GOLD! A gritty Australian saga, new from Thomas Greenbank!

GOLD!—The Kincaid Saga, Book 1.

Blurb:
GOLD! is a tale of greed, betrayal, family conflict, rape, and murder. It is also, however, a story of love and loyalty — and of how one man’s pride and prejudice can lead to terrible retribution.

Malcolm Kincaid is a self-made man. He is also a ruthless businessman and opportunist. He knows what it takes to build and maintain a business empire, but how far will he be prepared to go to achieve his goals — and what will he sacrifice along the way?

Over three decades, Malcolm Kincaid uses, abuses, and dominates associates and family alike, crushing all opposition in his pursuit of wealth and power.

When he allows the pollution of an Aboriginal settlement’s water supply, however, he faces justice of a kind he could never imagine.

Buy links:
Amazon (eBook): http://viewbook.at/GOLD
Universal link: https://books2read.com/u/3yewpv

Excerpt: (The action takes place near the Two Brothers gold mine, north of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, in 1980.)

Malcolm had already opened another can of beer by the time Jamie started the Land Cruiser and headed down the access road toward the Goldfields Highway. He stood on the verandah, watching as the receding taillights glimmered in the deepening twilight.

As Jamie neared the mine turnoff, he popped a cassette into the Cruiser’s player. John Lennon launched into ‘Beautiful Boy’, Jamie’s current favourite song, and he cranked up the volume as he swung onto the bitumen. Thirty minutes and he’d be home. Home to Rachel; and his own Beautiful Boy, 17-month-old Lachlan.

***

Warren Burroughs—Rabbit, to friends and coworkers—couldn’t remember a longer, more frustrating day. What started out as a routine run from his depot in Coolgardie, to Kambalda—a mining town 60 kilometres to the south—and then up to Menzies with a ‘hot shot’ delivery before returning home, had turned into an epic comedy of errors.

Delays and unexpected problems were a fact of life in the transport industry, but today had been one to take the cake.

A round trip of a little less than 400 kilometres, the whole thing should have been done and dusted by mid-afternoon. When dealing with mining company hierarchy, however, things rarely went to plan. Although he had been on the road by six am, and arrived at his Kambalda destination before seven, it would be well past midday before he was on his way north again. The mine site office had not been aware he was even coming, let alone prepared his load.

Communication glitches like these were common. He settled himself in the corner of the office to wait while the staff located the replacement pump he was to deliver. Then, of course, they had to complete all the necessary paperwork and finally arrange someone to load it onto the back of his ageing Kenworth for the next leg.

Next came the news that the low-loader organised to bring the pump out to him had broken down. He was welcome to drive on-site to collect his load, but first, he’d have to do a short induction course. Once he completed this, it was time for lunch, so there was another hour’s wait before he got the OK to proceed onto the mine site and collect his cargo.

After leaving Kambalda at a little after 1:30 he eventually reached his drop-off point around 4 pm.

Fortunately, things went more smoothly this time. Probably because they had been champing at the bit waiting for the pump; the breakdown having halted production for the past 24 hours.

Then, at 5:30 pm, he was at last on his way home. All he had to worry about now, he thought, was dodging kangaroos.

He was just passing Lake Goongarrie, a sprawling salt lake on the east side of the road, when a voice called over the two-way radio.

“G’day there, Rabbit, you old bugger!” It was a voice he knew well.

“How you doin’, Ralph?” Rabbit replied, “Havin’ a good run? How’s the new rig going, by the way?”

The north-bound road train, its three trailers loaded with supplies bound for Menzies and beyond, thundered noisily past. Rabbit’s unladen rig swayed as it did so.

“Oh, you know,” Ralph said, “same old shit, different shovel. I’m having a better day than you, apparently. I hear they held you up a bit down at the Kambalda site.”

The bitumen grapevine was working to its usual standard, Rabbit thought. “Yeah, you could say that,” he replied. “Sometimes I swear that if I had a duck, it’d bloody well drown.”

Ralph laughed, though Rabbit didn’t hear it and continued with a sigh, “Yeah, you know the drill. This is WA after all; ‘wait awhile’.”

“You got that right,” Ralph replied. “Oh well, you keep it safe and stay upright Rabbit. I’ll catch you on the flip side.”

“Roger that. You too, Ralph.”

The radio was already starting to crackle, so there was no time for any real conversation. Still, it was good to hear a familiar voice now and then. Rabbit wondered how the old-timers had coped in the days before CB radios came into being. For that matter, spare a thought for the old bullockies and camel drivers who’d often go for weeks or even months without seeing another soul.

Rabbit reached down and upped the volume on his cassette player. A familiar Slim Dusty tune filled the air, and he began to sing along, grateful there was no one else there to suffer his discordant rendition. He noticed a light-coloured four-wheel-drive approaching the highway on his left, about a kilometre away. Someone had been working late, it seemed. The land around here was dotted with many small and medium-sized mines. As desolate and uninviting as it looked, this was a genuine gold mine of opportunity, this barren land.

As he approached the mine access road, Rabbit eased back on the accelerator. Was that clown going to stop? Surely he’d seen the truck coming. His rig was hardly invisible!

Before he knew it, the Land Cruiser veered straight onto the road not fifty metres in front of him.

Rabbit jumped on the brake and clutch simultaneously, and as the tyres squealed in noisy protest, he braced himself for impact.

***

Jamie knew he should have stopped before driving onto the highway. He knew because he had driven out from this access road so many times before. He also knew that had he not consumed so much beer in the last few hours, he would have stopped.

But now it was too late for recriminations; too late for anything but to hold on and hope for the best.

The Kenworth’s bull bar caught the four-wheel-drive on the right front side, spinning it around like a toy. The rear of the Toyota then collided with the leading edge of the big rig’s trailer, which sent it careening off the roadway and straight into the large quartz rock with ‘Two Brothers Mine’ painted on it in bold, red letters.

Although the Land Cruiser was barely doing more than thirty, the force from the impact was enough to drive the engine block through the firewall and into the driver and passenger area. The steering column struck Jamie square in the middle of his chest, breaking several ribs and squeezing his lungs to around half their volume.

Immediately after the collision, the scene was eerily quiet. Rabbit’s eighteen-wheeler remained upright, but the driver himself was unconscious and would be for several minutes. Few truckies in those days, and in truth even in these days, bothered with seat belts. A trickle of blood snaked its way down his forehead and dripped onto the dashboard.

In the wrecked Land Cruiser, Jamie struggled to stay awake. A vain struggle, however. His heart, fuelled by adrenaline, was pumping hard; pumping his lifeblood out of his body, from severe crush injuries to his legs, and onto the floor.

Strangely, the cassette player was still working. As Jamie drifted into unconsciousness, John Lennon was singing; “Life is what happens to you as you’re busy making other plans.”Meet Thomas Greenback:
Welcome, Thomas! We’re so happy to have you here.

NA: How did you come up with the idea for your book?
TG: The original idea came from a writing exercise while I was completing a correspondence course in writing several years ago. All I had then was the ending and a vague idea of a story line.

I started work on GOLD! while I was employed as a wide-load pilot driver escorting oversize loads—mostly mining equipment—around regional Western Australia. I did that for six years during which time I met many of the people who would influence the way I built the characters and situations in the story.

NA: What sort of research did you do to write this book?
TG: Aside from what I learned while sub-contracting as a pilot driver I researched the lives of various well-known entrepreneurs and wheeler-dealers. I also joined a gold fossickers forum where I picked up lots of information on gold-mining techniques.

The locations were easy, as I’d visited and worked in each of the regions in the book.

NA: A fun fact about writing your book.
TG: A pivotal part of the story concerns the creation of a fake gold nugget. This actually happened. Not exactly the way it does in the book, but if you research the Mickelberg Brothers and the Yellow Rose of Texas nugget, you’ll see where I gleaned some inspiration.

NA: What started you on the path to writing?
TG: I’ve dabbled in writing for most of my life, though I’d never really taken it seriously. In my younger days I was too busy trying to be a rock star. That didn’t work out exactly as planned. I saw a newspaper ad one day for ‘The Writing School’ (now known as Sackville Academy) and enrolled in a correspondence course.

NA: What do your friends and family think about your being a writer?
TG: I’m sure most just think of it as my hobby. They know about GOLD! being published and some have read it. They invariably express surprise when they do. I don’t push anyone to buy the book though. I’ve gifted copies to those who seemed interested.

NA: The biggest surprise you had after becoming a writer.
TG: The biggest surprise is how much I enjoy it and how I feel as if this is what I was meant to do all along. If I’d put as much effort into writing as I did to music I’d possibly be a superstar now. (Just kidding) I’d certainly be way ahead of where I am right now, that’s for sure. To all aspiring authors out there—it’s never too late (or early) to make a start.

NA: Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?
TG: A bit of both. I always start each chapter with an idea of what is supposed to happen. I make notes and add them to the side panel of my writing program. I even add snippets of dialogue and phrases that seem pertinent.

The end result, though, rarely follows the outline exactly. Sometimes the characters take me off track and I just follow along to see where it goes. I often don’t know where a scene is going to eventually take me. I swear, sometimes the characters just seem to come to life!

If it doesn’t sound right in the end, there’s always the delete key.

NA: What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author?
TG: Getting to know other writers. The author community is incredible. I’ve met a few in the flesh, but I communicate with several other authors and everyone seems so helpful and willing to give advice. The general attitude is that we aren’t competing for sales so there’s no reason to be jealous with information. There’s a very apt saying: A rising tide lifts all boats. I think that’s how it goes, anyway.

NA: Which kind of scenes are the hardest for you to write? Action, dialogue, sex?
TG: Probably sex scenes. I’m always thinking that if my characters get too kinky the reader might think I’m like that too.

I love writing dialogue. I think many books don’t have enough. Dialogue draws the reader in and exposes a character’s personality so much better than exposition. All writing coaches agree we should show, not tell. Dialogue is the best way to do this.

NA: What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
TG: I once won a bottle of Johnny Walker Double Black by answering this question. My answer? Nelson Mandela. (This was many years ago, when he was still with us) No, I wasn’t trying to be funny. I honestly think he would have been extremely interesting to talk with.

“Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to, and passionate about, what they do.”

NA: What’s the strangest place you’ve brushed your teeth?
TG: I once spent a night in a roadside parking bay somewhere in the north-west of Western Australia. I was on my way back from delivering a load to a remote mine.

I’d run out of drinking water and brushed my teeth using beer. Trust me—peppermint and beer is not a great flavour combination!

NA: What’s your first thought when the alarm goes off in the in the morning?
TG: Actually, I haven’t set an alarm in the last five years. I wake at around the same time every day, usually between 6:30 and 7:00. After I quit my last job, it took me ages to get out of the habit of waking before sunrise.

NA: What are you working on now?
TG: I’m working on the first draft of what will become book 2 in the Kincaid Saga. It’s a prequel that follows the life of Malcolm’s father, Angus, and shows how he influenced Malcolm’s character. Hint: Angus is not a nice man, either.

NA: What is any question we didn’t ask that you would like to answer?
TG: What advice would I give to an aspiring author?

I’d say write, write, and write some more. Then ask another writer for advice. Don’t ask your friends. There are three reasons for this.

1. They don’t want to hurt your feelings so they’ll say it’s great when it isn’t.
2. They may be resentful or jealous and they’ll tell you it’s bad when it isn’t. or
3. They wouldn’t know good writing if it bit them on the bum. (Unless they happen to be a writer themselves, in which case refer to answers 1 and 2 above)

Thomas Greenbank:
Thomas Greenbank writes gritty Australian fiction. His writing draws deeply on his diverse background and professional experience.

From years as a professional musician, factory worker, business owner, driver, ceramic artist, even crossword compiler, and more—to 25 years as a full-time career, there’s not much he hasn’t experienced. This diversity shows in his writing, as does his penchant for accuracy in research.

Now semi-retired, Thomas lives south of Adelaide, South Australia, with his wife — #1 fan and biggest critic — Linda. When he’s not writing you’ll probably find them fishing or walking on a nearby beach.

Website: https://thomasgreenbank.com

Amazon Profile: https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B08NTYX32B

GoodReads profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard?ref=nav_profile_authordash