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

1/25/2014

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...

34 Comments

Juli Hall

1/23/2014 03:03:51 pm

The most disgusting thing that I've ever eaten has to be fish, anything fish i hate....gross, yuck

Kendall Talbot link

1/23/2014 11:40:53 pm

What really Juli? I love fish any type. What about prawns, and lobster? Thank you so much for your comment and congratulations you're in the draw to win a copy of my book.

Mandy D

1/25/2014 02:40:44 am

Cod liver oil - I was on a health kick. Not only did it taste terrible, it was really hard to get the taste out of my mouth and the fishy flavour would repeat on me throughout the day!

Kendall Talbot link

1/25/2014 03:06:22 am

Oh my gosh Mandy. I remember having that as a kid. It was mum's remedy for so many things. I agree, it is disgusting. Thank you for your comment, and congratulations you're in the draw to win a copy of my book, Lost In Kakadu. Cheers

JanD

1/25/2014 02:50:23 am

Most disgusting food I've eaten was imitation crab and lobster meat. They tasted like cardboard.

Kendall Talbot link

1/25/2014 03:10:49 am

Yep, that sound horrible Jan. Thank you for your comment, and congratulations you're in the draw to win a copy of my book, Lost In Kakadu. Cheers

Catherine link

1/25/2014 03:23:11 am

I'm a fairly obsessive cook, and like to experiment with recipes, and mostly my experiments are successful... but I have, more than once, decided to use more rosewater than the recipe suggests, with really appalling results. I recall a lamb stew that tasted like perfume, and a truly appalling rendition of Turkish Delight that you could smell from two rooms away and set to this weird slimy texture.

Don't mess with the rose water, that's my tip. Or the orange flower water, for that matter. Those things are potent...

Catherine

Kendall Talbot link

1/25/2014 05:06:30 am

I checked out your website Cathy - I love it. I too love cooking, you have some great recipes on there. My cooking doesn't go as far as anything with rosewater in it though. Thank you for making a comment. You are now in the draw to win a copy of my book. Cheers

Kendall Talbot link

1/30/2014 01:38:05 pm

Hi Catherine, Congratulations. You are one of the winners of a FREE copy of my eBook - Lost in Kakadu. Please contact me via my contact form and I will arrange for my publisher to send it to you. Cheers. Kendall Talbot

Brenda

1/25/2014 04:17:57 am

Oooh your book sounds great Kendall. Thanks so much for the opportunity to win it. :)

We'll be barbequing with family, so I suspect there'll be some wine, and some beer around ;)

Snails would have to be the most disgusting thing I've ever eaten as well! Yuk!

Kendall Talbot link

1/25/2014 05:44:47 am

Thank you Brenda. I agree with you on the snails, its pretty hard to eat them when the whole time you're thinking of what they are. Thank you for your comment and congratulations, you're now in the draw to win a copy of Lost in Kakadu. Good luck. Cheers

Helen

1/25/2014 04:32:08 am

Hi Kendall

Sounds like the research was heaps of fun :) I can like to try most foods but there are some that I would never try I am just not that adventurous I can not think of anything other than mangoes that I have tried and not liked
Have Fun
Helen

Kendall Talbot link

1/25/2014 05:49:00 am

Hi Helen, most of the research was fun, some was a bit yucky though. Actually I too haven't found too many foods I don't like. I love my food. Thank you for participating. You are now in the draw to win a copy of my book. Cheers

Elise K. Ackers link

1/25/2014 04:53:58 am

Escargot. Call it whatever you want, it was still a snail. Scooping it out of the shell, trying to not think of the garden variety that leave slim trails on the cement... Blerch.

Kendall Talbot link

1/25/2014 05:51:07 am

HI Elise, it seems snails are the least liked here today. I agree with you. Thank you for participating, you are now in the draw to win a copy of my book Lost in Kakadu. Cheers and good luck.

Bernadette Rowley link

1/25/2014 05:00:20 am

I think oysters are the most disgusting thing I've ever eaten. You just never know when you might get a dud lot!

Kendall Talbot link

1/25/2014 05:52:46 am

Hi Bernadette, I like oysters, but I can see why so many people don't like them. Thank you for your comment, you are now in the draw to win a copy of my book. Cheers

Sherryl Caulfield link

1/25/2014 05:54:33 am

Hi Kendall
I will be drinking a white wine - possibly from NZ!! And in terms of the most unappetising thing I have ever eaten…it was during a holiday in Laos at a banquet when I ate a part of chicken's intestine just before it stops being the intestine and becomes part of the bowel. My Australian host at the time did tell me: In my experience it's better to eat first and then ask later.

Kendall Talbot link

1/25/2014 06:01:14 am

eeeewwwww Sherryl, that does sound disgusting. I think your plan of not asking is a good one whey you travel. I've done that often. Don't tell anyone, but I'll probably stick to the Marlborough wines too on Australia Day. Thank you for your comments, and congratulations as you're now in the draw to win a copy of my book, Lost in Kakadu. Cheers and good luck.

Jocelyn R link

1/25/2014 06:08:18 am

I would love to read this book! Pity my holidays are almost over.

Kendall Talbot link

1/26/2014 12:26:55 am

Hi Jocelyn, I hate the end of holidays too. It's always so hard to got back to work. I hope you win my book, you're in the draw. If not its easy to download and only costs about $3 or $4. Good luck and thank you for your comment. Cheers

Sharon link

1/25/2014 06:21:34 am

octopus! disgusting rubber to chew let alone trying to swallow it down ^o^ blechhhh !

glad it was you researching not me - book might never have been written ;)

Kendall Talbot link

1/25/2014 06:26:13 am

Hi Sharon, I've had some bad octopus in my time, but when it's cooked well it's really good. Congratulations, you are now in the draw to win a free copy of Lost in Kakadu. Cheers and thanks for playing.

Kendall Talbot link

1/25/2014 06:23:00 am

Thank you Jocelyn, you are the draw to win a free copy now. Hopefully you win. If not Lost in Kakadu, is an ebook, so you can download it really quickly, and it's super cheap too. Cheers

Mystica Varathapalan link

1/25/2014 06:27:26 am

Hated oysters (raw). Found it yucky. Also raw herrings in Sweden.

Kendall Talbot link

1/25/2014 06:52:27 am

Oh yes Mystica, you have just reminded me. I had herrings in yoghurt in Germany - disgusting!! Thank you for participating. You are now in the draw to win a copy of my book Lost In Kakadu. Cheers and good luck.

Shandra Torbett

1/25/2014 07:48:47 am

I had to eat fried cockroaches in South America in the Peace Corps. That was not awesome. Believe me. Thanks for the chance! I visited Your blog for the Aussie Blog Hop!

Kendall Talbot link

1/25/2014 08:20:26 am

No no no no no. Cockroaches are not a food group. Shandra that must have been disgusting. Thank you so much for your comment. You are in the draw to win a copy of my book. Cheers and good luck.

Kendall Talbot link

1/30/2014 01:39:31 pm

Hi Shandra, Congratulations. You are one of the winners of a FREE copy of my eBook - Lost in Kakadu. Please contact me via my contact form and I will arrange for my publisher to send it to you. Cheers. Kendall Talbot

Demelza Carlton

1/25/2014 10:29:16 am

Now, I've had stir-fried crocodile, 'roo steaks and sausages, boab nuts, every mushroom I could find in Japan, plenty of garlic snails, rabbit, emu and venison; I've been served live octopus in Japan and I barely blink at sashimi...but...I'd actually have to say the most disgusting thing I've ever eaten was a rare Angus steak. It was a fairly high-end restaurant with very dim lighting, I'd ordered this expensive steak and wondered what the weird-tasting sauce was. It wasn't until I was halfway through it that I realised the taste was...mm...congealing cow blood.

Kendall Talbot link

1/26/2014 12:30:54 am

Hi Demelza, you sound as adventurous as me. I'm always game to try something new, even if it looks disgusting. Not sure if I could eat live octopus though! I like my steaks medium rare, but that blood thing, that shouldn't happen. eeewwww. Thank you for your comment, you're now in the draw to win a copy of Lost In Kakadu. Cheers and good luck.

Kendall Talbot link

1/30/2014 01:40:48 pm

Hi Demelza, Congratulations. You are one of the winners of a FREE copy of my eBook - Lost in Kakadu. Please contact me via my contact form and I will arrange for my publisher to send it to you. Cheers. Kendall Talbot

Angie H

1/26/2014 03:50:30 am

Most disgusting? Beef liver..I hate it!

Kendall Talbot link

1/26/2014 03:02:48 pm

Hi Angie, I actually don't mind liver and kidneys for that matter. Thank you for your comment, you're now in the draw to win a copy of my book - Lost In Kakadu. Cheers and good luck.

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