Outback Promises - now available in print and ebook!

Tragedy. Betrayal. Hope.

When they were last together, they should have held on tighter. Maybe the death spear would have shot past them.

As a young woman, Rosalyn Somers moved across the world to Sydney Australia. There she rises confident and optimistic from the ashes of her abusive childhood. When she meets Grady Balfour, she finally learns what it means to be cherished. Now she is bulletproof.

Grady is the youngest child in a close knit family. He has always known love and security. When Ros dances into his life, he senses an inner vulnerability that is masked from most people. On their wedding day, Grady promises to protect her from strife and worry for the rest of her life. It’s an ambitious pledge, but he has always set his sights high. 

Then, in a few seconds on a hot summer’s day, a catastrophic event shatters their perfect world. Grief drives them apart. Soon they are barely speaking to each other.

In an attempt to salvage their shattered dreams, they disappear into the hostile Australian Outback. Deadly creatures and heat exposure are minor worries compared to the people who lurk in the dusty shadows.

What do you imagine? - Part 1

When you think of the outback, what do you see? Here are some pictures from my first trip into the Red Centre. This is the land that inspired Outback Promise:

Prado and camper-trailer, Oodnadatta Track, South Australia

Prado and camper-trailer, Oodnadatta Track, South Australia

We travelled 18,000 kms in this rig.

Prado & camper-trailer at the Daly Waters Pub, Northern Territory Australia

Kicking up dust somewhere in the outback.

Kicking up dust somewhere in the outback.

The giant bench at Broken Hill

The giant bench at Broken Hill

Broken Hill sunset.

Broken Hill sunset.

A wedge-tailed eagle like the one that Ros & Grady rescue.These eagles are some of the largest in the world. They can only fly in the direction they are faced. That fact, along with how long it takes them to get airborne with their mighty wings,…

A wedge-tailed eagle like the one that Ros & Grady rescue.These eagles are some of the largest in the world. They can only fly in the direction they are faced. That fact, along with how long it takes them to get airborne with their mighty wings, makes them vulnerable when they scavenge road kill.

Rawnsley Park Station, Flinders Ranges South Australia

Rawnsley Park Station, Flinders Ranges South Australia

Our moveable home set up on a campsite at Rawnsley Park Station, Flinders Ranges

Our moveable home set up on a campsite at Rawnsley Park Station, Flinders Ranges

The view from our campsite - Wilpena Pound, Flinders Ranges, South Australia

The view from our campsite - Wilpena Pound, Flinders Ranges, South Australia

Yellow-footed rock wallaby, Flinders Ranges South Australia

Yellow-footed rock wallaby, Flinders Ranges South Australia

Perseverance Tree Flinders Ranges, South Australia

Perseverance Tree Flinders Ranges, South Australia

The camper-trailer set up next to ensuite block in a private campground.

The camper-trailer set up next to ensuite block in a private campground.

The outback - Part 2

The lookout in the Flinders Ranges, part of the drive through Brachina Gorge.

The lookout in the Flinders Ranges, part of the drive through Brachina Gorge.

The Prairie Hotel in the Flinders Ranges. Ros & Grady stop for lunch here and they both see the same ghost.

The Prairie Hotel in the Flinders Ranges. Ros & Grady stop for lunch here and they both see the same ghost.

A common wallaroo, aka a Euro, in the middle of a spinifex plant in the Flinders Ranges.

A common wallaroo, aka a Euro, in the middle of a spinifex plant in the Flinders Ranges.

A chance encounter on the Oodnadatta Track.

A chance encounter on the Oodnadatta Track.

The Painted Desert Arckaringa Station South Australia

The Painted Desert Arckaringa Station South Australia

Painted Desert, South Australia

Painted Desert, South Australia

The scree slope in the Painted Desert

The scree slope in the Painted Desert

The Painted Desert

The Painted Desert

Outback Australia - Part 3

Uluru after a rainstorm

Uluru after a rainstorm

Uluru at sunset

Uluru at sunset

The climbing path up the side of Uluru. Grady decides to climb it. Ros asks him not to.

Uluru at sunset as seen from the hill behind our campsite at Yulara.20.2 kms away

Uluru at sunset as seen from the hill behind our campsite at Yulara.20.2 kms away

King's Canyon in Watarrka National Part, Northern Territory Australia

King's Canyon in Watarrka National Part, Northern Territory Australia

The Garden of Eden at King's Canyon, Watarrka NP, NT

The Garden of Eden at King's Canyon, Watarrka NP, NT

King's Canyon Watarrka National Park

King's Canyon Watarrka National Park

Another day, another campsite. No power? No problem. The solar panel on the far side of the tent powered our laptops, lights, 12 volt fridge and 12 volt freezer.

Another day, another campsite. No power? No problem. The solar panel on the far side of the tent powered our laptops, lights, 12 volt fridge and 12 volt freezer.

Termite mounds in the Northern Territory.

Termite mounds in the Northern Territory.