OUR BOOKS
DOORSTEPS OF HELL
– By Tom Williams
From an abandoned child, to travelling the world with his ‘new father’, to becoming an Officer of Marines, Doorsteps of Hell is a moving, riveting and informative narrative that focuses on Tom’s life as a Marine, serving in Vietnam in the late sixties. It is an enthralling account of what really took place on the battlefield. Unambiguously, it covers the hardships, miseries, deprivation of amenities, perils and bloodshed. It brings to life the camaraderie, leadership and the very essence of military expertise in the US Marine Corps.
This honest, no-holds-barred account of America’s most controversial war will not only capture the interest of those who served but just as importantly, those who are still serving.
The brilliant chronicle, drawn from Tom’s war diaries, will have you, armed forces or not, engrossed from cover to cover.
THE CAMBRIDGE EMPIRE
– By Chris Kirby-Ryan
This captivating story follows the lives, trials and tribulations of a family who began a chain of cinemas when WWII was ending, and cinema was bringing new joy and hope to the people. It describes the rise to glory of the Cambridge family, who sold their failing farm after years of drought and hard times, to finally be wiped out by a bushfire. With the insurance money, Carleton Cambridge sets up a make-shift picture theatre in an old grain store in the growing community of Sunshine.
‘It is the mid-forties: a family stands to lose everything they have worked for, ruthlessness and deceit are in the wings as a cinema empire is born, a trap is laid, and the drama unfolds.’
Meet these any many other enthralling characters as we journey through the creation of the first grand cinema –the invidious plot that almost destroys it, near foreclosure by the bank and heartbreaking family setbacks. Romance blooms and turmoil prevails as this cinema empire is born.
Although far from glamorous, the locals flocked to the new picture theatre. Carleton, or CC as he is fondly known, has great vision … a new cinema on the current site, and two other cinemas nearby. With the war over, Seymour Cambridge, second son to Carleton, returns from the front line and his sister, Cecilia, is being ensnared by the ruthless Godfrey Maxwell.
Hudson Cambridge, the elder son, works tirelessly in the cinema but is always outshone by his brother, whose head for figures is more favourable than Hudson’s genius for the creative.
SHE’S MY BABY
– by Chris Kirby-Ryan
When a woman loses a child what lengths will she go to, to take away that pain?
CHARLIE DRAPER is an accomplished detective, but now his own daughter is missing and Charlie is doing all he can not to fall apart. His wife walked out on him two weeks before the baby was due and his life has been on a downward spiral ever since.
Still madly in love, he is doing everything within his power to find their daughter and convince Grace to come home; but no matter how hard he tries he just can’t seem to win Grace back, all she can think about is finding her daughter.
How many people does it take to find one small baby? Grace Draper believes that in the end it will only take one, but in spite of her strength and unwavering determination can she do all of this without the man she fell in love with? Has she driven Charlie away with her lingering doubts and jealousy?
Come back Ella-Louise. Come back Charlie.
She’s My Baby will have you enthralled from cover to cover as the police turn up dead end after dead end – however, when the truth comes out, it’s a mother who truly knows her child.
SHADOWS OF YESTERDAY
– by Chris Kirby-Ryan
From the age of just two, Georgina experienced the vilest abuse and cruelty, unimaginable to the average person. It seemed everywhere Georgina turned, every man who came into her life, had just one purpose in mind. How can a two, four or even a six-year-old, understand why grown men would want to touch her body? Georgina had no concept of decency and no role models to help shape her future. With a mother who ignored her pleas for help and men who abused her, Georgina and her siblings had nowhere to turn.
Until the Giant appeared.
Friend or foe, imagined or real – this mystical being took Georgina, Dolly and Tommy on some fascinating and often frightening learning journeys. Nights would turn into adventures as the Giant would steal them from their beds and disappear into the night, leading them into the most intriguing underground expeditions.
But it wasn’t enough.
The days were still filled with cruelty. Would Georgina and her siblings ever escape this web of evil?
A mother who suffered a long history of abuse, uncles cursed with evil, a gangster for a father and later a stepfather whose sins out-trumped all others. Georgina survived her battles, she overcame the generational curse, escaped death and lives to tell this story.
This is Georgina’s Thompson’s true-life story. The story of a mother who suffered a long history of abuse, uncles cursed with evil, a gangster for a father and later a stepfather whose sins out-trumped all others. Georgina survived her battles, she overcame the generational curse, escaped death and lives to tell this story.
AS LORIKEETS FLY
– by Colin Robinson
Devastated after her family is killed in a horrific car accident, Mary faces life with a farm to manage. How could she know that the struggle ahead, that her will to keep the farm going … would move in a direction she never thought possible?
Robert Lambourne had been looking for a new start in life. From a rich family history carved out in the rugged Australian outback, growing up with his twin brother and indigenous friends, they learned the aboriginal culture, language and camaraderie.
The Creswells are firmly entrenched in living off the land – in a big way. Their one-and-a-half-million-acre cattle station, a profitable farming concern south of Perth and a large interest in the mining industry – has the Creswells scattered from the Kimberleys to England to one of Scotland’s finest whisky distilleries. As we trace the brothers’ family history, from early life mixing in Aboriginal culture in Australia to conquering the cultural challenge of the prestigious English school and experiencing life in Scotland at the Castle Estate of Uncle Malcolm and Aunt Lucy, a strong connection is built between reader and the cast of engaging characters.
Back in Australia Robert and Mary discover their love for each other, but misfortune continues. A farm accident leaves Robert in a wheelchair and determined to continue through the disaster of a bush fire which almost takes their lives. This romance involves four generations of the Creswell family through the sixties to the early eighties. The conclusion heralds the new generation of Creswells, leading into the sequel.
The scene changes when Robert’s and Ross’s well-to-do grandfather sends the twins off to attend an elite school in England, where they battle to come to terms with the imperiousness of the upper-class. With school days over they follow diverse paths, eventually joining up in Robert’s performance car enterprise in England where Ross is involved in an horrific accident in competition. Faced with the loss of his brother Robert struggles to go on, deciding to return to Australia, he appears on Pretty Lane Farm where Mary is now faced with losing the farm and her livelihood.
MARRIED IN MACEDONIA
– by Chris Kirby-Ryan
Choosing Sasa’s remote home-town on the other side of the world was meant to keep their wedding small and intimate, it’s gone way past that. Jacki may be Miss Popularity, but she has no idea how her unassuming and placid fiancé will cope.
With the cat out of the bag, and the wedding no longer a secret, who’d have thought so many Australians would go above and beyond to get to Macedonia for a wedding? Not Jacki and Sasa – that’s for sure. Now with one hundred and fifty Australians heading for Macedonia, the wedding is heading for disaster. The hire equipment is hijacked, the catering is falling in a heap and the bride is falling apart. Her gown is far from ready, her dream wedding is rapidly declining into a nightmare and calling it off would solve everything.
Can Sasa rescue this mess? Can he put aside his insecurities and pull this wedding back into line? Will the wedding even proceed? It’s time for Shirley to step up and take action. With the big day about to dawn, guests arrive, gowns are finally readied and the little town is abuzz with excitement.
Married is Macedonia is a rollicking ride of hilarity and sometimes tears as we share the marital journey of the lovable Sasa and Jacki. With guests virtually walking over hot coals to get here, and in spite of all the hurdles only a Macedonian village can throw up, a beautiful wedding takes place – family feuds are forgotten and even the wedding crashers are welcomed.
RAINBOW HOUSE
– by Chris Kirby-Ryan
Orphaned at eight, Summer Evans finds life in the foster system too much to bear.
Is Rainbow House the haven she has been looking for, or does it hold more even terror than the evil she is running from?
With her brother’s death fresh in her mind, Rachel Lyons finds herself trapped in one of the finest homes in Redbay and under the domineering rule of her father, the town’s celebrated mayor.
Police Sergeant Melissa Meldrum is passionate about helping children, when she moves to Redbay and learns about Rainbow House she can’t wait to be part of it.
Justin and Jack have lost everyone they love. Their father is in prison for murdering Jack’s mother and Justin is struggling to provide a living for his much younger brother.
The circumstances under which these people become a family are far less than desirable, but together they bring down a cruel and heartless sect hell-bent on having their style of fun with innocent children.
But it doesn’t stop there.
Somewhere just outside of LA Summer’s Aunt Jody is freed from two years’ imprisonment with a paedophilia ring she had been investigating, she’s back on their trail and together with the FBI and police agents across the globe is desperate to break this wordwide group of degenerates.
Justin realises that his father has been innocent all along. He is determined to bring down his swindling, murdering business partner and in doing so is amazed to find that one thing leads to another … and another … and another.
This whole chain of events steers Melissa and the FBI to the underground world of the outback Australian opal fields and culminates in the collapse of a heinous empire that has been run by the last person anyone would have suspected.