Three Bears and a Jackaroo!

Just for a moment, imagine you are me.

You are thirty-four-years-old, and your widowed mother died last year. Then a close relative gives you something that offers you a personal glimpse into what mum, dad and older sister did just a few years before you were born. They emigrated to Australia. How would that affect you?

Would you want to go and see Australia yourself, and trace those family footsteps?

Well, I would.

And I did - but it took me another thirty-three years…

By March 2020 I had reached a position when I felt ready to put normal life aside for almost a month and make that long-awaited pilgrimage. I'd already done some meticulous research, and the result of that is self-evident in another book of mine. What's more, I wasn't going on my own. My wife had struck a deal in similar fashion to that done by my mother in 1946: while mum insisted on taking a sideboard with her, Elaine wanted to do more than wallow in South Australian family history - she insisted on including a trip to Sydney as well, just to do the touristy stuff. All went well until the world trembled under the growing threat of a pandemic, and our plans began to come adrift…

…and then, of course, there was The Jackaroo!

Auteur

I tend to describe myself as "a creative writer". The reason for that is I get bored easily. I write books, yes. But then I also write comedy sketches, and I read books. And, if I feel strongly about something I read - I sometimes write reviews too. After all, if someone goes to the trouble of telling you a story, it's not unreasonable to tell them if you liked it, or not. Feedback helps a writer to learn, to develop their skills, and to gain a following. Yes, especially if those reviews sometimes seem a little harsh!

So far, I've written and self-published two novels, a memoir and a travelogue. Along the way I have had feedback that has encouraged me to develop my skills - and while I won't pretend I sell a lot of books, I do enjoy writing. I take my time to make sure that everything I publish meets a high standard. To me, there's no point in churning out substandard dross that fails to get interest by the end of the first chapter. If I want to build up a readership, then I have to work for it. I set a bar for myself that matters, and I won't put my work out there until it meets the same standard of the books I like to buy from other authors.

If that's how you see it too, then I hope you will read my stuff. I've also created a website (www.alanveale.com) where you can learn more about me, my published works, kangaroos and tattoos.

And you can use it to offer your opinions too!