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

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.

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…..

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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. 

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

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’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

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

My lovely yet crazy author friend Noelle Clark has bestowed upon me this award.  I can't decide if she is being nice or mean. The rules may be a simple as ABC but I'm not sure the answers will be.  Here are the rules:
1.    Display the logo and link back to the person who gave you the award.
2.    Nominate some other blogs.
3.    Work through the alphabet writing one word or phrase about yourself or things you like or associate with yourself, that begins A...B....C....  All 26 of them.

So here goes:
A: Adventurous - yep that's me to a T. I love experiences that make me scream.
B: Books - not a day goes by when I don't read.
C: Cheese and Chocolate - not usually together.
D: Dean - my wonderful husband.
E: Explorer - I love a good adventure. Egypt - my favourite exotic holiday.
F: Family and friends - they mean everything to me.
G: Girlfriends - I'd be lost without my girlfriends. We share all our ups and downs usually over wine.
H: Happy - I'm a glass half full kinda girl. Actually if it's wine then fill it up baby.
I: Interesting - with the crazy life I lead, I like to think my friends and family find me interesting. 
J: Journey - because life is about the journey - not always the destination.
K: Kids - I'm so very proud of my two sons.
L: Love - I've been with my real life hero for 28 years and couldn't imagine life without him.
M: Madness - I'm an author and with all the characters running around my head I could be a little nuts
O: Opportunity - I don't like to let a chance go by.
P: Passion - 'cause that's how I roll.
Q: Quest for knowledge - the day I stop learning is the day I start fading.
R: Romance - I love it, so I write about it. I think I'm lucky to believe in it.
S: Sunset's - with my hubby, oh, and Sauv Blanc and Swiss cheese. 
T: Travel - I always have a holiday on the horizon. Europe here we come.
U: Uninterested in TV - Hardly ever watch TV, but love a great movie.
V: Visionary - I'm a goal setter. My bucket list has 101 things on it. I have 68 to go.
W: Wine and writing - sometimes at the same time.
X: X-rated movies are not my thing. Much prefer a great storyline.
Y: Youthful - sometimes I'm just a big kid.
Z: Zeal - That's how I approach my life. It's too short to waste even a day.

So now I bestow this award to:

1) The wonderful, fantabulous author Sarah Belle
2) The incredibly talented Juliet Madison 
3) The effervescent Tania Joyce
4) The exciting new author Darry Fraser
5) The stylish and sophisticated J'Aimee Brooker

And linking back to the person who nominated me:  Noelle Clark
Thank you