia has known no other life than travelling alone with her father, a respected eye doctor, for her mother died when she was born. But now her father has died too and Livia has to keep a promise she made him: to take a mysterious key to her estranged uncle Marcus. She has no idea what it opens, and she has not seen her uncle for years.

'But she is determined to keep her promise and sets out with the key, her old horse Pegasus and her father's medicine kit, only to learn that her uncle has left for a friend's place in Viroconium, further north. By the time she reaches that town, her uncle has gone, and his friend, Aurelius Silvius, won't tell her where he is. It seems her quest is at an end: until a boy named Mato informs her that he knows where her uncle is headed. But he refuses to tell her unless she promises to take him with her.

'As Mato and Livia journey on the trail of Livia's uncle, they begin to suspect that the secret of the key is extremely dangerous. But just how dangerous, they will soon learn. And now Livia and Mato must keep their wits about them or pay with their lives. But figuring out just who is friend, and who is foe, in this game of cat and mouse, is the greatest challenge of all.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Every morning early, when no-one’s about, Satin slips out of the forest and walks along the sleepy sunrise streets, looking for blue...

'He’s collected all kinds of blues, from all kinds of places. He’s making something beautiful, with all those blues. But something’s missing, and he doesn’t know what it is. And then, one day, he comes to a street he’s never been in before. And what he finds there will change his lonely life forever. 

'A beautiful, haunting fable by award-winning writer Sophie Masson and acclaimed illustrator Lorena Carrington.' (Publication summary)

'The legend of King Arthur began in Britain. But it is in twelfth-century France that the stories really took off, with gifted writers creating a panoply of vivid new characters and elements such as Lancelot, Perceval, the Grail and the doomed love between Lancelot and Guinevere, within a richly imagined, action-packed world of adventure, magic, romance and mystery. Women as much as men are important characters in the French stories, there’s an intriguing take on shapeshifters and other supernatural beings, and fascinating glimpses of the patterns and customs of medieval life as well as explorations of conscience and the true nature of courage. In the process these extraordinary medieval writers, such as Chrétien de Troyes and Marie de France, created a whole new immensely popular genre of literature whose appeal and influence endures to this day.

'This beautiful new collection of stories translated and powerfully retold by Sophie Masson and superbly illustrated by Lorena Carrington will introduce you to some of the most striking tales and extraordinary characters and places from the French Arthurian tradition, transporting you into a gripping, magical world like no other.' (Publication summary)

(Publication summary)

'It was meant to be the experience of a lifetime, for Australian twin sisters Helen and Alex Dorian, to walk the famous Camino from Saint Jean Pied de Port in the French Basque country, to Santiago del Compostella in Spain. But Helen injures her leg on the very day they arrive in Saint Jean and has to stay behind in the town while Alex goes on alone.

'A disappointed Helen tries to make the best of things and keep up with Alex via phone calls and blog posts, but it's not easy. But an unexpected meeting with Tony Garcia, an old schoolmate who is in Saint Jean to explore his Basque ancestral roots, begins to change things for Helen, as she and Tony investigate the mysteries surrounding his family's past.

'And then Alex goes missing...

'A lively, thoughtful short novel by award-winning writer Sophie Masson, A Hundred Words for Butterfly explores family relationships and the past's effect on the present, with a light touch and a vivid sense of place.' (Publication summary)

'In 1942, 12-year-old Nick lives in Rose Bay, Sydney, with his mum, dad and sister, and dreams of becoming a writer like his dad. But with the world at war, Nick is constantly on alert for anything that seems out of the ordinary and then late one night he sees it!  A plane! But no-one believes him! Then, the unimaginable happens. Sydney is attacked! And Nick starts noticing people behaving strangely. Is it just his imagination or something more sinister?' (Publication summary)

'After the adventures of Four On the Run, Maxie, Flash, Lady and Fergie's lives have changed, because though they still live on the farm, they are now all spruced up and about to take part in their first film, The Famous Four. Part of it is set overseas and the four friends and Mrs Brown will be travelling to the set by a luxury cruise ship chartered by the film company. It's the first time any of them - including Mrs Brown! - have been at sea, and they are nervous and excited.

'Everything goes well - until the big storm. Washed overboard in their luxury container, the four friends find themselves landing on a desert island. At least, it seems deserted, at first... but soon they become aware someone else is there. Someone who is not very friendly - a rusty old tank that thinks there's still a war on! They need to escape from the island and get back to their ship and very worried Mrs Brown. ...but how?' (Publication summary)

'Imagine a world where all seems normal yet nothing is -a world very much like our own yet jarringly unlike. A world where two clandestine organisations, the Ghost Squad and the Base, are engaged in a secret battle for control of information so dangerous it could literally change life as humans have always known it…

'A bold, exciting novel with thrilling twists and turns, The Ghost Squad is a novel that will keep readers guessing – and keep them awake at night!' (Publication summary)

'Happiness can be found in little things.

'Where Happiness Hides is a story we often tell our children and ourselves. It is about children who find pleasure in small things: in a bowl of soup, in beetles, in discovery, in sunshine and shadow, in disappointment and in hope. Meditative and inspiring, this story invites readers to savour the moments and minutiae of everyday life.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'France is classic fairytale territory. Not just because it’s where many of the most well-known and beloved fairy tales were first written down in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, or because it’s where the term ‘conte de fées’ was invented. France, with its fascinating regional cultures, glorious castles, gorgeous countryside and tumultuous history, lives and breathes fairy tale in a uniquely powerful way.
'French Fairy Tales gathers five stories from different parts of France: some well-known, others newly translated into English. Full of adventure, magic, mystery and romance, with a light-hearted dash of humour and a sprinkling of surprise, these stories feature unforgettable characters: tragic shape-shifters, monstrous creatures, mischievous tricksters, witty youth – and many different kinds of fairies!
'Chosen, translated and superbly retold by award-winning French-Australian writer Sophie Masson and enchantingly visualised by acclaimed illustrator Lorena Carrington, these stories will transport readers into the potently magical heart of the French fairy tale tradition. (Publication summary)

'The publishing contract is the central legal feature of any publishing professional's life, whether creator, literary agent, or publisher. And with small press becoming an ever more important part of the Australian publishing scene, the contracts landscape has diversified and become more complex. There's a wealth of information on what you should and shouldn't do, and what the perfect contract looks like. But what's it like in reality, beyond the clause and sub-clause? For though it's an important legal document, the contract also represents an intense lived experience for all those who are a party to it, especially in the small-press sector. This article, based on interviews with a range of creators (authors and illustrators), literary agents, small-press publishers and industry body representatives, presents an illuminating snapshot of the contemporary contract experience in the Australian small-press sector. Not intended as a formal analysis of the contracts landscape but rather as an intimate insight into the individual lived experience of contemporary Australian contracts, whether that be for creators or publishers, the article addresses questions covering the contemporary challenges and opportunities of ‘signing on the dotted line’.' (Publication abstract)