​I'm so excited to share the inspiration behind the scenes in my thrilling Maximum Exposure series. This series has three stand-alone, heart-thumping, romantic suspense novels all set in a wonderful remote location that I’ve visited.
 
Deadly Twist, is set in Mexico’s Yucatán jungle. I've been to Mexico five times and in 2015, I went to Chichén Itzá, which is a UNESCO World Heritage listed, 1400-year-old complex of Mayan ruins in the middle of the Mexican jungle. Chichén Itzá was one of the largest mythical Mayan cities and I found it hard to believe something so magnificent was abandoned and left to be swamped by the relentless creep of the voracious vegetation. But it was.

My visit to the temple, was just one of approximately 1.4 million people who visit the ancient site each year. And whilst the bucket-list experience was truly incredible, it had me pondering how wonderful it would be to be the first to discover an ancient temple. Can you imagine that? Well, that was the initial thought that inspired Out of Reach.

The step pyramid contains 365 steps, one for each day of the year. The ancient Mayan's were very talented stone masons and one incredible feature on this temple is the illusion of a snake body that only shows up when the late afternoon sun strikes at the Spring and Fall equinoxes. How they did that is beyond me.
​
​Oh, and how’s this for amazing, at the top of one of the ancient buildings was three windows. Each one has been positioned perfectly for viewing other planets like Venus.

Check out these rows of intricately carved columns depicting warriors and astronomical signs. They once supported a roof that led to a broad stairway at the The Temple of Warriors where human hearts were once offered to the Gods. I love this stuff, don't you? 

​The demise of this ancient city is yet to be truly established, although one theory had me fascinated. The Yucatán Peninsula is pockmarked with natural sinkholes called cenotes and the Sacred Cenotes at Chichén Itzá is an impressive 70 feet deep and 200 feet wide well. It was the major water source for the city inhabitants. But, during a time of severe drought, the King ordered human sacrifices to convince the Gods to bring the rain. Archaeologists found the skeletal remains of dozens of children and six-foot warriors at the bottom of the Cenotes. Trouble was, by tossing the sacrificial humans into the well, the silly buggers were also poisoning their only water source. Woops.

​So there you go. I hope this travel blog has inspired you to visit this incredible New Seven Wonder of the World. Hopefully you’re also interested in reading my new book.

Please also check out more of my travel blogs and stories that inspired my books. Next time, I’ll take you deeper into the Mexican jungle where only ATV’s and crazy people like me go.

Oh and hey, I love hearing from you, so drop in a comment below and I'll get right back to you. Cheers and happy reading.

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.

Moonstone Obsession
By Elizabeth Ellen Carter

Sir James Mitchell, Lord Penventen is a man on a mission.

The death of his father brings him home to England to a society he no longer cares for, but keeping him there is a personal promise he made to no lesser person than the Prime Minister of England, William Pitt the Younger.

As a spy for the Crown he enlists the aid of a merchant fleet captain but James immediately captivated by the man’s independently minded sister, Selina, much to the ire of Lady Abigail,  James’ one-time lover.

What makes James a hunky hero is his wit, intelligence and his sense of duty. He may have done questionable things in the past but he is determined to chart a new course in his life, inspired by the unjaded honesty of Selina.

There is a vulnerability about him that he is not afraid to acknowledge. He heart was severely bruised by Lady Abigail and his attitude to marriage jaded by the poor example set by his own parents, yet he is willing to take the risk that Selina understands the man he really is.

Want to know more?
Secrets, scandal, and passion…

Selina Rosewall had given up on love, but while helping her brother further his merchant fleet business, she meets Sir James Mitchell, Lord of Penventen. Their attraction is mutual, but what James wants from the relationship goes further—much further—than Selina could have expected. And she learns that in the world of the Ton, scandal and deceit are commonplace.

For Sir James Mitchell, Lord of Penventen, it’s hard to say which is more dangerous: being a spy or being considered husband material by the Ladies of the Ton. With political machinations threatening to draw England into the violent wake of the French Revolution, the last thing James expected was to fall in love with Selina Rosewall, daughter of an untitled seafaring family. But when James’  investigation stirs up a hornet’s nest, can he protect Selena from danger that threatens her very life?

But wait there's more:

Holding Out For A Hero
By Amy Andrews
Jake Prince, ex-footy star, is living an awesome life, thank you very much. He’s running a bar, drinking coronas and signing female body parts. He’s living in Margaritaville where it’s always five o’clock. But what I like about Jake, what I think sets him apart, is his innate sense of justice. Yep, driven by demons he doesn’t even recognise, he’s a sucker for an underdog and a lost cause even when he doesn’t want to be. From taking a street kid under his wing, to finding a home for a mangy stray, to taking on the coach position of Ella’s rag-tag football team, to mentoring her younger disaffected brother – Jake has an honourable streak a mile wide. 
 
He also looks pretty damn fine in a pair of blue jeans!

Want to know more?
When sensible schoolteacher Ella Lucas rides into her home town on a Harley and seduces the resident football hero, Jake Prince, she figures she can be forgiven and move on. After all, she’s just buried her mother.

Two years later, back in the city, their paths cross again but this time Jake is in the process of destroying her favourite dive bar. With her home facing a
wrecker’s ball, her school being closed down and her 15-year-old brother hell
bent on self-destruction, it’s the last straw. Throw in a dominatrix best friend
who is dating a blue ribbon guy so straight he still lives at home with his
mother, it’s no wonder the sanest person in Ella’s life is a dog.

With all this to contend with, the last thing Ella needs is Jake back in her life.
But, as fate would have it, Jake is the only chance she has to save her
school.

As the school football season heats up, old secrets threaten to surface and Ella takes on greedy developers, school boards and national tabloids. But can she save not just her home, her school and her brother, but also the reputation of the man she’s never been able to forget? And, more importantly, does she want to?

Holding Out for a Hero is a quirky, heartwarming tale of unlikely romance, friendship and family.

But wait there's more:

Alana Shelton blows him away with her innocence. She’s beautiful, fragile and so different from the women he normally sleeps with that she might just bring him to his knees.

Want to know more?
He can seduce with a single glance. 
Peering down at a sea of fans, rock star, Mitchell Davies can’t deny the innocent beauty of a woman in the front row. He’ll stop at nothing to get to know her. When a public altercation leaves her weak and defenseless, he takes the opportunity to be her savior.

She’s been sheltered from the world. 
Alana Shelton wants to spread her wings and experience life away from her restrictive upbringing. But she isn’t prepared for a gorgeous stranger to sweep her off her feet while at her most vulnerable.

Attraction will bring them together, but their pasts will try to tear them apart.
He wants to teach her how to trust, but she’ll show him how to love. In a glamorous world of rock-and-roll, only time will tell if they’re up for the challenge.
But wait there's more:

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.

In their first sexual encounter, Sia is very open about the things that turn her on and in the course of the book, Todd makes sure every one of those fantasies comes true. It doesn’t
go all the one way – Sia does her bit for Todd too. But at the end of the book, it’s Sia’s list that’s been fulfilled. Although I daresay Sia won’t waste her time finishing Todd’s list for
him.

Regardless of what you want from your sex life, the ultimate aphrodisiac is a man who wants to give you that. That’s why Todd Lansing is such a hunky hero.

Want to know more?
Ten years ago, Todd Lansing stood over his father’s grave, his heart thumping out curses on Sia Collins for causing his death. When he returns to Oberon and sees Sia again, his heart
thumps with a different emotion, one he fights with all the anger he still feels. 

Sia didn’t commit the break-in that ended up killing Mr Lansing, but to admit that would send her father to jail. She has rebuilt her life in the small town, atoned for her accused crime, and carved out a niche using her talent with paint to reach out to the community, raise funds, and support her family. 

When Todd finds out the truth, he can’t understand why Sia won’t speak out and clear her
  name, and it threatens to tear them apart. With her relationship with Todd on the line, will Sia choose loyalty or love?

But wait there's more?

He wasn’t born Will Parker.  It’s a surname that was chosen for him—a rebirth, a chance to make something of himself, something unexpected out of a horror childhood. 

He’s not all hard edges.  He can be charming, funny, urbane.  He likes the world’s most
expensive Scotch Whiskey and he wears a tux like a second skin. He’s comfortable with the wealth he’s made and generous with it.  But he’s equally happy in old jeans, a battered hat and worn boots.

He’s a phantom, an enigma and a temptation and under it all a fighter.

Want to know more?
A romance about manipulation, truth and facing the past.
Truth can make you and break you. But can it glue you back together again?

Detained in a cold, dull room in the depths of Shanghai airport, a journalist chasing a career break and a businessman with a shadowy past, play a game of truth or dare—deliberately not exchanging names.

They tell each other painful secrets and hot desires. One dare leads to a kiss and a wild weekend of illicit passion, setting off a dangerous sequence of events and bringing exposure, and disgrace.

Only the brutal truth can save them. But it will also rip them apart. And it will take more than daring before they have a chance to build a new truth together.

But wait there's more:

When Brandon finds himself indebted to Cate, sleeping on the couch in her lounge room and helping her in her campaign to save her island village community from rampant development, his ambitions start to blur. 
 
Problem is, the monolithic multinational that funds his university research turns out to be the same company threatening Cate’s home. 
 
She had big trust issues already; finding out he’s working for the enemy doesn’t endear Brandon to Cate, although the attraction between them sizzles in the Mediterranean heat. They need each other, in more ways than one, but love? That’s something Cate’s not
prepared to allow in her life again, and Brandon has a fight on his hands to persuade her otherwise.

And when he discovers the horrifying secrets in Cate’s past as well as the very real dangers in her future, Brandon has to make some tough choices: the career pinnacle he’s worked for his whole life, or the woman who teaches him there other things worth fighting for.

Want to know more?
Emotional, suspenseful and set in paradise, Hearts on Hold is a novel for fans of Nora
Roberts and Jayne Ann Krentz.

The strongest sunshine casts the darkest shadows...

Cate Boyd is searching for a place where nobody knows her name. The sleepy Maltese village of Xlendi offers privacy, anonymity, and the serene life she craves, far from her former world. But her peace is shattered when monolithic development company Vena announces its plans to level her village, and threatens to expose Cate’s secrets if she stands in its way.

The arrival of seductive, nosy professor Brandon Blackshaw seems too coincidental for comfort — especially when she discovers that Vena is his research partner. As the pressure mounts, Cate must decide which is more important: her hard-won privacy, or the future of her
beloved Xlendi.

But wait there's more:

Titus doesn’t abandon Xanthe to her fate instead he does what he can to save her. He smoulders in his intensity making him compelling. When it comes down to the fight you want this man in your corner and afterward you’ll want this sweaty, hunk of man in your  bed.

Born a water Elemental, and discovered as the next in line for the Elemental throne, his influence over others definitely comes in handy. Not to mention his “little” water Elemental power is kick ass.
Next, there’s Ezra Zeller.
Ezra is his own man. Unapologetic. Ruthless. This mysterious man knows exactly what he wants and isn’t afraid to make it happen any way he knows how – even by illegal means. He
was born a Vampire, and as a toddler was discovered as the next in line for the Vampire throne, also giving him massive amounts of superior sway. His beating heart holds his deepest secrets and his Core holds his magic, two deadly qualities for any woman.

Want to know more?
A fresh, meaty, sink-your-teeth-in-and-hold-on-tight new adult fantasy series kicks off with
King Hall…
King Hall — where the Mysticals go to learn their craft, get their degrees, and transition into adulthood. And where four new Rulers will rise and meet their destinies.
 
Lily Ruckler is adept at one thing:  survival.  Born a Mystical hybrid, her mere existence
is forbidden, but her nightmare is only about to start. Fluke, happenstance, and a deep personal loss finds Lily deeply entrenched with those who would destroy her simply for existing — The Mystical Kings.  Being named future Queen of the Shifters shoves Lily into the spotlight, making her one of the most visible Mysticals in the world. But with risk comes a certain solace — her burgeoning friendships with the other three Prodigies: a wicked Vampire, a wild-child Mage, and a playboy Elemental. Backed by their faith and trust, Lily begins to relax into her new life.
 
Then chaos erupts as the fragile peace between Commoners and Mysticals is broken, and suddenly Lily realizes the greatest threat was never from within, and her fear takes on a new name: the Revolution. 

But wait there's more?