On 28th January this year I wrote the first chapter of Whitsundays, my first historical single title. The book wasn't contracted when I began my story, but by March, my wonderful agent, Haylee Nash of The Nash Agency had sold it to Harper Collins, for the Harlequin Mira imprint. Today, seven months later, I wrote the last words and I cried.
I cried because I was happy.
 And I cried with my characters in the final chapter.
I believe this is the best story I have written yet.

I've loved each character, and I've loved every word as I wrote the story. I loved researching the history, the landscape and the contemporary issues I've explored. I've shared some of my photographs of my research with you here. This is the longest it has ever taken me to write a book. The research was painstaking, and I enjoyed each minute of it, especially talking to the older fellows at Cannonvale who were there as children in World War 11. Taking photographs of the island landscapes that haven't changed since the 1940s, and climbing over a Catalina flying boat was as much fun as writing the story.

Now the long process of edits, and cover creation, and publicity planning begins in tandem with my publisher, Harlequin Mira.During the writing of this story, I have learned so much about the impact of World War 11 on families, and I have learned more about the dangers to our beautiful Australian environment in contemporary times. 
I hope, you, my reader will love it as much as I do and learn more about the beautiful country that is Australia, more about our history, and the events that shaped the people we have become.
And recognise the dangers that today, threaten our country under the guise of development.

Stay posted. At this point, release day is 20 August 2018. One year and two days away! It will be available for pre-order a few months before that. I'll keep you informed.Now to start the next one!
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A big welcome to my dear friend, Susanne Bellamy, today. Susanne and I met at a romance writers' conference six years ago and have been great buddies ever since. She supports me in my writing, and is a fabulous critique partner. We have a great collaborative system going and I am proud to say she has trusted met to design each of her covers. It's sad to think that Wild about Harry is the last book in the fabulous Hearts of the Outback Series! Do your self a favour and read the series!

Guest post: Wild About Harry
 
I used to be afraid of flying. I was one of ‘those’ passengers. You know the type; white-knuckled grip on the armrests, tense posture, shallow breathing, glazed eyes turned for one last look at Mother Earth before I left it ... forever! 
What changed it for me? My son.
Passionate about flying, it was a close-run thing whether he’d have his pilot’s licence before his car licence. Three days between them in the end. He got his open licence before the end of his senior year at school and his commercial licence the following year. And he got me into a small Cessna 170 and took me up, up, and away! 
It could have been the stuff of total meltdown, but he was so good; calm and practical and I trusted him. He’s my son. I know him. He opened up an amazing world of small planes and showed me my hometown and district from a whole new perspective. So how does this link into my new release? 
Harry Douglas, the hero of Wild About Harry, is a geologist with a passion for ... flying. He was hijacked in book 4 and I used my own experience of the first time my son made a steep (I mean STEEP) turn for that scene. Other than that one moment, I now love flying, at least with my son. My husband gave me a hot air balloon flight for my birthday last year once he recognised my hitherto unsuspected love for getting ‘high’, and I mean that literally! 
Wild About Harry is book 5 in my series, Hearts of the Outback. Set in and around Mt Isa, the books are linked by location, and characters from each book pop up in other books, although each story is complete in itself. I love meeting familiar characters again, especially when I’ve previously enjoyed their company, and this group of characters have ties that bind, family and friends. I hope you enjoy them too. 
 
Wild About Harry - Blurb:
Trying to be both father and mother to his young daughter, Harry Douglas has no interest in a new relationship. If he had known that helping Briony Middleton on a lonely Outback road would put his closely guarded secret at risk, he wouldn’t have played the white knight.
Bri has no time for relationships; her focus is on avenging her grandfather’s ill-treatment at the hands of a big mining company by gathering photographic evidence of wrongdoing and stopping a proposed super mine.
But as fate and Harry’s daughter keep throwing them together, what will Bri do when she discovers Harry’s secrets?
 
Buy link: http://amzn.to/2rt5Ekt  ​
 
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