Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the series where I share snippets from new and past releases and works-in-progress, and occasionally con author buddies into doing the same.

Greetings from tropical north Queensland! I’m in Townsville right now, where the winter weather is gorgeous and the streets are busy with backpackers and southerners escaping the cold. I was up here this time last year for the Bowen River Campdraft and Rodeo (photos and more from that here) but I won’t be attending this year. I will, however, be visiting my favourite rural clothing outfitters Donohues. Love that place. They have the best jeans. And boots. And belts. And tops. And hats. And…

Eh hem.

Enough of my shopping obsessions. We’re here to talk books!

Can you believe it’s only five weeks until Elsa’s Stand releases? And even less until the first of the Outback Brides books – Maggie’s Run by Kelly Hunter – hits e-readers around the world. But what about print versions, you ask? I’ll have news on that soon and I think it’ll make you veeeery happy.

Also something to make you happy, a taste of sexy, silent Jack, the hero of Elsa’s Stand. Sigh. Love this man. LOVE HIM.

Jack was so furious and flat out getting organised that it was hours into his journey before reality sank in. A wave of grief slammed into his chest so hard he had to pull over and breathe through it while the semi-trailers and caravans he’d overtaken earlier whooshed past, their slipstreams rocking his car and camping trailer.

His mum, gone.

It didn’t seem real. It couldn’t be real.

Yet it was.

Jack rubbed his face and stared at his palms. They were rough, covered in nicks and abrasions and calluses from years of digging for opal. Hands that had been forged by his mother’s side, as she took him fossicking and regaled him with stories about miraculous finds. About gold fever and opal curses, and sapphires that lay buried somewhere in the overburden and beds of Strathroy’s ancient creeks.

Be ready to comfort Jack on his July 9th release day with a pre-order of Elsa’s Stand from these stores:

amazon.com | amazon.com.au | amazon.co.uk
iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | Barnes and Noble

For another excerpt visit the book page for Elsa’s Stand. You can also read the first chapter on the Tule Publishing website. While you’re there, check out all the books in the Outback Brides series and get your pre-orders in.