In your wildest dreams WHO would play your characters when it’s made into a movie?
My Story is Australian so I’d love Australian actors to play my characters. Abigail, my leading lady has an incredible character arc. She begins as a rich pretentious bitch who is completely useless in the harsh wilderness she’s literally crashed into. But not only does she learn to live she develops into a strong passionate resourceful woman who can wield an axe and eat all manner of grubs in order to survive. She discovers who she is and develops a wicked sense of humour along the way. This simply has to be the gorgeous,  talented, Cate  Blanchett.

My hero, Mackenzie, is sexy, dark haired, with eyes the colour of molten honey and has an Adonis body. Even before the crash his life was a rollercoaster of tragedy and triumph. But he’s a man who truly believes in love and isn’t afraid to show it. Eric Bana is the hunky man for this role.

If you know either Cate or Eric, don't forget to mention my book.

Tell me WHEN you came up with the idea for your RUBY nominated book.
I love hiking in our great Australian bush. There’s nothing like the solitude, the earthy smells, the melodious birds and our abundance of beautiful and sometimes not so beautiful flora and fauna. I wrote this story during the Year of the Novel course at the Qld Writer Centre. But it wasn’t until I was hiking for 4 days in New Zealand’s Milford Track that the story truly came alive. During the hike we carried our own food, water, clothes, bedding etc. We walked in the sun and the rain. We tramped through crystal clear streams and climbed a mountain so high I was on top of the world. 

Tell my WHERE your story is
set.
The title that says it all: Lost in Kakadu. My characters really do get lost in Australia’s fabulous heritage listed Kakadu National Park.  It’s 20,000 kilometers of virgin Australian bush and it offers some of the most amazing scenery including
cascading waterfalls, ancient caves complete with Aboriginal paintings, great stone plateaus, crocodile infested wetlands and even a deserted mining town. Perfect. Simply perfect for a survival story.

Tell my WHY you think your story is a RUBY finalist?

My life motto is: I’m grateful that I’m mortal, it motivates me. This story isn’t just a survival story, it’s about living every day as if it were your last. I think Australian readers love my action adventure style of writing, my hidden messages about accepting who we are, and if they love my characters as much as I do, then they too truly believe in love. Sometimes crashing down to earth is exactly what we need. I personally want to thank each and every one of my readers for believing in my story as much as I do.

Tea Cooper writes timeless romance from the ocean to the outback. http://www.teacooperauthor.com. LILY’S LEAP is now available for pre-order on amazon, itunes & kobo and for reviewers on NetGalley. Release date July 1st, 2014 Escape Publishing
 

I’m so glad I  persisted through all my manuscript rejections. I’m so proud that I ignored the
‘It’s too controversial’ comments. Because if I didn’t then my book would never have reached publication. My publisher calls Lost in Kakadu meaty, challenging and risky. Yep, I agree.

I'm crying with excitement and to say I'm speechless is an understatement.

So if you are truly ready to get lost in a book, I hope you check out Lost in Kakadu.

Lost in Kakadu was eight years in the making and many many people have touched it in one way or
another. I would never be a finalist in such a prestigious award without each and every one of you. This award nomination is for all of us.

Thank you Romance Writers Australia for this wonderful opportunity. Thank you Australian readers for believing in my story and thank you to Escape Publishing for believing in me. I'm up against some very talented authors, but hopefully when the winners are announced in August, I can tick off another achievement on my bucket list.