by Jacquie Underdown

Catch Me a Cowboy began with a 3500km interstate move. Then a coffee. But everything in my life starts with coffee.

My family is nomadic. Not by choice, but for employment purposes; however, it’s not a bad deal for my muse, living in different towns across Australia. In fact, I realised that every place I’ve lived has inspired a story. My latest residence isno different.

My family moved to rural Victoria early last year. Coming from Queensland, where it was hot, humid and incredibly dry, Victoria was a shock to the system—in a good way. Driving through rural Victoria and seeing the vast expanse of green hills and fields was breathtaking. I spent the majority of the first six months with tears welling as I peered out at all the splendour from my car window.

But my inspiration for Catch Me a Cowboy didn’t arrive until I was seated at a café in the rural town of Briagolong (246km east of Melbourne), drinking coffee. The café is situated on the main street of this small township. The main street has a pub, a quaint art gallery, and few other little shops. The morning was cool, the sun was warm, and the town was quiet. The surrounding lands were verdant and stretched, uninhibited, all the way to the Great Dividing Range. How could I sit there, surrounded by such beauty, and not think, ‘I’m going to write a story about this’?

But, it wasn’t until I was driving later to a nearby town that I passed a golden sea of canola flowers. I pulled the car over so I could take photos. From this field, my imagination was set further in to motion.

Everywhere I looked, there was inspiration. Never had I been more thoroughly captivated by my surroundings.

The characters, setting, and plot for Catch Me a Cowboy roared through my brain and rolled off my fingers, unlike any other story.

And it is unlike any of my other stories.

Catch Me a Cowboy is a rural-romance/reality-television hybrid. If you enjoyed watching Farmer Wants a Wife, you’ll love this. It is funny, yet still possesses emotional depth. And of course, the story is set in rural Victoria in the fabricated town of Wattle Valley—a blend of all the best parts of this amazing region I live in. The lead character, Emily Wolfe, is sexy and sassy. And the cowboy, Wil Parker, whoa! He’s a rugged, salt-of-the-earth farmer, but has a few surprises up his sleeve.

Nothing like a tree change to spark new creative energies. I wonder where my inspiration will lead me next?

The biggest risks yield the greatest gains—especially in the game of love.