Books

Two icy blue beads are trained on her every move. If she steps one way and then quickly to the other, the little beads follow. Jess does it now, just to confirm. It’s a little bit like one of those creepy paintings in a horror film. The eyes follow her up to four metres away; she’s measured it several times. She’s always doing little experiments on the baby, recording her findings in the leather bound journal that she keeps in her underwear drawer. She’s never told Brad about the experiments; she hasn't even told her sister. Not that [read more...]

The Russian Revolution forever changed the lives of many in Russia, not least those who had been in the service of the Imperial forces. This book traces the life of a young naval o?cer from his graduation in 1918 in St Petersburg through the ensuing Civil War, to Shanghai in the 1930’s, Indonesia in the 1940’s and 1950’s and ?nally Australia. The ?fty year span of this odyssey takes place during some of the most momentous historical events of the 20th Century, such as the Russian Revolution, World War II and the subsequent painful [read more...]

Frank is a decorated Vietnam combat soldier who returns to civilian life with few skills and an uncertain future. An orphan with no ties, he embarks on an itinerant journey doing odd jobs to support a meagre existence. During his travels, he finds himself caught unwittingly in an armed roadhouse hold-up resulting in murder. Unarmed and unable to assist, he flees in the bandits’ unattended getaway vehicle. In fear for his life, he finds himself ensconced in a sub-alpine wilderness, sparking a police manhunt. During his lonely [read more...]

All for the Love of a Horse is about Catherine, a young 14 year old girl’s involvement with several horses; and a very clever old pony which outwits her and others on several occasions doing incredible things based on fact. Catherine longs to have a horse of her own she can enter and win events with. Her parents, Tom & Elizabeth, are heavily involved with horses, breaking them in and more, but seem too busy to notice Catherine’s desire. Mr Samm is their close old trainer friend (Mr Telford) who features heavily, as does Terry [read more...]

In Australia in 1971-72, there were 10,000 adoptions. In NSW in 1969, roughly 2,000 young women, most of them unmarried, gave up their children for adoption. Helen Armstrong, aged 17, fell pregnant that year and was persuaded to have her baby son Simon adopted out. This theme is closely based on Kathleen James’ own story. Helen still carries a buried grief. Birth mothers had no contact with their children, and only minimal initial information was ever provided. Years later when Helen is divorced and beginning a new phase of life, with [read more...]

At 55 Caroline Landon is internationally famous both as an actor and an activist for environmental causes. But when she meets a congenial young woman of literary talents she decides to collaborate with her on a biography dealing with two aspects of her life which she has not revealed before. One is her upbringing by her grandparents after both her parents died young; the second an eventful period spent on a tropical island where a passionate affair involved her in a failed revolution. The histories of Caroline and her Russian [read more...]

Making Friends Made Simple provides you with the skills necessary to stand out and create a great social life. Meeting people and making new friends will no longer be seen as a fearsome challenge but something to which you can look forward. Through reading this book you will obtain first-hand knowledge about how to: * Understand people * Communicate more effectively * Earn people’s trust * Increase your social confidence. This book is an essential read for anyone who would like to learn how to build greater [read more...]

Tasmania is in trouble. While mainland Australia surges through the backwash of the GFC the island state is struggling. Political infighting, bureaucratic ineptitude and a lack of investment have curtailed progress. Too many people are lodging on ‘Struggle Street’. DI John Mahoney knows this as well as anyone. Of more immediate concern to him is the brutal murder of a prominent business leader. The scale of public interest is high and the Serious Crimes Squad must make headway fast. As the investigation proceeds it becomes clear [read more...]

Amalia marries Cecil in 1933 after a lightning five-day shipboard courtship. She is catapulted from sleepy Lismore in Australia to the wild heart of Papua New Guinea, walking the trail with convicted murderers to her first home, Kokoda, where she erected its first Australian flag. Amalia and Cecil raised their two children in a land of serenity and great beauty, and came to love the people they lived amongst. This is Amalia’s story. A remote station, Higaturu, is Paradise to Cecil, District Commissioner. But Paradise becomes an [read more...]

It's raining, and Alice cannot go outside. So snuggling back down under her covers and closing her eyes, she takes herself on a journey to faraway places full of magic and fun. From underwater gardens, sparkling jellyfish, forest fairies and talking clouds, this whimsical tale shows us that when we use our imagination, anything is possible.