Historical Fiction

Sent on working passage to NZ by his father, young Mexican man, Jason Tralee makes his way to the West Coast and makes the most of the gold rush. What follows is a dangerous venture en route to California. Facing a threat he has been preparing for his entire life, Jason risks everything to hold onto what is his.

In the misty highlands of fourth century Scotland, two Pictish brothers conspire with the Ancient People from beyond the Great Wall to attack the Romans.

A lost child. A mother's grief. A daughter's journey. In Scotland, in1941, as WW2 increases in ferocity, Rhona Begg goes against her parents' wishes and enlists in the ATS-a decision that brings with it heart-breaking consequences. After the war, weighed down with regret and grief, Rhona receives news that has the power to change her life. Across the ocean in Australia, Nell Duncan worries about her husband who is fighting in the Far East. When she receives the dreaded news that he is m

A Long Road There chronicles the immigrant journey of Magdalena Mok, a young woman whose restless, yearning, and independent spirit guided her from Germany, across the Atlantic, to America. While Magdalena is the great-grandmother of the author, Pickett as a novelist imagines the vibrant details of Mok's audacious journey. Accompanying Magdalena are a colorful cast of characters, from a rodent stowaway on the SS See Falke to her plucky and determined travel companion Rosa. Whether by ship, wago

A Priest and a Boy is a work of fiction reflecting real-world events. In 1956, Peter Madigan is an eight-year-old altar boy in a Sydney parish. Bernard Cassey is the parish's assistant priest. The story recounts the growing relationship between the two key characters, one that begins with grooming and culminates in sexual abuse. It tells of the confusion and struggles that both characters suffer across the twelve years that the story covers. Peter endures a troubled adolescence and a fractured

The Queen of Dubhlinn is a powerful position for any woman, and Aud, the youngest daughter of Ketill Flat-Nose, readily agrees to marry into this prestigious role. Beautiful, intelligent, competitive, and very ambitious, this young woman has grand plans for the future. Olaf, a charismatic warrior-king, becomes the key to her master plan. In the beginning, the marriage is a passionate union, but the King's infidelities begin to wear thin. Searching for a distraction to shut out her pain, she all

In 1902, Malang, Indonesia, Anna's family owns a coffee plantation. Shy, sensitive Anna has always felt like an outsider. She defies social norms, and pursues the life of a teacher. But as the war looms, and her marriage turns deadly, Anna will need to draw upon her inner strength and bravery to survive.

At 18 years old, Jane is teetering on the cusp of womanhood, a rite of passage complicated and painful for even the most stable of hearts. When she attends a party in Greenwich Village and meets 23-year-old gay rights and anti-war activist Maria, the ground threatens to crumble completely under the weight of unexpected infatuation and desire.

ANNE GRAY is forced to marry for the chance of a better life. Until her life is in jeopardy and she flees Devon for Australia. JAMES BARRATT emigrated from Sussex to Australia to make his fortune. After an unfortunate romance, he vows never to fall in love again. In Australia, Anne changes her name and answers James' advertisement for a wife.

When 20-year-old Elena Allegro leaves the Italian village of Laurino to study Fashion Design in Milan, she's certain her dreams are about to come true. In the face of escalating danger to herself and her love interest, Francesco, Elena must fight for her freedom, her love, and her survival.

Where is home? Can this be my place? These are the questions compelling this story set in small-town New Zealand. In 1956, Sandra McLeod and her British immigrant family came to Kawerau seeking a new life. But it was not an easy journey... When Sandra returns twenty years later, she must confront ghosts of her past.

With the passing of the Married Woman's Property Act, Kitty Barron no longer needs to fear losing Redwoods, her property at Bulahdelah, should she choose to marry again. But she is content with her safe and settled life - until a chance meeting changes her mind.