When Daniel Starr stumbles upon the remote Outback town of Taxi, his life takes a surreal turn. Drawn into a web of deception, hidden truths, and chaos, Daniel uncovers secrets about the town’s eerie crematorium, Medi-Corp’s schemes, and a looming cosmic threat. Amid the turmoil, he finds love and unravels the curious role of taxidermy in Taxi. A Town Called Taxi is a gripping tale of love, immortal souls, and friendships forged in a mysterious, off-the-grid town where escape is impossible.

George and Peg's 60-year marriage faces challenges as George shows early signs of Lewy Body Dementia, a misunderstood and often misdiagnosed condition. As George's behavior changes, tension builds between them, straining their once-perfect bond. The story highlights the devastating impact of this silent, life-altering disease.

Originally in four volumes, Casus is a compilation of stories which will take you on an intriguing exploration of the human experience, as you witness the intricate dance choreographed by destiny and choice.

Expelled from Sandhurst, Marcus Rhodes transforms into a Grom agent investigating an American 'invasion' of Norway alongside Norwegian FSK agents and a Serbian Policeman. Amid rising suspicions within NATO, they unveil a global conspiracy, navigating a treacherous path where trust is scarce in this gripping tale of espionage and intrigue.

In the heart of a Kenyan game park, a retired policeman’s death shatters the tranquil landscape. Officially marked as the work of Masai tribesmen, doubts linger for two young biologists, Marion and Nicholas, who knew the victim well. Determined to uncover the truth, they plunge into a treacherous investigation, only to find themselves entangled in a web of deceit and danger.

"In The King of San Francisco, drug-dealers, dreamers and femme fatales swim in the sunlit swimming pool of 1970s California - but the garden hides more guns, drugs and low-life than Philip Marlowe ever encountered. Even the sea breeze is reefer-sweet, a soul-soup of poetry, philosophy and danger. You can’t help but inhale." – Graham Kershaw (The Home Crowd, Dovetail Road, Undersummer).

Cotton Trash is the gripping third installment in the eco-thriller series featuring investigative journalists Jack Miller and Sharon Davis. Set in rural Australia, the duo receives an anonymous tip about unusually high cancer rates in their community. Their relentless investigation uncovers a web of corruption involving politicians, bureaucrats, and a powerful multinational pharmaceutical corporation. At the heart of the scandal is a dangerous herbicide used in cotton farming, leading to a deadly cover-up that puts Jack and Sharon in grave danger.

A sprawling tale of life, death, love loss and heroism
Letters From a Hard Country is a sweeping tale of conflict, murder, action, adventure, family bonds, politics, romance, love, and loss. A story of heroes and villains, good and evil, and a tragic genius who left a lasting legacy. Award-winning broadcaster and master storyteller Bob Maumill takes readers from a beautiful part of Wales to the hard country of the eastern goldfields, Kimberley region, and arid outback of Western Australia.

Death in the National Capital
Inspector Lech Investigates. 
Most people see Canberra as Australia’s National Capital and the headquarters of its Federal Parliament and boring politics.  Of course it’s much more than that.  A city of over 400,000 people, of monuments and important institutions and sporting organisations.  It’s not the perfectly planned city envisioned by its creators however, human nature sees to that.  So we have crime – and murder.

Death in ways diverse and not always intended
Canberra, Country, City, whatever, wherever, the subject is the same.  People die, motives are mixed and popular Detective Inspector Maria Lech is back, relocated to Canberra. Enjoy the mayhem.

Dazzled by Dollars is a tale of impending downfall and a window to a high corporate chaparral where appearances are not always what they seem. In a comic nod to The Big Short and Barbarians at the Gate, capital markets luminary, Robert Verlander, shines a singular light on how big organisations roll.

It is the year 2204, and things are not quite right at The Bibliotek – the world’s largest library and the last hope for the books stored in its 75 subterranean levels. Mads Ingridson, the Bibliotekar, or the ‘Keeper’ as his staff call him, is facing a hidden threat on several fronts. His best friend and colleague, Rafe Nagy, the most senior and best Finder of books for The Bibliotek, is also a target. But why? Is the sect that is determined to finally rid the world of printed books behind the escalating danger, or something or someone else?

Set against a backdrop of organized crime, high school sports, and a human trafficking network, the stakes have never been higher for Addison. Can he stop the monsters in time? Or will he lose everything trying?

The body of a young woman is found roughly buried in a remote spot in the Queensland Gulf Country. Forensic evidence from maggots in the body suggests that she must have been killed in Papua New Guinea, but the body could not possibly have moved from PNG to the Gulf within the timeline available.

1962, a time in the Western world emerging from society’s constraints. Annabelle is soon to be married. Having lived her life as the perfect daughter, she feels stifled. She requests one year to travel and learn about herself. Against the wishes of those closest to her, she sails away.
She finds herself in deep, murky waters. It is more than her knowledge of the world has prepared her for.

When Detective Addison Mowbray begins investigating the murders of two young women in the Hollywood Hills, he can’t  imagine where the case will lead. He suspects the crimes were inspired by an occult fascination, due to some missing body parts and the inverted Christian cross branded on the victims’ breasts. 

He’s not quite a God, but Red Cordial Man is a superhero who saves innocent humans from EVIL. 
When the distress call goes out and people are in trouble, Red Cordial Man leaps into action.
What follows is an adventure that will take him through space and time and even to before colour was invented. Will Red Cordial power be enough to save the universe?

He’s rough, he’s casual, he’s completely unrefined and raw. Without conscience or fear, just like a proper comic book hero should be.  No question. Plus, he’s super funny. In a dark and disturbing way.
Red Cordial Man Volume Two. The Deathening.

In this, the eagerly-awaited Continuation of the Evaluation, "To Exodus, and Beyond!" goes boldly where angels fear to tread: by adroitly dissecting Exodus, the second book of the Old Testament, with the razor-sharp scalpels of Logic And Rational Thought. So, grab your beverage of choice, get comfy and strap yourselves in for an ancient journey of stellar proportions!

Danny – just an ordinary boy, decides one day that he won’t be bullied or pushed around anymore. Trouble is, when he fights back, his nemesis winds up dead with a knife in his heart.

This is a story of close calls and fatal outcomes. Danny’s life is not one for the fainthearted, it’s simply – a desperate battle for survival!

Private Investigator Nick Jarratt finds himself drawn into a world of the criminally insane and murder by a beautiful auburn-haired woman. She tells him her stepbrother is missing and is desperate to find him, but doesn’t want the police involved. Despite this Nick contacts his best friend Detective Pete Drury, who after some digging tells Nick to be wary as this looks like being a lot more than just a simple missing persons case.

An outback tale of murder, mystery and love

South Australia, 1882. Eighteen year old Bethany Friend leaves Adelaide with her baker father and younger sister to reopen Farina Bakery. They travel hundreds of miles overland on dusty corrugated tracks only to be assaulted and robbed some twenty miles short of Farina.

Sol y Sombra, a cocktail, a type of ticket bought at a bullfight, and the name of a discotheque in Western Mexico made infamous by barbarism. Alcohol, machismo, excitement, and violence, all feature in this account of an epic journey undertaken by two friends. Their road adventure takes them from New York City to the Pacific coast of Mexico.

The story is set in 2014, with Joe as one of its characters. He is a decorated 66-year-old Vietnam veteran with PTSD who runs The Rocking Chair Motel. A 12-room establishment located on a lonely West Texas highway. Travellers arrive, and each have a story they are unable to tell. The book is for the mature reader who can continue to think about disquieting material while continuing to trust in an author’s positive intention.  

Open the book. Wild confusion, uproar, disorder. A place of chaos. The abode of all the demons. Pandemonium. The title of the book. The title of one of the seven poems herein. A crowded place of noise and manic activity. The opposite of stillness and silence. The quiet of the countryside smothered by mist, and the stark beauty of an empty fen. Nature features here, as well a disparate bunch. Night-owl jazzmen, rocketeers, burglars, and number fifty-six on the roll of the omnipresent eye. This is your invitation to a sticky-fingered feast.

Sometimes the stories grandparents tell seem just that, stories. After the death of her mother, Joanna Fallon visits an old lady who claims to be her grandmother, Maria. She tells Joanna a detailed story of how she met her grandfather, David, and how they ran a yacht charter business in the south of France in the late 1930s. David disappeared at the beginning of World War II. 

Freo vs Peppermint Grove and bohemia. A battleground between the have-nots and haves. It seems that everyone wants a piece of Mr Nyx, especially the alluring Perdita, and Stella’s adorable strippers who perform in the club below ZEN’s office.

'A PLACE AMONG HEROES Return of Hope' is Book 2 in the fifth volume of The Liberty & Property Legends saga, beginning where Book 1 'Rise of Hope' left off. Finding the strength inside yourself to be the hero of your own life just might be the most courageous thing you've ever done.

'Who is this man Susan finds herself married to? What is her secret? What does she know? Can Susan love her husband, Tony Caperelli, flawed, caring and battling hidden demons? What is his hidden world?

A mysterious stranger arrives in town to set up a secret research facility and, recognising Warren’s flair for science, asks him to come and work there. He jumps at the chance, but is there more to this research than meets the eye? Troubling things start to happen around town and Warren realises that not only is the world not as black and white as he thought, the choices he is faced with may be a matter of life and death.

Mystery, romance, grief, and exhilaration bind the family and community together in a gripping adventure as the Turners exploit technological developments and manage social change. 

This is the second Turner novel from James Seymour.

From ruptured relationships and financial ruin to redemption and transcendent romance, this epic novel follows the fortunes and adversities of the Turner family as they wrestle with lives upended by technological and social change.

Danger is brewing on the streets of Belfast
It's ten years since peace came to Northern Ireland but not everybody is happy with the transformation. An alliance of dissident republicans and Jihadists is plotting a fresh campaign to force a final British withdrawal from Ireland. Having stumbled across the plot, Belfast journalist Terry Casey, who survived a bombing as a child, is once more a target.

After the death of her father, fourteen-year-old Eri Yoshikawa and her mother, Natsuki, try to outdistance despair by moving from their memory-laden apartment in Osaka to a tiny village in a faraway valley, where Natsuki has gained a job teaching. Here, culture-shocked Eri starts her new life and learns that there are many ways the heart can break and be healed.

A riveting tale of a family’s fabric unravelled by one false strand
Not just a love story—this is a riveting exploration of a family’s truth, lies and redemption. An unforgettable and uplifting read for anyone who has ever hidden a secret, been betrayed or lost someone they deeply love.

Why would a shady businessman go to considerable lengths to disappear overseas only to return home to Canberra to be murdered? One of several questions puzzling John Order from a casual association with the man, along with why another local businessman wants him to stay away from his dealings with a big developer. Twentieth century crime and tragedy lies behind Order’s eighth involvement in deception and death.

The year is 2043. World War III is far from over. Cities around the globe have been torn apart and former alliances have broken down. Just as the war looms closer to Australian shores, enemy battleships are ambushed and thousands are killed at sea. Ash Griffin, a lone survivor, seeks refuge on a remote island somewhere in the Whitsundays. Before long, Ash realises he is not alone. A pilot from the opposing military has also washed ashore. A game of cat and mouse ensues, but Ash cannot deny his own demise is imminent.

Keep it hidden. Keep it safe. This cryptic message hints of treasure stolen from a Spanish fleet and hidden in the jungles of South America. A fevered ambition is unleashed in those willing to sacrifice everything as they seek control of the vast fortune.
A Time of Giants is a fast-paced adventure, bringing alive the frantic activity of the Atlantic trade routes in the 1700s. In these busy straits, merchant ships cross paths with slavers who deal only in the currency of human suffering. Here the fates of men shift as quickly as the wind. 

Jack Stern and Fr Brendan O’Reilly holiday in Mauritius where they discover a decaying Alien church which Brendan brings back to life. Once the media cover the story thousands of pilgrims seeking salvation flock to the island from all over the globe much to the disdain of the Vatican’s power brokers who do not want a second coming of Christ and therefore act accordingly.
 

Charismatic entrepreneur Jack Stern loves nothing more than adventure tinged with mischief. On a journey to inspect his newly acquired business in Newburn, Jack chances upon a disillusioned priest, Fr Brendan O’Reilly, at a roadside cafe. Over dinner and drinks, Jack tricks Brendan into swapping identities. But when Brendan arrives in Newburn, he discovers the business he must run is a brothel! Meanwhile, Jack preaches radical theology in the inner sanctums of the Catholic Church.

When Australian police couple Rob and Jane Fitzgibbon exchange their home with a mysterious European couple in Monaco, their holiday plans for the French Riviera unravel. 

A thrilling travel mystery, drenched in Mediterranean sun and dappled with dangerous liaisons.

Accompany Sternberg as he joyrides with the King in a stolen rocket, builds his own planet from recycled timber, tries his hand at evolution, begrudgingly celebrates a neighbour’s recovery from ‘Pinocchio Syndrome’, articulates his theory on where ideas come from (and end up) … and that’s just the tip of the Sternberg!

From Enchantment to Horror; from Angels to Devils; from Laughter to Weeping; take your pick; 
they’re all there for you! And when at last you’ve read all of them, take a deep breath and read them again.

Well, the old cardinal, Charles Cardinal York, is off again on a series of helter-skelter escapades which nearly drive his one-time secretary, Bishop Sammy Spotels, crazy.
The bishop, with the new responsibilities he has with his promotion, has no time to spare, but Charles shows no signs of slowing down and involves the long-suffering bishop in a series of roller-coaster adventures, this time involving a whole convent of Sisters.

Water theft, corruption, intrigue... at the height of a ten year drought in Australia's outback
Jack Miller, former Sydney Morning Herald journalist, follows his instincts to rural Dawson to do a followup piece on a headline that read ‘Angry farmer accuses bureaucrat of corruption‘.  Little did he know what he was about to unleash as he set about helping the feisty old cattle farmer to expose corruption in the water industry—blatant water theft at the height of a ten year drought crippling the Australian farming landscape.

The run-of-the-mill characters in these stories inhabit small indistinct worlds, away from the limelight. They are shaped by personal events and their environment and view the world from that vantage point. Some are flawed yet loving and stoic in their acceptance of their fate—with an uncanny sense of humour. Some are very much aware of the reason for their fate; others aren't and stumble blindly through various situations oblivious of their impact on others. 

It was the usual open and shut case… A woman stands over her very dead estranged husband in a motel room with a discharged gun in her hand. Except John Order’s secretary is convinced her neighbour, Ginny Fleming, is not guilty of murder. With his experience of such matters, Order is called in to help. Personal and political issues arise (again) and before the crime is solved, our local sleuth will face the complications of an old flame and threats to his career.

Disaster has a Deadline.  The heart-stopping, disaster-dealing sequel to LAPEL.
An international arms dealer teams up with the revolutionary leader of a pariah state. The stakes are huge for Piper and Burns and, once again, for Australia.  Disaster has a deadline and Peter and Rob are moving targets. If they can survive, they will chase down facts and phantoms across countries, oceans and airways.

France, 1879. The Marquis de Rays dreams of a utopian colony on a remote tropical island in Oceania north of Australia. He has never been to this place—a rain-drenched wilderness shadowed by mountains. Undaunted, he gathers investors, and hundreds of hopeful European battlers set out for the new world.

The Horns is founded on careful historical research into the valuable, but scarce, generational Matebele and Mashona oral histories; the vastly differing and biased accounts from early missionaries, pioneers, hunters, miners and traders; and records from the British South Africa Company, as well as government and parliamentary archives.

Sometimes, family treasures hold the key to family secrets…

'Not My Father' is a love story about ordinary people—a man and a woman, a child and a father—who lived extraordinary lives. This is a tale of mateship, bravery and a romance that blossomed against all odds.

Just as Justice Johanna Pattinson manages to eliminate one adversary, another rises to take their place. Will her torment ever stop?

In the final instalment of the Pattinson trilogy, exposure of her darkest secrets is threatened. She herself faces judgement.

Kalgoorlie. A town where gold has lured dreamers and risk takers from all parts of the globe. A place of fortune, a place of ruin.
In his latest novel Barrie McMahon follows three young friends who are striking out from Perth to try their luck in the goldfields of Western Australia. This well-researched yarn pays tribute to the unique character of Kalgoorlie and its people during the late 1940s.

From naval warfare at sea to terrorist attacks on embattled diamond mines, and airborne encounters over red earth, Secession - A Nation Divided is a thrilling and disturbing portrayal of one possible future for the island continent Downunder.

Cal has his fishing and an honest job. His wife, Fran, has her nursing gig. And their two children, Lennie and Tom, are living their high-school dreams.  But one hot, steamy weekend on the Gold Coast, the Lawson family confront not only their own limitations and failings but a tragedy that will force them into the murky depths of what lies below.

During the European summer of 1916, the horror of war spreads its tentacles to grip a working-class family in Balmain, New South Wales. The war has ended, and Clarence Miller carries wounds that cannot be seen. He returns home to a loving wife and infant son, but his life will never be the same again.

A PLACE AMONG HEROES - Rise of Hope is Book 1 in the fifth volume of The Liberty & Property Legends saga. Out of the remnants of their troubled past, striving to find their place in a new reality, the heroes of the Alliance must brave the journey to where their destiny is calling them. Finding the strength inside yourself to be the hero of your own life just might be the most courageous thing you’ve ever done.

Have you ever wondered what really goes on in the lives of Stick Figure Families? Is Footy Dad genuinely happy? Is Shopping Mum’s life truly fulfilled? If there are no kids then who wanted the stickers out of Corporate Lady and Cycling Man?
In a world first anthropological review of the sensation that swept the nation, we uncover the truth and trends behind the lives of Stick Figure Families.

A fire in August 1991 at the Coode Island Hazardous Chemicals Storage Facility in inner Melbourne is the inspiration for this roller coaster of political manoeuvrings, corruption and violence—all designed to see the facility relocated to a site which just happens to be home for a critically endangered species.

Steve Wallace wants to be left alone with a bottle of Jack Daniels and his nightmares. But flashbacks from his war-torn past are blurring into reality. Did he really just kill two Taliban soldiers here in rural western Queensland, or was that a hallucination? Is he being paranoid, or is something sinister afoot?

Helium and Honey is a gripping story of mateship, adventure and discovery set in a rugged and remote environment. Tooby writes with passion and authority, sensitively portraying his complex characters and their fraught interactions. Helium and Honey asserts Tooby as a talented writer of the Australian landscape and the rich characters that people it.

High Street gives us a glimpse into one man’s past… but can we believe it?
John Considine presents us with some extraordinary images: scenes from childhood shopping excursions to High St, Northcote on Saturdays in the late 1950s, an unwelcome and unforeseen visit to the U.S.A. and an entirely unexpected reunion with a long lost friend.

With her nemesis, former client Doctor Sergio Domieri, in gaol for murder, Johanna Pattinson begins the next phase of her career as a barrister with some optimism. She has the perfect life: a loving husband, a doting mentor, two loyal brothers and a thriving criminal law practice. Or so it seems. The shadow of the killer’s brother is always lurking, as are the secrets only the Domieri brothers know about Johanna’s past. To make matters worse, she never seems to be able to rid herself of her old tormentors from within the profession.

When Johanna Pattinson is forced to make a choice that runs contrary to everything she believes in, the stakes are deadly.
'Pattinson's Curse' is the first novel in a trilogy that follows the legal career of Johanna Pattinson: from solicitor to barrister and finally to judge. At every step the spectre of this terrible decision hangs over her, threatening to destroy all she holds dear.

QUEEN STREET, PERTH – AUSTRALIA:
A timeworn costume shop – A missing enchanted gown
– A forgotten mystery – A treacherous romance – A new adventure

“This rich and absorbing story’s other ending is still out there, waiting in the wind to be heard…”
– Dr Alison Bleaney

This epic and sweeping 200-year saga of an ancient island and its violent transformation from Eden-like paradise to the tourist-destination Tasmania of today, is told through the lives of four families.

St Placid’s Benedictine monastery is a large Monastery of the Extraordinary Form with an equally extraordinary Horarium (hourly time table). It is headed by an elderly Abbot who has a singular form of Dyslexia which resulted in a number of monks having peculiar names.
Monks are there from every walk of life from professional men to labourers, from Medical Doctors to crane drivers, Veterinary Specialists to cow hands, saints and sinners, and…then there is …BROTHER APOCALYPTUS…who is highly intelligent, meticulous in observance, slightly erratic, who succeeds in driving nearly all the monks crazy!

Spring of 1952. Annie Watson, now widowed, is assisting her daughter Lady Penelope Sheridan with the first formal dinners to be held at the renovated Big House.  Even the reputedly troublesome Dowager Lady Edwina cannot cast a shadow over the triumphant success of the first dinner. But in all the planning, none of them expected murder to be served as one of the courses. With the ever-loyal assistance of Superintendent Peters and team, Annie inveigles Edwina into the murder investigation. Little does she know she will involve the Dowager in a hair-raising confrontation with a serial killer — as an after-dinner mint!

Brian Mason, was confused. Behind the luxurious facade of the exclusive, elegant Beaumont Retirement and Convalescent Home exterior, with its magnificent position on the cliffs and its thrilling views, lived a mainly grey-headed world of deceit, lies, seduction, criminal activities, even Murder – and Murder not once, but again and again! 

Spring of 1952. Annie Watson, now widowed, is assisting her daughter Lady Penelope Sheridan with the first formal dinners to be held at the renovated Big House.  Even the reputedly troublesome Dowager Lady Edwina cannot cast a shadow over the triumphant success of the first dinner. But in all the planning, none of them expected murder to be served as one of the courses. With the ever-loyal assistance of Superintendent Peters and team, Annie inveigles Edwina into the murder investigation. Little does she know she will involve the Dowager in a hair-raising confrontation with a serial killer — as an after-dinner mint!

Jean Harris, the pretty Land Army Girl from Kelly’s dairy, was enjoying the war. She threw many of the Bexford North men – young and old – into a frenzy of excitement. So when Jean is found brutally murdered, Inspector Bob Peters and his team are not short of local suspects. But their enquiries expand when the murder victim is revealed to be a pivotal figure in criminal war-time activities. The blackmailing exploits of a precocious and unpleasant child of eleven distract police and hamper their work still further.

1944. King’s Cross. The red light district of Sydney is alive with noise, bright lights, American soldiers on leave – and vice. Nearby, Annie Watson is hoping for a few days’ vacation with her cousin, Monica Jeffrey. But when Annie intervenes to save an orphan girl, she is enmeshed in a murder conspiracy involving gangsters, drug addicts, thugs and prostitutes. Discovering the time and place of the arranged murder, Annie tries desperately, in her inimitable manner, to avert the tragedy.

When murder is discovered, Inspector Peters and his team do not have to search for the suspects – they are in bewildering abundance.
It seems as if, finally, Lady Emily has received what she deserves… or has she?

It is the winter of 1942. In the wartime blackout, the midnight bus breaks down near the semi-rural, small town of Bexford North, 30 miles from Sydney. Outside the bus, a passenger screams as torchlight fall on the body of a soldier, stabbed to death. Inspector Peters is summoned to solve the mystery, but soon another, more horrific, murder follows.

Love is a four letter word. So is kill. So is dead. 
But what have they got to do with John Order MLA, amateur sleuth and Canberra politician?
Stepping well outside his usual circle of influence, Order finds himself entwined in the lives of two cultured, successful business couples and their strange marriages.
In this fifth crime novella, John Order unravels the startling truth behind a puzzling murder-suicide.

A seaside holiday on the New South Wales Sapphire Coast for stressed out Canberra public servants, politicians recovering from an election or people just wanting a break. Sun, sand, surf and, adding to the alliteration, strangulation are on offer to John Order upon his first visit.
The fourth novella featuring John Order MLA of the ACT Legislative Assembly and part-time Canberra sleuth

Bodies can be heavenly or busy or beautiful … or dead.

John Order, local Member of Parliament, was drawn into the death by an unusual source but soon found himself facing an aggressive policeman and a self-seeking political Party member, with an election looming.

Jaded and apathetic as a result of many confusing and distressing dalliances, world weary and frustrated Cyan Heath embarks on a quest to break her moral code and chooses to indulge in the most base and selfish urges. With an already painful past, Cyan has been plotting her revenge on life, and won’t be moved off course. She formulates an unwritten list of encounters to carry out in the next year of her life, following the pursuit of carnal pleasure.

'Collision' is an allegory, a tragedy, a meditation on the definition of success and failure. It’s mostly a story of people attempting to come to terms with plans that don’t quite work out, attempting to resolve conflicts with each other and discovering fresh starts.

Nobody lives forever, do they?
Try this enigmatic, short story.
With unicycles, levitation, an echidna and frozen peas.
Fifty-nine, 100 word chapters.
Ride the riddle!
Before it’s too late…

Louis stood to one side – against the bathroom wall, his expression bewildered; his lips mouthing words which were without sound. The other guard pulled Private Fox to his feet. He then rounded on Jackson, shouting in rage: ‘You’ve murdered him!’

Michael Goodsell’s second novel Use-By traverses the fascinating terrains of time, space, chance, fate, music, mountains, and the intricacies of human relationships. Add in an adventurous galactic geo-anthropologist and his perpetually prudent computer, and you have a delightful novel that is both philosophical and entertaining.

‘We invited writers from around the world to enter our Twisted Tax Tales Short Story Competition, as a fundraiser for the Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal. Writers were asked, to give the stereotyped accountant, often perceived as a boring bean counter and desk dwelling cruncher of numbers—a brand new lease of life, by revamping their dull persona and spinning a masterful tale that would make them … interesting!’

These 30 short stories are bound by a collective eclecticism, shades of darkness and narrative twists. The darkest themes are tempered by the light. But even in the lightest, darkness lurks. No character in these tales will stop to smell the roses.

It is the writer’s most earnest wish that no story will end the way you think it might.

It is 2150. Kaylin is one of the best assassins of her time – cold, calculating and emotionless. She is an unstoppable killing machine. Until now… From the moment she laid eyes on her target Emerick, she had known this job was not going to be like the others.
With only a few days to complete her mission Kaylin finds herself torn between her job and her heart. Will she kill the man she loves to save herself?

This collection of poems from Erfan Daliri is a breath of fresh air distilled from a lifetime of speaking with the unknown and seeking the unshown. The most inspiring of pieces have been carefully selected from Erfan’s body of writing into a book to lift the spirits and raise the hopes of the people.

Zeel emerged from the black mass in the sky, hovering above the world, waiting, watching. Hundreds of shadow soldiers formed ranks around him, consolidated into one last army. The final battle to destroy the Legen. The end of conflict and the beginning of dominion.
A terrifying, visceral journey into the dark reaches of the soul, Fabel is a story of love, sacrifice, and the brutal beauty of mortality.

Finding Heraan is, at one level, a simple tale, set in a flawed utopia and crafted in the language of the human soul. Ageres, young and uncertain, is driven to deliver a powerful message. He must find places where the message can be heard. But, like many of us, he is beset by challenges and temptations that could hide his truths forever or, on the other hand, turn them to tyranny. A simple tale. And yet, also, a tale that raises important questions for our own time and our own place.

Life seems dull for Jordan Kennedy. After all he endured just one year ago, the mundane just isn’t enough anymore. However, one afternoon Jordan receives a mobile video message from an unknown sender. He downloads the file to find footage of a brutal murder. Distressed and on edge, he tries to unravel the mystery surrounding the video, but little does he know, that he is being watched...

For the elderly bridge players of Mango, the bridge club is their reason to get up in the morning. But they soon find their beloved club under attack. The warring committee is bent on achieving absolutely nothing. Even worse, they face a threat from a dodgy shire councillor and a nosy neighbour-cum-erotic robot inventor. Meanwhile, a neurotic nurse recovering from a messy divorce finds herself inexplicably drawn to the obnoxious club president.

The unusual world of the Caretakers in Reluctant Activists is followed by Eleven Hundred Sand Dunes shifting and deepening the expanding stories of the characters as they tackle the ups and downs of the aftermath and the challenges ahead.

Forced by circumstance into a world bent on destruction, Jack Coldstream follows a trail of blood from London, to mainland Europe and then on to South America. On this odyssey he overcomes many obstacles including the beautiful Lucia Faro. It is just the challenge our Agent relishes on the road to becoming a spy to rival Napoleon Solo, Harry Palmer or Ian Fleming’s James Bond.

John Hall considers himself lucky. After years as a spook, he has come home from his final mission full of plans to reunite with his daughter and his dog to take up a life where he won't be forever looking over his shoulder. Reluctantly, John finds himself sucked into the dangerous world of international crime.... and this time it's personal. This time it's a lethal drug and the bad guys have his daughter.

Ellie Bourke is young, attractive and single. Living in the idyllic village of St Peters Port in Cornwall life is perfect. But things are not as they seem. Haunted by dreams she cannot explain Ellie wrestles with a secret that could shatter her dream existence. The skeleton in her closet is about to be set free.

You can not change fate.
Cassandra Wright is a Timewalker – a teenager with a genetic mutation that allows her to manipulate the flow of time. But her inexplicable powers have made her a target for Adjusters – monstrous assassins from a parallel universe.

Michel White can almost taste the money. The death of his grandfather Tick Tock has given him the break he craves. There’s just one catch: the long-forgotten Shady Green. The man who stands between Michel and a fortune is on his way back to stake his claim.

THE HOUR OF EVIDENCE is the fourth volume in The Liberty & Property Legends saga, beginning where Volume Three FIRST COUNTRY Tinged with Rose left off. As the quest continues, as the twists keep coming both inside and outside the courtroom, the next installment in the saga begs the question: what price a well-kept secret?

It’s 1988. When Rhonda Parker comes to town, fifteen-year-old Stan is woefully smitten and ordinary Middleton is transformed into a lustful wonderland.
Stan is a dreamer, but there’s more going on inside his head than anyone knows. Ever since he was little, he’s had one special way of coping with the dark side of life. But things are changing now and the secrets are multiplying. Stan is losing control.

Three years ago, Madeline Allridge had it all – a beautiful house, successful farm and ruggedly handsome fiancé in Jack Quade. Then, he betrayed her, resulting in a series of events that still torment her.
Determined to pick up the pieces of her shattered life and ignore her lingering feelings for Jack. Madeline begins a passionate affair with Austin Devery. But the past has a way of catching up with you…

Maggie is a strong yet dominated woman in danger of losing her self-respect. Forced to become a carer for the bitch from hell, opportunities to have a satisfying sex life are limited. When hot-blooded lovers are not available, she fantasises and her imagination runs wild.

Austinn Baeder arrived in the Port of Geelong in 1845 with his two adult sons to start a new life. The Swiss winemaker planned to open a new vineyard and winery on the banks of the Barwon River. The retired soldier came looking for new opportunities, but to also leave a troubled past behind. A series of unfortunate events unwittingly brings the modern day Baeder family far closer to their ancestors than they could ever imagine. It could even expose a dreadful family secret that lay dormant for over 100 years.

Short of a good murder, sin, sensation and sex in salacious detail were always standard fare for Perth’s Mirror newspaper. With the departure of American troops in 1946, new sources of scandal were needed.
Straight from school Alf McGuinness lands a job with The Mirror as a copyboy and immediately finds himself in a fix. He and his rebellious friend Jenny Anderson are small players in the thriving post-war black market but The Mirror reporters are digging for sensation in the contraband economy.

This special edition was produced to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Dead Fishy. This novel-length book contains a collection of short stories about fishing and sex, fishing and murder, fishing and cross-dressing, romance, betrayal, revenge and interesting ways of cooking seafood. If features killer marlin, killer crabs, transcendental lobsters, really quirky people and some rather nice sauvignon blancs. You’ll never look at fishing and the people who fish quite the same way again.

..we ventured out to places further afield in search of adventure; places with interesting names like Canning Bridge, Deep Water Point, Bull Creek, Weir’s Paddock and Bateman’s Field. Within walking distance of Nan’s place were miles of bushland, large swamps and lakes, the Canning River and several permanent streams that flowed into Bull Creek. They were magical Sundays. Most of all I remember the amazing freedom we had...

Ever wondered if there was more to life than the same old crap?
Ever dreamed of hittin’ the road and leavin’ it all behind ?
You’re not alone...
Join Dave, a young Aussie surfer, on a transformational road trip across the country that will leave you feeling anything’s possible. Gather your courage, jump in the van and come along for the ride...

Things were grim in Grimsby. Even the grass struggled. But that was nothing compared to when people’s legs started to shrink. That’s when the real trouble started.

Welcome to a story that happens not far from where you are right now. What Johnno Did Next proves that - no matter how grim things get - a ray of hope burns brightest in the darkest places.

He came into this world at the mines of Isa, and grew up in the Queen’s land under the watchful gaze of a pyramid. When his Dragon came to him in a dream he knew he had to find his voice, and so comes the tale of the Nine Kingdoms, and the Legacy that they bring. He waits and watches for the coming of the next age…

Three years after surviving the London bombings, Jordan Kennedy's life is still in pieces. His fifteen-year-old sister, Amy Kennedy, was killed in the blasts, and ever since Jordan has struggled to deal with the loss. However, one evening Jordan receives a puzzling letter from Australia. It is an urgent plea for help, signed by his dead sister Amy. Desperate for a miracle, Jordan embarks on a journey to find the truth. If his sister really is alive, Jordan will stop at nothing to bring her home.

After living it up in London on a working holiday, Sally Boleyn returns to Australia with a thud. Her travels, experiences, and getting of wisdom abroad ensure she comes back a changed woman. But life in Perth has not changed. Her parents blather about neighbourhood trivialities, and the biggest things in her friends’ lives are their trips to Bali, dates with footballers, and home renovations. Sally struggles to accept life in her home town – ‘Dullsville’...  

A user-friendly book of ‘poetic justice’ that will have you smiling, musing, nodding, and effortlessly stepping along a path to greater fulfilment.

“I am the saviour of all mankind, and I have come to teach the Wisdom of Life.”
The second coming was a little off the mark. In an age of over-population and the mass destruction of nature, The Saviour probes into the primary tension of the modern world. Despite congratulating ourselves as being the most advanced form of life in the known universe, does our species even have the ability to prevent the mass extinction of life and the ruin of the planet?

“...this is my confession: I am a white Australian, and I have absolutely no idea who I am.”
The Asian Century wrestles with the issues of identity and tribalism in the modern age of globalisation. It analyses the mixed feelings of desire and repulsion regarding Asia and multiculturalism in Australia, and delves into the tensions that lie in our ambiguous future on the fringes of the emerging region.

Ungainly and honest, Britney Louise is sent to a school full of rich, privileged young ‘ladies’ - the ladies of Liberty Ladies College. Outcast and alone, she walks the echoing corridors accompanied only by her dreams and the books she reads at lunchtime, while others talk. This is the story of her survival.

Tensions between the families of two of Reverton’s real estate agencies, the Parnhams and the Copelands, have simmered since a disputed land deal generations ago. These tensions come to the boil when both families find themselves drawn into in a Family Law Court battle which becomes intertwined with the disputed land deal.

How can you be attracted to a guy who just said he wants to kill you?
Ara-Rose asks herself the same question. She's been torn away from her old life, thrown into a new one in a new country, and in the midst of death, heartache and depression, she finds herself in love with a vampire--one who kills people with his teeth!

A child missing is said to be a parent’s worst nightmare; however, what if a parent, or grandparent, has disappeared without trace in the jungle in a foreign country? Robert’s mother is on holiday in Sabah, Malaysia, when the Tour bus she is in is hijacked and all on board are taken hostage – all except his mother – so where is she now?

Sean Doherty, a conscripted Australian soldier, is sick of the messy Vietnam War and yearns to go home. Home, however, has changed. His country has no sympathy and those closest to him are not what they seem. It is here he realises a soldier may leave the war but the war will never leave him. The killing machine the Australian army had trained for war has just come home.

In our everyday life, we often come across obstacles that we are not sure how we can overcome. In our quest to find an answer, we commonly seek advice from those people that we know and take an emotional journey in order to find a practical solution. But what if just a simple conversation with a complete stranger could give you those answers that you seek? What if venturing into unknown terrain and taking an unknown path could help you find the answer?

Epic events in Japan lead to a modern day heist and a fascinating chase through the volcanic isles of Vanuatu. Rare 17th century fusuma – a set of decorative gold leaf panels are worth a fortune to those with more ambition than scruples. The Path and Glory fusuma are coveted by Japanese Yakuza, ruthless crooks from Hawai’i and young cavaliers in the South Pacific. They all want the prize.

Wyoming Territory, 1883... Three families. One Alliance. A cold-blooded murder. The secrets. The conflict. The passion. And the fight for justice. Adventure and romance will not be denied anyone who has the courage to be free.

Cheyenne, Wyoming, 1885... The stakes are higher than they have ever been before. An unseen peril remains unchecked. Who will rise to the challenge? Who will love and who will lie? What secrets will be uncovered? And who will survive the unleashing of the ultimate weapon? Their darkest hour is coming...

The grand adventure of The West & Gilded Age America continues…
As winter maintains its grip in March of 1885, the hunt for Loren Bodecker is on! In the aftermath of the maverick attacks, with tensions escalating, relationships begin to deepen, complicating the path of justice and the lives of all involved.

A Simple Act of Vengeance
Andrew Giles

Peter grant, a small town plumber, seeks revenge for the murder of his wife. He finds and disposes of the killer, Karel Dubcek, a vicious drug dealer. Dubcek’s father sends hired killers after Grant and his one-time lover, Marian Watson and they find themselves caught up in a vendetta, until Grant sets out to stop the threat to them both, once and for all.

Cockatoo Conspiracy
John Kevan

In September 1945, Captain Chuck O’Donnell and the aircrew on board the B-29 transport known as Daisy Mae, were ordered to fly from Darwin to Learmonth, with seven Australian nurses on board, but were diverted to Broome for engine repairs. The nurses, lead by Jenny Hopkins-Jones, were sent on to Perth, and the B-29 was ordered to return to Darwin. Daisy Mae never made it.

Murder on the Island
Brian Kavanagh
A Belinda Lawrence Mystery
Belinda and Hazel find themselves on the island of Guernsey where they are invited by Sir Mark’s mother, Melba, Lady Sallinger. Other house guests include her parents, a handsome interior designer, a slovenly bookseller, a Jesuit priest, and Catherine, a mysterious woman writer. Soon after, the residents of the old Tudor mansion are thrown into confusion with the discovery of human remains buried in the garden.

A Wicked Design
Brian Kavanagh
A Belinda Lawrence Mystery
Belinda Lawrence returns to her home town of Melbourne, to discover a murder that's close to her heart. A murder which leads to the seat of political power, Parliament House.
The various threads of deceit and intrigue are gradually unravelled and, with Hazel Whitby at her side, Belinda is confronted by warring political factions.
The mystery deepens with the discovery of a priceless historical item, of value to both political powers, and which places Belinda's life in jeopardy.

Capable of Murder
Brian Kavanagh
A Belinda Lawrence Mystery
The old lady’s body lay at the foot of the stairs. The police believe it was an accidental fall that killed great-aunt Jane. Young Australian, Belinda Lawrence is convinced it was murder and when she inherits her great-aunt’s ancient cottage and garden on the outskirts of Bath, England, she finds herself deep in a taut mystery surrounding her legacy.

The Embroidered Corpse
Brian Kavanagh
A Belinda Lawrence Mystery
Two startling murders that replicate the death of a mediaeval English king and the discovery of a mysterious ancient tapestry lead Belinda Lawrence and her associate Hazel Whitby into a vortex of suspense involving a bizarre religious cult, an enigmatic academic, a group of monks devoted to aggression and clues to a thrilling conspiracy nearly a thousand years old. This is the second in the Belinda Lawrence Mystery Series and continues the lively young Australian's adventures in England with the same degree of wicked humour and heart-stopping excitement.

Bloody Ham
Brian Kavanagh
A Belinda Lawrence Mystery
'The third adventure for Belinda and Hazel continuing the pace and humour that readers have come to acknowledge and appreciate. Excitement and tension begin on the first day of filming a Restoration drama on location at the historic Jacobean mansion, Ham House in Surrey when one of the leading players collapses and dies. With the death ruled non-accidental the director, producer and members of the cast are all suspects.

A Canterbury Crime
Brian Kavanagh
A Belinda Lawrence Mystery
The ancient walled city of Canterbury has held many secrets over the centuries but none more mysterious than the death of Professor de Gray. Called in to evaluate the contents of his Tudor Manor House, Belinda and Hazel are confronted with a number of suspects who would benefit from the book the Professor was about to publish. As they get to know those associated with the Manor House, Belinda and Hazel discover another murder and an intricate web of secrets that leads them to life-threatening danger and finally to the killer, in this fourth book of the series.

Flat Track
Loukas Mexis
'On the turns, where you defy physics and velocity beats mass, that’s where winners are made’ Flat track is the essence of motorcycle racing, and the Indy Mile is the place where legends are born and worshipped. It is the blinding lights that heat up the whole field, turning the atmosphere around the track into a sauna and making skin sweat beneath the leather overalls. It is the thousands of people cheering twenty-five hellishly-fast machines fighting for the number-one plate.

Esteban's Conclusions
Erfan Daliri
‘For as long as life affords you a page, scribe your story my friend, that when your soul returns home, your influence upon this world will continue with no end,’ Sharma advised Esteban as he gently toked the fire before continuing, ‘for without wandering sages and lonely poets, to whom will the people turn when they need solace?”
Along the journey to self-realisation chronicled in Esteban’s Hypothesis, our protagonist, Esteban, keeps a poetic journal, the purpose of which is ever changing and often times unclear. The following compilation is that journal.

Thieves of Honour
Kent Mathieson
Amidst the soaring mountains and plunging rivers of the Tien Shan range in Kyrgyzstan, several small villages lie dry and desolate. Amidst the people of a close knit community, a man is isolated. Amidst the promise and purpose of an international development project, a myriad of motives and problems surge. From these threads, through the pressures of life, a tale is formed, a tale of fears and hopes, shame and honour. The end is not clear to anyone. Does the tale have an end at all?

The Veto Conspiracy
John S. Tobin
introduces a wide range of. Many indigenous animals that can be found in the vast continent of Australia face the threat of extinction, if measures are not taken to protect them. The Veto Conspiracy examines the sensitive and emotive issues of immigration, integration and racism, along with the present day issues on the environment, education, drugs and alcohol.
The morality of using the power of Veto by various governments and organizations within our society, that prohibit the principle of majority rule, is questioned.

Reunion
Bruce L Russell

Hungerford Award winner, 'Russell, has produced an engrossing tale of love in jeopardy, mateship in disarray, betrayal, revenge and redemption. A real page-turner from a gifted storyteller.’ - Chris McLeod.

The Alpha Initiative
Richard Dive

A break in at one of the most secure facilities in the world, data worth billions stolen, and Hart Industries made to look like fools. The culprits: a notorious terrorist organization known as THE ALPHA INITIATIVE, a group with no known agenda, responsible for dozens of domestic and international attacks, made up of the best soldiers the world has ever seen.

The Storyteller
Ava Pashley
Her town - that story - And a man from Montana

Vicki Carlisle, a young woman with ambitions that stretch far beyond the confines of her father’s prosperous ranch in the high country of southern Wyoming, writes the adventures of her suffragette-like character Evangeline and has them published in Quest & Quill. When Evangeline tackles two age-old taboos, all hell breaks loose in her hometown of Feather Ridge.

The Uncharted Road
Reece Hammond
Torn by emotion, bounded by principal, determined to find a way

Dominic Martin, a young man, new to town and desperately trying to fit in. Surrounded by drugs, alcohol and the crush of an older girl who seemingly wants her way with him. Tolerating his family, at war with his emotions, for Dominic, right and wrong seem to have lost their meaning.

Public Property
Michael Ferres
A Novel

The murder of a young woman, a defection from Red China, suggestions of political interference in the workings of the police and of violence in the union movement – all these were great material for the daily newspapers in Sydney in the 1980’s, and even more so when they all appeared to be linked.

Plays 1 - Towns
Michael Ferres

3 plays. Scenes of country life.

Episodes from small towns, two of them in the orbit of the big city of Sydney, and one – Bethlehem – in the orbit, or the shadow, of Jerusalem.

Plays 2 - Suburbs
Michael Ferres

3 plays. 3 stories from the swirling inner solar system of the big city.
The motives of the heart are confounded by:
• the heart itself – in a church youth fellowship,
• the schemes of corrupt policemen – and the heart itself – in a struggle for supremacy in the police force, in which are enmeshed the honourable and the naïve, and the careless, cruel and greedy,
• the dreamwork.

On a spring morning of cloudless blue sky in Western Australia, a teenage boy is attacked in the waters off Cottesloe Beach by a massive great white shark, so beginning an oceanic odyssey. Two years later, as another great white is the suspected culprit for a series of attacks along the same stretch of coastline, two local marine biologists think they see a pattern to the carnage and hatch a crazy plan of their own. But they’ll need some help.

Beyond the portal is a universe where space travel is possible. Where humans are hunted. Where murder is legal.

When James and Rachael, two teenagers from Earth, become trapped in a parallel dimension, they must integrate in order to survive. New languages, new races, new religions, and a new way of life. Because there’s no way home.

Lyrics From The Dead Salesmen To Underminers And Lots Of Stuff In-Between 1988-2012

"Heart wrung lyrics that are simple, initmate and emotive yet avoid the common muck of cliche. He grasped the holy grail of great songwriting: perfect, spare words that strip life to the bone." Sandra Bridekirk, The Australian

It's summer in the Ukraine and, for wheat farmers, it is time to transport their grain to the markets in the port city of Sevastopol. But the wheat caravan needs to survive the risky journey which begins near the capital, Kiev. Hungry peasants, forced from their farms by unscrupulous and unpopular landlords, form gangs and grain caravans are a prime target.

Delicious … funny, quirky, moving little bites of everyday life that hit the mark.

Angry dog walkers, depressed goldfish, poo haikus and backyard stalkers. A collection of silly and sad poems inspired by the little things in life that can be enjoyed over a cup of tea and a bun.

Like a tiny piece of personalised music, each of us has a name that, like all sounds, evokes some small and subconscious response from those we meet. This collective reaction, over the years of our existence, can gently trickle down and influence whom we become. This book is a must-read if you are faced with one of the following scenarios.....

"The sweltering heat of a Central Queensland summer proves to be a moody backdrop to Shirley Eldridge’s story which is part thriller, part psychological study and part story of intense mother-love. The characters come alive and the relationship that develops between the lead character Cherie and Georgie-Girl is touching and delightful.

There are many legends that have been lost to this world, but none more important than that of the Elysian Gifts. The hunt is on for these items, which might have the power to save, or destroy, our world.

Friends sometimes turn out to be fakes and will betray you just for fun, or greed, or to save their own skin. Real friends will stay loyal no matter what, but it can take time to find them.
When Rocket, Jules, and Doogs end up in jail together - what, if anything, do they learn about true friendship? How much time does it take?

Wild exotic women, Batman character impersonators, murderous locals and a host of other intriguing characters make up this tale ranging across Vietnam, The Philippines, Australia and China culminating in Conway facing his greatest danger yet.

Manila hotelier Steve Conway returns to Vietnam to look for an old wartime friend and falls in love with a local girl. But the relationship is threatened by cross-cultural differences, family resistance, and a jealous, dangerous suitor.

When Donald Macleod, a scion of the mobile phone industry, suspects that subliminal messages transmitted over a German mobile phone network are impacting local by-elections in favour of the Neo-Nazi candidates, he sets out to find proof. To do so, he must confront Heinrich Von Scheer, owner of the German network. But before he can, Donald’s plane crashes in the Swiss Alps and he is missing, presumed killed.

A Tale of Love and Earthquakes in Japan
Eddie is a young French man living happily in Tokyo — spending his time on manga and anime, and more recently playing Internet poker. But when the March 11 Tohoku earthquake strikes Japan, his life is turned upside down. As aftershocks continue to hit Japan, Eddie falls into the tangled webs of the Chinese and Korean mafia. He is threatened by the potent mixture of love, sex and betrayal.

London is in chaos! Rioting mobs are looting, burning and killing. A young scientist at Woden Chemicals discovers a computer disc containing horrifying information. Scared for her life, she contacts her boyfriend, a reporter for the ‘London News’.

A story of Australia’s first “boat people” seen through the eyes of John Nichols, a barber who is unjustly transported to the harsh convict colony of New South Wales. It tells of his fight to rebuild his life and his determination to remain true to his beliefs of self-reliance and mateship. It also illustrates the generosity of spirit which moved him to provide sanctuary for a distressed aboriginal woman who came to him out of the wild bush.

A geologist, working under several layers of isolation in a remote equatorial forest on the distant planet of Einsteinia, digs up something very unpleasant. Then he prepares to tell everyone about it at a scientific conference. Consular officials from Earth are appalled. Leaders of the Einsteinian religion are determined that he won’t tell his story.

While checking out a man with no past, Mister Rainbow stumbles on a series of killings and sets out to discover the connection. An offspring of 1960's flower-children, Rainbow - his hippie mother gave him the wretched name - talks and acts like he's in 1920s Chicago. Owing to the need to keep a low profile, plus a serious shortage of dough, Rainbow operates out of an old boat parked in Sydney Harbour. He's also carrying a lot of baggage - including a Nemesis he calls Pandora.