Cirrus@Austlit

'Burnside is where people go to rest, socialise and appreciate peace and quiet—WRONG!

'It’s where over 55 year olds go who are bored, who enjoy a good fight, hate authority, argue like hell, question every rule and regulation, love to interfere in the lives of others and, of course, it is where those who write stories about such people live!

'Gabriel bossed others about in a former life and is never satisfied unless he is the centre of attention but he is continually frustrated! Helga is employed by the village operators but must also heed the wishes and interests of the residents, all the while juggling everything to fulfill her own ambitions. Alex is the caretaker who does his level best to satisfy everyone. He never succeeds!

'This book has women who drive fast cars and fast scooters, men who tell great tales, some who are arch plotters and schemers and many who don’t know what the hell they are doing. They all exist together in the ferment that is Burnside Retirement Village.'

Source: Official website (http://riotousretirement.com/). (Sighted: 25/3/2014)

'Zoe Carter never saw it coming. As the glass front of her helicopter explodes and her leg is torn to pieces, she is tumbled into a nightmare in which her life is threatened by an unknown foe. Rescued from certain death in the frozen wastes of Antarctica, Zoe is determined to discover the identity of her assailant. With death snapping at her heels, Zoe pursues her enemy across three continents, seeking to uncover the deadly secret that is taking the lives of the people around her. How many lives will be lost before Zoe tracks down the murderer? And, when the trap is set, who will be caught?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Lily and Xander should never have met. She is the daughter of a peasant farmer living in the shadow of the ruined palace of Mycenae. He is heir to the mighty city of Carcemish, part of the ancient Hittite empire. But the empire is crumbling and Xander has lost his inheritance to an invading army. Lily knows Xander as a sailor, a pirate, an adventurer. She gives him her heart when she is fifteen and just coming into womanhood and great beauty. In return she receives a piece of amber; a mysterious red-gold stone that echoes the colour of her hair. From that day forward Lily and Xander share an enduring love as they struggle to survive in a world torn apart by warfare and bloodshed. Separated from Xander by treachery and betrayal, Lily clings to the hope that one day the piece of amber will draw them back together again.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Who is Collette? A teenage hippy chick with a baby on her hip living in a northern NSW coastal town. A runaway from her home in the hills. Now she is drifting, collecting men as she goes. But who is she really? Whether she means it or not, Collette changes people's lives. Dissatisfied university student Michael O'Shea, the father of her child. Frank Duncan, the drunken ex-TV star, who hides a shocking secret. Collette's own mother, Nina, still living the hippy dream at Hill End. Even the land itself will not stay the same.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'When the bad fairy Sisygambis escapes from the museum, Briony and Gryff decide to send her far away where she can't cause any more trouble. Petra Petal tells them about the Land of the Lotus Eaters which is the home of all fairies. The Land of the Lotus Eaters is a beautiful island where time doesn't work properly. Lotus flowers smell sweet but they are dangerous. If you eat them you forget who you are and where you come from. Don't eat the flowers, Briony!'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The bad fairy Sisygambis lives in a sandalwood box on the dressing table of the princess Roxane. Princess Roxane's dressing table is set in the window of her bedroom high up in her father's fortress. The fortress is in a lonely valley on the very edge of the ancient Persian empire. So how does the sandalwood box end up in Briony's house in 21st century Brisbane? And how does Miranda end up inside the box? It is up to Briony to rescue her. Again! After all her adventures, going into the sandalwood box is just about the scariest thing Briony has ever done.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'What are dragon's tears? They look like tiny pearls and they are the most precious substance on the face of the earth. What do they do? They make you feel brave when you are stuck in the smelly cave of the bad, black dragon Grendel. But Briony will need more than a pocketful of tears to get her out of this mess. It's a good thing she has her very own dragon to come to the rescue.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

Tez and his girlfriend, Mig, watch in horror as the Old Man flings a newborn baby into the sea. Mig knows the children wrongly made must be destroyed so the god will return his power to the world, but she is approaching womanhood and fears for the fate of her own babies. Short-sighted but far-seeing, Tez has no time for gods of any kind. He and Mig set out for a derelict city seeking the source of the power that turns the lights on at night. If he can take this power to the Old Man, maybe he will be able to save Mig's babies from the sea. (Publication summary)

'Gryff the dragon doesn't like getting wet, doesn't eat food and doesn't understand human behaviour. He and Briony are supposed to be a team. Briony makes wishes and Gryff grants them. Or, at least, that's the general idea. The trouble is Briony knows nothing about dragons and hasn't a clue how to wish properly. It isn't going to be easy ...'

Source: Publisher's blurb.