AustLit

'Separated in infancy, rediscovered by chance, can they unravel a mystery and find a way to reunite? Wistful and passionate, the wayward Cecile d'Armagnac has enjoyed the indulgent childhood of a French noble, but life for the young woman is about to change when she learns of her sister. Catherine Pembroke, a naive novice, has endured a lonely existence behind convent walls, but when Cecile's letter is intercepted by the malicious Earl of Salisbury, the shy nun is thrust into a dangerous and foreign world. Placed into the custody of a cynical knight, Simon Marshall, Catherine struggles to unravel a past that threatens her future as William of Salisbury begins his own hunt - after the girls - hoping to use them as pawns in his desperate quest for power. Trapped by one of England's most powerful lords, Cecile yields to him to save her sister. She flees with the aid of the King's courier, Gillet de Bellegarde, but will her journey see her lose all she holds dear, or just her heart? In an age when women have no control over their lives, Cecile and Catherine find themselves immersed into political turbulence, intrigue, danger and romance. Their hopes of meeting are thwarted by the powerful men around them - even as they provide both distraction and passion, for none appear to be who they claim. The Lily and the Lion will catapult you into a world when knighthood was revered and love was to be cherished.' (Publisher's blurb)

'Two new nurses start their first jobs at a country hospital. But they know nothing about the changes that are on the way, and these changes affect both their lives in ways which they could never have foreseen.' (Publication summary)

'Set in Australia, Mia’s Magic Wand is a fugitive journey from Sydney Harbour to the Kimberley. A mother, a father and a monk all want to fix what’s f****d with the world. Each loves to gamble: the mother with politicians, the father with weapons, and the monk with God. A tragedy forces the gamblers to push all their chips onto the table. The trouble starts when Tate Wolsey—a billionaire philanthropist—dopes the mother, Mia, and rapes her. In an act of bitter revenge, the philanthropist’s wife steals his archive of blackmailing videos and gives it to Mia. All hell breaks loose and Mia ends up with the only surviving copy of the archive, which Tate calls his ‘Magic Wand’. A federal election looms, news of the theft of the Wand leaks out and prominent politicians begin to worry. One of them, the Federal Police Minister, makes a deal with a jailed murderer, Dog, who holds a grudge against Mia. In quick succession, Dog is released from jail, Tate’s wife is killed, Mia’s daughter is kidnapped and Tate is shot through the head. Late one night, Mia arranges to hand over the Wand in exchange for her daughter but the deal goes sideways and a gun battle erupts. In the chaos, Mia and her commando husband rescue their daughter and flee to the mountains—still in possession of the Wand. Trekking to a highway, they hitch a ride with a truckie and travel to the Kimberley where a bloody struggle plays out. Dog is still at large and makes his last attempt on Mia while she’s attending a funeral.'  (Publication summary)

'Something bad happened to Lily at a party long ago and she is derailed from the life she would have had, from the person she would have been. She flounders for years, just getting by, barely managing to keep her head above water. What happened to her affected her parents, especially her mother, who has tried to brush the whole thing under the carpet. Lily has a frictional, almost nonfunctional relationship with her. Eventually she turns detective and tries to find out whodunit so she can get her life back on track.'

'Lily is no victim. She's damaged but not broken. She has a great sense of humour. She's courageous. And then there's Justin. She's perfect for him. He needs someone to make him laugh. And he's perfect for her. He encourages her and loves her just the way she is and is prepared to stick around when things get rough. And they do get very, very rough. ' (Source: Amazon website)

'“The heat is unchanging, unlike Emory’s personality. One minute he's a sociopath, the next he's Father of the Year.” The last thing Selby wants to do on a hot summer’s evening is babysit a bored, ill-tempered child in a sweatbox without air conditioning… But she’s agreed to do her friend a favour. A favour that not everyone appreciates.'

(Source: publisher's blurb)

'Parties are supposed to be fun, especially when underage drinking is involved… What could go wrong? For Whaly, being rejected by her long-time crush is the worst thing that could happen. For Lenore, it's being rejected by everyone. Two friends make a pact to face their own fears in the same night, unaware that the worst thing to happen is yet to come without an invite.'

(Source: publisher's blurb)

Justice is running from the police for an injustice committed against her by her own father.

Except now a new threat has been made, against her and the man she’ll do anything to protect.

The longer she stays in Little Creek, the greater the chance of the police finding her.

But she can’t leave just yet, not until this new threat is silenced.

Source: Author's Blurb

'Mutating magic is everywhere, with ‘normals’ now possessing superpowers. With a dark army gathering strength and the cunning Lord Vincent plotting to seize control of the country of Brugel, it’s up to Ondine and her beloved boyfriend Hamish to expose the truth.

'Chiffon and sequins collide during a pop song contest and last-chance debutante ball that distracts the population from impending danger. These events mask Vincent’s devious plan, which will change the fate of nations and see the spine-chilling return of an old nemesis.

'Amongst the turmoil Ondine discovers that Hamish has been hiding a disturbing secret, which could end their relationship forever. In her darkest hour, Ondine must put aside her selfish needs to lead the people of Brugel in a revolt against the tyrannical forces threatening her family – and democracy itself. As she fights to save those she loves, Ondine grapples with her identity and place in the world. Has she really got what it takes to be a witch… and can magic alone overcome adversity?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'This third enthralling instalment in the young adult fantasy romance series takes a dark turn, as the country of Brugel descends into anarchy.

'Mutating magic is spreading across Europe. 'Normals' are developing supernatural powers at a startling rate and 16-year-old Ondine appears to be at the heart of it.

'To unravel the mystery, Ondine and her boyfriend (and part-time ferret) Hamish infiltrate CovenCon, a gathering of hundreds of witches presided over by wanna-be-witch-queen Mrs Howser. There, she tempts Ondine with an intriguing offer - but can Mrs Howser be trusted? It transpires the powerful witch has her claws in the arrogant royal heir Lord Vincent, in a covert bid to control all of Brugel.

'As dark magic riots break out in the nation's capital, Ondine is left with a heart-breaking choice that could tear her apart from her beloved Hamish. Forever.

'The Winter of Magic is the third novel in Ebony McKenna's comedic and wonderfully weird four-part ONDINE series. Fans will devour this spellbinding adventure, which will have readers gasping in shock and laughing with delight. Occasionally at the same time. ' (Publication summary)

Prada Bryant has it all. A Collins Street Office, a glittering career, a string of influential lovers and extremely useful underworld connections. She even has the best black lingerie that money can buy. Working at the illustrious PR firm Shackle, Hacker and Toss (staffed largely by misfits and the morally reprehensible), Prada collects enemies like other people collect teapots. When she finds herself ‘stuck up’ it’s less a whodunnit than a whowouldn’t - and that’s a very short list. So, everyone has a motive, but who has the nerve? From gangsters and hookers to shonky politicians and cross-dressing, prime-time celebrities, it seems like everyone hates Prada. And they’ve all just got in line.

Source: Author's Blurb

Inspired by the author's experiences while working as a driver/chaperone for sex workers employed by a Perth escort agency.

'In Yasna's family, violence is an heirloom passed down from generation to generation along with the richness of tradition, recipes, love and land.

'After the German invasion of World War II, supported by Serbian Chetniks, has massacred Bosniaks in the Balkans, leaving damaged homes, bodies and hearts in its wake, Samira’s marriage is arranged for her, and she leaves her childhood home with her new husband, Azis.

'Samira struggles to retain her identity and dignity in her marriage with Azis, a bitterly angry man with dark secrets that have consequences for everyone around him. When Samira realises her son, Muhammed, will always be the target of Azis’s anger and aggression, she makes the painful decision to evict him from the house to save his life.

'Muhammed joins Anika and her family, who are fleeing the oppression of Tito’s Communist Jugoslavia across the Austrian border. The pair immigrates to Australia where they face a new oppression in the guise of racism. But Anika faces an even greater danger in simply trying to survive her husband’s beatings and emotional torment.

'Depressed and desperately needing help, Anika attempts to take her own life on several occasions, trapping her daughter, Yasna, into the premature responsibilities of adulthood.

'Unable to shake the emotional and psychological shadow of its past, the family struggles to find new ways to love and respect each other’s differences, but religious conflicts and another Balkan war have devastating consequences on their fragile domestic peace.

'Not Like My Mother is a poignant story about the patterns of violence and lost identity passed down through generations. Tracking the pain and anguish of three women and their families over two continents, as well as the divide between three religions that have torn apart a country and its people. The novel exposes and explores the links between cultural and personal histories of conflict.'

'Falsely accused of a sexual crime in the Philippines RICK DALY, an ex-school teacher loses the love of his life MARILYN, as well as his business. A clash of cultures as well as his own naïveté sees his life spiralling out of control. A prison escape amounts merely to a change of jails. In a world where political correctness has gone mad, reverse socialism forces many honest individuals to the wall, and a cynical disregard for values other than the dollar is decaying society from within, Rick almost loses his soul. Crime follows punishment and it is his very success at drug and arms dealing, that forces Rick to finally face his demons.

'Rick Daly must learn to succeed at love as well as business but he has chosen one hell of a proving field – the Philippines. He is a tenth man, one of those individuals who, through no apparent fault of their own, attract trouble and the blind wrath of authority. While he finds and loses his ideal woman, his few remaining relatives, who live in the U.S., are steamrollered by a collapsed superannuation fund and an avaricious bank. The Neo Con financial culture effectively murders his uncle. His fate draws Rick into contact with an ex Nazi and also Islamic rebels in Mindanao. Imprisonment in the Philippines, Australia and finally the USA, following the events of September 11, causes Rick to turn to crime. His accomplishment at his latest endeavour results in a personal catharsis. Sex, money and power are not enough. Rick discovers necessary spiritual values and the real meaning of the swastika.'

Source: Author's blurb.

An anthology of travel-writing and art designed to raise funds after the tsunami of 2011.

In 1983 President Reagan announced his Strategic Defense Initiative which the press quickly renamed ‘Star Wars’. It was meant to be the definitive solution in the protection of the United States at a time of tension and unease between the US and the USSR. However, after ten years of testing and billions of dollars of funding, the project was finally abandoned in favour of more conventional weaponry by President Clinton.

After 25 years circling the Earth, dormant and cold. One of the ‘Star Wars’ satellites christened ‘Alexis’ is awoken, after a collision in our overcrowded orbit. She returns to her outdated task of defending the US against its cold war enemy.

Knowledge of the satellite is quickly covered up by Senator Brasen, fearful it will affect his promotion to secretary in the new government. He hires mercenary Doug Weller to bring the satellite down.

Amidst a web of lies, deceit between the government and military grows, as Doug’s repeated attempts to destroy Alexis fail, and the measures taken rapidly escalate. His final solution, Resurrect the Space Shuttle Discovery, to use as a modern day trojan horse five years after her retirement.

Discovery must intercept Alexis in orbit before the secret comes out and destroys the Senator’s career and President Reagan’s Legacy.

Source: Author's Blurb