His green eyes sparkled like emeralds when he saw me. Bill was a good lad, and he was waiting outside the post office, just as we had planned. His gaze devoured me as he pulled me aside into the lane where his handsome features became more boyish and pleading. "My beautiful Hettie, tell me she's left."

I nodded, and he stepped closer. The smell of his strong body almost making me swoon with desire. He placed a small dark bottle under the candles in my basket before stroking my cheek. "While the cat's away..."

? From A Piece of the Pie by Terence Phillips

He's at it again. It's 3am and Uncle Geoff's belting out another drunken rendition of That's Life. For the third night in a row, he's lamenting his ex-wife through rum-slurred wails. Most nights are like this. And if he's not pulverising Sinatra, he's yelling at imaginary demons, or slamming fists into the wardrobe.

I liked Ol' Blue Eyes before I moved here.

? From Yesterday by Tanya Allen

This fascinating anthology contains the winners and highly commended authors from the popular Stringybark Times Past Award 2024. Selected from over 115 entries the stories showcased here explore many facets of Australian history including ? the Frontier Wars to the Great Depression, the Kokoda Track to Cyclone Tracy; and the search for Lasseter's Reef to abuse in the Catholic Church. Taking the facts, authors retell events using real and fictional characters. This is historical 'faction' at its best.