AustLit

(Publication summary)

'Rachael Johns is a bestselling author of 24 books ranging from Romance to Rural Romance to what she likes to call Life Lit. In 2016 Rachael's book, "The Patterson Girls" was named General Fiction Book of the Year at the Australian Book Industry Awards and her star has been rising ever since.

'In this special hour long interview with Pamela Cook, Rachael talks about releasing her latest Life Lit novel "Just One Wish', her long road to success, what she does to fight writers block and why she prefers to call her books Life Lit instead of Women's Fiction.' (Production summary)

'Tessa De Santis's child-free marriage in inner-city Sydney is ordered and comfortable, and she likes it that way.

'When tragedy strikes and her childhood friend Skye Whittaker dies, Tess is bound to honour a promise to become foster-mother to Skye's ten-year-old daughter, Grace, throwing her life upside down.

'Leaving her husband and work-driven life behind, Tess travels to an isolated property where the realities of her friend's life - and death - hit hard. The idyllic landscape and an unexpected form of therapy ease her fears, and her relationship with Grace begins to blossom.

'But a secret from her earlier life with Skye refuses to remain hidden, and Tess is forced into a decision that will either right the wrongs of the past, or completely destroy her future.

'Cross My Heart is a haunting story of guilt, redemption and friendship set in the beautiful central west of New South Wales.' (Publication summary)

'One family. Three Women. Will the lies they tell and the secrets they hide lead to more heartache of will fate bring them together before it's too late?

'Rosie O'Shea dreams of seeing the world. But right now, the Outback hotel she inherited from her husband is falling down around her ears, her bank account is empty and family duty means she's staying put.

'The only thing keeping Stephanie Bailey sane are the rides she takes on their sprawling property, even if the earth is red and barren as far as her eye can see. Drought has forced the sale of almost all their cattle and her husband is getting more and more distant. The last thing she needs is the complications her brother-in-law brings.

'Sydney girl Faith Montgomery is single, out of work and at the age of 31 has just discovered she is adopted. Furious at being lied to for her entire life, she lands a job at the Crossroads Hotel so she can track down her biological mother without revealing who she is. When Cameron Bailey walks into the bar his curious blend of country charm and city savvy has her falling hard.

'A story of deceit, betrayal and love that proves that in the end you can choose your family.' (Publication summary)

'Orphaned at 13, Charlie Anderson has been on her own for a while. Not that she minds - she has her work as a vet, her friends, and most days that is enough. But then she's sent to a small town on the south coast of NSW to investigate a possible outbreak of the deadly Hendra virus. Travelling back, she will find herself torn between the haunting memories of her past and her dedication to the job.

'Returning to Naringup means coming face to face with the members of what is left of her dysfunctional family - her cousin Emma, who begged Charlie not to leave all those years ago, and Hazel, her mother's sister who allowed her abusive husband to spend all of Charlie's inheritance.

'When the local vet dies and more horses are taken ill, Charlie is caught in the centre of a professional, and a personal, crisis. Working with local Park Ranger Joel Drummond, Charlie finds herself drawn not only to Joel but to his eccentric mother, siblings and sister-in-law. Through them, she begins to understand what it means to be part of a family.

'As the panic around Hendra increases, and Emma's husband starts to make threats, tensions in the country town rise. While trying to remain professionally distant, Charlie must decide whether to run away from her family or step up and allow them back in. But can she reconcile with the past and find herself a new future in the town she left long ago?' (Publication summary)

'Miranda McIntyre looks like she has it all sorted. A successful lawyer, she is planning her wedding and ticking off all the right boxes. When searching for something old to go with her wedding dress she remembers an antique necklace from her childhood in the shape of a horseshoe encrusted with pearls. When she asks, her mother denies any knowledge of it. But Miranda is sure it exists. Trying to find answers, she discovers evidence that perhaps the grandmother she thought was dead is still alive. Ignoring the creeping uncertainty about her impending marriage, and the worry that she is not living the life she really wants, Miranda takes off on a road trip in search of answers to the family mystery but also in search of herself. A reclusive old woman and a handsome horse trainer help show Miranda what she is missing. Ultimately, she will find that looking back can lead you home.' (Publication summary)