Monsters+Ink

**"We are all born into a swelling mass of stories which explain our existence." ~ Ananda Braxton-Smith** The role of myths, legends, ancestors and our own imaginative response to these underpins our literary heritage and its modern development. Four authors talked about their books in the light of the 'monsters' of the past, present and future.

**Ananda Braxton-Smith - Merrow** The Merrow are Irish fairy folk of the sea, known as mermaids elsewhere. They may form relationships with humans but traditionally the pull of the sea wins them back eventually.
 * [[image:http://www.bdb.com.au/images/books/standard/merrow.jpg align="left" caption="Cover of Merrow"]] || //“Life doesn’t just grow you up and leave you there – it keeps beating you into different shapes, like the cliffs.”//

The people of Carrick have been whispering behind Neen’s back for most of her life – ever since her father drowned and her mother disappeared.

The townspeople say her mother was a merrow who has returned to her real home in the ocean. Neen wonders if perhaps the villagers are right. But if her mother is a merrow then what does this make Neen?

This pitiless summer all the talk will end in trouble. All Neen wants is the truth.

From Black Dog Books ||

**Karen Healey - Guardian of the Dead**
 * [[image:http://www.karenhealey.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/GuardianOfTheDead-193x300.jpg width="133" height="210"]] || //In less than a day I had been harassed, enchanted, shouted at, cried on, and clawed. I’d been cold, scared, dirty, exhausted, hungry, and miserable. And up until now, I’d been mildly impressed with my ability to cope. //

 At her boarding school in New Zealand, Ellie Spencer is like any ordinary teen: she hangs out with her best friend, Kevin; obsesses over her crush on a mysterious boy; and her biggest worry is her paper deadline. Then everything changes: In the foggy woods near the school, something ancient and deadly is waiting.  Debut author Karen Healey introduces a savvy and spirited heroine with a strong, fresh voice. Full of deliciously creepy details, this unique, incredible adventure is a deftly crafted story of Māori mythology, romance, betrayal, and war.

From Karen Healey's Homepage. ||


 * Kirsty Eagar - Saltwater Vampires **

This book goes back to the story of the Batavia, a Dutch ship wrecked off the coast of Western Australia in 1629. The aftermath involved murder and mayhem and has been the subject of other fictional accounts. Eagar adds a new twist whilst, using the historical records of the event - fascinating enough as they are. Elements of the vampire story date back to the Lilith, a female demon of Jewish folklore. She believes that monsters are used in literature to explain the evil side of humans, and notes the symbolism of blood. In each era where the vampire has captured the human imagination it has been used to symbolise what is feared - sex and death particularly.
 * [[image:http://www.penguin.com.au/covers/catalog/9780143011460.jpg width="135" height="210" caption="Book Cover: Saltwater Vampires"]] || //He looked to the sky, praying for rain, a downpour, some sign from the heavens that he should refuse the abomination contained in that flask. But all he saw was the bloated white face of the moon smiling down on him …//

//And the sky around it was cold and clear and black …//

//They made their circle of blood. And only the moon witnessed the slaughter that followed.//

For Jamie Mackie, summer holidays in the coastal town of Rocky Head mean surfing, making money, and good times at the local music festival. But this year, vampires are on the festival's line-up … fulfilling a pact made on the wreck of the Batavia, four hundred years ago. If their plans succeed, nobody in Rocky Head will survive to see out the new year.

From Penguin Books Australia ||


 * Brenton McKenna - Ubby's Underdogs **
 * [[image:http://www.magabala.com/catalog_new/images/UbbysUnderdogsSmall.jpg width="144" height="203" caption="Ubby's Underdogs: The Legend of the Phoenix Dragon"]] || The small pearling settlement of Broome thrives with eccentric small town characters, mythical creatures and fantastic beasts in Brenton’s McKenna’s first book of the epic trilogy, Ubby’s Underdogs.

Set in the 1940s when Broome is still recovering from World War II, The Legend of the Phoenix Dragon follows the adventures of Ubby, a smart, street-wise Aboriginal girl.

Ubby is the leader of a small rag-tag gang known as the ‘Underdogs.' With a keen eye for potential gang members, Ubby recruits Sai Fong, a Chinese girl just off the boat from Shanghai.

From the moment Ubby and Sai Fong meet, their worlds collide as they find themselves thrown into a series of bizarre adventures full of myths and legends, and secrets never before exposed.

From Magabala Books ||