About this ebook
Drought has turned the paddocks of Paddle Creek Station to dust. Now the death of Clayton’s older brother has shaken his family to its core and left a gaping hole in Clayton’s memory. A hole his parents won’t even discuss.
When Waringa, in the shape of a fox-spirit, tells Clayton it’s up to him to save his family and to free the rain spirits held prisoner by the demonic Red King, Clayton must find a strength within himself he never knew he possessed.
But as Waringa guides Clayton towards his ultimate battle with the Red King, his quest brings his whole family closer to the abandoned homestead where his brother died. And as it does Clayton’s actions uncover raw wounds, forcing hidden memories to surface.
15% of the publisher's revenue from the sale of this book will be donated to the charities: Rural Aid and Beyond Blue
About the author
Melanie Rees has loved writing and reading speculative fiction for as long as she can remember, but started taking it seriously after a failed kidney transplant to help fill in the time and provide purpose while hooked up to dialysis machines. Since then she has published over 100 stories and poems in several anthologies by by Black Inc. and Simon & Schuster; and renowned magazines including Cosmos, Apex, Nature - Futures, and Aurealis.
She works as an environmental scientist, where she has spent a lot of time working on outback properties, wetlands, forests, and along the coast. When not playing in the dirt or stuck up a tree, she writes.
Petrichor was inspired by her time working with farmers in northern South Australia during the millennial drought and witnessing the malaise and heartache in both the community and landscapes. She wanted to capture that and address serious issues farmers were facing, but at the same time inject some "magic" into the story.
You can find Melanie and links to her other work online on Twitter, Facebook and at www.flexirees.wordpress.com.
Offline she lives on the picturesque Fleurieu Peninsula on a bushland property, and lives in a strawbale house that she built with her husband.
