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Beneath the Southern Cross: The Dawn of a Sunburned Land Series BOOKS 1-3 PAPERBACK BUNDLE

Beneath the Southern Cross: The Dawn of a Sunburned Land Series BOOKS 1-3 PAPERBACK BUNDLE

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PAPERBACKS

  • Purchase Paperback Bundle
  • Receive Confirmation of Order
  • Receive the books in the mail within 7 - 28 days

This paperback bundle contains Books 1-3 of the Beneath the Southern Cross: The Dawn of a Sunburned Land Series in individual books:

Book 1: Love's Unwavering Hope

Book 2: Love's Rebellious Spirit

Book 3: Love's Distant Dream 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Caught my interest right away & I couldn’t put it aside. A beautiful love story! Christian novel and I can’t wait to read the sequel!" Lois

Set in late 19th- and early 20th-century Australia, the Beneath the Southern Cross Series weaves a story of faith, love, and resilience. Against a backdrop of beauty and hardship, hearts chase freedom and romance, even as tradition and trials stand in their way. This Historical Christian Romance series is the prequel to Juliette Duncan's bestselling A Sunburned Land series and follows the Goddard family, beginning with Jamie Goddard in 1880 in Gippsland, Victoria.

SYNOPSIS

Set against the vibrant backdrop of late 19th, and early 20th-century Australia, the Beneath the Southern Cross Series captures a whirlwind of romance and faith. The books in this Historical Christian Romance Series weave tales of daring dreams and spirited quests for freedom. Amidst the untamed beauty of Australia, love flourishes, challenging the bonds of tradition and faith. Will their love survive the trials beneath the Southern Cross?

Beneath the Southern Cross: The Dawn of a Sunburned Land Series, is the prequel series to Juliette Duncan's bestselling A Sunburned Land Series.

Chapter One - Look Inside

Gippsland, Victoria, 1882

Prologue

The Cobb and Co coach jostled its passengers, every bump in the road resonating through its timeworn frame. The wheels’ creaks and groans echoed the pulsating ache in seventeen-year-old Eliza Reynolds’s temples. For three days, she and her twelve-year-old brother, Thomas, had been travelling, first by carriage, then by train, and now by coach, after their father sent word that their home in Gippsland was ready.
In Melbourne these past four months, she and Thomas had felt far from welcome with distant relatives in an already crowded house. Then the promise of a better life in Australia had seemed but a distant dream.
The unimaginable marred their voyage on the SS Sovereign Star. Fever cruelly claimed their mother. The memory of her body, veiled by the dark cloak of the sea, was still raw. Their father had been a broken man, and their collective grief felt insurmountable. But their parents’ shared dream—a dream whispered in the corners of their tiny London flat—had propelled Father to venture into Australia’s wild terrain, seeking out the land they dreamed of.
Now, Gippsland’s savage beauty unfurled outside the coach window, its sprawling pastures dotted with livestock and shadowed by towering eucalyptus trees. The sun-drenched terrain, while beautiful, also stood as a stark reminder of how far they were from their London home.
Thomas leaned against her. “How much longer, Eliza?”
Her lips curved as she ruffled his wavy brown hair. “I believe Baker’s Run is close.”
He tipped his head upwards. “Do you think Father will be there to meet us?”
“He knows our journey’s schedule. He should be.” She couldn’t share her doubts. Her brother already suffered too much. But those doubts clenched her jaw. Had living in this new country changed Father, or was he still the moody and unpredictable man he’d always been? God, please, let him have changed.
Thomas, his voice tinged with the innocence of youth and shadows of past sorrows, whispered, “What’s our new life going to be like?”
Heart softening, she replied, “It’s going to be wonderful.”
“I do hope so.” He jiggled in his seat, displaying his first eagerness in months. “Maybe Father got the ponies Mother promised us.”
She hesitated, thinking of their father’s inconsistent nature. “Time will reveal all, dear brother.” Straightening, she pointed to a distant collection of buildings. “I do believe that’s Baker’s Run.” 

Chapter One

In dawn’s golden light, peace filled the valley. A crisp chill hung in the air, carrying with it the earthy scent of dew-laden grass. Nineteen-year-old Jamie Goddard leaned against the porch of his family’s homestead, the worn wooden beams cool against his back while awakening magpies warbled in the gum trees. He slipped on his boots as Dart, his faithful hound, wagged his tail.
Boots on, Jamie donned his wide-brimmed hat, shoved his hands in his pockets, and tilting his face to the sun, breathed in deeply. As far as he could see was Goddard land. His family, amongst the region’s first settlers, had braved the harsh bush and isolation to forge a life from the untamed wilderness, and he couldn’t think of any place he’d rather be.
This was God’s own country.
His father joined him on the veranda and clapped him on the back. “Cracker of a morning, son, but we best get to work.”
Jamie grinned and rolled up his sleeves, the fabric tight against his muscles. Farmwork never ceased, but he didn’t mind. Since boyhood, he’d risen at dawn to help work the land.
“Come on, Dart.” He whistled to the dog, a brown mutt who rarely left his side. They headed to the barn where he and his father mounded hay while the dog ran between them. The pitchfork handle, worn smooth from years of use, fit in his calloused hands, the hay pricking his exposed skin. The scent of the dry hay, sun-warmed and sweet, filled his nostrils.
Soon, his mother and younger siblings, Sarah and Pete, emerged from the homestead to attend to their chores. Theirs was a joint endeavour. Together, they’d weathered hardship and joy, bound by faith and kinship in this place, their whole life and world.
Jamie paused to wipe his brow. Two figures on horseback watched from a distant ridge.
Following Jamie’s gaze, his father’s eyes narrowed. “The Chatworth brothers.”
Jamie’s chest tightened. The brothers, known to covet fertile lands, often employed nefarious means to gain what wasn’t theirs.
“There’ll be no peace till they get what they want.” His father took off his hat and rubbed his hand across his wavy brown hair.
Jamie clenched his jaw. “They’ll never get this land, Father. This farm is our life. We’ll defend it to the last.”
Father clapped a hand on Jamie’s shoulder. “And so we shall. But we’ll not go looking for trouble that isn’t ours.”
Jamie nodded, even as heat simmered in his veins. His father was right—violence shouldn’t be taken lightly or instigated without cause. That was the way of hotheaded fools, not God-fearing men.
Still, as he gazed out at the golden fields and rolling hills, he knew this peace couldn’t last forever. Trouble was brewing, whether they willed it or not.
Squaring his broad shoulders, he let out a breath and followed his father. They’d stand together when the time came, but for today at least, there was work to be done and a life to live in this place they called home. The future could wait, but when trouble came, as no doubt it would, the Goddards would be ready.
Midafternoon, under a blazing sun, he saddled his horse Baxter, a sturdy chestnut stallion, for the five-mile ride to Baker’s Run on errands for his mother. With the leather saddle hot beneath him and the reins firm in his grip, he tipped his hat to her and headed off. At the halfway brook, he paused, allowing Baxter to drink the cool, clean water bubbling down from the mountains. Heavily wooded, this was bushranger country, and he kept his eyes and ears peeled, although it’d been some time since a robbery had occurred in this locale. Bushrangers or not, the Chatworth brothers instilled fear in the locals, but they didn’t scare Jamie. They’d meet their match if they tried to take him on.
The sounds of village life—a blacksmith’s hammer striking metal, children’s laughter, the market’s buzz—and myriad smells from fresh bread to roasting meat wafting on the breeze greeted him as he rode along the main street.
Established for some years now, Baker’s Run was the area’s central hub, a hard five-day ride from Melbourne. Many a carriage had come to grief in the boggy swamplands east of the city. Good thing the railroad had reached Sale recently, making the journey less arduous.
Outside the general store, Jamie tethered his horse to the hitching post before taking the steps two at a time. A young woman with emerald eyes and hair cascading in waves of burnished copper breezed past him in the doorway, her skirts brushing his boots, lavender fragrance wafting.
Where had she come from? His gaze followed her down the steps. It was rare that such a beauty made her way to their small town. Even rarer that they stayed. This rugged country was less than amenable for genteel womenfolk, but something about her—perhaps the way she held her head—suggested she might be more robust than most.
Benjamin Jones, the shopkeeper, a portly man with a white tufted beard and twinkling blue eyes, glanced up from his ledger. “Ah, Jamie lad, put your eyes back in yer head!” His voice, full of warmth and joviality, boomed in the cluttered shop.
Jamie swept off his hat, ran his hand over his wavy hair, damp from the ride, and leaned on the counter. “Who is she?”
“Your new neighbour, Miss Eliza Reynolds. Just arrived on the afternoon coach from Sale with her young brother in tow.”
Jamie’s brow lifted. “She’s Arthur Reynolds’s daughter?”
“Aye.”
“Well, I be. Heard he had a daughter, but figured she’d be like him.”
“Ah, Jamie. Don’t be too hard on the man. He lost his wife, bless her soul.”
And that meant the young woman had lost her mother. Word was she died from fever on the ship from Southampton, somewhere near Cape Town. The man had continued his journey to Gippsland, leaving the children in Melbourne. But he was a surly character. Kept to himself. Perhaps the daughter took after her mother.
Jamie straightened and removed his hat. “Maybe he’ll become more amenable now his family has arrived.”
“Time will tell. Now, lad, what are you after today?”
Jamie handed over his mother’s list.
Benjamin glanced down at the parchment, adjusting his round spectacles. “Ah, the usual for Mrs. Goddard. And how is she, by the way?”
“As good as ever.” Jamie flattened his hands on the wooden countertop. “Keeping us all on our toes, especially Pete.”
The shopkeeper began to gather the items from the shelves, their familiarity evident in the way he moved. Flour, salt, a spool of thread, and other sundries were soon bundled into a brown paper parcel.
“You got any of that apple jam? Mother’s been asking after it since last week.”
“Got a new batch in just yesterday.” Benjamin bent down and rummaged under the counter before producing a jar with a golden-red hue. “It’s Mrs. Mitchell’s preserve. Best in Gippsland.”
Jamie grinned. “Mother will be pleased.”
With his purchases complete, he delved into his pockets, produced the required coins, and placed them on the counter. The clinking of money was soon followed by Benjamin’s good-natured banter. “And do try to keep your eyes and mind on the road when you head back,” he teased, nodding towards the direction Miss Reynolds had taken.
Jamie ducked his head, a slight heat rising in his cheeks. “I’ll do my best.”
After securing his purchases in a satchel, he stepped outside, untethered Baxter, and swung into the saddle, his gaze seeking out Miss Reynolds, but not finding her.
The sun, now lower in the sky, cast a golden hue over Baker’s Run. Taking a deep breath and giving a farewell nod to the bustling townsfolk, he spurred Baxter into a trot, keen to return home before darkness fell, though the image of emerald eyes and burnished copper hair remained in his mind.
As he rode past the Reynolds homestead, a small herd of dairy cows grazed in the paddock by the timber construction, and a thin ribbon of smoke drifted from the chimney. His mother had learned to love this harsh land. Would Miss Eliza Reynolds learn to love it, too? Or would the hardships send her scampering back to wherever she came from?
A warm January wind gusted in from the distant Strzelecki Ranges where clouds, dark and heavy, threatened to split open and drop their watery load, and he spurred his horse towards home.


Main Tropes

  • Christian Romance
  • Forbidden Love
  • Family Saga
View full details

What Readers Say About the Books

  • ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    "Another generation of Goddard ‘s forge their way into the Australian landscape. Two lives, so very different but destined to be together. On their path they befriend an unlikely old man, and he has a lasting impact on their lives. The ending is not really a cliffhanger but we are not clear where the young couple will go, how they will find their way, and if either will reunite with those they left behind. I could not put this book down, it captures your attention from the first words and holds you until alas it ends leaving you hungry for the more." Cthreatt

  • ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    "In this book you will read about a young man wanting to move to the city, a rich girl who is controlled by her parents and a lonely old man who is willing to help. Harry and Clara are complete opposites. Can these two people be happy with being more than friends? Walt is a loner who is fighting to protect himself from his enemy. When Harry and Clara show us on his property all of their lives will change. The author will have you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next." Debbie J

  • ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    "I loved everything about this story! Juliette wove such genuine feelings and actions throughout this entire story making it a seriously believable event! I was swept into the anxieties and emotions of it as if I was actually Clara. All the details are true to life and will sweep you away to parts you only dream could be visited! The characters are real and so is the land they wind up in! This is seriously one of the best books I have read and been involved in! Such a delightful read! Such adventure!" Jana G

  • Book 1: Love's Unwavering Hope

    A young woman forging a new life, an unscrupulous wealthy suitor, and a farmer fighting for her heart...

    Eliza Reynolds and her brother Thomas struggle to survive on their Australian farm after losing their parents. Amid hardships, Eliza finds hope in Jamie Goddard, a farmer with dreams and a kind heart, contrasting with Mr. Bartholomew, a wealthy suitor offering security but lacking affection. A devastating fire challenges their resilience, forcing Eliza to choose between safety with Bartholomew or a passionate love with Jamie. Set in 19th century Australia, this story explores hope, faith, love, and the human spirit against the backdrop of a rugged landscape.


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  • Book 2: Love's Rebellious Spirit

    She’s abandoned her life of privilege. He’s young and rash, but determined to provide for his headstrong bride...

    Harry Goddard moves from his farm to Sydney, becoming a tram conductor. He meets Clara Wilson, who yearns for freedom from her privileged yet constrained life. Their forbidden romance leads to an elopement and a challenging life in the outback. Together, they face isolation and hardship, questioning their love and faith's endurance. A chance encounter with a cattle drive offers a glimmer of hope. Their story in colonial Australia is a testament to resilience, sacrifice, and the strength of love and faith.


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  • Book 3: Love's Distant Dream

    From dust to destiny: an epic journey of love, loss, and legacy...

    In the rugged expanse of the Australian outback, Clara and Harry Goddard embark on a journey that will test their resilience, faith, and love. Amid the harsh realities of pioneering life, they face trials that challenge their deepest beliefs and force them to reckon with what it truly means to trust in each other and God. From the perils of a cattle drive to the joys and sorrows that mark their growing family, their story is a testament to the power of faith to guide, the strength of love to heal, and the spirit of the land that shapes their destiny.

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    Get the eBook on Amazon 

Customer Reviews

Based on 8 reviews
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M
Mary S.

This story is great. Harry moves to Sydney to find a new life and follow his dream. While there, he meets Clara, a rich socialite. The two of them fall in love, marry, and decide to move to the wilds of Australia. The book tells of their trials and tribulations. It is very well written and it's hard to put down once you start it. The author paints a picture of what they see and do in such a manner that you can see it too. I loved this book. I'm already looking forward to the next one in the series.
I did receive a copy of the book from the author, but this review is my own.

C
Candy T.

Another generation of Goddard ‘s forge their way into the Australian landscape. Two lives, so very different but destined to be together. On their path they befriend an unlikely old man, and he has a lasting impact on their lives. The ending is not really a cliffhanger but we are not clear where the young couple will go, how they will find their way, and if either will reunite with those they left behind. I could not put this book down, it captures your attention from the first words and holds you until alas it ends leaving you hungry for the more. I received an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

D
Dave T
Not just "boy meets girl"

This story, unusually, isn't about how the heroes fall in love, but how their love for each other and for God is all they have to carry them through their trials. You know - or hope - it will somehow work out, but how will they get tested? What will they endure? Will it be too much for them? Will their new land overcome them?

M
Mary Kay Anderson
Love's Distant dream

This was such a moving story of Harry and Clara making their way across very undeveloped land to the Kimberly. It ie so you realistic I felt the heat and dryness, fears and most of all their trust in God as the joined the drivers and later led them with their cattle. Hard to put it down and yet I wanted to read slowly to take it all in and make it last. I love this and all of Juliette's youbooks but this was one of the best. Highly recommend and can't wait for book 4. I may have to read the Sundown series again, the future of Goddard Downs.

e
ecpd188
Love’s Unwavering Love

This is an interesting story of young Eliza and an her even younger brother who travel to Australia to live out her mother’s dream for them. Their mother died on the ship over from where they had been staying while with their father had been at the homestead. He's had now got things set up for them up for to start their new life together. Faced with many hardships and challenges starting with their mother’s death on the ship, it just seemed like it was one thing after another. Eliza was finding it hard to ask God for help & depend on him like her Mother did. Where was God when her Mother died?? Where was He now when she need His help the most?? I liked that Eliza was serious & was determined to keep the promises that she made to each of her parents. Then there is the crooked Samuel Bartholomew who demand Eliza marry him to pay off her father’s debts, & then there is the mean & bad Chatworth brothers, William & Edward that actually work for Samuel Bartholomew. They have everyone fooled! But is any of their Claims true?? Will Samuel succeed to take over the farm which is his ultimate cool??? Jamie Goddard, a neighbor & a hard-working young man endeavoring to keep his family's farm afloat while pitching in to help the Reynolds family next door to overcome some serious obstacles Perhaps with love, hope, and God's direction there's a chance they might make itAs Jamie's and Eliza's feelings for one another grow, Eliza's father never wanted her to see Jamie anymore, but right now God & Jamie may be her only hope. As each determines to do what's right, can love survive under such harsh circumstances? They all work together, Eliza, Thomas, and Jamie, all worked together giving their best to accomplish what was necessary. "They had lost much, but they had also found something better-strength, determination, and love. & Eliza had learned to trust God" Would God see them trough & protect them from the licks of the Samuel Bartholomew & the Chatworth brothers? This is a wonderful clean historical romance set in Australia, and I strongly recommend it. I received a complimentary ARC of this book and have given my honest opinion in this review & in my own words.

e
ecpd188
Love’s Rebellious Spirit

Juliette Duncan writes in such a style you feel you know the characters personally and feel emotionally invested. Along with her deep spiritual beliefs, she brings forth in her books that you feel like you are living the story written for you. I love Harry & Clara’s love story. It’s so interesting how they met & fell in love. It had to be God. I highly recommend this series & all of her books. You never have to worry about what is in the books you know they are faith based & completely clean! I was given an advanced copy of this book by the author. All thoughts and comments are my very own.

e
ecpd188
Creating a home in the Wilderness

What a wonderful book! Juliette does it over & over with clean Christian books. She tells how hard it was back in the day when pioneers moved in new territory. How hard & difficult it was for them moving across unknown territory. The trails & danger they endured to get to new land to call their own. I have always loved westerns & all, but she brings it closer with this family from the beginning of the journey when they eloped to get married against her parents wishes. Her family was wealthy & proper & wantedh her to find someone worthy of her. She was tired of the wealthy lifestyle & tired of her father’s demands. Clair love Harry & was willing to give up everything for a new life. They started out alone, but latter joining a cattle drive. This one of the best books I have read that tells you of the ruff life of the first settlers. It was hard to put down. I would literally be falling asleep reading it, becauseI just wanted to keep going.

I received this book from the author, but it has in no way influenced my review. Juliette Duncan is a great author & I haven’t been disappointed in any of her books I have read. You don’t have to worry about language or anything. When she says they are clean, you can count on they will be clean! Juliette, thank you for putting your talents to work for people like me who love good clean books!😊

D
Debbie J.

Juliette Duncan’s book Loves Rebellious Spirit:

In this book you will read about a young man wanting to move to the city, a rich girl who is controlled by her parents and a lonely old man who is willing to help. Harry and Clara are complete opposites. Can these two people be happy with being more than friends? Walt is a loner who is fighting to protect himself from his enemy. When Harry and Clara show us on his property all of their lives will change. The author will have you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next.

About the Author

Hello! I'm a proud Aussie, and I'm also a USA Today bestselling author of Christian romance stories that ‘touch the heart and soul’. I live on the beautiful Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia, and I write Christian fiction that encourages a deeper faith in a world that seems to have lost its way. Most of my stories include an element of romance, but the main love story in each of my books is always God's amazing, unconditional love for His wayward children.

My husband and I enjoy spending time with our five adult children, and eleven grandchildren. When not writing, I love exploring the wonderful world we live in.