Words and Nerds: Authors, books and literature.

From Australia's most exciting and original crime writer comes another electrifying thriller, set in Los Angeles, introducing a new – and decidedly unconventional – team of 'detectives'.

A convicted killer. A gifted thief. A vicious crime boss. A disillusioned cop.

Together they’re a missing girl's only hope.

Blair Harbour, once a wealthy, respected surgeon in Los Angeles, is now an ex-con down on her luck. She’s determined to keep her nose clean to win back custody of her son.

But when her former cellmate, Sneak Lawlor, begs for help to find her missing daughter, Blair is compelled to put her new-found freedom on the line. Joined by LA’s most feared underworld figure, Ada Maverick, the crew of criminals bring outlaw tactics to the search for Dayly.

Detective Jessica Sanchez has always had a difficult relationship with the LAPD. And her inheritance of a $7 million mansion as a reward for catching a killer has just made her police enemy number one.

It’s been ten years since Jessica arrested Blair for the cold-blooded murder of her neighbour. So when Jessica opens the door to the disgraced doctor and her friends early one morning she expects abuse, maybe even violence.

What comes instead is a plea for help.

'Candice Fox’s brilliant crime novel set in LA that will surely garner her a whole new set of readers...Gathering Dark is expansive, generous and thoroughly engaging and will surely cement Fox’s reputation as one of Australia’s finest new gen crime writers. It’s that good.' Sydney Morning Herald

‘Candice Fox’s writing is inventive, thrilling and totally addictive.’ James Patterson

‘The queen of the creepily compulsive thriller.’ WHO

Emotional, powerful, unforgettable. From a stunning new literary talent, you won't be able to put down this novel about a mother's love for her children - it will break your heart.

Ava and her two young sons, Max and Teddy, are driving to their new home in Sheerwater, hopeful of making a fresh start in a new town, although Ava can't help but keep looking over her shoulder. They're almost at their destination when they witness a shocking accident - a light plane crashing in the field next to the road. Ava stops to help, but when she gets back to the car, she realises that somehow, among the smoke, fire and confusion, her sons have gone missing ...

From a substantial new Australian writing talent, Sheerwater is tense, emotional, unforgettable. Perfect for readers of Mark Brandi's Wimmera and Stephanie Bishop's The Other Side of the World, this is a beautifully written, propulsive, gut-wrenching and unputdownable novel - an aching, powerful story of the heroic acts we are capable of in the name of love.

'Sheerwater is that rare gift of a book that balances gorgeous, glittering language with breathless pace. Leah Swann writes with devastating honesty ... This is an extraordinary novel - I tore through it, captivated by the imagery and the setting, desperately hoping for a happy ending.' Rebecca Starford, author of Bad Behavior

'With visceral prose and a tense narrative arc that unfolds over just three days, speeding towards a dramatic conclusion .... Sheerwater is a propulsive read with an acute emotional core ... likely to hold appeal for readers of both literary and crime fiction, and fans of writers such as Emily Maguire, Emma Viskic and Sofie Laguna.' Bookseller + Publisher

'Sheerwater is a haunting story built on conflict. Freedom and control, tenderness and violence, hope and fear, love and hate. It shows the strength of a mother's love and the yearning for something more ... This novel is full of beautifully gripping prose and deeply powerful emotions told through sublime pacing. I found it triggered a peculiar mix of wanting to dwell in the darkly emotive prose while needing to urgently push through it to find resolution. It will be one of those books that lingers in your mind, the memory of which may even be mistaken for a story read in the news.' Booktopia

'Sheerwater is compelling reading ... There is an urgency in the writing that makes you read on because you must know what the conclusion is - no matter which way it goes ... This is an extraordinary literary debut; the writing is beautifully evocative and the intertwining narratives of the main characters seamless. It's tender, it's suspenseful and you'll be wanting to see so much more from Leah Swann - I ignored everything for a day to rip through the pages and loved every minute of it.' Better Reading

Adrian Beck and Tim Harris join Dani Vee on the Words and Nerds Podcast for mayhem, virtual desserts and deep thoughts about writing. Don't miss the video of Adrian making his extremely complex dessert Masterchef style.

The river can take you home. But the river can also drag you under... The new novel from bestselling author Hannah Richell. A wise and emotionally powerful story of a broken family and the courage it takes to heal.

"No props. No music. No costumes. Just you, your words and a mic-you've got two minutes to make the crowd scream your name.

Miles Merrill, spoken word artist and founder of Australian Poetry Slam, and award-winning teacher Narcisa Nozica will take you from novice to spoken word superstar in no time. Twenty years after Merrill introduced poetry slams to Australia, there’s a national competition with a live audience of 20 000 people, and it’s taught in schools across the country. It’s been nothing short of a revolution!

With tips from stars of the Australian poetry slam scene, including bestselling author Maxine Beneba Clarke, Slam Your Poetry provides step-by-step instructions and exercises that will inspire you to:

1. Write a poem that pops

2. Rehearse like a winner

3. Wow your audience

4. Beat stage fright

5. Run a winning competition for your school or community group

Part how-to guide, part masterclass, part manifesto, this book will help teachers, students and wannabe spoken word artists of all ages slam like a pro."

The lives of three women weave together across four centuries in the dazzling new book from Evie Wyld, winner of the Miles Franklin Award.

Surging out of the sea, the Bass Rock has for centuries watched over the lives that pass under its shadow on the Scottish mainland. And across the centuries the fates of three women are linked: to this place, to each other.

In the early 1700s, Sarah, accused of being a witch, flees for her life.

In the aftermath of the Second World War, Ruth navigates a new house, a new husband and the strange waters of the local community.

Six decades later, the house stands empty. Viv, mourning the death of her father, catalogues Ruth’s belongings and discovers her place in the past – and perhaps a way forward.

Each woman’s choices are circumscribed, in ways big and small, by the men in their lives. But in sisterhood there is the hope of survival and new life. Intricately crafted and compulsively readable, The Bass Rock burns bright with anger and love.

Praise for Maggie’s Going Nowhere

“Maggie’s Going Nowhere is a whip-smart and heartwarming novel.” – Miranda Tapsell

“Fizzing with biting wit, this clever debut is deliciously readable.” – Nicola Moriarty

“A fast-paced zinger of a debut novel…smart, funny, and more than a little rough around the edges, Maggie has TV sitcom character written all over her.” – Megan Miller, Herald Sun

“A spirited and sometimes very funny beach read.” – The Saturday Age

“This indiscreet, irresponsible anti-heroine dances to her own tune. Rose Hartley’s debut is a riotous, raunchy ride through grungy Melbourne.” – Maureen Sherlock, SA Weekend

“You can’t help but love goodtime gal Maggie Cotton, even though she’s a bit of a wreck, wouldn’t know a day’s hard work if she fell over it and has unhealthy romances.” – Leanne Edmistone, Courier Mail

'another breathtaking page-turner from the author of CALL ME EVIE' - Christian White, bestselling author of The Nowhere Child

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY?

Amy has only ever known life in the Clearing. She knows what's expected of her. She knows what to do to please her elders, and how to make sure the community remains happy and calm. That is, until a new young girl joins the group. She isn't fitting in; she doesn't want to stay. What happens next will turn life as Amy knows it on its head.

Freya has gone to great lengths to feel like a 'normal person'. In fact, if you saw her go about her day with her young son, you'd think she was an everyday mum. That is, until a young girl goes missing and someone from her past, someone she hasn't seen for a very long time, arrives in town.

As secrets of the past bubble up to the surface, this small town's dark underbelly will be exposed and lives will be destroyed.

PRAISE FOR IN THE CLEARING:

'Past and present collide in this taut and unpredictable thriller ... Twist follows twist and nothing is as it seems.' - Chris Hammer, bestselling author of Scrublands

'A chilling depiction of the ferocious hold exerted by a cult and its adherents. This is totally absorbing fiction, made all the more shocking by the realisation that these stories recur again and again in Australian society.' - Jock Serong, author of The Rules of Backyard Cricket and Preservation

'J.P. Pomare captivates in this haunting novel, In the Clearing. I was utterly gripped with the stories of Amy and Freya from start to finish, and fascinated by the unexpected way the two came together ... A sure-fire bestseller. Sally Hepworth, bestselling author of The Mother-In-Law and The Family Next Door

Jack Heath, best selling Australian author chats about 200 Minutes of Danger and other novels coming our way. We chat about the writing process, short stories, fiction and have a lot of fun!

150. John Newton: The Oldest Foods On Earth - Austalian native Foods by Words and Nerds: Authors, books and literature.