December new releases from Tea Cooper and Lily Malone. Two very different stories and genres, so how long do these books take to write, what’s the most enjoyable element of writing the story, and do the authors get nervous before release day?

Let’s find out.

For readers who loved Remarkable Creatures, The Naturalist’s Daughter and The Birdman’s Wife comes The Woman in the Green Dress…

1853 Mogo Creek, NSW

Della Atterton, bereft at the loss of her parents, is holed up in the place she loves best: the beautiful Hawkesbury in New South Wales. Happiest following the trade her father taught her, taxidermy, Della has no wish to return to Sydney. But the unexpected arrival of Captain Stefan von Richter on a quest to retrieve what could be Australia’s first opal, precipitates Della’s return to Sydney and her Curio Shop of Wonders, where she discovers her enigmatic aunt, Cordelia, is selling more than curiosities to collectors. Strange things are afoot and Della, a fly in a spider’s web, is caught up in events with unimaginable consequences…

1919 Sydney, NSW

When London teashop waitress Fleur Richards inherits land and wealth in Australia from her husband, Hugh, killed in the war, she wants nothing to do with it. After all, accepting it will mean Hugh really is dead. But Hugh’s lawyer is insistent, and so she finds herself ensconced in the Berkeley Hotel on Bent St, Sydney, the reluctant owner of a Hawkesbury property and an old curio shop, now desolate and boarded up.

As the real story of her inheritance unravels, Fleur finds herself in the company of a damaged returned soldier Kip, holding a thread that takes her deep into the past, a thread that could unravel a mystery surrounding an opal and a woman in a green dress; a green that is the colour of envy, the colour buried deep within an opal, the colour of poison…

 

Tea Cooper, Australian Bestselling Author
Historical fiction – from the ocean to the outback

 

 

 

How long did it take you to write the book?

A good question … and virtually impossible to calculate! The very first idea, in this case a journal written in the 1830s, and the thousands of interlocking threads come together over quite a long period, usually while I’m writing another story.  After that, a year to write and research, and then publisher’s edits.

What was the most difficult or complex aspect of writing your book?

With dual historical timelines, the most complex aspect is weaving both narratives together within the constraints of historical fact. It’s a bit like doing two interconnected cryptic crosswords with random numbers on the clues!

What gave you the most pleasure when writing your book?

That moment when I found a ‘gap’ in history that I could tinker with and my mad plans began to gel. Then … Chapter 1 … a blank page. Pure bliss.

What do you think is the most pertinent thing a reader needs to know about your story?

As with all my stories The Woman in The Green Dress is historical fiction. Fact may feed that fiction but ‘poetic licence’ for the sake of the story also plays a part.

Are you nervous when a new release comes out? 

And excited, and scared and thrilled and privileged and a little over-awed that the very first seed came to fruition.

What’s the best thing a reader could do if they enjoyed your book?

Let me know! And everyone else!  Spread the word, tell your friends, leave a review, stay in touch. Without readers there are no stories.

Now read more about Tea and her books, where to buy them, and where to find her on social media.
The Woman in the Green Dress is out in paperback and eBook on 17 December!

Pre-order
Amazon
Booktopia
iBooks

 

Fresh and down-to-earth in style, Australian author Lily Malone returns with a sparkling new ‘Chalk Hill’ romance that will appeal to all romance readers, from contemporary to rural romance. Perfect for readers who love Rachael Johns.

Child psychologist Taylor Woods needs a man. Flashy restaurateur Abel Honeychurch to be specific. Abe can help her get justice for her brother, Will. Taylor knows Abe, too, was scammed by the same woman who broke her brother’s heart and stole everything in his pockets.

But bringing a lying, cheating scammer to justice isn’t easy when all Abe wants to do is forget the whole sorry saga. He’s returned to his home town of Chalk Hill to lick his wounds and repay his debts, renovating his nanna’s house and opening the Chalk ‘n’ Cheese cafe.

He’s miserable. And it would be easier to stay miserable if everyone else around him wasn’t so darn cheerful. It’s wildflower season in Chalk Hill with a cafe full of upbeat bushwalkers, and it’s all Abe can do to remember to put sugar, not salt, in his customers’ cappuccinos. He definitely has no time for the mysterious red–headed guest who admires his cheesecake and adores his flat white.

Taylor’s mission to help her brother seems doomed – how will she gain the trust of a man whose every instinct tells him never to trust a woman again?

 

Lily Malone, Australian Fiction Author
Contemporary. Country. Australian.

 

 

 

How long did it take you to write the book?

I think about 5-6 months.

What was the most difficult or complex aspect of writing your book?

Getting details of the illness that occurs for a character in this story, and making the timeline fit and making it believable. My lovely nurse friend was an incredible help through this part of the story!

What gave you the most pleasure when writing your book?

I loved Taylor and Abe on the page together. They took the story through foot massages, soy lattes, karaoke, op shops, then hiking up the granite skywalk all by themselves.

What do you think is the most pertinent thing a reader needs to know about your story?

Don’t read if you’re trying to diet on either men or food! Abe is an awesome cook and looks scrummy in an apron!

Are you nervous when a new release comes out?

Not really nervous – just excited about seeing it on the shelves and getting to launch it into the world.

What’s the best thing a reader could do if they enjoyed your book?

Buy it for someone else they think would enjoy it too! (Plus, send me a note to let me know they liked it. That’s always great!)

Now read more about Lily and her books, where to buy them, and where to find her on social media.
The Cafe by the Bridge is out in paperback and eBook on 17 December!

Pre-order
Amazon
Booktopia
iBooks

 

And stay tuned for excerpts from both these gorgeous books on release date: 17 December 2018