Writing a book is an all-consuming occupation that makes me a little eccentric. To my friends and family who have weathered my wide-eyed distraction as I’ve emerged from my writing cave, blinking, into the real world, thank you for your patience.
To my son, Xavier, thank you for putting up with having to share a computer. We must fix that. Heartfelt thanks to my wonderful husband, Guy, who can spend hours listening to me prattle on about a plot line, is a dab hand at grammar and often comes up with an idea or two that makes the story richer.
Special thanks to Rebekka Napper, my doppelganger sister-in-arms, who always comes through.
A big thank you to the crew of the Old Corner Shop who provide the best coffee on the peninsula, without which I would procrastinate my day away.
Thank you to my cousin, Vicky, for sharing stories of Longreach and reminding me about the flies.
Thank you to the handful of people who shared their online dating stories with me. All identities are kept private to protect the innocent. You know who you are.
A big, heartfelt thank you to Alli Sinclair, one of the sweetest, most generous authors I’ve met on my writing journey. A happenstance conversation turned this story around in a different direction to the one I had originally mapped for it, and the story turned out all the better for it.
Thank you to Johanna Baker and the Escape crew for their impeccable taste in everything and being so damn easy to work with. And thank you to Sarana Behan, for helping me navigate the rocky shoals of publicity and marketing.
To the people of Longreach, who have created a warm, generous and welcoming community on the edge of the outback. I apologise for any parts of my story which may not hold true to Longreach, the town. Some things I’ve altered to fit the story the better. For example, there is no such place as the Longreach Royal Arms Hotel. Rather than try and pick one of the many hotels in Longreach and risk the possibility of offending someone, I decided to make up one of my own. The Royal Arms is an amalgamation of several different pubs.
The dating website Outback Singles is entirely fictional.
The magazine, Seriously Sydney, is a figment of my imagination.
For more information about Longreach and the surrounding country please go to: www.outbackqueensland.com.au