Selection of Members’ Books
At Port Writers, we celebrate our members’ achievements, whether they’ve written their first line, their first book, or a new book.
Here is a sample of works available to please everyone. Purchase details are noted with each publication.
John Byrnes
Sins of the Fathers
In 1910s Australia, a violent feud spans generations in this gripping historical saga, perfect for fans of Peaky Blinders.
On Sydney’s tough Millers Point, brothers Billy and Tommy Smith struggle under their brutal father. Across the harbour, Charles Davies grows up in privilege, shadowed by his father’s ruthless ambition.
When an incident leaves both fathers dead, a bitter hatred is born—one that will drive the three young men from Sydney’s streets to Gallipoli, the trenches of France, Darwin’s frontier, and the opal fields of Lightning Ridge.
Their lives are bound by vengeance, but what price will they pay for the sins of their fathers?
Available from Booktopia.
The Youngest Son
Against the backdrop of the Great Depression and the Second World War, The Youngest Son chronicles one family’s mesmerising fate in a grand saga and a masterclass in epic storytelling.
Character, pace and sense of place makes this a captivating read.
“Start The Youngest Son at bedtime and say so long to sleep. Start is on Saturday and kiss your weekend goodbye.” – Richard Cotter.
Available from Booktopia.
Headland
A gripping crime story.
A flooded town is evacuated. Three young Police Officers are left behind with a killer who wants them dead.
“Taut, compelling and visceral, John Byrnes’ Headland announces a major new voice in Australian crim fiction.”
Available from Booktopia.
Hester Garner
Stevie Snickerdoodle’s Wild Walkabout
Nine-year-old Stevie Snickerdoodle is autistic, imaginative, and just old enough to question whether magic is real—until an unexpected adventure proves it might be. Transported to the Kalahari Desert, Stevie finds himself living among a meerkat family, learning their ways and discovering his own strengths along the way. Fast-paced and full of heart, this magical adventure celebrates courage, curiosity, and embracing differences.
Available from Hester Garner or via email.
A Wonk-a-Doodle Week
Luna is a young vision-impaired girl with ADHD whose world changes forever when she receives her first guide dog. As she learns to trust her new companion, Luna must adapt to new routines, new challenges, and a new sense of independence.
Told as a heart-warming chapter book for children beginning to read on their own, this story celebrates a spirited day-dreamer who climbs higher, shouts louder, talks non-stop, and lives boldly outside what others consider “normal.” Luna: A Wonk-a-Doodle Week is a gentle, uplifting story about resilience, difference, friendship, and the powerful role love plays in helping us all find our way.
Available from Hester Garner or via email.
An Official Killing
An Official Killing is a tale of ordinary people acting inhumanely, of the underdog showing compassion, of love and empathy flourishing despite the wickedness of the Anglo Boer War (1899 – 1902) in South Africa. A recount from a young Afrikaner woman’s perspective.
“Hester masterfully transports us to a dark period in the history of South Africa through the eyes of a Boer family. It is a deeply moving and disturbing account of the trials and tribulations this family had to endure.” – Lindie Kolver.
Available from Hester Garner or via email.
Wendy Haynes
Playing in Puddles
Join Xavier and Zane as they JUMP, PLONK, SPLASH in puddles. It’s time to wriggle into your raincoat, tug on your boots, and head outdoors.
A playful, heartwarming, and visually appealing story. Explore how making your own fun and imaginative play can bring you joy and friendship through sharing an experience together.
Available from Amazon.
For a signed copy including postage in Australia please visit Inprint Publishing.
Money Guide for Kids 10+: How to make, save, invest, spend like an entrepreneur
The ultimate money guide for kids aged 10 and up!
From pocket money to big dreams, this fun and friendly book shows young readers how to earn, save, invest, and spend like an entrepreneur. Packed with real success stories, creative ideas, and action steps in every chapter, it’s the perfect jump-start for kids who want to take control of their money and future.
Discover how to build a millionaire mindset, launch simple businesses, and make smart money moves—starting today!
Available from Amazon.
For a signed copy including postage in Australia please visit Inprint Publishing.
Apprentice of the Stones
Audience: 8-12 year-olds.
Tutu said, ‘the stones never lie.’
While practicing the ancient form of scrying with her ruby red stones, Gertrude views a goblin girl in the woods. Who is she? And why can Gertrude see her? Is there more trouble brewing in Hollow Woods? Join Gertrude and Tristan on another journey through the door in the woods. They soon learn the Evil High Elf Folmar has a plan that could start another civil war between the citizens of the Four Land – the Elves, Dwarfs, Goblins and the Trolls. But Gertrude’s new skills may help conquer Folmar once and for all. Can they stop the war or are they too late?
“The Door in the Woods series is reminiscent of Enid Blyton’s The Enchanted Woods, with all the joy, adventure, magic and danger of a children’s fantasy fiction. Highly recommended for readers 8-12 years.” – Hayley Lawrence
Available from Amazon.
For a signed copy including postage in Australia please visit Inprint Publishing.
Saving Hollow Woods
Audience: 8-12 year-olds.
Why is there a door in a tree trunk?
Twelve-year-old orphans Gertrude and Tristan find themselves on a train heading for the countryside to live on a farm where they discover a hidden door deep in the woods – life on the farm soon takes a twist. Once through the door, they find themselves in Hollow Woods the land of the Elves. Strange things start to happen which threaten the very existence of Hollow Woods. Can Gertrude and Tristan help save Hollow Woods from the Evil High Elf Folmar?
Join Gertrude and Tristan and unusual friends on a journey of new beginnings, discovery, believing anything is possible.
Available from Amazon.
For a signed copy including postage in Australia please visit Inprint Publishing.
Hayden’s Bedtime
Illustrated by Brett Curzon
Audience: 3-6 year olds
Hayden begs his dad to check not just under his bed but behind his door, inside his cupboard and in his drawer to allay his fears about the legendary ‘monster under the bed’.
Available from Amazon.
For a signed copy including postage in Australia please visit Inprint Publishing.
Barbara Orlowska-Westwood
Living Lines Are Never Straight
Cover by joorart.com
If you love poetry then you’ll enjoy this collection.
Barbara partners her pen with delightful artwork to appeal to the senses. In Barbara’s typical lyrical form she creates beauty from words and her engagement with the world around her. Barbara is an accomplished and published poet.
“These are poems of very thoughtful observation. Glimpses of the natural world…” – Brian Edwards
Books available from BookPod Publishing.
Kevin O’Sullivan
A Good Boy: Outliving the Legion of Christ
Kevin O’Sullivan spent seven years inside the most secretive Catholic organisation in living memory, The Legionaries of Christ. He thought he was going to spread love and compassion, he ended up among disinformation and lies. He fled to save his sanity.
This is the story of how Kevin found, and then lost, his religion, and how he lost, and then found, his sexuality.
“This book will appeal to a very wide audience… it will speak to the many who continue to search for the truth. It may well become a classic.” – Padraic Murray.
Available from Amazon.
Terry Stanton
Strafford
Based on meticulous historical research, Strafford tells the dramatic life story of Thomas Wentworth (1593-1641), who rose from Yorkshire squire to become King Charles I’s most powerful minister. Tracing his early life, marriages, political battles, and ascent to the peerage, the novel paints a portrait of an ambitious yet principled man navigating loyalty, power, and conscience. Rich with real historical figures and culminating in one of England’s most gripping miscarriages of justice, this is history brought vividly to life.
Available from The Nile.
Novichok
The deadliest weapon. The darkest secrets.
When a murder in England is carried out with Novichok—the most lethal nerve agent ever created—Detective Inspector Colin Lacey is thrust into a world of espionage, betrayal, and international intrigue. As Oleg Shaplinov and his son Igor are drawn into the investigation, they find themselves entangled in a deadly game of spies, double agents, and lies.
The second gripping installment in Terry Stanton’s Detective Inspector Colin Lacey series, following No Mayday! No Mayday!
Available from Thrift Books.
No Mayday! No Mayday!
What really happened to Flight MH370?
When award-winning journalist Lynn Galloway is approached by a grieving woman at Sydney Airport, she’s drawn into the mystery of the world’s most baffling aviation disaster. Was the missing plane the victim of pilot suicide, hijacking, or something far more sinister?
Her investigation unravels a trail of secrets—from nuclear scientists and international espionage to a shocking discovery in Argentina. But as Lynn closes in on the truth, she finds herself in grave danger.
Gripping and thought-provoking, this thriller dares to ask: what are we not being told about MH370?
Available from Thrift Books.
John Walker
The Loaded Doggerel 2
After publishing “The Loaded Doggerel” John Walker continued writing, joining up with Port Writers Inc. John wins prizes from time to time for his attempts to put stories into verse – or worse! John’s latest book of poetry follows his life with over 70 humorous poems from the “mewling, puking” stage all the way to his current stage of dotage.
Available from John Walker via email.
$20/copy or $22 posted.
The Loaded Doggerel
Illustrations by Monica Conaghan
John Walker migrated to Australia in 1973 as one of the last of the Ten Pound Poms. Never very interested in “proper” English poetry, he came to enjoy the ‘improper’ style of Aussie bush ballads. The supposedly impossible challenge to rhyme with ‘orange’ led to a four-verse “poem” – his first – with, perhaps, a typically Aussie disregard for the usual norms of rhyme.
“The Loaded Doggerel” is his first book of poetry, published in 2014 with over 50 poems, some of which won a prize at the Cooma “Festival of Poetry”. The poems deal with issues like becoming and being Australian, science and philosophy, politics and society, sport and recreation, together with observations on music and rhyme itself.
Available at Echo Books.