AustLit

'From the gentle romance of "Kissing Emily Baker", to the trials and tribulations of a young English family setting out for a new life in 1920s Australia in "The Group Settler''s Wife", this collection contains fifteen stories of love, second chances and new beginnings that will enthral Anna Jacobs' many fans and new readers alike.

'Who would think a pelican could act as matchmaker? Enjoy a "bachelors and spinsters" ball in the outback. Live with settlers to Western Australia in the 1920s. Ever thought where those personal advertisements might lead? An attempt to avoid Christmas leads to another sort of celebration.

'Have you ever wondered what sparks an idea for a story? Well, Anna explains that with each of these tales.'

'1935. At thirty-six, Bella Porter is dependent on her abusive cousin, acting as an unpaid servant. When a kind relative leaves her a house in the village of Backshaw Moss, Thomas tries to take it from her, but she defies him and grasps this chance of a new start in Lancashire.

'It is not going to be easy, though. The house is on the edge of a slum and in a state of disrepair, let out as flats. As kind people help her find her feet, however, her confidence grows and when she meets struggling, widowed father-of-three Ryan, she begins to hope she may find the happy family she's always dreamed of.

'She's offered partial help with her renovations by the local council who are planning to clear up the slums, but other landlords will do anything to avoid costly improvements and protect their profits. And when Thomas follows her, still after the inheritance, not only is Bella's newfound happiness threatened but also her life. Can her new friends help her rid herself of her tormenter once and for all and finally achieve her valley dream?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Abigail Beadle has given two decades of her life to first caring for her father who has developed Parkinson’s, then, at his request as his health fails completely, looking after the centuries old family home Ashgrove House. In order to do that she has to put up with being ordered around by her stepmother Edwina, who is not a pleasant person.

'Abigail has never married because Lucas Chadwick, the man she loved when she was young, left the village suddenly with his family. This was due to her stepmother’s machinations and threats, but as Edwina also intercepted his letters to Abigail afterwards, the relationship was broken up. When her stepmother dies suddenly, Abigail is glad to be released from the woman’s nagging and bullying, but doubts she’ll manage to keep her beloved home, because of the need to pay inheritance tax.

'Various people start plotting to help Abigail put together enough money to pay the inheritance taxes and keep her family’s home. Will they succeed or will she lose everything?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'When Mara Gregory receives a letter from the father whom she believed to have died when she was a child, her world is turned upside down. Aaron Buchanan only discovered that he had a daughter a couple of years ago and now he's desperate to play a part in her life.

'In the face of her mother's opposition, Mara arranges to go to Australia to meet her father and his family. Will she find him the disappointment that her mother promises? And when Australia brings another man into her life, she's faced with some huge decisions and some heartrending choices.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'As the only female cabinet maker in the valley in 1935, Frankie Redfern is unusual. She faces prejudice even from her own mother. But she’s content working for her father, and is unwilling to give up her independence or the work she loves for marriage. 

'When her husband falls gravely ill, Frankie’s mother takes over, causing serious trouble for her daughter. And her cousin, an unscrupulous local builder, starts to help her for his own reasons.

'Jericho Harte has never met a woman he wanted to marry until he bumps into Frankie on the moors. When she comes to him the next day with an extraordinary suggestion, it seems a marriage of convenience might suit them both. Or could their relationship become more than that?

'But Frankie’s problems worsen as her father goes missing from hospital. Is there more to his illness than met the eye?

'Can Frankie and Jericho help uncover the truth and put an end to the danger she’s in before it’s too late?'

(Source: publisher's blurb)

'On the other side of the world, Russ has just taken possession of his new house and wants only peace and quiet after a serious injury and months of rehab. Can Simone and Russ help one another avoid meddling friends and relatives, and build new lives?'

(Source: publisher's blurb)

'When the teenage girl who’s been hanging around near the house knocks on the door and tells her she’s her granddaughter, Cassie is shocked rigid. There’s only one way this can be true: if Evie is the daughter of the baby Cassie gave away for adoption when she was herself a troubled teenager. Is this a trick? Or is Evie’s tale true? When she finds out why the girl has come to find her, it brings a tangle of other problems that she can't ignore. This was the last thing she expected to be dealing with as she moves into her new home in a leisure village in Wiltshire.'

(Source: publisher's blurb)

'Lancashire 1934. Three years after her husband's sudden death, Stella comes into some money unexpectedly and decides to make a new start in the country. She settles on Ellin Valley, where she quickly begins to make friends. She falls in love with a cottage in Birch End, but an unscrupulous man wants it too. Will she be able to buy her dream home?

'Life has changed drastically for local handyman Wilf Pollard as well. When tragedy strikes, Wilf is left as the only support of his two young children. But his friends rally round to help so that he can pull his life together and take up an exciting new job with a well-respected builder.

'Some of the local council are eager to deal with the squalid conditions of the Backshaw Moss slum, but others will stop at nothing to keep their profitable rents. And Stella's dream cottage is threatened by their plans to build yet more cheap housing. Can Stella, Wilf and the residents of Birch End pull together to make sure good triumphs over evil?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Christmas is fast approaching but for some people living at the top end of Peppercorn Street, the mood is far from festive. Luke Morgan is not getting on with his teenage daughter, who has recently returned to live with him. In a nearby village Claire Small is trying to avoid her sadistic ex who is stalking her. When Claire and Luke are thrown together by a car accident caused by her dog, it’s obvious that she is in danger and he impulsively invites Claire, her delightful small daughter and their lovable dog to take refuge in his home.

'Can the presence of strangers help to rebuild the relationship between Luke and his own daughter? And will this Christmas give them the best present of all: a new family – or will Claire’s ex again cause trouble?'

(Source: publisher's blurb)

'Lara Perryman has spent many years travelling for her busy corporate job, so it’s a relief when she can take early retirement and settle in her new home in a leisure village in Wiltshire. But a terrible crime throws her new life into chaos. Can she find her way through the ensuing difficulties?

'Her new neighbour also has his troubles, and maybe she and Ross can help one another.'

(Source: author's website)

'Jo Melling has arrived in Birch End from Australia, still grieving her father's recent death. She's not intending to stay long, but after tracking down her distant family, Jo becomes more involved in village life than she could ever have imagined - and suddenly in danger too.

'Jo also finds herself drawn to Nick, a handsome newcomer to the village. Nick had planned to settle in Birch End and start a business, but as he grows closer to Jo, he realises he may have to choose between his dreams and a chance at love.

'Meanwhile, the new local council are faced with some tough decisions of their own. It's time to take a stand against the poor conditions in Backshaw Moss, the nearby slum, but some councillors want things to stay as they are - and will go to any lengths to make sure they get their way . . .

'Will the decent people of the valley win a brighter future for themselves? And can Jo find a way to stay with Nick in a place she's grown to love?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Armistice Day, London, 1918. Fiercely independent Georgie is tired of being told what’s best for her by men. When she defies her father’s wishes by going out into the peace festivities, she tries to help a woman being attacked and encounters Patrick, a gallant wounded ex-soldier looking for a new calling now that the fighting is done.

'But the war isn’t over for everybody. Enemy forces have infiltrated the bureau and sent her father into hiding. And they are coming for her too. Georgie knows there’s only one place where she’ll be safe: Honeyfield. But there are traitors in the bureau and she doesn’t know who she can trust.

'With Patrick in charge of her security detail, can she get to Honeyfield before her father’s enemies find her? And will she be reunited with her father, the only family she has left?'

(Source: publisher's blurb)

'The houses in Saffron Lane are being filled with artists thanks to the efforts of Nell and Angus. Ginger doesn’t win a place there, but gets a job running the small café/art gallery, taking refuge there from her abusive bully of a son. When she meets Iain, sparks fly between them, the first time she’s felt attracted to anyone for years. But will her son spoil it?

'Emil is in town to open the small museum in Saffron Lane and run his father’s business. This throws new opportunities in his path, and new problems too. Will the newcomers manage to build new lives or will selfish people destroy their attempts to find happiness?'

(Source: publisher's blurb)

"Lancashire, 1932. Widower Harry Makepeace lives in Manchester with his sickly daughter Cathie, scrimping and saving to get by. But after she suffers a violent asthma attack, the doctors say she must move to the clean, fresh air of the countryside to have any hope of survival. When Harry chances upon a patch of land for sale in Ellindale, and an advert for a disused railway carriage that can be made into a home, he snaps both up quickly.

"But their problems are far from over. Harry’s already made an enemy in Ellindale – someone who could make his life very difficult indeed..."

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'1931, Lancashire:

'When Finn Carlisle loses his wife and unborn child, he spends a few years travelling to keep the sad memories at bay. Just as he's ready to settle down again, his great-uncle dies and leaves everything to him. This includes Heythorpe House in Ellindale just down the road from Leah Willcox and her little fizzy drink factory.

'Finn finds a village of people in dire need of jobs, a house that hasn't been cleaned or lived in for thirty years and Reggie, an eleven-year-old who's run away from the nearby orphanage and its brutal Director Buddle. When Finn sees the marks left by regular beatings, he decides Reggie will never go back there.

'But Buddle has other plans for the child, and will stop at nothing to get Reggie back in his cruel grasp. Finn's new neighbours help him save Reggie but other surprises throw his new plans into turmoil.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Linked to the Greyladies series, these historical stories are about the women helped by the Greyladies Trust. The stories are set in Wiltshire, UK, in the early years of the 20th century.'

(Source: author's website)