About the Book:
Amidst the harsh landscape and beauty of the Australian outback, two people are unsure that they’re ready to commit to love.
Jenna Mackenzie is ready for a change in her life. so, when her brother is injured just before he takes a job in the outback she leaps at the chance to take his place. If only her new boss was so thrilled…..
With a history of hurt and betrayal by women in his life, Charles Carmody is certainly not happy when a young upstart from the city comes to play jillaroo on his sheep property. Only coaxing from his father persuades him to let her stay.
What happens when Jenna’s fresh innocence meets Charles icy heart? Will she be able to melt his heart?
“Opal Ridge” is the first novel in Victoria Capper’s trilogy of outback romances. It covers the joys and trials of living in the Australian outback as well as the inevitable relationships that develop. In its way “Opal Ridge” is both a romp through the vernacular of life in the bush and a story of great depth.
Read an Excerpt:
Featured in Dec/Jan 2016 Issue: 2015 Indie Best Award Winners
Crack! Crash!
Ethel lay quite still in the darkness, every sense alert.
What was that? What on Earth was that?
There was another loud ‘crack’ followed by strange grunts and a crunch.
What was that?
Long years of living in the bush had attuned Ethel’s ear and mind to all the regular sounds of the night—familiar sounds, easily identified and accepted. This was different, definitely different. The old woman strained to hear more, but the sound of her beating heart and racing pulse roared in her ears, and distorted everything else.
Gradually, her initial fright was wearing off, she was calmer now, her pulse less dominant. She listened carefully. Oddly, it was starting to sound like cattle milling around, with a few extra sounds, cracks and bangs, thrown in as well.
Well it’s no good lying here wondering. Time to act.
Ethel grabbed a flashlight and tip-toed out to the verandah to investigate. Cautiously Ethel swept her hand from left to right; the beam of light showed that there were cattle everywhere. There was no sign of anything else, no people, not even a dog. Strange. Turning on the front light dissolved any lingering fear into a mixture of sorrow and rage, as she registered that the cattle were inside the fence—not outside as they ought to be.
Bullocks, spooked by the sudden light, jostled and pushed to get away as fast as they could, effectively smashing and destroying everything in their path.
Ethel stood still and watched as the last of the cattle disappeared into the darkness. She could have wept. Her garden was virtually destroyed. It had been one of her chief joys in life lately. There was nothing to be done now. She wasn’t going to achieve anything stumbling around in the dark.
Sunrise wasn’t far off.
When it was daylight she could have a good look around. For now, she would have to content herself by making a cup of tea and planning a particularly painful death for whoever was responsible for those cattle in her garden.