Bailey Finch Takes A Stand

A heartwarming story about a young girl taking action to clean up her local creek, from beloved middle-grade author Ingrid Laguna.

A unique, tender and heart-warming novel following a young girl’s experience as an Iraqi refugee in Melbourne, her desire to belong, and the importance of friendship.

Ingrid Laguna returns to the beautiful characters of her debut middle-grade story Songbird, in this delightful companion novel about friendship, belonging and the importance of standing up for those you love.

Left in a pail at an orphanage as a baby, only something magical can save Eloise from a miserable life and give her the one she's always dreamed of. Orphaned as a baby, Eloise Pail yearns for a family. Instead, she lives a lonely life trapped in an orphanage and made miserable by the cruel Sister Hortense. Befriended by the village blacksmith, Eloise soon uncovers some strange secrets of yesteryear and learns that something terrible may be about to happen to the village. As troubles and dangers mount, she must learn who to trust and choose between saving the village or belonging to a family of her own. Unless something truly magical happens...

Ingrid Laguna never did things the easy way - she spent much of her young adulthood rebelling against conformism, playing in a mostly girl band and travelling around Australia, before marrying Ben and going to live in Alice Springs. Pregnancy didn't come easily either but, through IVF, she finally fell pregnant. And when she went into premature labour at 23 weeks and her twin sons were born-each weighing about the same as a pat of butter and small enough to fit into the palm of her hand - she had to call on all her reserves of strength and stubbornness to see the journey through and be the mother that her sons needed. This is an earthy, honest and heartbreaking memoir about what it means to love; and about the terrible powerlessness and torment involved when there is fear of losing a child. Yet despite the pain and anguish, Ingrid's memoir is at its heart about how we can experience unimaginable difficulty - and still somehow find the spirit to come through blazing with love and optimism and even a kind of joy.

A big bully, afflicted with Random Hostility Syndrome, terrorizes all of the forest animals until a clever young troll gets his goat.

1978, Jonestown. 909 dead-two children survive. Where are they now? Two children scramble through a remote jungle to escape the madness of Jonestown. When they return to America they're given new names. A fresh start. Almost forty years later Will Finch stumbles across an abandoned Armani jacket in an inner-city San Francisco playground. He soon learns that the jacket holds a secret. A cryptic message that tears his life apart and threatens to make him the latest victim of the Jonestown massacre. Inspired by true events, Second Life will keep you bolted to your chair until you reach the final sentence. This uncompromising noir murder mystery catapults you on a mesmerizing journey from an historic catastrophe to a prophecy of mass annihilation. "The children went first, died first. But imagine if two escaped, returned to the US, were given new identities, the chance of a 'second life.' How would it all turn out? Would they escape the memory of Jonestown, embrace the rituals of a normal life, grow up, have families, pay taxes, argue with the TV ... or would they become occult messengers of the fatal theosophy preached by the Reverend Jim Jones? This is the question, the premise of D.F. Bailey's latest psychological thriller with a twist, Second Life." - Lawrence Russell, author of Radio Brazil Author Q & A with D. F. Bailey Q: Your title, Second Life, hints at something more than a dreary 9-to-5 existence. How does it fit into your thriller series? DFB: The title is derived from an ancient quote by Confucius: "We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one." When I first read that sentence, I thought, now here's a different way of looking at things. It really struck me with its insight. When you consider our brief life here on Earth, this sort of awareness can inspire people to take up a cause. For good-or for evil. So I drew my title from it since it suggests a noir murder mystery. Q: You're known for your crime fiction series and psychological thrillers with a twist. How do they relate to the Jonestown disaster? DFB: Until 9-11 the Jonestown massacre marked the largest civilian slaughter in American history. It took place in South America, in a remote jungle in Guyana, but the victims were mostly Americans, followers of Jim Jones's Temple which was once based in San Francisco. Some argue that the event wasn't a massacre-that it was mass suicide-but over a third of the victims were children led to their deaths by their utterly deluded parents. The trite phrase, "They drank the Kool-Aid," is their enduring legacy. It serves to warn us of the malignant power of religious cults. Q: And two of those children escaped? DFB: That's the fictional premise. I wanted to explore what might happen to children who survived the disaster on November 18, 1978. That's where Will Finch comes in. If you've read the first three books in the series you know that Finch is not a superhero. However, he's smart, tough, determined. Bent, but not broken. Q: Other than Will Finch and Eve Noon, do any characters from the previous novels appear in Second Life? DFB: Absolutely. Fiona Page and Wally Gimbel are alive and kicking. And Gabe Finkleman, who was introduced in Lone Hunter, is now a rising force at the San Francisco eXpress. Q: I thought the first three books-Bone Maker, Stone Eater, and Lone Hunter-formed a trilogy. Does Second Life change your mystery and suspense series books into a quartet? DFB: No, the trilogy stands as a complete, three-part unit. Second Life is the first of what I hope will be a continuing thriller series that builds on the characters introduced in the trilogy. If you liked the trilogy, I think you'll enjoy Second Life, too.

A witty and warm-hearted novel about a trans teen finding his place in the world perfect for fans of Red, White and Royal Blue There’s only one thing standing between Finch Kelly and a full-blown case of high school senioritis: the National Speech & Debate Tournament. Taking home the gold would not only be the pinnacle of Finch’s debating career, but the perfect way to launch himself into his next chapter: college in Washington, DC, and a history-making career as the first trans congressman. What could possibly go wrong? Well, for starters, Finch could develop a teeny tiny crush on his very attractive, very taken, and very gay debate partner, Jonah. Never mind that Finch has never considered whether he’s interested in more than just girls. And that dream of college in DC? Finch hasn’t exactly been accepted anywhere yet, let alone received the full-ride scholarship he’ll need to make this dream a reality. Worst of all, though, is this year’s topic for Nationals: transgender rights. If he wants to cinch the gold, and get into college, Finch might have to argue against his own humanity. People say there are two sides to every argument. But, as Finch is about to discover, some things—like who you are and who you love—are not up for debate.