Australian award-winning author, Annie Seaton, lives on the edge of the ocean in Nambucca Heads with her husband, though she spends a large portion of theย year in the Whitsundays region. Since their two children fled the nest and three beautiful grandchildren arrived, they share their home with their dog, Toby, and ragdoll cat, Barney. Each winter, Annie and her husband leave the beach to roam the remote areas of Australia which she cites as part of her inspiration for her stories, in conjunction with raising awareness for the environment and preservation for the Australian east coast.
Seaton’s latest book,ย Whitsunday Dawn, is a historical/contemporary story set in the Whitsunday islands in 1943 and 2017. Through months of painstaking research, talking to older residents of Airlie Beach and capturing photos of a landscape that has remained unchanging since the 1940s, Seaton’s book is now available for pre-order. She explores the impact of World War II on families and further divulges the dangers imposed on the Australian environment in contemporary times.
The story follows Olivia Sheridan as she arrives in the Whitsundays as a spokesperson for big mining company Sheridan Corp,ย in what should be a straightforward presentation to the town about their proposed project. When a handsome local fisherman shows Olivia what ecological impact the proposal will have on the area, she is forced to question her father’s motives for the project.
Struggling with newly divided loyalties, Olivia is thrown further into turmoil when she is mistaken for a woman who disappeared more than sixty years earlier. It becomes clear that people are keeping secrets in the area and Olivia realises that there is more to these sunshine-soaked islands than what meets the eye. Seeking to uncover the truth, Olivia is drawn into a dangerous game where powerful businessmen will stop at nothing to ensure their plan goes ahead, even if that means eliminating her in the process. Against the epic Far North Queensland landscape, this is the story of two women, separated by history, drawn to Whitsunday Island where their futures will be changed forever.
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