Category: About Me

Ready. Set. Action

1/28/2020

Helloooo, or should I say gidday? Eeeek. Just so you know, not all Aussie’s say gidday. In fact, I think it’s very few. Whenever I hear it in the movies, it seems so fake.
Speaking of movies, today I thought I’d share my top ten favorite movies. If you’ve read any of my books you probably won’t be surprised by most of them. I’m an action girl. It's probably why my books are action packed from the opening scene to the last. So, in no particular order, here’s my list. I’d love to know if any of these are your favorite movies. Or if you think I missed any that absolutely should be here.

Raiders of the Lost Arc
In fact any of the Indiana Jones franchise. I’ve watched these over and over. I can still remember seeing the first one at the cinema when I was a teenager. That opening scene had me gripping my chair. Everybody, and I mean everybody stood up and clapped at the end.

Have you been to a movie where that happened?

Titanic - I swear I have watched Titanic about twenty times and I still love it. This one is fascinating because we all know how it’s going to end, right? But it’s still mesmerizing. I just love the personal element James Cameron introduced. I don’t know about you, but even though I knew it was unlikely Jack would survive, I was still hoping he and Rose would live happily ever after. I do think they missed an opportunity though. I thought at the very end (Spoiler alert here, just in case you haven’t watched it, and OMG if you haven’t – get it now!!!) anyway, back to the end of the movie, where Rose tossed the blue diamond off the end of the salvage ship, I did think she could have also revealed to her granddaughter that she had fallen pregnant when her and Jack did the wild thing in that old car. Now wouldn’t that have been sensational? And that way Jack would have lived on through his children etc. Anyway, if James Cameron ever asks me, I’ll give him my little suggestion. LOL.

Alien. This one surprises even me. I HATE scary movies. And don’t get me started on horror. But Alien. . . this is one of those movies that I got suckered into seeing at the cinema and that experience will stay with me forever. It scared the bejesus out of me. The graphics to make that creature come alive on the screen blew my mind. It was soooo real. Do you like scary movies? I couldn't even bring myself to find a picture for this one. Creepy.

Jurassic Park

OMG. I loved the escape these movies provided. Do you remember the first time you saw those dinosaurs chasing the paleontologists through the jungle? I had my heart in my throat.

This is what a blockbuster should be like.

Romancing the Stone
An oldie but a goodie. This has it all. The romance writer without a lover. The rugged hero. The bumbling crook. The evil bad guy with the pet crocodiles. The plethora of one-liners. And of course, the secret map to lost treasure. Seriously, this is romantic, comedy/adventure at its best. I’m certain this movie has shaped my love of writing action/adventure romance. I mean who doesn’t love a secret map and a hunky hero. Tell me it’s not just me. Please…

Die Hard. Come on, you knew this movie was going to be on my list. Bruce Willis. Action. Action. Action. Yeah, it’s a bit far-fetched, but come on, when Holly is trapped up on that doomed plane, you just had to be cheering for him to save her.
Day After Tomorrow. This blockbuster (end of the world) disaster movie is another I’ve watched many times over. I’ll throw in Deep Impact with this one too. Maybe these two movies are the inspiration behind my upcoming ‘Apocalyptic’ disaster story – First Fate. Although this is the first time I’ve written an epic disaster story like this, I’m loving it. Usually I only kill off a few characters, not in my next book, the death toll is HUGE!!! Wow, that makes me seem a tad physho.
Poseidon. I’m guessing you’re sensing a theme to my favorite movies. Huge blockbusters packed with action. What can I say?
The Impossible. This powerful movie is based on the true story of a family who survived the horrific 2001 Indian Ocean tsunami. It’s absolutely gut-wrenching what they go through in the aftermath of the disaster. The fact that the actual family who the story was based on were on set every day of the filming ensured its authenticity. If you haven’t seen it, add this one to your list. But fair warning, there’s one scene, where Naomi Watts pulls something out of her throat, that is sure to get your stomach curling.

Speed. Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. Need I say any more. No. But I’m going to anyway. This adrenalin rush was OFF THE CHARTS. From the opening scene to the explosive ending, this is my kind of movie. This is also how I like to write my books. I want my reader to have their heart thumping and their fingers flicking the pages right into the night.

So there you go. Ten of my top fav movies. What did you think? Am i nuts? I probably am, after all, I make up stuff for a living. And I love it.

Thank you for joining me on my author journey. I'm working on three books to release in 2020. It's going to be a great year. I can't wait to bring you my epic cruise ship disaster series later this year.

Did you know I have a book launch, read and review team? If you'd like to know more, you can check out the details here:
Kendall Talbot Book Launch Team

You can reply to this blog or write to me at: kendall@universe.com.au I answer all my emails myself and love hearing from my readers.

Cheers to you,

Kendall Talbot

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2019 is nearly over, and so is our renovation - YAY

12/3/2019

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It's been a huge year, but not in my writing world. In my home life. We've been renovating our apartment for ten months! I need a holiday.

To prove i haven't been sitting on my bum doing nothing, I thought I'd share some before and after pics. I'd love to know what you think.

Here's the kitchen before and after. Yes, it's an Ikea kitchen. My hubby and I built it all ourselves.
And we're still married - YAY
For the first time in my life I have a walk-in pantry. AND I LOVE IT. Although we took away some kitchen space to build it, it's made the room look bigger.

I love my new stairwell. We replaced the ugly green railing with glass. Ripped up the carpet and painted the concrete stairs. And that little window gives my bathroom natural light. And I love my plants, they give the whole apartment a breath of fresh air.

Below is the main bathroom before and after. We raised the ceiling which made a huge difference. We have no idea why there was a false ceiling. The new window gives the bathroom lovely natural light. There are lots of lovely lights and some are on motion detectors. Doesn't my new bathroom look pretty?

Here is the before and after of the main bedroom. In an apartment its all about storage solutions.Once again, everything is Ikea.
My hubby's hat collection now has its own display shelving.

The picture behind our bed is one I took in Copenhagen and i used it as the inspiration for my bed linen.I love it.

Anyway that's it for now.

If I don't chat with you before Christmas, I hope you have a wonderful festive season with lots of fun, love and laughter. And of course yummy food and wine.

Next year I'll be back on track with my writing, and I have lots on wonderful things in store to share with you.

Take care,
Kendall Talbot

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Thai Fish Cakes - delicious family favorite

4/19/2015

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My heroine in Treasured Secrets is a talented chef, so of course, as a lover of food, I just had to make all the meals that Rosalina prepares in my books. This recipe features in a tapas feast in book two in my series: Treasured Lies.

These Thai Fish cakes are delicious, easy to make and certain to become a favourite with your whole family. This recipe makes 12 fish cakes, so I always make at least a double batch. You can make them a day ahead too and reheat if you like. They are perfect party finger food too.

Ingredients

250g White fish fillets, skin & bones removed
1/2 cup cooked long grain rice
1/2 cup green beans roughly chopped
1 stalk lemon grass, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 red chili, seeds removed and chopped
1 coriander plant, roots included chopped
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 egg, beaten
Vegetable oil for frying

Method

Put all ingredients except oil into a food processor and process until just combined. Don’t over mix.

Place about 1cm of oil in a hot pan.

Place a heaped tablespoons into pan and fry a few at a time until golden brown on both sides. Drain on absorbent paper.

Serve with fresh green salad, sweet potato fries and dipping sauces.

Click HERE Newsletter Recipes to receive more fabbo recipes, like these delicious Cheese Pots

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Yummy Cheese Cups

4/12/2015

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Murazzano Cheese Cups

I needed a dish for my character, Rosalina, to make that would have my readers drooling. This little recipe was the result of much research and input from my wonderful facebook followers.

The scene I created this recipe for is below, I hope you like it.

Murazzano Cheese Cups

This delightful little appetizer can be prepared in advance and cooked in the oven at the last minute.

Upon cooking you will have a delicious little cheese pot to fill with fig jam, caramelised onion relish, crispy prosciutto, or any other filling that takes your fancy. You can receive more of these fabbo recipes if you sign up to my newsletter. You'll find more details here: Newsletter

Murazzano DOP is a soft cheese made in Alta Langa in the province of Cuneo, a wonderful area located in the South of Piemonte, Italy. Murazzano is a cylindrical, un-ripened, full-fat cheese made from sheep's milk. It’s a milky white rindless cheese with a soft and slightly springy texture. (If this cheese isn't available, use a soft goat's cheese.)

Ingredients
4 sheets of ready rolled puff pastry
200 grams of Murazzano DOP Cheese (If not available use a soft goat’s cheese)
100ml Fresh cream
100ml Fresh milk
1 tablespoon of chives
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius and grease 24 cup mini muffin tray with melted butter.

2. Cut puff pastry into rounds to fit into the muffin tray and puncture the bottom with a fork.

3. Blend all other ingredients in a mixer for 1 minute.

Serve hot these yummy little cheese pots with slices of Spiced Poached Pear, Homemade Fig Jam, Caramelised Onion Relish, crispy prosciutto, or any other filling that takes your fancy.

4. Fill the pastry cups with the cheese mixture.

5. Cook in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

Some secrets should be hidden forever.

Here's a tasty snippet from Treasured Secrets:

Rosalina dusted her flour-caked hands onto her apron and then turned to check on the Murazzano cheese rolls already baking in the oven. The scents of aromatic spices, melting cheese and fresh-baked pastry wafted from the open door. She lifted the tray from the oven and placed it onto the cork placemat.

‘Smells magnifica.’ Alessandro ran his tongue over his lips and she had this sudden desire to kiss him. The urge came from nowhere. Maybe she’d had too much wine. Maybe she was falling for him, despite all her determination not to. Maybe, just maybe, she was finally over Archer.

She smiled as Alessandro practically drooled over her cooking. He’d always been a dependable part of her life, and that was something she needed right now. And he was the perfect willing guinea pig for her culinary experiments. He reached for a still steaming pastry and she snapped his hand away. ‘Wait,’ she said. ‘You want the whole experience don’t you?’

His eyes lit up. ‘Sì, mio dolce.’

Rosalina liked the way he called her ‘my sweet’, especially given her love of cooking all things sugary. He was patient with her and seemed to understand her need to take everything slow.

Rosalina sliced the now cooled poached pear and placed a sliver upon the savoury cheese pastry. ‘Open up.’

Alessandro obliged and she popped the nibble into his mouth. His eyes did that heavenly eye roll before he closed them and savoured the treat. A low moan of approval teased from his throat and she knew she had him. He was a delight to watch.

First he would taste the sweetness of the pear, delicately poached with cinnamon and Chinese five spice. Next would come the multifaceted Murazzano cheese, smooth and rich in flavour. Finally, the buttery pastry would round it off. She liked to think of it as a smorgasbord in a bite.

Register for my newsletter and receive FREE recipes that my character, Rosalina, made in my books Treasured Secrets and Treasured Lies. This way you can cook as you read along.
These Cheesy Arancini balls are delicious.

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Egypt - Exciting. Exotic. Enchanting.

4/6/2015

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Here's another blog from a travel experience that influenced my writing. I hope you enjoy reading it.

In 2005 I travelled to Egypt with a girlfriend. That holiday is still up there as one of my favourites. So much so, that’s its one of the few places in the world I’m determined to get back to… one day. We stayed at the Marriot Cairo which is an absolute oasis compared to the surrounding bustling streets.

Our hotel was lovely relief from the dust, smog, heat and hustle and bustle that is Cairo. I even sampled some Egyptian Hookah.

Our first day we made our way to Cairo Museum, even though a trip to the museum was part of our tour, we couldn’t wait. We weren’t disappointed. We caught a cab to get there and what an experience that was. Every single car I saw was riddled with scratches, dents and worse. Red lights meant nothing to the drivers and neither did traffic lanes. And they constantly honked their horns.

Unfortunately our camera's were confiscated before we even walked through the doors of the museum. These are the only pictures I have.

The artefacts in the museum were scattered everywhere with no apparent thought to their layout and sadly, many of the pieces had little or no information detailing what they were. Despite all that it was still amazing. We saw many many sarcophagi of different shapes and sizes, some as small as a little child, some as big as a van. We saw 5000 year old wooden statues and the remains of a Queens intestines that had been preserved in Alabaster jars.

The treasure of Tut-ankh-Amun was incredible. So much gold and so many pieces to see. The jewellery was beautiful and amazingly intricate and the colours were very well preserved. It’s hard to believe these pieces are thousands of years old. I’ll go into more detail about his tomb in a future travel blog.

The pyramids of Giza are mind blowing. Until you see them it’s impossible to comprehend just how big they are. The individual blocks are enormous too and when you learn that each block was carted from Aswan and shipped 750km up the Nile its mindboggling. In the pictures below look at the size of the pyramid then see the next photo where I'm standing in amongst the giant blocks. It's gives you some appreciation of just how enormous these constructions are.

I was completely unprepared for the amount of history on display in Egypt. Hieroglyphics were everywhere. I couldn't get enough of them.

The Sphinx was just as impressive, although it has some damage to its nose. It’s bizarre that right across the road from it is KFC and Pizza Hut.

In Greek tradition, the sphinx has the haunches of a lion, the face of a human and sometimes the wings of a great bird. It was considered treacherous and merciless. The Sphinx is said to have guarded the entrance to the Greek city of Thebes, and travelers had to answer a riddle in order to pass through. Apparently those who can’t answer the riddle were killed and eaten by this ravenous monster; a fate considered to be typical in mythological stories. Can you answer the riddle? "There are two sisters: one gives birth to the other and she, in turn, gives birth to the first. Who are the two sisters?"

The answer is "day and night"
(both words are feminine in Greek).

I would've been eaten.

History fascinates me, which is why my latest book Treasured Secrets is based around a 13th century missing treasure. It was so much fun to research that era and weave fact and fiction into my story.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this week’s travel blog. Check more of my travel blogs here.

Treasured Secrets available now.

Some secrets should remain hidden forever.

Treasured Secrets is the beginning of an adrenalin fuelled new series with sexy sassy characters, exotic locations and action-packed adventure.

Want to know more? Click HERE

Register for my newsletter and receive a FREE eBook copy of Breathless Encounters - my collections of short stories with unexpected twists.

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Shipwrecked in Brazil. Writing inspiration.

3/25/2015

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My oldest son spent most of 2013 in Brazil as an exchange student. So of course I had to go over and visit. It was a mammoth effort to get there from Brisbane, 5 flights and some 35 hours in transit. Jordan was living at Florianopolis on Santa Catarina Island which is about 700km’s south of Sao Paulo.

The island is 90km long and approximately 18km wide with more than 100km of coastline and 42 beaches. There are beaches to suit everyone. Joaquina, has perfect waves for surfers and a magnificent sand dune for anyone willing to get sand in their shorts while whizzing down at a cracking pace on a board. We had a lovely seafood lunch while sitting with our toes in the sand and watching the boys hit the waves and play tennis on the beach.

One of my favourite beaches we went to in Florianopolis was Naufragados beach. How the beach got its name is self-explanatory. Naufragodo translates to ship wrecked in Portuguese. This beach is situated at the extreme southern end of Santa Catarina Island and is difficult to get to by any means. We followed a trail, approximately 3kms long that cuts across Atlantic rainforest. The hike was steep and slippery but after about an hour we stepped onto one of the most secluded and beautiful beaches in Brazil. The beach is part of a nature reserve and is famous for its rough seas and excellent surfing conditions.

It was cold when we finally stepped onto the sand.

From the beach there is a wonderful view over to Aracatuba Island, where the fortress Nossa Senhora da Conceicao is located.

You can only visit this fortress when the sea is calm though.

What fascinated me most about this beach is its history. Many ships have been wrecked here with impressive records from as far back as 1516. One of the most notable accounts details the demise of 21 sailors under chief navy pilot and Spanish explorer of Buenos Aires, Juan Dias de Solis.

Map similar to that used by Juan Diaz de Solis in 1515.

The men were left on the island after they shipwrecked one of the vessels and there wasn’t enough room on the other ships to carry them all. Imagine what they were thinking as they watched their only link to civilisation sail away.

Apparently though, the men were reported to have lived on this very beach for a further 40 years. In fact we were told some of the occupants of the beach today, living high up in seclusion, in the dense vegetation overlooking the incredible blue South Atlantic Ocean, were direct descendants of the castaways. Of course, I believe them.

Another fascinating curiosity, is the record of the Azoreans who were brought to South Brazil to colonize Porto Alegre, but stayed on Santa Catarina Island for 3 years for adaptation reasons. But when they finally departed, the ship sank off the shores of Naufragados beach, killing all 241 people on board.

It’s stories like these that capture my imagination and reinforce my love of history. So much so that this very spot ignited the spark for a couple of plot themes in my upcoming series.

Treasured Secrets, the first ebook in my
action adventure series is available to pre-order now.

Some secrets should remain hidden forever.

Treasured Secrets - Click here to find out more.

Register for my newsletter and receive a FREE eBook copy of Breathless Encounters - my collections of short stories with unexpected twists. This is exclusive to my Newsletter subscribers - you cannot get it anywhere else. So what are you waiting for?

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Christmas Island where magic happens...

3/18/2015

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Christmas Island is barely a dot on a map North-West of Perth, Western Australia. 63% of the island is designated National Park and its nearly overflowing with complex flora and fauna unique to this island. The island has only been inhabited since 1888 so that makes Christmas Island one of the youngest communities in the world.

The entire island is a wildlife sanctuary excellent for bird watching, nature lovers, anglers and scuba divers.

There is so much to explore both above and beneath the water, but in 2010, I went there specifically for the scuba diving. Although I love my diving, I get sea sick. To combat this I go in search of diving that doesn’t require a big boat trip to get to the dive sites. Christmas Island was the perfect choice. The island is actually the tip of an ancient volcano that rises about 5 miles up from the ocean floor. So literally metres from the shoreline, divers can explore the drop-off that plunges dramatically into the abyss.

On our second day of diving, I experienced one of the most magical moments of my life.

With my husband as my dive buddy, we dropped into the water and gradually cruised down Perpendicular Wall, which is exactly what it is. This dive site is a fathomless vertical wall bustling with enormous coral fans, hundreds of colourful tropical fish of all shapes and sizes, eels that dart out and disappear just as quickly, and of course sharks, turtles and stingrays.

About 40 minutes into our dive, my hubby indicated he was nearly at his air limit. He’s what’s known as an air pig - in that he consumes his air way too quickly. I was a tad annoyed about this as I had at least another 20 minutes of air time remaining. But as every good dive buddy knows, you stick with your partner. So together we gradually floated toward the surface.

This is when the magic happened.

At our decompression stop, a four metre long whale shark came over to check us out. Whale sharks are the largest known fish species and can grow up to 12 metres long and weight as much as 21 tons. They have very large mouths but thankfully for us, they are filter feeders and mainly eat plankton.

I thought this 'baby' whale shark was going to eat me.

Dean and I were so lucky, because not only did this friendly fish cruise around us for a good twenty minutes or so, but as the rest of our dive party were below us, nearly every picture they took of the whale shark had us in it. It was a special moment for everyone. At one point the whale shark came so close to me, with its mouth wide open, that I thought he was going to swallow me whole. Just the surge in the water as it passed was enough to feel it’s immense size.

I feel completely blessed to have experienced this rare, close encounter with a gentle giant of the sea.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed one of my travel experiences that influenced a scene in my upcoming book Treasured Secrets.

You can check out a few more of my travel blogs, HERE.

Some secrets should remain hidden forever.

Treasured Secrets the first book in an adrenaline fuelled new series with sexy sassy characters, exotic locations and action-packed adventure is available for pre-order now. You can learn more about it here.

Register for my newsletter and receive a FREE eBook copy of Breathless Encounters - my collections of short stories with unexpected twists.

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Never in my wildest dreams

8/16/2014

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Write a Book.
That’s what I wrote on my bucket list. I never imagined how much those three words would change my life. My initial motivation was simple. Unlike the fabulous Cherry Adair, numbers are my friend. English was not. So I thought the best way to improve my spelling, grammar and vocabulary would be to write a story

I'm really bad at guitar.

Every birthday and Christmas my husband shakes out my bucket list for inspiration. One year he helped me tick off ‘Learn a musical instrument’. He gave me a beautiful guitar and paid for lessons. But to be honest I’m really crap at it.

The following year, he scoured my list again and at number 69 - I kid you not - is ‘Write a Book’. So hubby purchased the Year of the Novel Course at the Queensland Writers Centre. During this course, I wrote Lost In Kakadu and it literally changed my life.

But writing it was the easy part. Editing that shitty manuscript took eight years of hard slog. I followed up that first course with several more. Then I hired an editor who also offered mentoring and boy did she have her work cut out for her. I learnt about POV’s and cliché’s, first person and third person perspectives. I learnt syntax, synonyms, sentence structure and just about everything else in between. I wrote short stories, drafted two more manuscripts and learnt the joys of character arcs. I worked hard, did my homework, read the prescribed reading, experimented and practiced. Then practiced some more.

At the Romance Writers Conference, James Scott Bell said that you CAN learn to write - I know exactly what he means. My poor editor nearly gave up on me many times. But now, with my beautiful R*BY trophy glistening with inner glow on my kitchen windowsill she admits the tears were all worth it.
Without my bucket list, I may never have discovered my passion for writing.
By the way I had also written ‘Publish My Book’ and ‘Win The RuBY Award’ on my bucket list. But never in my wildest dreams did I believe it would happen with my debut novel.

My rather unconventional speech...
It's not every day someone uses a Muppet's reference in their winning speech. I have no idea where that came from, but at least the crowd laughed. Thank you Romance Writers Australia for creating this truly amazing competition.

Romantic Book of the Year 2014 Winner trophy - stunning

The winning slide at the Romance Writers Conference

I couldn't wait to tell my hubby of my win. He's the one who made it happen.

My debut novel Lost in Kakadu -
A story of survival, grief, adventure and undying love is out now.

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I am woman hear me ROAR.

8/14/2014

31 Comments

I’ve climbed mountains. I’ve jumped off them too. I’ve ridden white water in a rubber raft flimsy enough that I carried it on my head. I’ve stood in front of a crowd of 300 and delivered a speech so powerful I could hear them gasp even in the back row. I’ve picked up spiders with my bare hands. I’ve changed dirty nappies after my son ate pineapple and I’ve even ventured into a Walmart.
I am invincible. I have no phobias.

Well I thought I didn’t. But I’m about to experience something that may change that high and mighty pedestal I’ve ventured onto. This terrifying feat can’t be avoided any longer. Even if I had the entire Targaryen army to support me, it wouldn’t help. This is something I must do alone.

This requires planning and protective clothing. This requires a good dose of tequila and bleach. Not together of course. This requires the full backing of my bravery. This is unavoidable.

Operation ‘Clean Under Teenage Son’s Bed’ is about to begin. If I’m off social media for a while you know why. If my hair is completely grey and I dribble the next time you see me, know this: I went in bravely and no amount of moldy socks or Tupperware containers performing their own petri dish experiment will beat this woman down. I am woman hear me rooooaaaarrrrr.

I’m going in…..

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I'm in heaven

6/15/2014

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48 hours in a writing retreat, 6 writing buddies, 14 bottles of wine and 1 manuscript = a perfect weekend.

No I didn’t drink all the wine myself I shared it with my fabulous YonBeyond writing group. This weekend we shared our second bi-annual weekend together in the secluded Tambourine Mountain Aaronlee retreat.

For me, this weekend was a great opportunity to polish my Treasured Secrets manuscript. I recently came to a halt with this story. I knew there were problems with it but couldn’t quite pinpoint exactly what they were. I was too close to see what was wrong. Treasured Secrets had been through three rounds of edits and it wasn’t quite right. I knew I had a riveting plot but my characters simply didn’t jump from the page with the passion and authenticity I was after and I didn’t know why.

So with the weekend retreat approaching and my manuscript at a frustrating standstill, I sought out specialist expertise in the form of a manuscript assessment by Word Witchery. I’m so glad I did. Anna Cleary not only pointed out the deficiencies in my characters, she also made very valuable suggestions on how I could fix them. With her honesty and insightfulness and a weekend dedicated to this manuscript it now has a new lease of life. I can finally see Treasured Love reaching its full potential.

It was a wonderful, fulfilling, leisurely weekend. We all set our own personal writing retreat goals. Whether it was writing, plotting or editing, all six of us succeeded and some of us exceeded our weekend goals.

Not only was it special to share the weekend with likeminded people who understand my crazy writing brain, we also shared lots of yummy wine, ate delicious cheese and other fabulous foods and celebrated my RUBY nomination with Moet champagne.

So here’s cheers to my writing buddies. YonBeyond you are all fabulous talented authors and great fun.

I couldn’t have asked for a more productive writing retreat.

L - R. Anthea, Matt, Tania, Me, Isabella

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Ruby, Ruby, RUBY - YAY

6/11/2014

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Winning the Romantic Book of the Year (The RUBY) has been on my bucket list for years and today I came one step closer. My debut novel, Lost in Kakadu is one of the four finalists in the Romantic Elements category. The Ruby is Romance Writers Australia’s premier award and the only one of its kind in Australia.

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.

Maybe Lost in Kakadu is exactly what Australian readers wanted right now. With a survival theme, fabulous Australian setting, mystery, secrets, grit, grief, adventure, and of course a happy ending, what more could a reader want?

This story isn’t just a wild ride with unconventional characters, I hope it also makes readers think about how we need to live our lives to the fullest, to be true to ourselves and accept who we are. Sometimes crashing down to earth is exactly what people need.
Check out some of the crazy things I do HERE

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.

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Romance Readers are a crazy bunch.

3/27/2014

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Romance readers are a crazy bunch. I don’t mean in a psycho nutty kind of way. I mean in a passionate, live-it-up kind of way. When I registered to attend my first ever Australian Romance Readers Association Annual Awards night, I knew I needed to be prepared for a big event. I wasn’t wrong.

Here’s 12 things I learnt at the ARRA night of nights:

My sexy heels for the night.

1)     The ARRA community loves romance, champagne, killer heels and bling. No nail polish, lipstick or handbag colour is too bright.

2)   Bronwyn Parry’s weapon of choice is a knitting needle and
Anna Campbell accepted her Continuing Romance Series
Award even after she was ‘murdered’ in the mock who-done-it.

3)  Twenty strangers preparing for their first kiss is guaranteed to keep an ARRA audience enthralled for at least five minutes.

4) It’s exciting enough to win one award but when it comes to Helene Young, Anna
Cowan, and Kylie Scott, each of these lovely,
talented ladies won two.

5) Shannon Curtis may be fussy about the colour of her leather jacket, but she’s quick at finding all the handsome men in a crowd.

6) Of course, Kelly Hunter’s Short Category
Romance Award was The One That Got Away.

Partners In Crime, actually Romantic Suspense: Helene Young, Shannon Curtis and Me.

7) It’s completely acceptable to bring pink hand cuffs and a riding whip to an ARRA event.

8) ARRA is now Allegiance Sworn to Kylie Griffin for her Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Futuristic Romance
Award.

9) Amy Andrews should be Holding Out For A Hero after her Contemporary Romance Award, because her medical skills may now be in question after failing to dress in appropriate nurses uniform.

Look how happy she is.

Amy Andrews, one very happy lady.

10)  I’m pretty sure Captain G and the other men in the crowd had something titillating to tell their workmates on Monday.

11)  Rachel Johns will have Outback Dreams forever with her Sexiest Hero Award.

12)  And Nilina Singh’s night of reckoning was completed with a Paranormal Romance Award.

The ARRA awards was a wonderful, fun, interesting and unpredictable night. A night that would never have begun without the support from all the passionate ARRA members and of course the sponsors: Harlequin Australia, Galaxy Bookshop, Steam eReads, Bronwen Evans, Escape Publishing, eXtasy Books, Imogene Nix, Booktopia.

There is one thing that was predictable though: When it comes to romance you can always guarantee you’ll have a ‘Happy Ending.’

Cheers to
ARRA and thank you to everyone who voted for me and Lost In Kakadu

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10 things you didn't know about me

3/9/2014

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1)   Despite my short stature I was the district high jump champion in grade 5. Back when the scissor kick was the way to do it.
2)   I like some of the more unpopular foods such as Liver, Kidney and Brains. Ooo, when I write it down like that, it seems rather macabre.
3)  My second pet was a cow called Moo. He died of old age. Maybe he could feature in one of my books one day.
4)  My husband and I married on the fifth anniversary of our first kiss. That kiss was after a car rally in which I was navigator (one of my unique skills).
5)  I may have a touch of OCD. I have to check the garage door is down several times before I drive off. My kids will tell you how many times I’ve turned around because I can’t remember putting it down.
6)  I can sing really good. Especially in the car, loud. My boys love it when I sing on the way to school. Maybe that’s why my oldest boy loves screamo music now.
7) I have 101 things on my bucket list and I have completed 33 of them. The one that I think I may never do is pay off my mortgage. But I may have cheated with Climb A Mountain because I ticked that off after I climbed Mount Warning and Mount Tibrogargan
8)  I love riding on the back of my husband’s motorbike. I do some of my best scene planning while the world wizzes by. He wants a t-shirt that says “If you can read this, the bitch has fallen off.”
9)  I love to scream. That’s why I do crazy things like white water rafting, scuba diving with sharks, abseiling, canyoning, snow skiing, rollercoasters, hang gliding and cleaning my teenage son’s rooms.

10) And for the final one. I once asked Steven Spielberg for his identification. During Expo 88, he came into the bank I was working at to cash some traveller’s cheques. I bet he remembers me.

So there they are. The 10 things you may or may not have known about me.

You can check out more about me here.
You may have missed my blog on my writing process. Here it is if you're interested.

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My Writing Process - blog tour

2/10/2014

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Research at Amberley Airbase

Here's a blog tour that delves into the wacky (that may just be me) ... creative minds of authors, by asking 4 questions about their writing process.
Noelle Clark shared her process last week. Noelle is an Aussie author who weaves romance, suspense and adventure into colorful and exotic locations.

I take my writing seriously but I feel blessed every day because my passion involves making stuff up. So here's where I share my writing process.

What am I working on?
I treat my writing like a second job and usually have a couple of projects on the go. At the moment I have a first book in a Romantic Suspense series finished and I have just dived head first into submitting this to publishers. Hopefully Treasured Love will be accepted quicker than Lost in Kakadu took (3 years of subbing to land that one). I've also finished a crime mystery novel called Double Take - It's Quentin Tarantino meets Nora Roberts and my editor and I are putting the final touches to that one now. Here's the link to the first chapter. So my next big project and the one I'm really looking forward to is the sequel to Treasured Love. Treasured Secrets is already mapped out so I'm ready to hit the ground running.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?
My publisher called my debut novel - Lost in Kakadu - meaty, challenging, and risky. This is a perfect description of how I like to write. I don't hold back when it comes to crunch time, so some of my characters go to hell and back. When I develop my characters, its important for me to really know them, to understand what makes them who they are, and rationalize why they behave the way they do. I want my readers to be sorry to say goodbye to the characters at the end of the story.

Why do I write what I do?
I love adventure, I love mystery, and I love a good adrenalin rush. I'm also a hopeless romantic. And these are the ingredients I like to explore in my writing. I've travelled extensively, some 36 countries so far and I always have a holiday on the horizon. You never know what country or thrill will show up in my books. When I write my stories I want to take my readers on an adventure they won't forget.

How does my writing process work?
Once I get an idea for a story in my head it seems to pop up all the time: driving, dreaming, reading - my brain just won't let it go. So I start a new scrap book for each idea, and when a significant thought for a character or plot comes up I write it down. By the time I begin to write the story I have all sorts of random scribbles, notes, pictures, magazine articles, trivia and drawings scattered through the scrapbook.

My notes are completely random. But this is the framework to the story. I pretend the scrapbook is the actual book by pasting a picture on the front, blurb on the back and I even make up glowing reviews. I told you I was nuts. Once I start the story I usually plot out the first couple of chapters, but then I completely let go and ask the characters to take over. The ending usually comes to me well before I get there so I can direct the characters that way. One other thing I do is try to experience whatever it is my character is going through. Short of dying or experiencing a plane crash that is. You can read some of my insane research here.
So there it is. The crazy writing mind of Kendall Talbot exposed. Feel free to ask me any questions or make a comment. Cheers

So who will share their writing process next week?
Jacquie Underdown: Jacquie writes fantasy romance that is emotionally driven and possesses unique themes beyond the constraints of the physical universe. She strives to offer romance, but with complexity; spirituality, but without the religion. Her novels express a purpose and offer subtle messages about life, the spirit and, of course, love. Jacquie resides in hot and steamy Gladstone
with her husband and two sons. Numbers and practicality are a way of life for Jacquie as she works as an accountant by day. So it’s no wonder, for sanity’s sake, she balances this banality with words, characters and imagination in all other possible moments.

Ros Baxter: Ros writes fresh, funny, genre-busting fiction. She digs feisty heroines, quirky families,
heroes to make you sigh and tingle, and a dash of fantasy from time to time.

Don't forget to leave a comment:-

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What being an Aussie means to me. Blog Hop and Giveaway

1/25/2014

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I am so grateful my parents took that horrific 8 week boat trip out from England to immigrate to
Australia when I was just 4 years old. Because although I have travelled extensively - some 36 countries and counting, I know I live in the best place in the world. When I dream up my stories Australia always has a special place in my novels.

My latest book - Lost in Kakadu - is romantic suspense set in Australia’s Kakadu National Park. Kakadu is some 20,000 square kilometers of rugged Australian bush and it’s as beautiful as it is brutal. The scenery changes from lush overgrown rainforest, to open savannah, to crocodile infested swamps. The sunsets are the work of our greatest artist and the thunderstorms can rattle your bones.

I did many crazy things while researching this book. I hiked for days in the sweltering
Australian bush, ate witchetty grubs that I dug from my garden, made slingshots with my bra’s, sat in the pouring rain and many other things that had my family assessing my sanity.

Lost in Kakadu is a survival story that will also challenge your expectations of what a romance should be.

I’m proud to call Australia home. And almost everywhere I’ve travelled I’ve heard our great Australian mantra: Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi Oi Oi.

Want to win a FREE copy of my eBook - Lost in Kakadu?
Simply make a comment below on what was the most disgusting thing you've eaten and why. Three lucky winners will be chosen at random on 29th of January - Good luck.
See below for more great prizes: $100 gift card and 26 books up for grabs

Lost In Kakadu.
Crashing into an ancient Australian wilderness is pretentious socialite Abigail Mulholland’s worst nightmare. She survives the accident with two complete strangers, however things go from bad to downright hellish when rescuers never come. As she battles to live in an environment that’s as brutal as it is beautiful, Abigail finds herself also fighting her unlikely attraction to Mackenzie--a much younger man. A man she’s willing to change for.

Mackenzie Steel is devastated by his partner’s death in the crash, the only person with whom he shared his painful past. Now, as he confronts his own demons, he finds he has a new battle on his hands: his growing feelings for Abigail, a woman who's as frustratingly naïve as she is funny.

Fate brought them together, but they’ll need more than luck to escape Kakadu alive. Could the letters of a dead man hold the key to their survival?
My book costs less than a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and is available at: Amazon, Booktopia, Google Play, Kobo, Itunes

I'm so excited to announce Lost In Kakadu is a finalist in the Australian Romance Readers Awards (ARRA) 2013: Are you an ARRA member? Voting open now. Giddy up...
Best Romantic Suspense for 2013
Best Book Cover for 2013
Best New Author of 2013

I am also truly honoured to have been nominated as Australia's Favourite Novelist of 2013. I would love it if you could vote for me via the Booktopia Blog. Voting starts 13th Jan 2014.
Thank you Australia.

Want to go in the draw to win $100- and 26 books in both Ebook and print. Of course you do. Check out all the other blogs below for more chances at great prizes too.

COMPETITION CLOSED - Thank you for participating

Want to know more about my crazy research? Click here
Here are some reviews for Lost in Kakadu
Want to know more about me? Click here.
Check out my funny Hunky Hero tips I blog occasionally.
Here are some other secret bits and pieces about Lost in Kakadu. Check out my book trailer but warning - I write books better than I produce movies.

Don't forget to comment above to go into the draw to win a FREE copy of Lost in Kakadu...

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