There is nothing better then the feel of frost crunching beneath your feet as you walk to feed the animals, long hot days in the saddle behind a mob of cattle or the feel of the camp fire at night when you get back, jeans clinging to you, riding boots overflowing from the rain, the feel of horse sweat and wet leather still on your hands..... A.S.
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SADDLE UP to the Gap Creek Series
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Winner of the 2011 Western Downs Mini Romance Competition
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Also available at
Wimberley & Co Bookstore More Street Goomeri
the Wondai Regional Art Gallery, and at the Gap Creek Store.
Ask your local book store about stocking my books if the reviews on the next page take your fancy but you would prefer to buy through a store.
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ABOUT THE NOVELS
Together these novels are set mainly from Rathdowney to Colinton with a few trips further afield, to the Gold Coast , to Murgon to Moonie and into the north. Fiction, though written with an honest and raw view of the life lived by true country people on the land, there is everything from mustering to pulling calves, fencing to fires, rollovers to brawls at the dinner dance, murder, Rodeo's and much much more.
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When Cora and her two young boys return to Rathdowney, she's unsure of the reception they will be met with. But at least they'll be home, back, riding the hills she grew up in. Old school at it's core, there's no sugar coating life as Cora raises her sons to be young men and from an early age, they learn to work as hard as they play. Mustering and Rodeo's with their Uncle on the weekends set them up for the life to follow, while the land builds their character. Wild cattle and wild rides, with characters to fall in love with, it's all right here...
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Ben is the first book in the series and a slightly more steady pace to the second novel, but still packed with adventure and chapters such as... Roses and Bulls, Kick It Up and Choirs Before Fun.
“Bessie, Millie, Joe,” he said. “Better go fetch them horses back.” …the rustle of leaves the clash of hooves over rocks and logs... four horses galloping towards them, a dog on each side and one behind. Down into the gully the horses raced before bounding up the bank... and jumping the slip rails.
“You can't judge a horse from there,” Mr Clarke said callously.... “Did you bring a saddle?”
...Mr Clark cleared an old wooden kitchen table of dirty dishes, over ripe bananas, apple peel and week old bread. John and Cora took a seat at the table and as John wrote out a cheque, Cora looked around....
He spoke and Cora closed her eyes for a moment as his voice penetrated deep inside her soul. He had been her best friend, a brother and a confident in all but one secret.
“G'day,” he said.
As Cora poured the milk Coby started swatting invisible flies from around the bottle. Nait gave his brother a look of dismay.
“What are you doing?” Cora asked.
Coby gave a little chuckle as he explained.....
“Let go of me,” she cried out wrestling to break free.
And then she said it.
“I hate you. Just leave me alone.”
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Saddle Up - Nait and Coby are fast becoming young men, working as hard as they play. From fence lines to long haul, chasing cattle to time in the chute, they meet their challenges head on. Meanwhile their mum Cora also has challenges to face. Fast paced this book is definitely not for the faint of heart with chapters such as... Diesel Dust and Dollars, Prime Suspects and Until Their Not.
A long sharp whistle. “Boy. Whoop back, woo back woo back. Hup. Hey,” deep voices came. Cows and calves crashed through the vine.
As Kenny went to hobble faster and his ankle gave way, the bull was on top of him. The poll of the bulls head thumping into Kenny's side half lifting him and sending him ten feet forward. As Kenny hit the ground the bull was on top of him again, rubbing him into the dust.. I could tell he was injured bad.
… it was steaks all 'round except for old Roy, who wasn't really 'that' old, no matter how many grey whiskers he had covering his face. He had chicken.
“A bit easier on the digestives,” he proclaimed patting his stomach and with a glint in his eye.
“Old fella's,” one of the boys said laughing and poking fun.
“Ah you'll be an old fella too one day,” Roy told him. “Unless you keep ridding like you did today. Four seconds,” he said told the boy as he held up four fingers. “Four seconds on an old rocking' horse my grandmother could ride.”
“Your grandmothers dead,” another of the group joked.
“And she could still ride better then he did today,” Roy joked again smoothing the table cloth with his fingers.
“Ha ha ha,” Nick and a couple of the other boys laughed.