New Release! 'Tree Change' by Tea Cooper

Hi Téa, thanks for stopping by.  I can’t wait to grab my copy of ‘Tree Change’ – I feel like I’ve been waiting for ages! I hope you don’t mind if I try and wheedle a few facts out of you in advance!

 

Blurb  

Despite her success in the Sydney art world Cassia yearns for the idyllic life she once lead with Jake in their shack over looking the Pacific Ocean. Seeking closure she falls, like a recovering addict, straight back into his arms, and out again equally quickly.  Not only has he taken up with his brother's wife but they have a child. 

Truth is Jake is living a lie, sworn to secrecy and hamstrung by a promise. Cassia’s fey, artistic character and magical body possess his imagination and his heart. Can he convince her to trust him long enough to save the crumbling remains of their relationship?

Okay, starting off with the book – because that’s what we’re really interested in!

 
If you had to sum up ‘Tree Change’ in 30 words or less what would you say?
Forced to choose between the world she wants and the man she loves Cassia opts for fame and fortune. But it’s not enough - one taste and she’s hooked again…

I love the cover – did it turn out how you expected? And who did it? 
I love the cover too – the talented Victoria Miller is responsible. It’s not what I originally imagined but I must be better with words than pictures because I knew it was Cassia and Jake the moment it arrived in my in box.

I’m intrigued by Cassia, if I wasn’t a writer I’d loved to be an artist (preferably somewhere idyllic!) – can you tell us a little more about her?
Cassia makes me a little jealous too she is able to pursue her dream but like everyone it’s at a cost… 

Is she the type of person you’d love to have as a friend in real-life?
Oh yes – imagine the sculptures I could have in my garden!

What does Jake most admire about her?
Jake admires the fact she can take a little bit of anything, wave her magic wand and transform it into a thing of beauty. (No this isn’t a paranormal romance….)

Is he the type of guy you could fall for yourself (don’t we fall for all our heroes?! – and from the cover pic I wouldn’t say no!) or would you pass him back to Cassia?
I admire Jake enormously for his commitment and loyalty but I wouldn’t fall for him – it would be too heartbreaking. There will only ever be one woman for him and he’s found her…

What/who inspired you to write the story?
Places more than anything else. The beach where Cassia and Jake lived is unashamedly Pearl Beach on the NSW Central Coast (before the millionaires moved in), Cassia’s Sydney studio, the gallery and the restaurant all exist (but names have been changed to protect the innocent!) and Jake’s family home I found last Christmas on a trip to the North Coast of NSW…Pinterest if you’d like a sneaky peak.

And what about the characters - are they a little bit you, people you know, or did they just leap from your imagination and grab you?
This is Cassia and Jake’s story. What do you mean imagination?

And we, sorry I, being naturally nosy would love to know a bit about you…  
Where/when do you write?
Whenever and wherever with my trusty Mac book – but mostly at home. I have a great study over looking a small vineyard and Narone Creek and my new library opens onto the bush. With 100 acres to rattle around on I’m a bit spoilt.

What part of writing do you enjoy most, coming up with the idea, planning, writing it or typing The End?!
Definitely not typing The End – I always feel a little sad saying goodbye to the characters. I think that’s why my first historical romance Lily’s Leap (May 2013 with Lyrical Press) has a sequel Matilda’s Madness and I said goodbye to Matilda and Kit only yesterday (thanks to NaNo!). Now Cate and Beth are clamouring to escape.

Sum yourself up in 30 words or less (ha, I hate questions like this!)?!
Pass, pass, pass, pass and pass……..

Do you spend much time reading? What’s your favourite bedtime/holiday read? Favourite author/genre?
Voracious is the word that springs to mind! I’ve just turned the garage into a library! As much as I love the convenience of a Kindle there’s nothing like the touch, feel and smell of a book, and each one has its own special charm – a bit like people really! As to favourites – it’s too hard…the classics, anything Australian (Tim Winton), poetry (Leonard Cohen is an old time favourite), romance of course (historical first, lately ‘Gather the Bones’ by Alison Stuart). What don’t I like maybe easier…

Coffee or tea (or wine!)?
Sparkling mineral water, a long flat white and a local Hunter Valley Semilllion (usually in that order!)

Starter or dessert?
Definitely starter – figs and prosciutto are my current craze.

What would you be doing if time & money were no object?
Exactly what I am doing now but perhaps with a bit more style  - how lucky am I?

Best bit of advice you’ve ever been given, and by whom?
“You can do it my sweet – you can do anything you dream, just put your mind to it.”  My grandfather.

And before you run off, can you share a little excerpt?

Sure…There’s a longer excerpt on my website here but I know there are a few people who wondered if any of my original New Voices entry made it to the final cut…this might ring a bell.

From his vantage point high on the cliff top, Jake could see Cassia across the beach, paddling through the shallow water as though she didn’t have a care in the world, bending occasionally to collect fragments from the sand. The cold water didn’t seem to bother her. She held her shoes in her hand as she danced through the shallows. He smiled at the picture she made, the sun silhouetting her long legs through her flimsy, bohemian skirt.

A large wave surged up the beach, and Cassia was unexpectedly knee-deep in the foam. She tipped her head back, and her flaxen hair cascaded down her back. He laughed aloud as she skipped away from the tide line then turned back to the ocean.

Counting the waves.

She was the only person he knew who followed the ridiculous belief that the seventh wave was always the biggest.

Cassia! Welcome home.

Thanks Téa and good luck with ‘Tree Change’!

Where can your readers find you? (twitter, FB, blog, blog tour?) Facebook | Twitter | Website

Buy links –

http://www.breathlesspress.com/index.php?main_page=product_free_shipping_info&cPath=17&products_id=395

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tree-Change-ebook/dp/B00AFX2UIM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354373700&sr=8-1

Bio  -

Lurking in the back of Téa’s brain somewhere was the knowledge she would one day write a novel. It probably started with a rather risqué story in the back of an exercise book at boarding school and featured the long suffering school gardener - not really the stuff romantic heroes were made of but it was before she knew any better.

Life and few heroes of her own showed her the error of her ways and with a baby under one arm, a husband and a half built house she entered a Mills and Boon competition. To her absolute earth shattering amazement she won second place – the prize was a bottle of perfume! Next time she determined she would do better.

But it was still the stuff of fantasy and her family, a herd of alpacas, a protea farm and teaching intervened until one day she decided it was time to do or die. No more procrastination. The characters and plots that had lived in her head for so long were clamoring to escape.

In August 2011 she got serious and joined Romance Writers Australia, entered the Harlequin Mills & Boon New Voices competition and to her horror discovered she hadn’t been…discovered that is. Not even a bottle of perfume this time. But in reality she had won. With procrastination conquered determination set in. It was time to get serious.

Tree Change is her first contemporary romance novel and is available now. Her second, a historical novel Lily’s Leap - set in Wollombi, the time-warp village she calls home – was accepted by Lyrical Press and will be published in mid 2013. She is currently working on her second Australian historical novel Matilda’s Madness - inspired by some of the fascinating characters haunting the local museum.

When Téa is not in the museum she can be found on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads or you can email her at teacooperauthor@gmail.com.