Real Life Inspiration Behind Long Stay at Ryan’s Waterhole

People often ask me where my stories begin. The truth is, they usually begin with a memory that refuses to fade.

Five decades ago, I found myself in a remote Aboriginal community on the edge of the desert in Western Australia. Holding a two-month-old baby in that alien landscape, I felt entirely alone and out of my depth, drowning in the anxiety of early motherhood while my husband was away working on housing solutions for the community.

I think we both might have sunk under the weight of our inexperience if we hadn’t been befriended by a tall Aboriginal man named Tommy Vincent (not his real name).

Tommy lived two kilometers away in a humble shelter made of just two sheets of corrugated iron. Yet, despite freezing desert nights where I quickly learned the relative merits of a "three-dog night," he would appear at my side path every single morning. He always announced himself with a gentle, warning “Weeoo! Weeoo!” so as not to take us by surprise, followed invariably by the same daily ritual:

“Strong black tea, big lot of milk, three sugars, missus.”

He always appeared immaculate, carrying himself with an easy authority and an inner joy that was contagious. I can still recall his wildly flying white hair and how tenderly those long, supple fingers would hold my screaming baby, swaying her back to sleep. His meandering talk and oblique advice brought me a deep understanding of the country and gently eased me into my new life.

When I created the world of Long Stay at Ryan’s Waterhole, I wanted to capture that exact feeling: being completely dislocated in the vast Australian outback, only to find anchoring, life-changing wisdom in the people who truly understand it. Just like my own life, my protagonist Laetitia's journey is shaped forever by a man who knows how to read the country.

Fiction allows us to keep the people who changed us alive forever. Come step into the outback with me, and let me introduce you to a world born of true grace.

Ready for your next great literary escape? Long Stay at Ryan’s Waterhole is a sweeping tale of cross-cultural connection, family secrets, and outback survival. 

Grab your copy today or browse my full collection of books here!