A Light on the Rocks by Helen Edwards
In 1859, fourteen-year-old Daisy is travelling on the SS Admella from Adelaide to Melbourne, when the steamship is wrecked on a submerged reef near Cape Banks, in what became known as one of Australia’s worst maritime disasters.
A century later, siblings Max and Rosemary spend their summer holidays at Cape Jaffa Lighthouse, perched on a reef, five miles out to sea, where their father is head keeper. As they unravel the secrets of the past, an accident leaves their father and the assistant keeper injured, and Max and Rosemary are left to care for them while keeping the lighthouse burning.
Set across two timelines, connected by place, mystery, and magic, A Light on the Rocks is a haunting tale about survival, self-belief and the wild beauty of the sea. With a ghost horse, a singing whale, and real events woven through the narrative, this is a masterful maritime adventure that brings the almost-forgotten history of the SS Admella and the Cape Jaffa Lighthouse to life.
Author Helen Edwards was awarded a mid-career fellowship with the South Australian State Library, supported by Writers’ SA, along with a grant from the South Australian History Trust, to research and write this beautifully crafted tale.
It will be released on 28th January 2026.
Grab your copies via bookshops, libraries and at Helen's online shop here.
You can also contact your local bookshop or library and ask them to order it for you!
The Disappearing Circus by Kate Gordon and Helen Edwards
The Disappearing Circus was published on 29th July 2025.
A breathtaking blend of magic, mythology, and heart, The Disappearing Circus reminds us that friendship and courage can be found in the most unexpected of places, that the future is ours to hold—and that some stories are too powerful to ever truly disappear.
Grab your copies via bookshops, libraries and at Helen's online shop here.
You can also contact your local bookshop or library and ask them to order it for you!
Step right up and prepare for the most magical show of all! When Emme and Ivy—two runaway girls weighed down by grief—stumble upon a strange circus on the moors, they are flung together, as they discover a world unlike any other. Ghostly performers, mythical creatures, and a Ringmistress with dark secrets await them beneath the blood-red Big Top. To save the fading circus from vanishing forever, Emme and Ivy must uncover their hidden talents and put on a show to end all shows. But do they even have talents? And can they discover them in time? As the girls navigate dizzying trials of magic and mystery, they realize that the circus isn’t just disappearing—it’s somehow connected to the very threads of their pasts. As secrets are unravelled, Emme and Ivy must step into the spotlight and take a chance on themselves and each other, proving that you must always hold onto wonder and that even the smallest sparks of magic can change everything .
On Gallant Wings by Helen Edwards
On Gallant Wings was published on 2nd April 2025 with Riveted Press, distributed by Simon and Schuster.
It's a sweeping WWII adventure about family, courage and knowing when to break the rules that shines a light on many little-known aspects of the war's impact on Australians at home.
Order bookshops, Riveted Press and at Helen's online shop here.
You can also contact your local bookshop or library and ask them to order it for you!
Thirteen-year-old Ava lives in Darwin with her family and their homing pigeons, of which Essie is Ava’s favourite. A Japanese family live next door and their son, Kazuo, is Ava’s best and only real friend. Her father is serving overseas.
While Essie is taking her first flight, Ava overhears an argument between her mother, and her brother Fred, who has lied about his age to join the militia. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he trains in Darwin and later helps set up a pigeon service in Townsville. When most civilians are sent to safety down south, Ava remains in Darwin because her mother (who works in the post office) is essential to the war effort.
Later that day, military police take Kazuo and his family away in a truck to a holding camp—much to Ava’s distress—along with many other Japanese people who call Australia home.
On February 19, 1942, Darwin is bombed, and Ava and her mother are evacuated in a cattle train with the remaining women and children. After a very difficult journey, they arrive, exhausted, at her grandparent’s home in Lake Boga, where they discover the extent of the damage to Darwin is being concealed from the population. Even those who were actually there know only part of the truth.
Desperate to do something to contribute to the war effort, Ava’s mother joins the WAAAF and begins work at the secret Catalina Flying Boat Base.
In the meantime, the authorities decide to transfer Kazuo to the men’s camp, separating him from his parents and siblings.
Living by rules and rituals has always been how Ava has felt safe, but when Kazuo escapes, she is faced with the hardest decision of all—whether to report a ‘potentially dangerous’ escapee to the authorities, or to protect a beloved friend …
Legend of the Lighthous Moon by Helen Edwards
Legend of the Lighthouse Moon was published on 2nd October with Riveted Press, distributed by Simon and Schuster.
Rich with folklore and brimming with adventure, Legend of the Lighthouse Moon is a captivating tale of family, resilience, and the enduring magic of the sea. Join Mona on a journey of self-discovery where the whispers of the past guide her towards a future filled with hope, love, and legends brought to life. This story was inspired by my grandmothers who were both born on islands in the Irish Sea, as well as the legends from those regions, the magic of lighthouses, the stunning kangaroo island, and my own experiences growing up with type 1 diabetes.
It’s the 1970s and on Kangaroo Island, Mona McKenna and her brother Albert live with their grandparents at Cape Willoughby Lighthouse. For five long years they have mourned their mother and longed for their missing father to return. Since being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes a year earlier, Mona has been increasingly acting in ways that make her hate herself. While she loves the rugged beauty of their isolated sanctuary—and dearly loves her grandparents—she yearns for her parents and finds her diabetes frightening and confusing. Mona finds solace in the treasures she collects along the island's shores. But when she encounters a mysterious sea lion pup, Neo, the world as she knows it is forever changed. The two siblings embark on a journey that leads them to uncover secrets hidden within their family's past. As they bond with Neo, Mona and Albert's quest for truth takes them deeper into the heart of Kangaroo Island. With the fate of their beloved lighthouse hanging in the balance, they must summon courage and resilience to protect their home and the endangered sea lions who call it their own.
It's available for order in my online shop
Via Riveted Press
Via online retailers
And in many bookshops here
You can also contact your local bookshop or library and ask them to order it for you!
The Rebels of Mount Buffalo by Helen Edwards
THE REBELS OF MOUNT BUFFALO, is out now with Riveted Press! It's a captivating time-slip tale in which a girl lost to grief meets a daring rebel on a misty mountain who guides her to rediscover her courage and find her way home.
Bringing in themes of early feminism and issues such as bullying, never being a bystander, managing grief and finding your courage, this engaging middle grade timeslip story draws on the true history of Mount Buffalo and the incredible role the Manfield family, and Guide Alice in particular, played in the preservation of the National Park and the development of tourism in the Mount Buffalo region.
It's available in my own shop here and is available in many bookshops and libraries across Australia. If you can't find it in your local bookshop or library, just ask them to get it in for you.
Here's the blub!
It's 1998 and Clara and her parents are staying at the Mount Buffalo Chalet for the national park centenary celebrations. It couldn't be more different from their last visit - they were a family of four then.
With her twin brother Darius gone, Clara has no reference point anymore, no guide. It's like being lost in the bush without a compass.
Without him, she doesn't really know who she is.
After a strange night, Clara wakes up in 1893. There she meets Alice, a girl who lives within the fern-filled valleys at the base of Mount Buffalo. To her surprise, Clara realises she is Guide Alice, considered a rebel of her time, an adventurous non-conformist who spent much of her life boldly leading people along the rugged trails between granite tors and misty mountain peaks.
The 1890s were a difficult era in Australia's history. The country is in the grip of a terrible Depression, and desperate people can be dangerous. When Alice's life is threatened, Clara must rediscover the courage she has always had, and become the girl she was always meant to be.
Resources for The Rebels of Mount Buffalo
Visit Mount Buffalo
The Visit Mount Buffalo website is a treasure trove of information to visiting Mount Buffalo. All the information you need to plan your trip to Mount Buffalo is included on the website. This includes history, maps, walking trails, activities, sightseeing, camping and weather information.
