AustLit

'At 3.00 a.m. on 18th July, 2014, Mal Garrett and his wife Liz were awakened in Paris by a phone call with the sort of news no one ever wishes to receive: Liz’s sister Jill and Jill’s husband Roger, from whom they had parted only two days before after a delightful river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam, had been on their way home to Australia on flight MH17, when it was blasted out of the skies over Ukraine.

'In the days, months, and years ahead, Mal found solace in expressing his pain in poetry. As a former English teacher and author of English textbooks, this was a natural medium for him.

'Having found his poetic voice, Mal has continued to write poems, both in response to loss but also to capture joy and to reflect on current issues. A particular joy has been that of being a grandparent.

'Mal is dedicating any income made from the sales of this anthology to assisting the people of Ukraine.' (Publication summary)

'A mysterious letter arrives for Michael, enshrined with three secretive and ancient symbols that would forever change his life.

'The letter informs Michael that he is assigned a sacred mission to walk a forbidden bridge, but first he will have to defeat the army that surrounds it. But how would he do this and keep his loved ones safe from the Brotherhood of the Bridge, who seek to destroy him and all that is good in this world?

'Michael, his friends, Zacharias and Cisco, and lover, Adeona, go on an action-packed, high romance, breath-taking, daring, and suspense-filled journey across the world and into other dimensions on their sacred quest.

'On a collision course with the most ruthless, uncompassionate, and foul beings in the universe with love as his sword and faith his shield, Michael learns where impossible starts, miracles are born.' (Publication summary)

'Jandamarra is an aboriginal warrior of the spiritual Kimberley area of Australia, home to the tribe known as the Bunuba people. Jandamarra is a legendary hero of the 1890s known to his people as a Jalgangurru, a magic man, due to his extraordinary skills and abilities.

'He is a cheeky, likeable boy, and a quick learner. At around 12 years of age, Jandamarra, named Pigeon by the whitefellas, begins working on a sheep station, where he learns to shoot, ride horses, and live among the whitefellas. These are skills which will serve him well in his manhood. He is popular among whitefellas and enjoys the excitement and movement of their way of living, but the time comes when he must return to his tribe for initiation into manhood.

'Jandamarra is torn between black and white cultures. But how can he belong to two different worlds with each pulling at his loyalties? How can he be accepted by one without rejecting the other?

'This powerfully spiritual story of the legendary Jandamarra is based on extensive research of people and events.' (Publication summary)

'Arianna is a six-year-old girl whose normal life was one day interrupted by her dad being in an accident and losing one of his legs. Her playful and carefree days with her dad had been replaced with sadness, worries and frustration. The outlook of life was bleak and challenging. However, with strengths, positivity and patience she went back to her old routines with extra special new 'normality' in her daily life with her dad.' (Publication summary)

'Get ready for a whirlwind ride as this book takes you on a captivating journey through the tumultuous life of the author's mother. Beginning with her affair with the author's father in 1935, the story delves into the complexities of their relationship, including two abortions, familial conflicts, and a marriage that was granted permission by an investigating Magistrate. Tragically, the story takes a sharp turn with the sudden death of the author's father in a motorbike accident.

'As the author's mother navigates through the aftermath of this tragedy, the book explores her subsequent loves and children, all while weaving in a powerful thread of mental health struggles, including suicides, incest, and numerous deaths over the years. One particularly intriguing aspect of the story is the long romantic liaison between the author's mother and a Chelmsford Royal Commission doctor, who later confesses to the affair. 

'The book also offers a unique glimpse into the functioning of a modern family coping with immense stress. With a compelling narrative and a richly detailed account of the author's family history, this book is sure to keep you hooked until the very end.' (Publication summary)

'An hour's drive from the small town of Brumby Flat, a new murder mystery gradually reveals itself in a place where hushed whispers of lost people, secret loves and big ambitions collide and spark.

'Senior Detective Phillip Duncan is forced to come to terms with a personal tragedy which happened within Beecham's Bridge National Park over 30 years ago.

'As the thirty-second and third anniversary of the Park's infamous folk festival begins, pure evil returns. When folk music legend Hannah Dee Wainwright arrives, her 'Diva' behavior rocks the festival staff and locals alike which leads to a quick earthly dispatch. Duncan encounters a motley new band of likely suspects.

'Banksia Ava Peterson is a 20-something dynamo who runs the family roadhouse and motel single handed, dreaming of a better life somewhere far away. There's the worldly new partner Duncan must learn to work with. And to add to Duncan's inner turmoil, sparks fly with a sexy young firefighter which will test his new relationship, just as the body count starts to rise around him.

'A cold-blooded killer is on the loose in the National Park and no one is safe. Is Detective Duncan too close to the truth this time to see the wood for the trees?' (Publication summary) 

'Join Ornella Moon on a life-changing journey in Return Into the Unknown. When her life is turned upside down, she follows her instincts and sets out to rediscover herself.

'Venturing into unknown territory, Ornella encounters both beauty and danger. She bravely embarks on a path without plans or itinerary, discovering her strength and resilience as she meets love in all its different forms and undergoes a powerful process of soul and mind healing.

'As Ornella navigates the unknown, she confronts her fears and faces her past, inspiring readers to question their own lives and consider the possibility of finding their lost selves.

'With captivating prose and rich imagery, Return Into the Unknown is a tale of self-discovery, resilience, and the transformative power of love.' (Publication summary)

'A reception is being held at the prime minister's official residence, The Lodge, to celebrate democratic multiculturalism in Australia, when a young guests suddenly attacks the prime minister.

'Walking through the parkland to a jeweller to buy his wife a birthday present, the prime minister meets several seniors enjoying the sunshine. He also meets a man from Iraq who has no job but has been offered one by a terrorist group.

'The prime minister also meets a young man who has a brother living in Bradford, England, connected to a formidable terrorist group responsible for terrorist acts all over Europe.

'Trying to get his motorcade through a large crowd of protesters, the prime minister walks out to plead for access to his next appointment. A lunatic shoots for fun and hits him in the shoulder.

'The story involves ASIO, terrorist recruitment, spy agencies and international connections.

'Will the terrorists prevail? Will the prime minister survive?

'Will China cause trouble next to an American Naval Base and RAAF Base?

'All this, and much more, is revealed in this gripping political thriller.' (Publication summary)

'Lt John Knight returns to the New Guinea frontline. He now leads small teams of special forces soldiers, who operate behind the lines, in the fight against the Japanese. The war has turned for the Japanese with Allied forces slowly pushing them back. But they are hanging on and are not a spent force.

'Nothing has changed. It is still a fight to the death.

'But now the allies, including John's team, know how to fight the Japanese in the jungles of the Pacific. The Allies are no longer the pushover that they were at the beginning of the war.

'John and his team are always on their own, and a long way from help, when they take on the Japanese. John continues to rely on cunning battle tactics and ferocious gunfights to ensure his team is punching above their weight. But will this be enough to overcome superior Japanese forces?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A sociopath managing an aged care facility: What could go wrong?

'Precocious and pretty Maxine Gilbert is a clever and talented nine-year-old, adored by a doting father. She is also cruel, sadistic and without remorse, delighting in manipulating others and torturing small animals. When her mother is diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease, Maxine is disgusted, not just by her mother's disability, but by the inconvenience it brings. Watching a nurse care for her mother, Maxine learns that nurses can hurt or heal. Maxine decides to be a nurse when she grows up.

'Forty years on, after countless complaints against her nursing in various clinical care settings, Maxine scams a job as Managing Director of an aged care facility, Treetops, and the residents are in for a rough time.

'Under Maxine's management, physical and medical restraint of residents is encouraged, and neglect, poor hygiene, and restrictions of residents' liberty, nourishment and medical support are exhorted. Frightened, depressed, and malnourished residents are left isolated, locked away, and laying in their own waste. They develop excruciating infections, suffer illness, and even die. Maxine faces rising antagonism from Treetops' residents, and their friends and family.

'A new carer at Treetops, Seleena, who recently escaped an abusive marriage, cannot stay silent. Along with warning residents, and others, Seleena writes a letter of complaint. After finding a suspicious lump in her breast, could Maxine, who always hated illness and vulnerability in others, finally learn compassion? Or will she continue her ruthless ways?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The early years of the New Millennium. The High Veldt on the Dark Continent. A young family is ripped apart by a brutal, pre-meditated home invasion. The unknown assailants escaping into the night.

'Fifteen years later the South West of England is rocked by a series of devastating, suspected terrorist bombings, putting the nation on high alert.

'Investigations uncover connections to these tragedies with a catastrophic IRA car bombing in Northern Ireland a generation earlier.

'The team at Moorland Forensic Consultants battle conflicts of interests and personal crises as they work with government scientists and a compromised, faltering local law enforcement to bring the bombers to justice.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'As soon as you discover Fraser walking backward and barefoot on the Meadows, Edinburgh Castle splashed by Hogmanay fireworks, you will be hooked.

'You will be further compelled when you find out Edinburgh is a character in the novel, her worried eye on Fraser that ominous night.

'Allow yourself to be both warmed and appalled with the characters you will meet, all in some way dealing with core human concerns that resonate with us all.

'Taking place in such a charming location, this is a book that celebrates the spirit of the city and its people whilst exposing the underbelly that can destroy all of us.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Nearly two years after a serial killer let loose with havoc in Brumby Flat, intrigue, unexpressed desires and murder ride back into town.

'A long-awaited wedding celebration turns sinister when a bridesmaid nearly drowns in the local dam. Once again, Senior Detective Phillip Duncan is drawn into the initial investigations, but quickly becomes the prime suspect. Gradually the small South Australian town starts to believe he fits the profile of their new deadly threat.

'Some familiar characters return from The Big Dead Dry. Raquel Willaston is still living with the charismatic silo painter Phil Proctor and Anabella Williams has returned after serving time in a correctional centre for the accidental death of the local Mayor. Raquel's son Steve is now the local rookie cop, quickly learning how to cope with the evil circumstances unfolding around him. Then there are the new folks in town, the crafty Tanaka family with their rebellious beautiful daughter 'Yankee' who Steve becomes obsessed with.

'Pretty Dead Ordinary sums up the order of things to come. Detective Duncan is forced to work harder than ever to prove his own innocence and hopefully bring the real killer to justice.' (Publication summary)

'Matilda at the Beach is set within the beautiful coastal area in Tasmania called Low Head. The book is full of wonderful places that you can experience alongside Matilda: the picnic at Pilot, the shipwrecks and so much more.

'Matilda will also introduce you to the creatures she meets there: Tommy the tortoise, Alwin the albatross, Sammy the seal, Ellen the pademelon and Saffi the swan. By following Matilda and her friends - along with Mintie, her faithful Labrador - you can experience the sights and smells of the wonderful adventures at the beach.

'Using the treasure map at the start of the book, you can trace Matilda's path from Pilot Beach, then Poo Corner, to the Castle and on to the Fairy Penguin Reserve. As you weave your way across the bay under the Norfolk pines, the sand between your toes, you will be ready for any adventure.'  (Publication summary)

'Alexia and her brother Brad travel out beyond Yass River to bring home Duchess, the beautiful black pony with the four white socks.

'The clever Duchess has many pony tricks in store for her new family, but proves to be very brave, when things go amiss at Pony Club Camp.

'Alexia dreams of competing with Duchess at the annual Royal Show, but there are lots of obstacles to jump first!'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The Adventures of Wigduck is an exciting story about three small animals who are very good friends. Wigduck, Tommy the Ant, and Marcos the Beetle hang out with each other all the time, having fun with whatever they do.

'Come and see for yourself all the fun they have!' (Publication summary)

'Have you ever wondered who lives on the dark side of the Moon? Well wonder no more as you are introduced to the one and only Karillapig. The Karillapig lives on the dark side of the Moon and is here on Earth to 1) Investigate our strange Earthly ways, and 2) Find out how exactly Earth beings achieved space travel. In his quest to find out how Earth beings achieved said space travel, the Karillapig causes chaos and mayhem as he mistakes several everyday objects for spaceships and wreaks havoc in the residence of Derek and Doreen Bumblebottom. The Karillapig has snuck down to Earth behind the back of the evil, not-to-be-trusted Kired, leader of A.R.S.C-the Moon union. Kired, along with several other Moon critters, have been in the same meeting about a meeting for over 50 years, and so have not noticed the Karillapig's absence from the Moon. The Karillapig is not alone on Earth. Other Moon critters have followed him... This can only mean one thing; double chaos and mayhem as Earthly investigations continue...'  (Publication summary)

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