AustLit

'During the last devastating couple of years, I’ve suffered immensely, after having my soulmate ripped from my life by a madman. Now; finally, I need to get my shit together. Come and meet Eden; a nanny I employ for the triplets. A local I met, and immediately offered the position. She and I have a connection, as well as a physical attraction that just won't desist, no matter how many cold showers I endure. Her arrival at the farm also relieves my parents of their continued burden as they help me care for my cute kids, allowing them to follow their dreams and travel around Australia. I blame the Birthday puppies, all three of them - one for each of the triplets. It’s their fault that my house has been turned upside down. Mayhem is the norm now and life is pretty sweet. That is until my stupid brother has a paragliding accident and nearly cripples himself. His recuperation at the farm means that I have to return to the city and take over running the business while he recovers, nursed back to health by my woman. Then all HELL breaks loose, when I suspect that she’s looking after him too well. Can Logan and I recover our solid foundation? I doubt it. Forgiving their betrayal isn’t easy, and trusting a woman is harder. Is it possible, or will I end up alone with nothing but heartbreak, a fractured soul, memories, and my children? I’m determined to have my happily ever after with my blued eyed, blonde haired vixen. I’ve earned the right to be happy and loved, after what I’ve been through, and she makes me whole again. Sometimes love is enough, you just have to fight for it. So be it. Bring it on.' (Publication summary)

'We met Luke in Maggie's Five. This is his story. Lemons are a curious fruit. Add enough sugar and they're sweet, but not enough... When I was fifteen, my best friend introduced me to his brother's girlfriend. She stole my ability to see anyone other than her. She stole my ability to want anyone other than her. She stole me. When I was eighteen, I finally got to kiss that girl. Two days later my family and I left Australia to live in America. When I was nineteen, I met Sophie. Then everything changed. My perfectly constructed life, the life I've worked hard to create and maintain, started to crack. Then crumble... then collapse. I don't want to be attracted to her... I don't. She's disorganised and impulsive and messy... Shit she's messy. And beautiful. God, she's beautiful... And mind-consuming and heart kicking and blood racing. And gone.' (Publication summary)

'The trauma from her past still plagues Mia. Memories that she's been trying to bury deep, resurface and she needs to deal with them. Easier said than done, when you have constant reminders. Noah and Mia continue to push forward to find their happy ever after, despite their setbacks. Noah comes to realise that the most important things in his life are right in front of him as he reassesses his career and his life. Despite their problems, happiness surrounds them after the birth, and Mia and Noah are overwhelmed with the responsibility of parenthood whilst dealing with life changing decisions.' (Publication summary)

'Mia Drummond lives in Perth Western Australia, and doesn't want a man after finding her fiance bent over the desk with his young clerk. Moving on to a new job, she becomes Personal Assistant to the CEO of his own company, who happens to resemble Thor. Noah Byrne has other ideas. He wants her in his office, his bed, his life and his heart. All he has to do is convince Mia that she needs this too. The worst day of Mia's life is indirectly caused by Noah and his Company, and they need to fight for their happily ever after. Mia isn't big with forgiveness and somehow Noah has to win back her trust, if they want their forever. Their future depends on it. The Canadian Rockies provide the backdrop for their white Christmas, as they try to come to terms with their plans and dreams, but a blizzard means that they are snowed in together and their dream may come crashing down around them. Sometimes Love Isn't enough."' (Publication summary)

'This latest collection of poems by David Morisset follows his journey through joy and depression, faith and hopelessness, and love and loneliness. Along the way he is immersed in lavish landscapes and encounters the best and worst of people.' (Publication summary)

'This is the story of two, sibling cattle dogs, one red in colour and male while the other is blue and female. This is a story about their first encounter with a green tree-snake and the humorous results. Three follow-on activities invite the reader to participate in the formation of the story's conclusion. The book is colourfully illustrated incorporating larger print to assist the younger reader. Children from ages 5 through 10 years will gain enjoyment from reading or being read this story. It is an ideal story for teaching creative writing in the primary grades, in particular the use of speech bubbles.' (Publication summary)

'BB & Red, are brother and sister cattle dogs who live on a small hobby farm. In this story Red has his first encounter with a steer with hilarious consequences. Designed to be used by parents/ guardians/ classroom teachers this story deals with the lifesaving issue of having a safe place to retreat to when feeling threatened or unsafe. Interactive activities are included to stimulate the creativity of the reader and to draw them into the story and subsequent discussion. Although the story is light-hearted and funny the theme is deadly serious and presented in a non-threatening manner to children aged between four and ten years of age.' (Publication summary)

''When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.' What if I prefer to drink mine with a side of Tequila? A pill chaser? What if I told you to go suck those very lemons until your face puckered so tightly you couldn't see? Then maybe, just maybe you could begin to appreciate what it's like to be me. The one left behind after everything has been shredded away. Leaving you bloody and raw. And worse - alone. Maggie's Five is the story of a young woman's journey through her five stages of grief after the tragic loss of her husband and two children. Maggie desperately attempts to cling on to life as she falls into a downward spiral of self-destruction. She's introduced into a world of alcohol, drugs and meaningless sex. Creating a numbness that she relishes until realizing there is a reason to choose to live again in Luke. Maggie only hopes that she's not too late. Luke didn't think he was worth the effort to overcome his own loss, until he became an inadvertent witness to the tragedy that steals the light from Maggie's soul. Forcing him to face his own demons, he's becomes determined to be by Maggie's side to catch her when she falls. To help each other heal and open his heart to love again. Now all Luke needs to do is convince Maggie to do the same.' (Publication summary)

'When a young man is king hit on the streets of Kings Cross by a drunken reveller the aftermath exposes failures in the legal system that prompt an unscrupulous group of men to implement their own model of justice. Set in the suburbs of twenty-first century Sydney 'Dog Acts' pits the hopes of youth against the fragility of life. It asks questions about vengeance and forgiveness in the context of the city's loss of community. Modern Australia emerges as a nation without a heart and ripe for reconfiguration in the hands of entities with the determination to implement their own distorted visions.' (Publication summary)

'David Morisset's poetry and short stories are difficult to categorise with any precision. His inspirations come from his Australian homeland as well as the wider world. While he is preoccupied with human relationships, he also explores the natural world and its impact on moods and actions. Above all, his work shows his love of words and the ways they can arouse and refresh in all circumstances.' (Publication summary)

'Brutality, deaths, unusual circumstances and unexpected twists, will keep the readers fully enthralled, due to its shocking details, fast pace, violence and sex. This is a suspenseful and relentless thriller, incorporating, macabre murders and anarchy. Caitlin, working as a journalist finds her human boundaries will be severed and duly tested, due to being a target of a vicious and sinister plot, after losing a brother to terrorism. Striving to prevent encroachment of terrorism upon her family, unusual alliances will be built, in order to seek revenge and save innocent lives. A traumatic destiny lies ahead, where terrorists make the rules, leaving police investigations with unsolved crimes and few clues, of Caitlin's secret, coupled with the heart break of a community. Gun runners, wanting a piece of her as the violence escalates, Caitlin will have to confront evil head-on. When faced with a radical crisis; tenacity, nerves of steel and a strong gut instinct is a vital necessity, in order to survive. The frightening question remains, how far Caitlin can be pushed, until she becomes dysfunctional and finally loses control.......... This engrossing saga, depicting cruelty and treachery, also finds Caitlin embroiled in a truly remarkable love affair with a Marcus Garofoli, but Marcus's life as he knew it, comes to a shattering end. Is everything what it appears to be, remembering, violent crimes often have roots hidden in their past. Marcus had struggled to maintain their emotional ties amongst the triumphs and disasters, but nothing could prepare Marcus, for the breathtaking truth......... Meanwhile, Dr. Valerie Marsden, unbeknown to Caitlin was living on the opposite side of the world, struggling with her troubled and tragic past. Their separate journeys are stretching from the streets of Belfast, to cities in Australia, both, with one common denominator. The mysterious, Kathleen O'Brien. Begging the question, who is this enigma and how is the fabric of her very existence, woven throughout these stranger's lives?' (Publication summary)