Media Bites Feb 2024

FEBRUARY 2024 – FICTION

Tipping Point DINUKA MCKENZIE

All the Golden Light SIOBHAN O’BRIEN

www.harpercollins.com.au

Media Releases

View Online Catalogues bit.ly/HCPCatalogues

A stirring, dramatic story about finding connection, meaning and beauty in a time of darkness... and the craving and savagery of the heart. 1918, Belowla, south coast New South Wales. As the Great War grinds to an end, Adelaide Roberts accompanies her father to a rugged island off the south coast of New South Wales to deliver much-needed supplies. While loss and deprivation has decimated the country, Ada is determined to live a life of purpose and hope, and dreams of living an independent life. On the windswept rocky outcrop she meets lighthouse keeper Emmett Huxley, a dark eyed outsider haunted by his service in

A suicide. A shooting. And a reckoning, decades in the making. The must-read new Detective Kate Miles novel from ‘a born storyteller’ (Michael Robotham). Weeks from Christmas in the sweltering heat of summer, Detective Kate Miles’ estranged brother, Luke Grayling, returns home to Esserton to farewell a childhood friend – Ant Reed, dead by suicide. Within days of the funeral, another young man, Marcus Rowntree, is found shot dead in the back paddock of his property. Almost twenty years ago, Luke, Ant and Marcus were best mates in high school and now two of the three friends are dead. A tragic coincidence? Or is there something more sinister connecting the three men?

bit.ly/HCPPressRoom

HarperCollinsDesignStudio

MEDIA BITES

HarperCollinsAustralia HarperCollinsAu HarperCollinsAustralia

HarperCollinsChildrensBooksAustralia HarperKidsOz HarperKidsAu

HarlequinAustralia HarlequinAus HarlequinAus

To make any enquiries or to request a review copy, please click here.

Bonnie Hancock THE GIRL WHO TOUCHED THE STARS A professional IronWoman by age 17, Bonnie Hancock has competed in seven Nutri-Grain IronWoman Series and represented Australia in surf lifesaving. In 2022 she completed a gruelling 12,700-kilometre journey around Australia solo in a surf ski, becoming the fastest ever paddler to circumnavigate the continent, the first Australian woman to circumnavigate the continent by paddle, and the youngest person to do so. Bonnie is currently an ambassador for Gotch4Life and a speaker on leadership and mental health.

Mary-Lou Stephens THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

Mary-Lou Stephens has been many things in her life including a musician, a songwriter, an actor and a radio presenter. The Australian called her debut novel, The Last of the Apple Blossom , ‘an outstanding historical novel about women and the secrets and burdens they carry.’ Mary Lou has worked and played all over Australia and now lives on the Sunshine Coast with her husband and a hive of killer native bees.

France, taking refuge from the damage of the war. Adelaide and Emmett are inexorably drawn together, but Adelaide discovers plans have been made for her with the decorated returned soldier Donal Blaxland, a local land-owner with a large tobacco plantation. When police charges are suddenly brought against the lighthouse keeper, Adelaide is forced to make a choice about her future, and discovers that Donal harbours terrible secrets of his own. She finds herself a prisoner to the trauma and suffering that war has wreaked on the returned soldier. As she begins to understand the depths of Donal’s desperation, Adelaide knows she must leave – and between the treacherous waters of the coast and the rocky outcrops of an ancient land, Adelaide fights for her survival, determined to live and love on her own terms. A moving, uplifting story about love and suffering, trauma and addiction – and hope in the darkest of times. Released: 31/01/24 TPB | 400pp

When Luke is identified as a person of interest in Marcus’s death, Kate once again finds herself in the middle of a media storm, sidelined from the case and battling accusations of conflict of interest. As press attention deepens, and uncomfortable truths about Luke’s personal life and past events come to light, Kate is forced to contend between loyalty to the police force, and the bonds of friendship and blood. Released: 31/01/24 TPB | 368pp dinukamckenzie.com

One of Australia’s best all-rounders, Australia’s 44th Test Captain and an international cricketing superstar, Shane Watson has achieved most things on the cricket field. In March 2022, Shane became the assistant coach of the IPL’s Delhi Capitals. Watson is the co-founder of BEON a high performance mental skills coaching business. His mental skills workshops educate people on the critically important life skills to bring the best version of themselves to every performance. Shane grew up in Ipswich and now lives in Sydney with his wife Lee and their children. Shane Watson THE WINNER’S MINDSET

Siobhan O’Brien is an author, journalist and communications person. She has written a number of books including A Life By Design: The Art and Lives of Florence Broadhurst . She has worked for many media outlets including the Sydney Morning Herald, Vogue, Indesign, Monument and others. When she is not writing she is singing with her band Minnie and The Moonrakers. Siobhan O’Brien ALL THE GOLDEN LIGHT

AU $32.99 NZ $35.00 Imprint: HarperCollins

AU $32.99 NZ $36.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

FICTION

Anna O MATTHEW BLAKE

Tales of the Celestial Kingdom Return to the realm of gods and legends, magic and romance. SUE LYNN TAN

Fangirl Down TESSA BAILEY

#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey launches a super sexy sports romance duology with a rom-com about a bad boy professional athlete who falls for his biggest fan... Wells Whitaker was once golf’s hottest rising star, but lately, all he has to show for his “promising” career is a killer hangover, a collection of broken clubs, and one remaining supporter. No matter how bad he plays, the beautiful, sunny redhead is always on the sidelines. He curses, she cheers. He scowls, she smiles. But when Wells quits in a blaze of glory and his fangirl finally goes home, he knows he made the greatest mistake of

THE WORLD WILL KNOW HER NAME Anna Ogilvy hasn’t opened her eyes for four years. Not since that night at The Farm when she was found asleep with a kitchen knife in her hand, her clothes bloodstained, the bodies of her two best friends lying close. She’d committed the crime of the century – but nothing and no-one could wake her from the nightmare. Believers in her innocence call her Anna O. Believers in her guilt call her Sleeping Beauty. But no-one can take their eyes off the story...

Sue Lynn Tan’s highly acclaimed, bestselling Celestial Kingdom duology is expanded with this new compilation of stories from before, during, and after the events in Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Heart of the Sun Warrior , all from the perspectives of beloved characters. Tales of the Celestial Kingdom collects nine spellbinding stories – two previously published, seven original, including the epilogue to the duology – set in the enchanting world of Sue Lynn Tan’s stunning debut. Filled with magic and mythology, friendship and love, these stories intertwine through the past, present, and future of the two novels, told from the perspectives of multiple characters, including Chang’e, Shuxiao, Liwei, and Wenzhi. With beautiful illustrations from Kelly Chong throughout, these wondrous tales make the perfect complement to Sue Lynn Tan’s breathtaking series. Embark upon new adventures of valour, danger, and love, in a world where the celestial and mortal realms entwine. Released: 31/01/24 TPB | 176pp AU $32.99 NZ $35.00 Imprint: Voyager www.suelynntan.com Faebound From the Sunday Times bestselling author of THE FINAL STRIFE , comes an enchanting new trilogy. DIVIDED BY BLOOD. IMPRISONED BY FATE. BOUND BY DESIRE. Yeeran is a warrior in the elven army and has known nothing but violence her whole life. Her sister, Lettle, is trying to make a living as a diviner, seeking prophecies of a better future. When a fatal mistake leads to Yeeran’s exile from the Elven lands, they are both forced into the terrifying wilderness beyond their borders. There they encounter the impossible: the fae court. The fae haven’t been seen for a millennium. But now Yeeran and Lettle are thrust into their seductive world – torn between their loyalty to each other, their elven homeland, and their hearts. . . SAARA EL-ARIFI

his life. Josephine Doyle believed in the gorgeous, grumpy golfer, even when he didn’t believe in himself. Yet after he throws in the towel, she begins to wonder if her faith was misplaced. Then a determined Wells shows up at her door with a wild proposal: be his new caddy, help him turn his game around, and split the prize money. And considering Josephine’s professional and personal life is in shambles, she could really use the cash... As they travel together, spending days on the green and nights in neighboring hotel rooms, sparks fly. Before long, they’re inseparable, Wells starts winning again, and Josephine is surprised to find a sweet, thoughtful guy underneath his gruff, growly exterior. This hot man wants to brush her hair, feed her snacks, and take bubble baths together Is this real life But Wells is technically her boss and an athlete falling for his fangirl would be ridiculous... right?

Released: 31/01/24 TPB | 432pp AU $32.99 NZ $36.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

www.tessabailey.com

Released: 14/02/24 B+P | 384pp AU $22.99 NZ $24.99 Imprint: Avon

www.saaraelarifi.com

Released: 31/01/24 TPB | 400pp AU $34.99 NZ $36.99 Imprint: Voyager

FICTION

FICTION

The Chocolate Factory MARY-LOU STEPHENS Love, friendship and dangerous secrets in the early years of Cadbury’s Tasmanian factory. It’s 1921, and after years of working for Cadbury’s at Bournville, Dorothy Adwell is on her way to a new adventure in the colonies, helping to establish the Firm’s new Australian factory. A promotion and a fresh start are just what she needs after the horrors of the Great War and the loss of her beloved husband. During the long sea voyage, she meets Thomas and is immediately drawn to him. The war has left Thomas damaged, both mentally and emotionally, and Dorothy vows to help him - if only he will let her. Maisie Greenwood is the oldest daughter

The Eleventh Floor

Snowy Mountains Dawn ALISSA CALLEN

KYLIE ORR

The view is a killer ... Darkly compelling and twisty psychological drama from a talented new Australian author. Perfect for readers who love Sally Hepworth, Pip Drysdale and Adele Parks. Will one mother’s lie cost another woman her life? Sleep deprived, struggling and at breaking point, first-time mum Gracie Michaels books one night - alone - at The Maxwell Hotel. A king-size bed all to herself. No demands. With time to recharge she’ll be able to return to her family more like the unflappable mother she pretends to be. Instead, she wakes in a room she doesn’t recognise after an encounter with a man who is not her husband. Then she sees something she wishes she hadn’t. Being drawn into a crime was not something Gracie had planned for her hotel stay but when a distraught family appeals for information and a police investigation heats up she is trapped in a maze of lies. To speak out jeopardises her marriage, but her silence threatens her son, her sanity and her safety. Will Gracie destroy her own family by telling the truth or devastate someone else’s by keeping her secrets? The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West An extraordinary story, inspired by real events, of a female aviator who defies the odds to embark on a daring air race across the Pacific, perfect for fans of Great Circle and Her Last Flight. 1927. Olivia ‘Livy’ West is a fearless young pilot with a love of adventure. She yearns to cross oceans and travel the skies. When she learns of the Dole Air Race — a high-stakes contest to be the first to make the 2,400 mile Pacific crossing from the West Coast to Hawai’i — she sets her sights on qualifying. But it soon becomes clear that only men will make the cut. In a last-ditch effort to take part, Livy manages to be picked as a navigator for one of the pilots, before setting out on a harrowing journey that some will not survive. 1987. Wren Summers is down to her last dime when she learns she has inherited a remote piece of land on the Big Island with nothing on it but a dilapidated barn and an overgrown mac nut grove. She plans on selling it and using the money to live on, but she is drawn in by the mysterious objects kept in the barn by her late great-uncle — clues to a tragic piece of aviation history lost to time. Determined to find out what really happened all those years ago, Wren enlists the help of residents at a nearby retirement home to uncover Olivia’s story piece by piece. What she discovers is more earth-shattering, and closer to home, than she could have ever imagined. Released: 14/01/24 TPB | AU $32.99 NZ $32.99 Imprint: HQ SARAH ACKERMAN ackermanbooks.com Released: 31/01/24 TPB | 416pp AU $32.99 NZ $34.99 Imprint: HQ kylieorr.com

A diehard country girl. A city-boy newcomer. Some rules were meant to be broken... Opposites attract in this delightful rural romance, set in charming small-town Bundilla, from bestselling Australian author Alissa Callen Horsewoman Brenna Lancaster has no time for relationships. Unless a man looks good on a horse and lets her call the shots, she isn’t interested. She’d rather wear a dress and heels than give someone else power over her life. Finance guru Wyatt Killian is a self-made man who has left the train wreck of his childhood behind. There is zero room in his workaholic world for downtime and

distractions, let alone emotions or country girls. When Wyatt’s corporate horse-riding retreat is led by a woman determined to unplug him from his urban life, it isn’t just his laser focus that becomes compromised. Being in a saddle unlocks a part of himself that he’d long ago discarded. In a rare moment of nostalgia, he prolongs his stay in the high country. After Brenna becomes mired in a family secret that involves a historic feud and bushrangers, she has no choice but to involve Wyatt in the search for answers. But as Wyatt’s past collides with his future, and the only home Brenna has known comes under threat, both must decide what they need to let go of and what is worth fighting for.

of a war widow, living on a pittance in the Hobart suburb of the Glebe. Her mother’s health is failing, and with two younger siblings depending on her the security of a job at the brand-new Cadbury’s factory is a godsend. With Dorothy’s mentorship and her budding romance with fellow worker Frank, life begins to look a little sweeter. Cadbury’s competitors have one goal: to steal the recipe for Dairy Milk, the most popular chocolate in the world. But the recipe is kept in a vault and the few who know it are legally bound to never divulge its secret. When chocolate spies target the new factory, Dorothy and Maisie become caught up in their plot. Can they protect the recipe, help those they love and fulfil their own dreams? A tangled web of ambition and intrigue melts into a tale as delicious and rich as chocolate.

alissacallen.com

Released: 31/01/24 TPB | 384pp AU $32.99 NZ $34.99 Imprint: HQ

Released: 31/01/24 TPB | 448PP AU $32.99 NZ $34.99 Imprint: HQ

FICTION

FICTION

OCTOBER 2022 – NON-FICTION FEBRUARY 2024 – NON-FICTION

The Forest Grimm KATHRYN PURDIE

The Girl Who Touched The Stars

BONNIE HANCOCK

It took an ocean to learn it’s not how fast you paddle but how deep inside you dig. 254 days, 12,700 kilometres, sea sickness, sharks, crocodiles and ocean. Bonnie Hancock broke numerous records on her fastest ever circumnavigation by paddle around Australia but that wasn’t the achievement she is most proud of. Testing the limits of her mental and physical toughness, she learned what it means to overcome adversity and how important teamwork and perspective truly are. What looks distressing from the rocky shore or storm-tossed waves can be inspiring when you look to the heavens. The Girl Who Touched the Stars is a love story, a travelogue and an exhilarating exploration of human ambition coming face to face with the beauty and power of nature. But most of all it’s a lesson in overcoming self-doubt, trusting others and finding your true self. Bonnie demonstrates vividly and honestly the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of reaching for the stars.

A spellbinding new YA fairytale from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kathryn Purdie, breathing new life into folklore and myth – with a touch of magic all her own… Once upon a time, villagers would whis per their desires to The Book of Fortunes, and its pages would reveal how to obtain them. All was well until someone used the book for evil. Afterward, the branches of the Forest Grimm snatched the book away and the village withered. The villagers tried to make amends with the forest, but every time someone crossed its border, they never returned.

www.bonniehancock.com

Released: 31/01/24 TPB | 336pp AU $34.99 NZ $37.99 Imprint: ABC Books

Despite the warning from her fortune-tell er grandmother, Clara embarks on the

The Winner’s Mindset SHANE WATSON

journey into the deadly forest to procure the Book of Fortunes – to reverse the curse and save her mother and village. Clara’s friend Axel puts aside his longing for her to join the journey – the young travellers have set their minds to defying fate and daring to accomplish what no one else has been able to before.

Unleash your peak performance every time with Shane Watson’s groundbreaking book. Using scientific methodology and his own in-game experiences, he reveals the mental skills you need to eliminate stress and anxiety. Whether you’re a cricketer or simply seeking success in life, you’ll learn universal techniques that apply to any performance arena. Join the revolution and step up to your best self. Train your skills, train your body, now it’s time to train your mind - Ricky Ponting

Alas, the forest – alive with dark, deadly twists on some of our most well-known fairy tales – has a mind of its own…

Till this day I still use it before every game - Faf du Plessis Simple process to be able to use in all aspects of life - Brett Lee

kathrynpurdie.com

Released: 31/01/24 TPB | 352pp AU $29.99 NZ $32.99 Imprint: Magpie Books

Released: 31/01/24 TPB | 304pp AU $34.99 NZ $39.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

NON-FICTION

FICTION

FEBRUARY 2024 – CHILDREN’S & YA Andromache Between Worlds

Outback Court Reporter One of Australia’s most experienced court reporters goes on a judicial road trip. Outback Court Reporter is a sometimes funny, sometimes tragic look at the comings and goings on inside the country courtrooms dotted across Australia. From the case of the stolen cat flap, to missing lollipops and exploding chocolate milk in a country supermarket, to a custody dispute over a camel – Jamelle has seen the lighter and quirky side of outback courts but has also witnessed the harsh, dark, and petty side of outback life – including the high rates of Indigenous incarceration, alcohol-related and domestic violence. JAMELLE WELLS

The Showman Acclaimed journalist Simon Shuster gives us the first inside account of the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the perspective of President Volodymyr Zelensky and his team, who granted him unprecedented access. Time correspondent Simon Shuster chronicles the life and wartime leadership of Volodymyr Zelensky from the dressing rooms of his variety show in Ukraine to the muddy trenches of his war with Russia. Based on four years of reporting; extensive travels with President Zelensky to the front; and dozens of interviews with him, his wife, his friends and enemies, SIMON SHUSTER

As Bright as a Rainbow ROMY ASH AND BLUE JARYN

GABRIEL BERGMOSER

The Wonder of Little Things Young Readers Edition VINCE COPLEY Welcome to my story I didn’t learn a lot in school, not in the classroom, anyway. But I learned a lot from life. ‘Always remember you’re as good as anybody else,’ Vince’s mother, Kate, often told him. And he was, becoming a champion footballer and premiership-winning coach. But change was in the air, and Vince wanted to help make life better for his people too. At every step, Vince found light in the darkness, the friendly face in the crowd, the small moments that make the world go round. Welcome to the wonder of little things. A journey so strange and dangerous that it will forever transform Andromache’s life to anythin g but normal. All fourteen-year-old Andromache Peters wants is a normal life. But normal is pretty near impossible when your parents were famous adventurers who saved the world and nobody will let you forget it. On top of this, Andromache’s father has been missing and presumed dead since she was only two, and her mother has retreated into grief ever since. So it’s no surprise that the last thing Andromache needs is to be reminded of where she came from. But when a mysterious stranger reveals that Andromache’s father is not only still alive but trapped in a parallel world, Andromache is thrown into a daring journey across other universes to find and save the father she never knew.

There are so many ways to be a girl, a boy, both - or neither. Created by writer Romy Ash and illustrator Blue Jaryn, this beautiful picture book shows us that there is no right way to be any gender. You can just be yourself. Perfect for young children, As Bright As a Rainbow explores gender identity in a warm-hearted and gentle way.

Released: 31/1/24 NSH| 24pp AU $24.99 NZ $26.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

Released: 31/1/24 BPB | 272 pp AU $19.99 NZ $21.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

his advisers, ministers and military commanders, The Showman tells an intimate and eye-opening story of the President’s evolution from a slapstick actor to a symbol of resilience, revealing how he managed to rally the world’s democracies behind his cause. The book’s early chapters offer the first detailed account of Zelensky’s life in a nuclear bunker in the opening weeks of the invasion and the circumstances of his wife’s escape to safety with their children. Later, as the Russians retreat from Kyiv, we see Zelensky and his team emerge from the bunker and lead Ukraine in a series of crucial victories. The result is a riveting, up-close picture of the invasion as experienced by its number one target and improbable hero. Clear-eyed about the President’s early failures as a peacemaker and his willingness to silence political dissent, the book offers a complex picture of a man struggling to break what he sees as a historical cycle of oppression that began generations before he was born. Even as the war drags on, Zelensky lays out his vision for its future course and, through his actions, demonstrates his strategy for countering the Russians and keeping the West on his side. The Showman , as a work of eyewitness journalism, provides an essential perspective on the war defining our age. As a study in leadership and human resolve, its appeal is timeless and universal.

After spending almost twenty years in city courtrooms reporting for the ABC on some of the country’s highest profile cases, in Outback Court Reporter, Jamelle Wells takes you into our country courtrooms, from the grand sandstone edifices of Cobar and Grafton to the repurposed community halls and police stations in outback Queensland the Northern Territory – introducing you to the court staff – the solicitors, prosecutors, magistrates, witnesses and the accused, in cases that shock, captivate and divide communities. Outback Court Reporter is also a timely reminder of the need for reform as country magistrates struggle with massive caseloads and limited resources, the fall-out of failing regional health system and limited bail and sentencing options in a justice system that is under pressure and communities still disadvantaged by the vastness of our continent.

Little Book Baby KATRINA GERMEIN & CHERYL ORSINI This little baby loves sharing books! Books on the tram with Dad, books at picnics with Nanna and Pa, and even bath-time books with Mummy. Morning, noon and night, books make everything better. From talented duo, Katrina Germein and Cheryl Orsini, comes a heartwarming story about the joy and delight of sharing books.

jamellewells.com

Released: 31/01/24 TPB | 320pp AU $34.99 NZ $39.99 Imprint: ABC Books

Released: 31/1/24 NSH| 24pp AU $24.99 NZ $26.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

Released: 31/1/24 BPB| 272pp AU $22.99 NZ $24.99 Imprint: ABC Books

Released: 31/01/24 TPB | 336pp AU $34.99 NZ $37.99 Imprint: William Collins

NON-FICTION

CHILDREN’S