With both women seeking their own answers to life's biggest questions, they travel through Victoria, Australia, meeting new people along the way- with only some being friendly. All the while being profoundly touched by the spiritual culture within the natural landscapes.
Despite her sublime surroundings, Kira remains heartbroken over Mark's betrayal, as losing him means losing her very foundations. But is there any truth in second chances? Travelling on the open road with Rain brings her to new horizons-both in her life and her heart.
The story covers what it means to be lost, to be searching for answers in a forever unpredictable world of flawed yet wonderful people. Also what happens when love has blurred your vision for so long that it takes something really extraordinary to really open your eyes again.
Marilyn Jackson’s life has not changed for almost twenty years; between caring for her parents and her dull, clerical job, there has never been time for herself. Every day, she feels frozen, looking out the window, watching the rest of the world. Her only escape comes at night when she settles down and becomes lost in the books that take her to faraway places filled with the possibility of adventure and even romance. However, Marilyn is always aware she must return from her colourful daydreams and face another grey day.
And then, through the kindness of her father’s nurses, the door of her life is unexpectedly opened. After seeing an advertisement for carers needed to accompany an elderly travel group on holiday, Marilyn surprises herself by applying and, before long, is on her way. Helped by her new friends, especially the disarmingly mischievous Aurelie Marchant, Marilyn starts to experience living for the very first time. From a night spent in the desert to standing at the towering gates of Persepolis, everything she had only imagined becomes a stunning reality. However, when the holiday ends, will it mark an inevitable return to her old life or the start of something new?
Maggie Grant is happily married to Adam with three children, Sol, Saffron, and India -she's living a normal suburban life. Her days are spent looking after her family and helping at the local school. But her life is unexpectedly disrupted when she sees a poster about an upcoming event hosted by filmmaker Apollo Black.
Maggie is convinced she recognises him and soon realises he is, in fact, Nigel Blackthorn. Curious about how this change took place, Maggie attends the lecture where he announces his new release 'Freedom Weekend.'
He shows the audience a trailer, and Maggie is horrified when she sees herself dancing nude around a campfire. Apollo (Nigel) recognizes her and invites her to a private preview weekend, and after much soul-searching, she decides to go, hoping she might be able to prevent the film from ever being shown.
But everything changes when she returns to the beautiful field where the film was made and once reunited with old friends including a former lover, Maggie is reminded of her life before she was married. When the weekend is over, she returns home but has visiting the past changed her forever?
Simply put, this novel is a collection of personal letters to a much-loved friend, telling a story, based on real events. It offers a generous slice, of what should have been the very normal life cake, from a woman who routinely describes herself as an ordinary single mum. If you enjoyed, for example, Dawn French’s masterpiece ‘Dear Fatty’ with a liberal sprinkling of an homage to Helen Fielding’s ‘Bridget Jones’, then, it’s not completely unlikely, you might quite enjoy this book but I’m not promising anything.
Anyway, in a bid to make her life a little more interesting, our heroine tries to make a long-hidden wish to write come true and she starts to understand her life has actually been anything but dull! But when she unexpectedly falls in love, her literary dreams are rapidly overcome with the need to pursue the chance of a 'happy ever after' and she literally throws caution to the wind!
From sharing the stories of her often misspent youth to making life-changing decisions for her future, each letter reveals more. Sometimes crippling self-doubts or her love of the ridiculous, the pain of unbearable sadness or the simple pleasures of life- all while trying to make sure there is always something to eat in the fridge. As the tale unfolds, she openly shares all the highs and lows, with the only thing keeping her going being a sincere belief, there is always hope. By the end of the story, whether her experience has changed her for the better is debatable, but if nothing else, it proves - beyond doubt- nobody is ordinary!
After the sudden death of her beloved husband, Ben, Rebecca struggles to deal with her loss until, finally, she decides to end her own life, in the desperate hope they will be reunited. As her life ebbs away, a shadowy figure appears and, even though she is still alive, he takes her to the afterlife. The mysterious Alec guides her through breath-taking and horrifying eternities and introduces her to others who dwell in this realm. They include Matthew, who carries both seen and unseen scars brought from his own life, and Asherah, The Curator, who carries the knowledge of every human existence.
Rebecca soon loses herself in this extraordinary world with Alec being her trusted companion even when others appear to be wary of him. It is only when Rebecca ultimately decides she wants to return to her life, time becomes important, but will she find it as easy to leave as she did to arrive?
Having become completely lost in her desperate desire to please her social media followers, Annika has been driven to take such extreme measures, she is finally admitted to hospital. During a series of sessions with her talented therapist, she is forced to confront her own demons who have remained buried in her mind for years. When her two worlds repeatedly collide, those closest to her are left as little more than casualties as she spirals further into despair. Finally, it becomes inevitable, Annika will be forced to make some agonising choices between her online persona or a 'normal' existence, but more importantly whether life itself can become a reality or be ultimately lost forever.
As little more than a child herself, Jessica Cole is forced to take on the responsibility of running the family home and being the main carer for her younger brother, Cal. Their mother, Jocelyn, is cold and emotionless - little more than a stranger to her children. Jessica’s only real source of support is long-term family friend Uncle Jim, who works on their rural property. As the burden becomes increasingly too much to bear, Jessica dreams of moving away and, when older, she finally achieves her ambition, reluctantly leaving her beloved brother behind and moving to the city.
Jessica begins a new job at an art gallery, meets new friends, including mentor, the talented Cyrus. Her life seems to be turning into everything she had ever wanted. However, it soon becomes clear, even though she still desires to leave her troubled past behind, dramatic events unfold, beginning a series of devastating consequences for not only Jessica but everyone involved.
Despite everything, Jessica and her mother start to bond but an unexpected tragedy sends Jessica reeling and she is left with nothing but loss and betrayal. Long-held, dark secrets are forced into the light but just when she feels she finally knows the whole truth, Jessica unwittingly has one last horrifying revelation which changes her life forever.
The 'WITHIN' series is a story of a single mother, Carrie Sullivan, who emerges from a life of abuse to rediscover herself through the eyes of others, some as friends, some as lovers but more importantly, through her own lens. From a chance encounter in 'Hidden Within', to the turbulent passions of 'Changes', Carrie is challenged by her emotional life to lay some of the ghosts of her past to rest, while confronting the uncertain possibilities of her future. In the final book of her story, 'Revealed', although her journey might appear to be coming to an end, in truth, it may well be just the beginning of a whole new chapter which, at one time, she might never have imagined was possible.
The series sees the world directly through Carrie's eyes, as she faces the challenge of her changing role as a mother, her self-doubts, the joy of genuine friendship, and the sensual rediscovery of her sexual being. The story is one that aims to capture the intense intimacy and drama of every experience, both the incredible highs and the desperate lows- relatable to every woman seeking her own truth.
Devoted wife, Kira, is devastated when she learns her husband, Mark, has cheated on her. Desperate to escape the betrayal, she runs away with free-spirited Rain, even though they only met the night before.
