Coloured Sands Trilogy

Period dramas in Australia -   Not a castle anywhere, but we do have Country Mansions. 

 We do not have grand old castles in Australian history, absolutely not possible with only two hundred years of settlement behind us; but we do have some grand old homesteads.  A period drama set in Australian would naturally include a historical home.

The famous Jooloonga homestead in my series of Outback dramas had significant bearing in the third novel, The Tan People - a journey into truth. The inspiration for the historical home was Jimbour House on the Darling Downs, built around 1874 from cedar obtained from the Bunya Mountains, stone from the local quarry and other timbers from the area. I had a photograph of this Queensland Mansion and made the necessary enquiries for permission to use it on the cover of the third book of my trilogy. I did eventually receive permission, but not in time for the cover, which was a shame.   The homestead in question achieved fame when it was used as a major location in the successful TV mini-series ‘Return to Eden’.

I introduce each chapter in The Tan People with a 5 line stanza and to give an example:

Chapter 2 

The grandest homestead in the Land

Stone pillars, balconies built to plan

Beautiful children a wife to behold

The family secrets destined to unfold

Can happiness shine - within a shrine?

I composed five-line stanzas or quintains as an introduction to the prologue and each chapter (22 poems in all). The introductory poems proffered hints to what was forthcoming in the chapter or in some cases, the setting or time zone. I had not bothered with poetry for years and I enjoyed every minute.

THE TAN PEOPLE - a journey into truth 

Available in kindle or paperback

http://www.amazon.com/Coloured-Sands-ebook/dp/B006VOJZ2I/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_4