Not something I expected to hear in Australia, but I was in a very remote and normally dry place as part of my tour, so I took the information on the chin. Although I must have looked a little shocked because the next line out of her mouth was:
‘Just boil the water before drinking it, and you’ll be right, luv, it hasn’t killed us locals… yet.’
I was checking into a hotel for the night, and they were the first words that greeted me from the lady behind the desk. Now this goes with the question I was asked when I rang to book a room:
‘Guessin’ you just want a clean bed for the night?’!
Well, yes, I do!
Anyhow, I was a bit taken aback with the E. coli part, and as I unlocked the door into my room, wondered how E. coli was spread. If it could get in through having a shower. Because I’d just driven twelve hours and I really wanted a shower!
I also wanted a hot chocolate. Which involved water. I admit, I boiled the kettle three times before I poured the water into the cup that night!
These are the sorts of things I couldn’t ever write about unless I’d been there to experience it.
Broken Hill to Wilcannia has given me the opening scene for my 6th novel in the Kalgoorlie series, which I’m writing at the moment. While dodging goats, emus and their teenage chicks and dead kangaroos all over the road, I followed a prison transfer van. It was early morning, and as I passed the van, I noticed it had six individual doors. A little further out the way, I had to stop, and the van passed me again, but I caught up with it at the Wilcannia Mobil Service Station. I wondered who was inside and if there was any chance of escape in such an isolated part of Australia. I pondered this over the rest of my drive… I’m still pondering.
Then at Lightning Ridge, a bloke called Neville gave me the rest of my opening scene. There had been a burned-out car, found out in the bush. No one took a whole lot of notice, as that’s part of the norm. When they looked a little closer, they found there was a body in the car. The locals checked even closer and found the body was without hands… And right there is my storyline.
I don’t know anything else… Who the characters are, why or what crime they’ve been involved in, but this is the premise for the next November book.
Now all that has to happen is I finish the tour, the edits for The Runner and to get to write it down!
Wish me luck… Oh, and don’t forget to check out the next lot of events to see where I’ll be this week, because I’ve still got another three weeks touring around!
