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.

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.

To honour my exciting three nominations in the ARRA Awards (Australian Romance Readers Association Awards) the characters of my book Lost In Kakadu are taking me to dinner. But I’m a little nervous. No that’s an understatement, I’m extremely nervous. I can be a little tough on my characters. Some would call me a sadist. 

But it’s for a good cause. A couple of good causes actually. Not only do my characters truly discover who they are, my readers also have a jolly good time following their journey.

So where would my character Abigail take me? It would be a highly pretentious, swanky joint with a
million dollar view, where they serve the best ingredients and most expensive wine. Just because I threw her into the jungle with nothing but a few cans of beans and sack or two of flour, doesn’t mean she’d forget the life of luxury she had before the plane crash. Right?

Surely they’ll remember that sensual waterfall scene? How about the breathtaking scenery? 
 
But when Mackenzie wraps a black tie around my eyes, the knot in my stomach turns into a giant slab of cement. I guess it’s his way of showing me how dark it can be in the jungle. I remember I wrote, “The blackness around him was like swimming in a tar pit.” I’m experiencing that now. But wait, where are they taking me? And why do I need to take my shoes off? The rocks under my feet are sharp and the branches snapping against my arms are rough, against my cheeks they are brutal. Was that a spider web? 

Abigail instructs me to sit, the snigger in her voice is not good. I reach out expecting to feel a chair, but no, a craggy log will do. And given that I made my characters rough it out without any luxuries, I shouldn’t be surprised.
A plate is positioned on my lap. “Eat.” Abigail seems a little cranky. Doesn’t she remember her path of self-discovery? What about their unexpected romance?

“Do I get cutlery?” But I already know the answer.
Help me people. These characters are mean. Mean I tell you. If you're an ARRA member, I'd love you to vote for me, so my characters understand that sometimes crashing down to earth is exactly what people need.

Here's a little snippet of the crazy research I did for Lost In Kakadu.  Maybe I am a bit crazy?
Or you may want to watch my book trailer. But I have to warn you, I write books better than I make movies.

I call myself a method writer, as in I like to draw from experience when I create my scenes. In writing Lost in Kakadu I had a huge amount of research to do and short of experiencing a plane crash I like to think I totally stepped out of my comfort zone with most of my research.  

But not all of it was bad. Yes I did sit in the pouring rain, eat witchetty grubs that I dug from my garden and create as many meals as I could with just four ingredients, one of which being baked beans. 
One of the fun things I did was create a sling shot with my bra! 
Fortunately our figure-shaping-torture-devise has most of the minimum requirements to make this deadly contraption. Yes ladies, your sexy lingerie may save you one day, literally. With stretchy elastic straps and a flexible cup, the only other necessity is a forked branch.

So as this device is integral to several scenes in my Lost in Kakadu I promptly set about converting one of my boulder holders into a crude hunting device. Fortunately for me, I had scissors, string, a stapler, sticky tape and many other construction helpers at my disposal. Despite all my additional equipment my first attempt was rather pathetic.

The realization that I was cheating had me rethink my objective. After all, I was trying to experience a scene for my book. My characters merely had a pocket knife, an axe, some wire and a selection of Abigail’s rather expensive lingerie.

So next time you’re lost in the wilderness, don’t despair ladies. A weapon or hunting device is just a quick flick of the fingers away. However I do suggest that from now on, you invest as
much money as you can on quality underwear, you never know when it’s going to come in handy.

Want to know more about the crazy research I did?  CLICK HERE

 I also imagined reasons why she was so horrible. I gave her tragic moments in her life that shaped her and to some degree justified her despicable behavior. Of course I don’t think she had any excuses, she was just a nasty piece of work.

But now, as I reflect on those last six months of working hell, I realize that I’m lucky. Because without that experience I would never have created Abigail Mulholland, the heroine in my book:  Lost in Kakadu. Abigail is a rich pretentious bitch who survives a small plane crash in Australia’s rugged wilderness. Learning to live in such a brutal environment takes Abigail to shattering point.

But as the weeks thread into months her Botox fades, her makeup runs out and the physical labor shapes her body into a lean sensual figure that she's proud of. As she gathers the pieces of her sanity she discovers a new woman within her who's not afraid to wield an axe or eat snails in order to survive. The pompous façade disappears and a strong, passionate and resourceful woman emerges with a wicked sense of humor and a fierce determination to live.
         
I love this character, she has incredible depth and I hope my readers enjoy and feel her personal growth too. And unlike the real woman who inspired my character, I love who Abigail becomes. Authors get the best revenge... don't you think?

So… have you ever hated your boss? 
Now that you know what inspired my character, I would love to know your thoughts on Abigail Mulholland in Lost in Kakadu.

Lost in Kakadu -
"A thrilling, captivating, deep, adventurous and memorable read"

Or is a Hunky Hero more your thing?  Check out my other leading character.  Mackenzie is no crocodile Dundee, but he is handsome, sexy and can cook a mean snake kebab. 
Check out Mackenzie Steel HERE.