Pat Ritter. Books

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'Build An Empire' - Page 118:
Weekly I visited Imbil Post Office to gather my mail. On this occasion the Post Mistress handed me a package. ‘It’s from The Commissioner of Police.’ Her words startled me. I retired from Queensland Police Service twenty years before. Opened the package discover two medals. ‘Wow!’ Replied the Post Mistress. ‘Should I pin them on you?’ She asked. I opened the box containing the medals, she pinned each one onto my shirt. I thanked her. Left the Post Office.
On my way home I became overcome with delight to receive this medals. On arriving home, I wrote a personal letter to The Commissioner of Police to thank him for these medals. They’re displayed in my cabinet for all to see.
A week later I received a letter from The Commissioner thanking me for sending him the letter plus mentioning I was the only person to thank him for receiving these medals. More than forty years before The Commissioner of Police stationed at Sandgate Police Station helped me complete my admission forms to join Queensland Police Service. We’d crossed paths during my service. Each time I received a promotion he telephoned me to congratulate me.
At this time police investigated the disappearance of a teenager from Sunshine Coast. An idea formed in my mind. This idea developed into thoughts. I commenced to write ‘The Proposition’ a story of my new character Bundy Quicksilver being asked by The Commissioner to return to the service work with a young detective to solve this investigation.

T

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I enjoyed writing this book for a reason to live out a dream. Having twenty years- experience serving as a police officer I wanted to give something back to the service. I think by writing this book a passage of time has been filled. I do believe I could’ve helped young detectives learn the craft of investigation.

Pomona Writers Group advertised for members to attend their group. I attended. Joining this group of writers changed my life. Facilitator Jim choose a topic for us to write five hundred words. Each week the member read their story to the group. Pomona Writers Group unique in all members were treated equal. No judgement. No critique. Beginning this journey of short stories became more difficult than writing a novel. For a decade I attended this group each day reading the story I wrote until the group disbanded.
My practice to publish annually these stories on Smashwords and Amazon. Fifty stories per year for ten years.
 

To purchase ‘Writing Group Stories’: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/120881. Amazon.com: Writing Group Stories eBook : Ritter, Pat: Kindle Store.

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'Build An Empire' - Page 120:
To purchase ‘Awesome OMR Stories’: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/120881. Amazon.com: Awesome Stories OMR One Minute Read eBook : Ritter, Pat: Kindle Store.

To purchase ‘Brilliant OMR Stories’: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/270499. Amazon.com: Brilliant Stories - One Minute Reads - OMR eBook : Ritter, Pat: Books.

To purchase ‘Captivating OMR Stories’: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/392151. Amazon.com: Captivating - OMR (One Minute Read) - Stories eBook : Ritter, Pat: Books.

To purchase ‘Dynamic OMR Stories’: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/501597. Amazon.com: Dynamic - One Minute Read - OMR - Stories eBook : Ritter, Pat: Kindle Store.

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'Build An Empire' - Pages 121-124:

Chapter 14
Soon after I settled at Brooloo a couple visited. George and Eva Burtenshaw who previously owned the property. After introducing ourselves George highlighted ‘I purchased the worst portion of the farm’.
Little did I realise this meeting became a turning point in my life. I met their daughter Gwen. Fell in love. We’ve been together for seventeen years. George and Eva lived at Noosa.
We visited George and Eva for a couple of years. I learned George served in WW11. Whilst stationed Singapore, his unit captured by Japanese. Sent to Changi Prison. Whilst in prison George recorded daily events in a diary.
Only once in a person’s lifetime does an opportunity present itself of this giant magnitude. I wanted to write and publish George Burtenshaw’s story. George aged ninety-six years old at the time. Each visit I interviewed George about his story I repeated over and over in my mind ‘patience/tolerance.’ This has been a pleasure to write and publish this true story.

My wife Bub grew up a drover’s daughter. Earlier in our marriage I went on the road with her father Fred to experience first-hand ‘droving’ sheep. Seated around the camp fire at night Fred told me stories of his droving days.
September 1986 Bub and I travelled to Birdsville for the annual race meeting. When the bus crossed Thompson River Bub called on the driver to stop. She pointed out the crossing when she was nine years old of five hundred head of bullocks crossing a flooded river.
Fred’s sister passed away leaving behind nine children. Fred took over responsibility to raise most of these children to adults. They all turned out to be law abiding citizens.
After Bub passed, I decided to write ‘The Drover’. A story of her father with his life as a drover. This story tells of Fred’s life from his birth to his death. I’ve met men in my lifetime. Never have I met a man like Fred. Honest as the day is long.
His skills gathered since thirteen years old when he owned his first droving camp until droving died, motor transport took its place.

To purchase ‘The Drover’: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/95766. The Drover - Kindle edition by Ritter, Pat. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.



After writing ‘The Drover’ an idea developed in my mind. Write a series ‘Outback Australia Series’ starting with ‘The Drover’.
My grandmother (mother’s mother) told me endless stories of her father Joe Ryan instigating ‘The Great Shearers Strike of 1891’. These stories I must have placed to the back of my mind.
My grandmother died. To keep her story alive, I wrote ‘In Remembrance of Hannah Frances Langley’. Published her story on my website.
Part of her story: aged ten years old her mother died giving birth to her youngest sister Nellie. Her father Joe Ryan couldn’t raise four daughters. He gave them away ‘like a little of pups’. My grandmother went with a family who owned Drapery Store. Nellie, a baby went with my grandmother’s cousin to live in Warwick. She never again saw Nellie.
I received an e-mail from Janet Pearson who stated she read my story. She was Nellie’s oldest daughter. Been looking for her family for forty years. Janet produced documentation to prove she was the real deal. I contracted my aunts who met Janet. Ninety-nine years passed since Nellie taken by my grandmother’s cousin.
My aunt Dora, mother’s younger sister, became my muse. We spoke for hours about her memory of my great grandfather Joe Ryan. Her memory fading after years of age. I decided to continue ‘Outback Australia Series’ by writing and publishing ‘The Shearer’. My aunt Dora often replied after she read part of the book. ‘Were you there? How do you know so much about what happened?’ Aunt Dora passed away a couple of years ago. I miss her as my muse. My grandmother had a profound influence on my growing up through childhood. Her stories cemented in my mind to tell her stories in my books.

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Wanting to continue ‘Outback Australia Series’ speaking with Aunt Dora she suggested I write ‘Click Go The Shears’. Research took me about three months. At the end of ‘The Shearer’ story ended when Joe Ryan about to be arrested for inciting a riot after four months of striking with his fellow shearers near Cunnamulla. My grandmother told me during the time of the strike her father Joe Ryan stole ‘a ticket to shear’ from Joe Gibson. He changed his name to Gibson. My grandmother, sisters were known as Gibson not Ryan.
I decided to place a twist in the story. Joe Gibson changed identity with Joe Ryan to be arrested. Joe Gibson, took place of Joe Ryan, served three years in St Helens Prison. Research for this period tough. I discovered a book ‘Part of the Glory’ written by Julian Stuart who served at St Helena Prison being a member of the thirteen convicted prisoners.
Research I found a photograph taken at Barcaldine Railway Station when thirteen shearers served imprisonment at St Helena Island. A person in this photograph a man named Tom Ryan. A coincidence by name only.

After studying this book, I found one paragraph to describe St Helena Prison. Writing this book provided me with self-confidence of storytelling. Another step forward toward my writing career.
To purchase
‘Click Go The Shears’: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/497192. Click Go The Shears - Kindle edition by Ritter, Pat. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

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By this stage I began to understand my genre in writing. Historical/fiction. Up until this time I never understood my genre. After identifying my genre everything fell into place. Researching years in Australian history gave me facts. By continuing with each character, I joined facts with characters to tell a story.
Gwen’s grandson, Ryan Carlson asked me if I knew anything about St Helena Island. His class going on an excursion. I gave Ryan ‘Click Go The Shears’. After the excursion he returned the book stating, ‘everything you wrote is correct.’ His next request, ‘can I be in your next book?’
Researching my next book discovered I needed ‘a water diviner’. Although Ryan only ten years old he became my ‘water diviner’. To introduce an Indigenous Australian youth to mate up with Ryan. I introduced Desi Whiteman, a person I worked with in 1969. Desi worked as a stockman. His ability for horsemanship brilliant. We spoke about his future. I decided to include Desi’s future in my books.
During this period Australia experienced worst drought. Discovery of Artesian Water Basin to help with drought. Together with Ryan and Desi they helped to divine for water; bore holes, establish boredrains to water stock.
To purchase ‘Tilbaroo Station’: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/681247. Tilbaroo Station - Kindle edition by Ritter, Pat. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.


Research for next book bought information Australian men discovered fighting in Boer War in South Africa. My imagination played havoc to include Joe Gibson with Billy Campbell to enlist. At this time fortune paved a path to meet a fellow Pomona Writer’s Group Member who sang a song at our meeting. She agreed I include her song in this book. I’m most grateful.

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'Build An Empire' - Page 127:
Research for next book bought information Australian men discovered fighting in Boer War in South Africa. My imagination played havoc to include Joe Gibson with Billy Campbell to enlist. At this time fortune paved a path to meet a fellow Pomona Writer’s Group Member who sang a song at our meeting. She agreed I include her song in this book. I’m most grateful.

To purchase ‘The Year That Never Was’: Smashwords – The Year That Never Was – a book by Pat Ritter.amazon.com

This story begins with Joe Gibson decided to join the fight in South Africa with his friend Billy Campbell. Their ventures include fighting, killing, returned home heroes. Martha and Nat Young help their friend ‘The Honourable Joseph Ryan, Esquire, MLA’ to assist Founding Fathers to complete ‘The Constitution’ to make Australia a nation.
Argument between Martha and Founding Fathers develop when Martha wants inclusion of ‘Indigenous People’ into ‘The Constitution’. Denied.
This has been a pleasure to write this history mixed with fictional characters.