MUSTER IN THE DUST is a bestselling Rural Romance that proved very popular. So for those fans who’ve read the book, here are 6 things I learned while writing this story…

Oh, if you haven’t read this story, maybe this will entice you.

1- Music is a game in Muster in the Dust

I learned music is a game of lucky dip that was a complete surprise to me even as I wrote this book! I know, right.

The lucky dip music game was created by this story’s hero, Rigsy, using old-fashioned cassette tapes.

Remember those?

Well, this led me down the path to relearning all about cassettes. From the two spools to the magnetic tape strip, to how to retighten these tapes with a pencil.

Did you know that the cassettes stopped being produced at the end of the 90s?

Well, that led to an eclectic musical mix of old and new (with Rocky muscling in for fun) in this book’s playlist.

So, if you’re in the mood to play your own game with music shuffle this playlist and dance like no one’s watching!

2- Cowboys love to cook in Muster in the Dust

Now, picture this…

As the orange sunset stretches across the never-ending Territory outback horizon, the hazy curtain of dust settles across the land. It’s been a long day mustering, where a mob of stockmen adjust their sweat-stained Akubras to gather around for some well-deserved tucker.

This is their soup…

The Elsie Creek Spicy Black Bean Soup that was featured on ABC RADIO!

But that’s not all cooking in the kitchen, chilli bean!

For Ringer Rigsy’s Tasty Tortillas you’ll find the history of tortillas and tacos – because some of the characters took over the page!

Both recipes have been tried, tested, and retested to become a regular family favourite menu staple…

All I’m saying is if we can do it, and those cowboys at the stock camp can do it, why not try this delish yourself.

3/-Traditions are simple and some are outright weird.

In MUSTER IN THE DUST we unearthed some outback traditions that may seem silly to city dwellers. But to this remote small-town community, they have a few unique traditions they try to keep without losing them to technology.

One of them was the tradition that symbolises the start of the mustering season. You can read more in Chapter one from this FREE excerpt here.

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4/- Mustering Cattle & other Livestock

Considering the novel’s title, mustering is big business in the NT where some of the cattle stations are bigger than European countries. We googled it to be sure!

Yet the processes of mustering and its terms differ from cattle station to station.

So, I asked around the stock camp about their interpretations. Tell me if this makes sense to you in Local Lingo—Muster

5/- Crocodiles!

With over 100,000 of these lurking man-eating predators in our local waterways, is it any wonder I created a ferocious crocodile character in the Elsie Creek Series.

In MUSTER IN THE DUST, this croc had a scene that spawned a tonne of fan mail, so I thought I’d better have my facts straight.

Now you too can fill in those awkward silences at parties by sharing just one of these 50 fabulously fun and freaky crocodile facts.

6/-The Fake Date Story

Like a diver spotting a priceless pearl on the floor of the ocean, I did a deep dive into the world of fake dating.

Having never used the fake date trope, I soon discovered it comes with rules for not only writing about fake dates but the real-life rules, too.

And in the name of research, we subjected ourselves to watch the latest series of Farmer Wants A Wife for quirky dating conditions. We even made up a drinking game to watch it, because, you know, it’s for research. Right?

But I also discovered the various etiquettes of fake dating? You won’t believe some of the excuses people use, where fake dating is more common than you think.

There were many more things learned…

There is so much more learned, researched, unearthed and discovered while writing MUSTER IN THE DUST, I won’t give too much away. But it was such a popular story it became a BESTSELLING RURAL ROMANCE. Which seems a trend for this entire Elsie Creek Series hitting the Bestseller lists. Just sayin’…