"Roy, where are your boots?", is a question that Anna Nunn often has to ask her four-year-old son.
And when your backyard is the vast Wooltana Station in the northern Flinders Ranges, near Arkaroola, it can be quite an adventure to find the Ariat Heritage Roper boots.
This real-life scenario has inspired Anna's second children's book, Where are Cowboy Roy's Boots?
It was launched this week, two years after Anna self-published Where is Cowboy Roy's Hat? as a present for Roy's second birthday.
At the time Anna never dreamed so many other young children would love the colourful book, illustrated by Tanja Hasan-Warner from Adelaide.
More than 3000 copies of the first book have been sold across Australia and even overseas - many sent out in the station's weekly mail run from online sales.
"I never thought it would be read by so many families let alone how many messages I would receive from as far away as Canada," she said.
"So many people had their own ideas about what Cowboy Roy's next adventure should be."
Anna believes the appeal is it tells the story of a young child growing up in the outback, which few other books cover.
"Because it is repetitive they (children) know what is coming up and do their own take on the animal noises," she said.
More than 30 businesses have stocked the first book, including gift shops in Flinders Ranges and outback SA, where it has been popular among grandparents looking for souvenirs.
She says the Buy from the Bush campaign and attending two of their markets in Sydney opened Where is Cowboy Roy's Hat? up to many city families.
"The way we do life here is just so different, a lot of people cannot even comprehend how you would raise a child out here," Anna said.
In early 2020, Anna and Tanja began work on the second book but with the global pandemic and ongoing drought on the station, it seemed like to wrong time to release a new book.
Later that year they decided to go ahead with it, however, soon after Anna received the shock of her life.
When she was 15 weeks pregnant with her second child she found a lump on her neck and then at 34 weeks pregnant she was diagnosed with Mucoepidermoid carcinoma - rare in someone so young.
Three weeks later, her daughter Ada was safely delivered and 10 days after that Anna was back in hospital having surgery.
"Unfortunately when they went in the three-hour surgery, it ended up being 4.5 hours because they had to cut into my neck and shoulder muscles," she said.
Anna says the new book has been a welcome distraction, especially during six weeks of radiotherapy after the surgery.
"I had already finished writing the book when I was in hospital but I would really look forward to getting the illustrated pages and reading them with Roy," she said.
"She (Tanja) has really brought the words to life."
OUTBACK AUTHOR, PATIENT GIVES BACK TO FLYING DOCTORS
ONE dollar from the sale of every Where Are Cowboy Roy's Boots? book will be donated to the Royal Flying Doctor's Central Operations.
Author Anna Nunn says with the early delivery of her now eight-month-old daughter Ada and her ongoing cancer battle, she has an even greater appreciation of how vital the service is to those living in rural Australia.
"They say every dollar counts so hopefully it makes a difference, they have supported me every step of the way," she said.
"I wouldn't have gone to the doctor just for an earache but because they do their monthly clinics I thought I would get it checked out.
"Being eight or nine hours from Adelaide I would have put if off.
"I am really lucky that I didn't or it could have been three or four months longer before my diagnosis."
Following the discovery of a lump in her neck, which remained after a round of antibiotics, Anna decided to book in for a telehealth appointment with the RFDS in December.
Anna says after this the RFDS organised all the necessary appointments and repeatedly called the specialist to ensure she only had a short wait for a biopsy.
She is remaining positive after surgery earlier this year to remove the cancer, followed by radiotherapy, but is waiting to have a biopsy and further scans this week in Adelaide to determine if she will need any further treatment.
"I will see where life takes us but there could be another adventure for Cowboy Roy," she said.
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