Aha, I know I have your attention! I asked if this cowboy is what my readers imagine Mac to look like. They knocked the nail on the head when they said he looks very much like an American cowboy, whereas Mac is a true blue Australian cowboy. Another reader asked if this is an AI-generated image. I’d say it potentially is. If not AI, it is very much photoshopped! She also imagines Australian cowboy Mac to be a lot more rugged, maybe with a scar. This is how Mac is in my head – he’s not so smooth faced, he’s definitely more rugged and more real. However, the fictional cowboy that posed for this photo is still good inspiration!
My obsession with Australian cowboys, country music and western movies started before I can even remember. I grew up going to rodeos, country shows and country races. When I left home at 18 and spent a year in the outback, I loved the true outback country race meetings, polocross weekends, outback pubs and Bachelor and Spinster balls.
It’s fun to create new characters and place them in the settings I’m familiar with, although what happens in my books is far removed from my own experiences! That’s the joy of fiction – it’s an escape both for me as a writer and you as a reader.
I also had this message from Lisa in response to my question about whether Mac and Rhiannon belong together: I love Mac and Rhiannon together, but figuring out their next moves as they have different ideas going forward. Some compromises need to be made. I’ve read all the books in the series and love their dynamic. I like a good romance, as well as, a crime story.
I can’t tell you how much I love hearing from my readers – it’s such a great boost when I’m writing my next book and feeling stuck and uninspired – it’s YOU who encourage me to keep at it!
