Guest Post and Giveaway: Two Man Station by Lisa Henry

We’re so pleased to have author Lisa Henry joining us today on the tour for her latest release from Riptide Publishing, Two Man Station, book one in the Emergency Services series. She’s here to discuss influences and ideas, and there’s also a giveaway, so be sure to check out the entry details at the end.

Welcome, Lisa!

Remote Policing

Hi! I’m Lisa Henry, and welcome to the blog tour for my new release, Two Man Station. I’m visiting some of my favourite blogs around the place to talk a bit about writing Two Man Station, and sharing some of my influences, my ideas, and even an excerpt or two! Don’t forget to leave a comment, for your chance to win a prize of a $20 Riptide voucher plus a small package of Australian goodies that I’ll post worldwide. The winner will be drawn on January 31.

One of the most fun things about writing Two Man Station was writing about something I know. I didn’t have to do a lot of research at all when it came to writing about country coppers in outback Queensland, because in my day job I’m a police dispatcher, and our area stretches all the way from the coast up to the Gulf of Carpentaria, and out to the border with the Northern Territory.

Remote policing has its own challenges. When I was getting edits back for Two Man Station, I got a few comments from my wonderful editor (hi Caz!) asking if it was really the case that both police officers could leave town at the same time, basically leaving people to fend for themselves. And the short answer is yes. If you live in the middle of nowhere, you don’t get the same police response you would if you lived in an urban area.

You’ve got a break and enter? Okay, the police are working tomorrow from 10 a.m. One of them will contact you then.

You’re broken down? Do you have water and food? Okay, we’ll call the police for you, and they’ll call you direct, and make the decision if they’re going out now or if you’re okay to sit there for a few more hours. Or overnight.

You’re actually having a life threatening emergency? Okay, it’s the middle of the night, so we need to wake them up and they have to get dressed and kitted up, but they’ll be there as soon as they can.

You’re having a life threatening emergency but the tiny-arse town you live in doesn’t have a police station? Okay, the police officer who covers your area is on the other side of the division right now, so hang in there for the three hours it takes him to get there, okay?

You need police in the wet season? The road is totally flooded. They’ll be there in about a week, if the rain stops first. If it’s more urgent than that, we’ll try to get a chopper out to you.

And that’s the reality of remote policing. It’s about limited resources, and patchy radio reception, and a total reliance on the fact that in most cases country people can handle situations themselves. It really is a very different world out there.

Here are some notes–with station names redacted–that we have in our comms room about various police stations in our area, that I think will help illustrate things:

— single officer station available 24/7

— X is primary covering station- single officer, 190 kms south with partially sealed road (70km’s unsealed).

— Officers from this station are also Special Constables in the Northern Territory and perform cross-border Qld/NT functions and calls for service in the Northern Territory on occasion.  ​

— Limited phone / radio reception outside of town area (approx 10km radius).

— X is a two man station. Both officers will attend to any call-outs and as stated in contact details, please try the station number first.

— Radio will only work 6 – 10 kms from the township.

— Phone will drop out within 6 – 20 kms from town (depending on which direction headed).

— X township is the main centre of our area but is on the southern limit; therefore jobs called to the north may take some time to travel to and the vehicle will be uncontactable for some time. Roads here are mostly gravel and black soil which inhibits travel in wet weather. ​

— Station Sat Phone is of limited use as the phone drops out every few minutes whilst satellite moves over area.

— During the wet season the community can become isolated by road for long periods. Travel by road can not be made to the east as the town is generally cut due to flood waters in the X River and then the X River 60km east of X township. Travel to the west towards Hells Gate/ NT border is sealed for approximately 15km only and may only have limited access by 4WD. Closest station is X, approx 100km east.

In Two Man Station, the remoteness is definitely a theme, and becomes something of a major plot point as well. As Sergeant Jason Quinn tells his new offsider, Senior Contable Gio Valeri: “It’s not like the city. This is a two-man station. If things turn to shit, it’s just us. Even coming lights and sirens, the nearest backup is about two hours away. Longer than that if they’re on the other side of their division.”

And that’s the reality of remote policing in outback Australia, for both the coppers and for the public they serve.

About the Book

Gio Valeri is a big city police officer who’s been transferred to the small outback town of Richmond with his professional reputation in tatters. His transfer is a punishment, and Gio just wants to keep his head down and survive the next two years. No more mistakes. No more complications.

Except Gio isn’t counting on Jason Quinn.

Jason Quinn, officer in charge of Richmond Station, is a single dad struggling with balancing the demands of shift work with the challenges of raising his son. The last thing he needs is a new senior constable with a history of destroying other people’s careers. But like it or not, Jason has to work with Gio.

In a remote two man station hours away from the next town, Gio and Jason have to learn to trust and rely on each another. Close quarters and a growing attraction mean that the lines between professional and personal are blurring. And even in Richmond, being a copper can be dangerous enough without risking their hearts as well.

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About the Author

Lisa likes to tell stories, mostly with hot guys and happily ever afters.

Lisa lives in tropical North Queensland, Australia. She doesn’t know why, because she hates the heat, but she suspects she’s too lazy to move. She spends half her time slaving away as a government minion, and the other half plotting her escape.

She attended university at sixteen, not because she was a child prodigy or anything, but because of a mix-up between international school systems early in life. She studied History and English, neither of them very thoroughly.

She shares her house with too many cats, a green tree frog that swims in the toilet, and as many possums as can break in every night. This is not how she imagined life as a grown-up.

Connect with Lisa: Website || Blog || Twitter || Facebook || Goodreads

The Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Two Man Station, one lucky winner will receive a $20 Riptide credit and a package of Australian goodies! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on January 27, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!