Cirrus@Austlit

'A young Indigenous Australian boy, Mokiny, from a background based on natural, spiritual values and ways of behaviour, and Bruce, a white Australian boy, whose father does little to encourage his son to walk the right path, become great friends. As they grow older, Bruce veers away from his friend's moral culture and innate knowledge of the bush and becomes a callous criminal. As Bruce (now a hardened, racist thug) sinks yet deeper into crime, he commits an unthinkable act. How will the Indigenous community of Cottam Mills deal with their grief and loss?' (Publication summary)

'Ron & Bettina Taylor headed an Australian family who lived on a small idyllic seaside country property. The oldest of five children, Trish is blessed with movie star looks and destined for stardom. Under her mother's guidance she battles through a kaleidoscope of amateur model quests to become Miss Australia and went on to a bizarre career as an international super model on the world fashion stage. As she lost her virginity so too did the Taylor dynasty as Trish and the family take a rollercoaster ride of power, sex, deceit, love and more sex in a story that is full of colour - and a few shades of grey!' (Publication summary)

'Successful criminal lawyer, Rick Peterson, puts his newfound ability of lucid dreaming to work to create a nostalgic dream destination, Wellstone; a perfect country town where it's always 1959, until a grisly murder shakes his lucid world.

'To save his sanity, he must find out who the murderer is. With the help of his investigator and girlfriend, Lisa Armstrong, he sets out to uncover the truth about Wellstone, and come to terms with his own inner demons.

'In real life, he is pursed by a Sydney gangster and his beloved stud cattle property is under threat from developers.

'For Rick Peterson, life in both worlds is anything but dull.

'Lucid is a psychological murder mystery exploring lucid dreaming and the nature of reality, as well as relationships, Rick's struggle with his feelings towards women and his growing relationship with Lisa.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'An enthralling tale set in wartime Australia, Cry Quietly is a story that will keep you turning the pages until the very end. A tale of romance, fulfilment, violence and dark secrets, we follow Rita, a member of the WRAAF who falls for Tom, the man she ultimately marries.

'But married life isn't the happy time Rita was hoping for, and it soon becomes more about struggles than a happy partnership. With five children to bring up, post-war life has more downs than ups as she fights to keep her family fed, protected and out of danger.

'Errol is the youngest child; a sickly boy from birth. And as he grows up, trouble has a way of finding him, whether he goes looking for it or not. Will his determined attitude and positive outlook on life keep him on the right path or will the daily trials become too much to bear?'(Publication summary) 

'It's World War Two and thirteen-year-old Michaela and fifteen-year-old Hannie are caught up in the horrors of the German occupation of the Netherlands. In Wish You Were Here, we follow their separate paths as Hannie bravely suffers the heart-breaking conditions in a concentration camp while Michaela adjusts to freedom and a new life with her friends - and enemies - after the war. Written as an homage to Anne Frank, this moving and compelling story shows how courage, strength and the power of imagination can pull you through the most challenging times'.

Source: Publisher's blurb

'On a visit to her sister, Eve has confirmation of what she already knows - that her sister, Rose, is not in a happy marriage. While trying to enjoy the break with her sister, Eve finds it hard to put up with her difficult brother-in-law. It's not long before the situation comes to a head. Meanwhile, teenager Perry's own home life is also not a happy one. Often hungry and always ignored, Perry doesn't seem to be as important to his mum as her daytime TV. When he witnesses a house fire and the impressive work of the firefighters, Perry has new plans for his future. But after his mum receives a letter from his school, her boyfriend seeks to teach Perry a lesson. However, Perry soon decides that it's his turn to teach everybody else a lesson.' (Publication summary)

'Gemma Underwood is a renowned psychic. She's wealthy, contentedly single, and living with her adult daughter, Mia, in their hereditary home, Walnut Manor. Along with her psychic healer business partner, and best friend, Lisa, Gemma follows a hectic work schedule. Her agenda lends no time for romantic interludes. When the suave charactered Robert Langton unexpectedly appears on the scene though, and cunningly manipulates his way into her heart, it's not until the pair are married that Gemma realises there's something very amiss about her new husband. As The Orb Within leads its readers into a sickening world of debauchery, incest, and witchcraft, we follow Gemma's desperate bid to expose Robert's darker side. But whereas her bestowed gift enables her to easily dispel malevolent entities, dealing with real life evilness turns out to be beyond her capabilities. Can Gemma's earthbound companions, and spiritual allies assist in her quest? Will Robert get his comeuppance?'  (Publication summary)

'Continue the mystery of Taylor's supernatural life, as we discover answers to impossible questions about her fate as a screaming banshee. Taylor Mistry yearns for understanding to control her curse and continue to protect Harper, the love of her life. Both share the burden of living their life according to the lunar calendar. With each full moon Taylor turns into a screaming white woman who guides other supernaturals into the afterlife, whilst Harper transforms into a dangerous werewolf. Both supernatural creatures reach out to those around them in South Coast to find answers - for with knowledge comes power but it seems it is also followed by life altering danger. Although Taylor is beginning to accept her fate, the twenty-two year old is faced with her own mortality sooner than anyone ever imagined. Revenge is a powerful weapon, sometimes more powerful than the strongest of loves. Will such a love be enough to keep Taylor and her supernatural companions out of harm's way? Or will she have to make the ultimate sacrifice to keep them all safe?' (Publication summary)

'Seventeen-year-old Corey has developed into the perfect pirate, serving under a fine captain and in a position of trust and authority. But even if she is content with her life, she knows deep down it is not complete. Is she really just a pirate, or is there something more? Why do the enigmatic, dashing Sebastian and a sea maiden come into her life?'

(Publication Summary)

'Fourteen-year-old Christian Turner starts his new life in the small town of Almanbury. Unhappy with his father’s decision to move there from South Coast, Christian’s spirits reach a new low. Just when he feels like his life is going up in smoke, he meets Layla Thomas, a bubbly schoolmate, who turns out to be the love of his life. They sweep each other off their feet. It’s the type of love that we all want to find; one that will scare us a little.

From that day, they are Christian and Layla, Layla and Christian. Inseparable, together forever… until, after years of a perfect relationship, Layla disappears from Christian’s life without a goodbye. Devastated, Christian refuses to accept that she left and struggles to move on, wanting to understand why, and hoping she will come home.

Beautiful, romantic, funny and sad, this is a story of two people who are destined to be together. But will they?'

(Publication Summary)

'What do you do when you lose the person dearest to you? How do you dare to live – let alone love, again?

Hope Hadley’s answer to these questions is: you don’t. She returns reluctantly to her home town after five years of studying in another part of the country. Jensen, her uncle and only family, is relieved that she’s back but Hope has only one thing on her mind: to get through life one day at a time, with as little emotion as possible. Little does she take into account that life has a way of happening regardless of whether one is an active participant or not. Her strategy to keep all emotional attachments at an arm’s length works for a while. That is, until she meets Damon.'

(Publication Summary)

'After a year in Europe, Taylor Mistry returns to South Coast a changed woman inside and out. While some people barely recognise the person they have known for years, similarly Taylor doesn’t recognise herself, finding it difficult to fit back into her old life. The once overweight young woman who felt invisible to everyone is suddenly getting attention from all sides: an old infatuation and a mysterious stranger are vying for her attention, while the handsome man who quickly stole her heart back in Italy is still in her thoughts. Life seems more complicated than ever, but Taylor is soon to find out that it’s worse than even she realises. Her life is in danger but she’s not sure why. Are her suitors more than they appear? And does it all have something to do with an act of kindness towards an injured wolf?' (Publication summary)

'Do you know Nora Hadley?

Not many people do; and more and more often these days Nora doesn't know if she even knows herself.

A prude raised by strict Catholic parents to her friends, a student mature beyond her years to her teachers, a responsible daughter to her parents - all of these things fall into freefall as Nora finds herself increasingly fixated on her new literature teacher, William Summers.

A desire to get to know the man behind the blackboard outside of school hours and to discuss the virtues of The Wind in the Willows and Romeo and Juliet cascades into a dangerous path of self-discovery with potentially devastating consequences for the staff and students of South Iris High.'

(Publication Summary)

'Newly qualified lawyer Ruby Edwards is pretty much where she wants to be in life: a new job in a prestigious law firm, good friends, and above all a promising future with Oliver, the love of her life. Why, then, does she feel drawn to the mysterious and magnetically handsome Cole Frost? Why does she feel like she's seen him before? South Coast is a small place but why does he keep appearing in her life? She knows Oliver is the one for her; she has no doubts about that. She would never cheat because that would make her more like the mother who abandoned her than she would ever want to be. But she can't seem to stay away from Cole Frost's piercing silver eyes, which might have seen much more than is usual in a lifetime…'

(Publication Summary)

'You would think that living in a ‘castle’-like house, being waited on hand and foot and being the best player in minor league football with the potential of signing to major league, would be every university student’s idea of heaven. Not in the case of Samuel Saber. Between the scandals and bad publicity involving his father, to the complication that is his love life, Sam Saber’s life is far from the blissful content you would be led to believe. Sam is a simple guy with only a couple of ambitions, so why is it turning out to be so hard to achieve them? Sam begins his journey of a few life lessons and a series of unexpected turns of events with the break up with his year-long girlfriend. Sam soon starts to realise that a name can be a hindrance and that people are not always who he originally thought them to be.'

(Publication Summary)

Dermot Nolan is an award-winning bestselling author who seems to have it all—a successful career, fame, fortune, and a beautiful wife. Between the royalties coming in from his most recent book and the revenue he has received from the film company that bought the rights, Dermot seems every bit the literary darling.And yet, for the last year, he has suffered from a bout of writer’s block, and in the process has grossly overspent his income. So when Dermot comes across an unsolicited manuscript stuffed into his mailbox, he cannot help but feel intrigued. It tells the story of the homicidal “Dream Healer,” who snares his victims via his website, worstnightmares.net, seduces them into revealing their innermost fears, and then kills them by revisiting their very own nightmares upon them.

Dermot, with the help of his wife, begins to rework the novel, while simultaneously researching the individual dream stories. In his search, he very slowly begins to realize that the novel may not be entirely fictional, that these poor characters may have perished at the hands of a twisted torturer. Could the Dreamhealer be real? Could these innocent cyber-surfers have fallen victim to a raving maniac? Just how far is fact from fiction? And could Dermot be writing his own ticket to death...his very own worst nightmare?

Source: Publisher's Blurb