This is a glimpse into Barbara Hartmann King’s life . . .

Barbara Hartmann King has lived all her married life on cattle properties in the South Burnett in Queensland. She reared four sons and learnt about country living with her children as they grew. She joined in activities with the boys and travelled many miles on corrugated roads through creeks and billowing dust. After drought devastation on two properties, Barbara and her husband decided on a smaller property near Murgon with Stud cattle, and diversified (in defence of droughts) by starting a furniture and Manchester shop in the town.

Barbara had started writing by this time and kept the creative juices flowing by taking her laptop to work, grabbing every spare moment for her now additive hobby. There were many false starts with different genres but she soon realised that writing the longer family story, set in the beautiful Australian bush was her real strength. Barbara has been writing for many years, winning numerous awards for poetry and children’s stories. She has been published in several anthologies and her first book was the publication of her poetry. Barbara Hartmann King has lived an extraordinary life as she experienced the many hazards of country existence in rural Australia. She has only recently retired from business and is happy to be at home on the property and to continue writing.

Barbara’s characters in the Coloured Sands Trilogy (first two are published) are drawn from real life, especially the indigenous people with whom she is well acquainted. VALLEY OF THE EAGLE, second in the series, has only recently been published, and although written in a completely different style to Coloured Sands, with its defining characterization (of the notorious neighbours) is selling well, and is all ready considered as much of a page-turner as the first of the series.