Ghosts walk in the open and infidelities are conducted in plain sight. Two teenagers walk along a perfect beach in the anticipation of a first kiss. Time stops for nothing – not even for death. Sometimes time cracks, disrupting a fragile equilibrium. The stories are peopled with locals and incomers, sailors and land dwellers; a diver searches the deep for what she has lost, and forbidden lovers meet in secret places. Throughout, the writers' words reveal a love of the incomparable Cornish landscape. This bold and striking new anthology showcases Cornwall's finest contemporary writers, combining established and new voices, including: Philipa Aldous, Cathy Galvin, Anastasia Gammon,Tim Hannigan, Clare Howdle, Adrian Markle, Tim Martindale, Candy Neubert, Felicity Notley, Sarah Perry, S. Reid, Alan Robinson, Rob Magnuson Smith, Katherine Stansfield, Emma Staughton, Sarah Thomas, Emma Timpany,Tom Vowler, Elaine Ruth White.

A classic tale of a beagle who would be Queen When the queen of a small kingdom dies without leaving an heir, the mourning citizens are confused. Who will be their next ruler? The royal scrolls state that if there is no heir - no children, no siblings, no aunts or uncles - the queen’s best friend must take her place. It just so happens that the queen’s best friend is Lucy, her beloved beagle. The evil Lord Runcible is furious at the thought of a canine queen and plots to seize the throne for himself. So begins a battle of wits between man and dog. A suspicious flea infestation, a dog-napping and an icy cold dip in a river all form part of a thrilling adventure. Will Lucy be able to prove to the people she is worthy of the crown?

"The darkness belongs to no one between the hours of three and four. It is a suspension of theories, feelings, and conclusions that adhere neither to the night nor to the day. It is a podium wreathed with dreams, memories, and thoughts that are not quite yours to claim. What can't be deciphered in those hours is invented for coherence. Winds carry stories in them." - from "Engram" in "Collection of Auguries" The stories in "Collection of Auguries" " ...] are short, energetic frissons to shake the mind, emotions, and senses out of their usual ruts; they prove both disquieting and thrilling. Others are longer explorations of territory ranging from modern neuropsychology to Egyptian mythology, beautifully interconnected by themes of memory, identity, and the phantom bits of consciousness that reappear in our dreams." - Lucy Pollard-Gott, from the Foreword

Ten years ago, two girls’ lives changed forever. Now one of them is ready to tell their story. *** 'A quirky lovable mystery and a brilliant, heartbreaking debut' Stylist 'A new face of fiction [and] an original coming of age novel' Observer *** The first memory I have of you is all knickers and legs. You had flipped yourself into a handstand and couldn’t get back down. We became best friends, racing slugs, pretending to be spies – all the things that children do. Ten years later, eighteen-year-old Ravine Roy spends every day in her room. Completing crosswords and scribbling in her journal, she keeps the outside world exactly where she wants it; outside. But as the real world begins to invade her carefully controlled space, she is forced to finally confront the questions she’s been avoiding. Who is her mother meeting in secret? Who has moved in next door? And why, all those years ago, when two girls pulled on their raincoats and wellies and headed out into the woods did only one of them return? ‘A breakout book from an incredibly talented debut writer. Read, weep and laugh’ Stylist ‘An original heartfelt read by a new British talent’ Independent ‘A delightfully fresh voice’ Daily Mail

How far will Gilly go to become someone new? 'Gilly. You know we'll die here, don't you?' Pete's eyes are glazed and red-rimmed. 'Yes.' 'Aren't you afraid?' 'No, I'm not,' I tell him. 'I can't believe you,' he says. 'I don't believe you're not afraid.' He wants us to be joined now, at this moment. He doesn't want to die alone. But I mean it. I'm not afraid. Gilly lives in a drought-ridden small town in 1970s Australia. She's left school but hasn't found a job, it's always hot and life seems a little pointless. Then Pete arrives. Golden-skinned with a kind smile and relaxed attitude, he boards with Gilly and her family and breaks the tension between her philandering father and anxious-to-please mother. Gilly can't help but fall in love with him and one sultry night, she gets what she wants. A few weeks later, Pete disappears and Gilly finds out she's pregnant. She wants Pete so badly she'll do what it takes to find him and keep him, at any cost. A dark love story, Desert Fish is a powerful and unflinching debut novel.