LIGHTNING TRACKS

The rider angled the blade so Nick could see the oily residue on the metal.

‘All that’s needed to kill you, boy, is a single cut. A scratch. The poison will do the rest.’ His mask shifted, and Nick could’ve sworn he was smiling. ‘But that wouldn’t be any fun, would it?’

Nick gulped. ‘Why are you doing this?’

The rider leaned closer and hissed, ‘Because you exist.’

Nick isn’t a warrior. He knows some basic karate, but that’s it.

So when an assassin turns up to settle a blood debt, Nick narrowly escapes with his life. In his haste, he unwittingly flees to Korelios, a place he thought existed only in his eccentric aunt’s ancient legends.

All too soon, he finds himself caught in the middle of a war, and he must make an impossible choice: do his duty or follow his heart.

His choice will decide the fate of an entire civilisation.

Shortlisted in the 2018 Aurealis Awards Best Fantasy Novel category

 

ANCIENT AUSTRALIA UNEARTHEDAncient-Australia-Unearthed-front-cover

One October day in 1984, the Department of Aboriginal Affairs in Canberra was advised by radiophone: “We have a first contact here.”

Located in the Gibson Desert, nine Pintupi people had been picked up in a four-wheel drive and taken to Kintore, near Alice Springs. They had never seen a non-Indigenous person, let alone cars and towns.

Wearing human hair belts and armed with spears and boomerangs, the Pintupi Nine quietly stepped out of the desert and into modern-day society. They are believed to be the last people to have lived a traditional Ancient Australian lifestyle.

Drawing on archaeology to map 50,000 years of Australia’s ancient past, Ancient Australia Unearthed traces the evidence etched into the skin of this country to reveal the rich and complex history of this unique island continent.

Ancient Australia Unearthed directly addresses the Australian Curriculum: History topic ‘Ancient Australia’. It will also have a broad appeal for anyone wishing to gain an understanding of, and a deeper appreciation for, one of the world’s greatest stories of isolation, resilience and survival.

* Shortlisted for an ABDA Award in the Education category and for an EPAA Award in the Secondary Education category!