The Last Dance (40 page)

In this practical and lively handbook McIntosh guides you through the stages of writing a novel, from establishing good working habits all the way through to submitting your draft to a suitable publisher.

Chock-full of insider’s advice on what makes a bestselling general fiction author, this invaluable resource will equip the newcomer to novel writing with the tools to finish your first draft within a year. If you have a tough hide and a philosophical attitude – as well as a damn strong work ethic – you can make writing fiction your career.

A breathtaking novel of heartbreak and heroism, love and longing by a powerhouse Australian storyteller.

‘Fiona McIntosh is a superior writer in the genre, and if you enjoy popular romantic fiction, you’d be mad not to try her.’
THE AGE

Love comes out of nowhere for most of us, when we least expect it.

Amidst the carnage of Gallipoli, British nurse Claire Nightingale meets Australian Light Horseman Jamie Wren. Despite all odds, they fall deeply in love. Their flame burns bright and carries them through their darkest hours, even when war tears them apart.

When Jamie encounters Turkish soldier Açar Shahin on the bloodstained battlefield, the men forge an unforgettable bond. Their chance meeting also leaves a precious clue to Jamie’s whereabouts for Claire to follow.

Come peacetime, Claire’s desperate search to find Jamie takes her all the way to Istanbul, and deep into the heart of Açar’s family, where she attracts the unexpected attention of a charismatic and brooding scholar.

In the name of forgiveness, cultures come together, enemies embrace and forbidden passions ignite – but by the nail-biting conclusion, who will be left standing to capture Nurse Nightingale’s heart?

‘Sure to appeal to lovers of period romantic dramas like Downton Abbey.’
WOMAN’S DAY

‘A passionate and intriguing story depicting one woman’s search for love even in the most extraordinary circumstances.’
SA LIFE

A heart-stopping story of true love and courage from a phenomenal Australian storyteller.

A humble soldier wakes in a military hospital with no recollection of his past. Jones has only a few horrifying memories of the battlefield at Ypres, and his identity becomes a puzzle he must solve.

A stunning seamstress dreams of her own high-fashion salon in London. After a fated meeting with Jones, Eden Valentine is driven to help the soldier by something more than charity.

A mysterious and aristocratic man may hold the key to Jones’s past – and to Eden’s future. But the news that he bears will bring shattering consequences that threaten to tear their lives apart.

‘An enthralling, evocative read.’
WOMAN’S DAY

‘Fast-paced, beautifully haunting and filled with the excruciating pain of war.’
WEST AUSTRALIAN

An extraordinary, moving story of action and adventure, heartbreak and passion, devotion and treachery from an internationally bestselling author.

Lavender farmer Luc Bonet is raised by a wealthy Jewish family in the foothills of the French Alps. When the Second World War breaks out he joins the French Resistance, leaving behind his family’s fortune, their home overrun by soldiers, their lavender fields in disarray.

Lisette Forestier is on a mission of her own: to work her way into the heart of a senior German officer – and to bring down the Reich in any way she can. What Luc and Lisette hadn’t counted on was meeting each other.

When they come together at the height of the Paris occupation, German traitors are plotting to change the course of history. But who, if anyone, can be trusted? As Luc and Lisette’s emotions threaten to betray them, their love may prove the greatest risk of all.

‘Action, heartbreak and romance aplenty . . . a great read. This is a romantic page-turner.’
BOOKS+PUBLISHING

‘This epic story is full of mystery, intrigue and romance.’
WOMAN’S DAY

An exhilarating story of courage, passion and peril by a phenomenal Australian storyteller.

In postwar Paris, Luc and Lisette Ravens remain haunted by the horrors they have endured. Casting their fate to the winds, they sail to Tasmania, hoping to rebuild their lives and plant new lavender fields in a land that’s full of promise.

But trouble is catching up with them. When an eager young law student learns a family secret, he finds himself linked to the Ravens on the other side of the world, holding the key to his own future and to Luc’s troubled past.

Together they return to Provence, so Luc can fulfill the promises by which he has been bound. With the future generation of lavender keepers in his care, Luc must lay to rest the ghosts of years gone by so that they all might live and love again.

‘A blockbuster of a book that you won’t want to put down.’
BRYCE COURTENAY

‘McIntosh’s narrative races across oceans and dances through ballrooms.’
SUN HERALD

A gripping story of love and rivalry from the internationally bestselling author of
The Lavender Keeper.

Charismatic womaniser Jack Bryant has the world at his feet, but when trouble catches up with him he’s forced to flee Penzance for good.

Honest Ned Sinclair is on a family adventure in Rangoon when he is dealt a bitter blow. With all the odds against him, he risks his life in a desperate bid to escape.

Both men hope to start their lives anew, seeking their fortune in India’s fields of gold. Their paths collide in the colourful city of Bangalore, where they form a friendship like no other. In the years that follow, they remain inextricably bound by a dark secret, while their love for the same woman threatens to tear them apart.

From the windswept cliffs of the Cornish coast to the goldmines of southern India, this is a page-turning story of high adventure, devastating tragedy and enduring love.