This banquet of stories and delicious anecdotes is one man’s attempt to find a snippet of understanding of the ways of Bali and other parts of Indonesia.
Steve’s insights are revealed in twenty-five helpings of delight, in which he shares with the reader some of his discoveries of the culture he immersed himself in and came to love. Throughout, he’s accompanied by a warm-hearted and cheerful cast of characters who do their best to keep this gregarious foreigner in check. Often with limited success.
From Andre’s sale of his landlady’s furniture, to visiting in-laws feasting on prized catfish, to travels that have more in common with a circus than a bus trip, this master-raconteur invites you to accompany him on a journey through the Indonesia he seized with both hands.
You’ll find yourself sometimes tasting, occasionally swallowing whole or, at times, taking only one satisfying bite.
In the end, you’ll be asking for more.

Paint, Passion and Promises is set in outback Queensland in the fictional town of St James. Three relationship narratives are interwoven throughout this novel. The story of Bess Willer, a famous Australian artist and her lifelong partner, Anne Samson, a successful lawyer, is one of these narratives. The relationship between their gay nephew, Joe Willer and his partner, Ali is a second thread and the third is that of St James local identity, Birdie Watson. This saga spans seventy-five years from 1940 to 2015.
After fifteen years in Sydney, Joe Willer returns to his rural Queensland hometown to practice law in Anne’s firm. He remembers St James as a town full of people, expert at minding each other’s business. Little has changed. Nick’s Café thrives. The pubs do brisk business. Conversations begin with the weather. Nora still spreads gossip. Joe soon regrets bringing his long-term male partner, Ali, for a week’s visit, afraid locals will realise they’re more than friends.
Three days after arriving in St James, Joe finds his seventy-five-year-old aunts collapsed on their kitchen floor; Anne appears dead, Bess barely conscious. As Joe awaits information from the hospital, the story unfolds.
Narrated by the five main characters, Paint, Passion and Promises is about the anguish of forbidden love and relationships, rural life in Australia, acceptance, tolerance and forgiveness.
If you were a fan of the series, A Place to Call Home or a supporter of marriage equality, you’ll love this book.
The sequel, Under Drought Skies is being released in early 2027.