Tina Strachan on how to win a competition, secure a three-book-deal and release a debut novel

Episode Transcript
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Tina Strachan (00:09):
This is the Book Deal Podcast.
Where you will discover theinspiring stories of the authors
behind your favourite books.
No matter what stage of writingyou are at, we've got you
covered.
I'm Tina Strachan.
And I'm Madeleine Cleary, andjoin us as we pull back the
curtain of published authors.
One deal at a time.

(00:29):
The Book Deal Podcastacknowledges the traditional
owners of the land and waterswhich it's recorded on.
And pays respect to theirelders, past, present, and
emerging.
Hi, Tina, welcome back to seasontwo.
I know.
Well, thanks Madeleine.
It's good to be back, isn't it?

(00:49):
It is wonderful to be back andwe're kicking our first episode
of the year, um, and also ourfirst episode of the season two.
It's going to be a big one, abig season.
It's going to be a big season,but this is, I think we're,
we're kicking off season twowith a bang as well.
Yeah.

Tina Strachan (2) (01:10):
There's a lot happening in this season, isn't
there?

Madeleine Cleary (2) (01:12):
There is actually in this season, we'll
both be releasing our debutnovels, which is very exciting.
And you're going first.

I am.
And very, very soon.

Madeleine Cleary (01:23):
Very soon.
So we are recording this.
It's about mid Jan and yourbook, your debut novel, Nika and
the missing key book, one of thewild zoo series is coming out on
what date Tina on the

29th of January, I know it's literally
days away.
So, um, yeah, that's prettyexciting.
Are you counting down thesleeps?
Sort of.
I try not to.
It is a bit of an odd feeling,you know, I think you don't know
how you're gonna be.

(01:58):
And I literally rememberthinking a couple of years ago
even, like, is that date evergonna come?
And like, how am I gonna feel inthat?
In that moment.
Um, and I think I feel busyMadeleine is how I feel,

which is probably good.
It is good to be busy.
Keeps your mind off all thethings that are about to happen.
And in this episode, we're goingto go back in time a few years
to Tina, back when you werewriting Nico and the missing key
and.
Just before you got your deal.
So we want to find out all thethings cause we've been saving

(02:32):
our stories for listeners untilthis moment.
So I'm very, very excited to digback.
And I've also had the amazingopportunity to read your debut
book.
And it is just so beautiful,even though I am not.
A middle grade reader, I lovedit.
And I am a 34, 33 year oldwoman.

Well, thank you for reading it, Madeleine.
And it's really exciting becauseI think you're the only other
people that have read it outsideof, you know, The, the
publishers, um, is yeah, you'reone of the only ones that have,
have read it.
So that was a really, yeah, areally, um, interesting moment,
I guess, because no one elsereally read it.

(03:15):
Oh, it was funny.
I sent it to you.
And that's why I, I messaged andsaid, I, it's probably been a
really long time since you'veread a middle grade book.
Um, so it's definitely a lotshorter and very different to
what you would normally read.
I imagine.
Yeah.

Oh, but it was just so wonderful.
Like I was like laughing andthen I was like almost crying
and it was just so heartfelt andwarm and wholesome and I just
wanted, I want more of that inthe world, I think.
So you're bringing somethingvery beautiful and special into
the world and you're a brilliantwriter, Tina.
So I can't wait for so many morepeople to read it.

Oh, thank you.
I'm blushing.
Lovely words.
Yes.
One, one thing I, um, need to doand I'm trying to do is take
compliments.
Um, just say thank you.
Don't say, Oh, it was nothing.
I only spent two years writingit.
It was nothing.

Just something I whipped up.
Yeah, yeah,

easy as.
So thank you, Madeleine.
That's

really

kind words.

Well, very well deserved, Tina.
Alright, so we're going to kickthis off with something that
you're going to be having a lotof practice with, I think, in
the next few months to come.
And you can practice it out onme here in a nice, safe
environment on the Book DealPodcast.
Tina Strachan, will you give usthe elevator pitch of Nika and
the Missing Key?

Okay, so this is something I feel like I
should probably be more preparedfor because I ask other authors
for this all the time so I canshare, you know, with everybody
and also secretly I'm justtrying to learn from them all.
Um, but what I say for my oneliner, Is, uh, so I talk about
Wilder Zoo, the series, and it'sabout a girl called Nika Wilder

(05:03):
who lives in a zoo with herfamily.
It's all about fun andfriendship and adventure, and of
course, lots of animals.
So it is a series.
Like I said, so, um, yeah, bookone in the series is called Nika
and the Missing Key.
And in that book, Nika is tryingto win an award for the wildlife

(05:24):
conservation videos that shecreates with her two best
friends.
So they try to create one reallyawesome last video to help them
win the award.
They are trying to film one ofthe cheeky red pandas called
Rebel and he won't cooperate.
It's a very good name for himbecause he's very cheeky and he
won't cooperate.
And she loses her very importantZouki and then she gets grounded

(05:47):
and for something else and itjust feels like creating the
awesome new video and time forthe awards is impossible.

It was such a good premise, I love it.
Um, and Nika has the bestfriends, we were talking about
friendship, she has the Bestfriends ever as well.
They're just wonderful.
Like I just, I just wanted tolike wrap them up in a cuddle.
Cause they're just so wonderful.
You know, always supportingNika.
Is that something that youreally wanted to write about
friendship?

Um, I think so.
I think it just.
It just comes naturally that shehad these two best friends.
So Rumi and Hudson, they'recalled and yeah, they just,
their, their personalities andtheir character and everything
just came to me and they just,yeah, they have a really nice
bond.
I

think.
And Rumi's dad

owns a lolly shop and

Nika's parents obviously live in the zoo.
Like, isn't that the mostamazing thing ever?
Yes, you're right.
She's, she's got it all really,hasn't she?
What more could you want?
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Okay.
So let's, let's, um, talk about,um, your writing path to this,
Tina.
Cause I think everyone's goingto be really interested to know

(06:57):
how you got your deal.
Um, but let's, let's go back abit further.
So, um, I had to write this downcause I thought it was so cute,
but Nico, Nico in the book, shesays that caring for wildlife is
basically her destiny, which Ithink is gorgeous.
Has writing always been yourdestiny, Tina?

I don't know if it's been my destiny.
Cause Yeah, I guess, well,writing has always been part of
what I have done.
So I have just always done it.
It's probably more, um, not mydestiny in that, you know, one
day I'll be a writer.
It's just, it, it has justalways been there and I've
always written.
Um, I think my earliest memoriesis sitting at a.

(07:40):
One of the computers in, I thinkit was like, Oh, it would have
been about eight or nine.
And I remember it so clearlybecause the computers in my
classroom, there was like fourof them.
And okay, so it was a while agonow, obviously that I was about
eight.
And so there was only about fourof them.
They're those massive big onesthat you get.

(08:02):
And it was really cool.
Like it was really high tech tohave these like four computers
in the classroom, you know?
And, um, I, yeah, and theteacher had given us a writing
prompt, you know, so it musthave been for English or
something like that.
And I remember, I remember thisprompt and it was, um, as the

(08:22):
two moons rose.
And you had to just go fromthat.
I was really, and I rememberjust that just stuck in my head.
And then I ended up writingabout, um, yeah, this guy that
lived on this planet and it was,yeah, obviously there was two
moons and, but I remember justspending so much time on it and

(08:42):
writing and writing.
And so.
Um, and I think, I feel likethat's kind of where it started
from just the creativity of it.
And then, you know, I rememberbeing a, like me and my husband
talk about this all the time.
Cause I've got, I've got a, um,an 11 year old at the moment and
a six year old.
And we were always like, whatdid we used to do when we were

(09:04):
their age?
Can you remember?
Cause now they've got unlimitedaccess to.
You know, television, unlimitedshows and movies and stuff, just
nonstop back, you know, but backin when I was their age, you had
to walk down to Blockbuster toget a video, to rent a video.
Right.
And, um, and I've also got, youknow, we had, we had like game
stations and stuff like that aswell, but there's, it's just

(09:25):
next level.
Right.
And so many devices.
I'm like, well, what did we usedto do?
And I was thinking back, youknow, we, you know, in the
summer holidays, I'd go swimmingin the pool and have some
friends over.
And then I'd spend all this timeat the computer writing stories,
you know, so I did, I've justalways, always done it.
So yes, I would guess being a,was being a published off a part

(09:47):
of my destiny.
Um, well, I guess it was, but Ijust never expected that writing
to be published was never.
The goal.
So,

um, did people know you were, because were you
writing all your life then?
Because you've always told meand said to the listeners that
you're a everyday writer.
Have you been writing every daysince you wrote that first
prompt to the moon story?

Yeah.
No, I haven't.
No.
And it definitely ebbs andflows.
ebbed and flowed.
And, um, when I, uh, you know, Ithink when I went to high
school, you know, you know,teenage years, you kind of, that
sort of thing kind of fell tothe wayside a bit more.
And then, um, uni, I was at uni,like, you know, and I studied,

(10:34):
uh, Um, like science field, youknow, and, um, very techie, uh,
black and white.
And I remember actuallyspecifically making a move away
from creativity, um, at thattime, because I was just, Um,
and I just, I don't know, I justwanted black and white and right
or wrong.
And I just wanted to learn itand I wanted to, yeah, sort of
go down that path.

(10:54):
And um, so uni, you know, it'sso busy and you're doing so much
reading and writing anyway withyour assignments and stuff.
I just, it kind of fell to thewayside then too.
And you know, it's always in myhead, it was always in my head
though.
Like all the stories were justalways kind of there.
So it almost be writing them.
But like, not putting them downon paper.

(11:14):
I know that sounds a bitstrange, doesn't it?
Um, and then it wasn't until, soI kept like dipping into it
every now and then, um, I'dwrite and then it wasn't until,
um, my youngest was born that,you know, there's this really
There's a sweet spot whenthey're little where they have
like about a three hour nap inthe day and that I was just

(11:38):
like, you know what, I'm justgoing to write.
And I, um, set my, you know, Iput him down for an afternoon
nap.
I'd set my alarm for an hour andI'd be like that out that whole
hour.
You just write, you do nothingmore.
I'd make a coffee, get a ChuckyBicky.
Hour, like you just write andthen the alarm will go off.
And then I go, cool, do all theother mum things like, you know,

(11:58):
cleaning and washing and cookingand getting ready for him to
wake up, um, and have the whole,you know, afternoon session.
And then, but I was like, no,just put aside that hour every
day.
Um, yeah.
So I picked it back up.
Yeah.

So, um, on, on sort of those ideas, like it
sounds like you've always, evenif you were dipping in and out
of writing, it sounds likeyou've always had those ideas
and we often talk and you'realways telling me that you've
got a new story.
So do you want to talk a littlebit about where that inspiration
comes from for you?

Yeah, um, it comes from anywhere I find, like
I'm always just thinking of, youknow, something will pop into my
head and I go, Oh, that's,that's good.
And it could be a character.
It could be just a trait even ofa character, um, or a setting,
or, you know, I think we spoke afew weeks back about the beauty

(12:56):
of putting down your phone andnot looking at a screen because
I just looked out the window

at this

particular scene that was like right in the
middle of the city and I waslike, and then it just So I
think literally just life, so itjust life, I think you've just
got to say, you know, go outthere, be part of life and just,

(13:22):
yeah, and observe.

And obviously, so, so this story is set in a
zoo and you've got quite a bitof experience working in
zookeeping and conservation.
Do you want to tell us a littlebit about your background and
how that's influenced the novel?

Yeah.
Um, yeah.
So like I said, I went to uniand I studied, uh, environmental
science majoring in zoology andI've always loved animals.
I used to always bring animalshome for my mom, um, and dad,
they, you know, and like Yeah, Iwould call especially dogs.

(13:57):
Um, I was, I was very attachedto, you know, anyone giving away
a dog I'd bring home.
I don't know how they put upwith that.
If my kid brought home a dog,I'd be,

yeah.
So this is not during your zookeeping days.
This is okay.
But you know, there's

a photo even of me with, um, and I reckon I
was probably about six or seven.
I'm holding like Mom and dad hadthis book, um, uh, it was like a
vet book, like how to look afteryour pets kind of thing.
And I just, I love that book.
I just put, hold it and likeread it and look at the
pictures.
Um, you know, so that sort ofside of it, I loved, always

(14:31):
loved animals and had thatconnection.
Um, but yeah, so I studiedzoology.
Um, never really intended everon working in the zoo, didn't
know exactly what I wanted todo.
So I just thought I'd study itand see how I go, loved all
animal behavior and stuff likethat.
And then, um, a eventually jobcame up in a zoo that, and I
thought, Oh, that's a good, youknow, it's aligned with what I

(14:54):
wanted to do, which by thatstage was kind of a wildlife
conservation, you know, um, andthat was aligned with it because
it was.
Um, and, you know, they ran alot of conservation projects as
well through the zoo, and Ithought that's good.
It's good stepping stone.
And yeah, just really, reallyloved it, really enjoyed it and
ended up being a zookeeper, um,for over 10 years.

(15:19):
Training as a vet nurse as well.
I always wanted to do the vetnursing side of it.
And I did that when I washeavily pregnant, heavily
pregnant.
I remember cleaning enclosuresand stuff on my hands and knees
with like, like this big bellyplus him in the ground and, um,
you know, and then, um, Yeah.
Going back when, um, my son wasonly three months old, going

(15:41):
back for like half a day andjust, um, you know, in the vet
hospital, which was amazing.
And um, yeah.
And then I ended up working,yeah, with wildlife
conservation.
So, you

know,

out in the field, doing a lot of field work
and, um, yeah, a lot of, youknow, a lot of desk work as
well, but just a lot of researchand a lot of data.
And that sort of stuff isbalances nicely off my
creativity.
So a lot of technical writing,which is very different to, to
creative writing.
So using both sides of my brain.
So yeah, obviously all of thatdoes just provided that, you

(16:18):
know, inspiration andbackground.
You know, this book has a lot ofbehind the scenes in the zoo.
You probably noticed that.
And, um, I don't know how youwould write it if you didn't
have that experience.
It just couldn't.
happen.
You just, I mean, you couldprobably just, just maybe, um,
you know, a little bit moresurface level, but really

(16:38):
getting into the behind thescenes stuff was what I loved
writing.
And I really wanted, I think thekids, cause kids love zoos and
they love animals.
And imagine

growing up living in one.
It's just amazing.

Yes.
Well, I actually, I worked at,um, I worked at Australia Zoo a
thousand years ago, um, whenBindiya was really little and
she would, um, come in and justlike jump in the You know, jump
on in the waterfalls and thebird aviaries and, um, you know,
run around with snakes and just,you know, she just, it was her

(17:12):
playground

and, um,

yeah, so I definitely have a lot of that,
you know, behind it when I waswriting is just that experience
and, um, you know, working inthe zoo as a zookeeper, the kids
constantly come up to you andthey always want to know what
you're doing and how did you bea zookeeper and, and adults as
well saying, how did you getthis job always?
Thanks.
You know, it was a daily thingand, um, you know, so people
really want to know what, whatgoes on behind the scenes and

(17:35):
what happens at a zoo.
So, yeah, that's all I tried to,um, weave a lot of that into the
story.

No, well, it definitely shines through.
I feel like I learned so muchabout.
Um, pregnant giraffes.
I think you would, you'd gothrough an elephant as well.
And then the period ofpregnancy, which is a lot longer
than a human 22 months.
I think for an elephant, wasn'tit?

Oh, I know.
Could you imagine?
Yeah.
And I tried to.
I tried to, um, I ran a lot ofstuff past a lot of the keepers
that I know and the vets and thevet nurses with those sorts of
things.
So I tried to be as accurate aspossible, but, um, hopefully,
hopefully it's all

accurate.
So there's a super cute andyou'd mentioned before rebel,
the super cute red panda isrebel based on a, on a real red
panda.
Cause he's just the mostadorable thing.
He's a little dancing

red panda.
Unfortunately I've never had.
The opportunity to work with theRed Pandas.
Oh! I know, but you know, wewanted to really make sure that.
Yeah, like he, he adds a lot.
He's a character in himself.
He adds a lot to the story.

That's the thing.
The animals do bring their sortof own sense of characters.
Yeah.
Amazing.
Um, okay.
So let's go back to when, soyour, your, your son's been
born, you're putting a son downfor a long nap and you've got
your one hour every day.
Is the story you're writing is,is it actually Nika Is this the
origin of this story or were youworking on something different?

No, I was working on something different,
which had been a, and again,we've spoken about this before,
haven't we?
Where how ideas.
Um, and it's, you know, come toeverybody differently.
And for me, it's basically likea movie that I can see in my
head.
And so it was there, like it'salways just been there and it
was just about getting the wordsout.
So it was just about having thetime to get them out.

(19:29):
And that, that was a YA.

Book,

uh, why a story, um, very different to
Nika in the, in the missing key.
Um, but that's the one that inthe end got me, um, it, it, it
actually still got me thepublishing deal in the end.
Okay.
So

let's, let's just talk about this.
We are the book deal podcast.
So we're all about book dealshere.
So let's give us the detail.
Tell us.
So you you've obviously, you'vegot this draft of a YA novel,
which is totally different toNika.
What, what helped you writeinitial draft and then

what did you do with it?
So I, I just, like I said, itwas a, I still, still at that
point was never like I'm awriter.
I'm an author.
I'm working towards publishing.
That that ever could happen.
It just for something.
It must have

surely a little something in your mind was
going, well, I'm putting a lotof

time.

I just enjoyed

it.
I just enjoyed it.
It's like, it'd be like someonewho paints every day.
They enjoy it.
They're trying to, um, improvetheir craft, but they're not
necessarily trying to be afamous artist that can sell
their work and hang it ingalleries.
If that makes sense.
I just loved it.
And then I just.
I got, uh, more into learningabout the craft of it because I

(20:50):
didn't know that there was acraft.
You just like write, you know,and the craft, craft is
different for everyone.
Some people just innately, andespecially if you read a lot,
you innately kind of know wherethings are supposed to go and
how a story is supposed to flow.
But you know, that's when Istarted diving into, um, You
know, the save the cat methodand the story grid method and

(21:11):
listening to, and I got thoseideas from listening to
podcasts.
Like I, you know, I startedlistening to a podcast, um,
called, um, I should be writing.
Cause I thought that was justreally, I don't even know how I
came across that one.
It's American, um, uh, MurrLafferty is the host as being

(21:32):
probably the longest runningpodcast.
Um, for writing, like sheliterally has been doing it for
like 20 years and, um, it's it'sebbs and flows and it's, but you
know, that's where I got allthese kinds of ideas is where I
found out about NaNoWriMo, likeall those kinds of, um, things
was my first, first exposure toit.
And, um, yeah, so then I startedgoing to the craft and just love

(21:55):
the craft.
And so then I was just kind ofpolishing it up and I think I
was just like, what do I do withthis?
Now I was like, I wonder if it'sany good.
I mean, I enjoyed it.
Like I still enjoy it and Istill want to finish it one day
and, um, and try and publish it.
But I, um, Oh, that's good toknow.
Okay.

For any publishers listening, you know,
Strachan has a, she has amanuscript.

Yeah.
And then, so just one night, Idon't even know how I came
across.
I think it came up on Facebookor Instagram or something.
I was caravanning with thefamily, just doing my edits.
Cause I'd put the kids to bedand then just like edit away and
play around with it.
Just didn't know where else togo with it.
And then, um, that's when Ifound out about the CYA

(22:39):
conference,

the famous CYA

conference.
And I entered it because Youknow, I think it was like 25
bucks to enter and you getfeedback from the judges.
And so that's what I wanted.
I was like, Oh, 25 bucks forfeedback.
Like that's the cheapest.
Cause I was looking at.
Like getting a, you know, formalreviewers or like beta readers

(23:07):
or something like that to readit.
I just wanted to know, like, is,is this, am I completely off the
mark?
Like, can I even write, like,what do I do with this now?
Like, should I just give up?
And, um, so I entered thatcompetition with literally hours
to spare, like it, it was aboutto close and, um.
I don't know what happened, butsomething happened with the

(23:29):
formatting of it when, so whenthey were opening it up, um,
like the judges were opening itup, it's something was
completely unformatted from it.
And both judges, Um, commentswere something about it was hard
to read, like, I know, so I'dcompletely stuff something up
somehow.
I don't know how I did it.
Um, and it's just horrifying.

Well, that can be a complete no, can't it?
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, I don't know

how I did it.
I just, I don't even know whatthey meant because it looked
okay on my side, but somethinghappened over on that side.
So yeah, but it could be justlike a too hard basket and you
don't want anything to be toohard.
So.
Um, yeah, so I entered thatcompetition in the, um,
unpublished young adult sectionand won it.

(24:15):
So that was just, we'll talkabout validation for your
writing when you're going, Oh

no, if this is new, should I do it?
Am I doing this right?
And then winning it.
Yeah.
So I got first

go Tina.
First go.
Yeah.
Well, look, look, I had beenworking on it for a very long
time.
So.

Um,

you know, the story had been in my head for at
least 10 years.
Wow.
Yeah.
Like I used the actual writingstory and the writing of it
probably started about 10 yearsago as well.

Wow.
Okay.
Yeah.
So this is a story that's.
Been around with you for a longtime.
So it's a special one.
Yeah, it's a yes.

Yep.
So, um, yeah.
So I got that email to say thatI was shortlisted, which I was
just

like, was that the first time that absolutely
shocking?
What was it the first time whenyou felt validated

your, your own writing?
Yeah.
Yeah, absolutely.
And it's the first time I'dshared my writing.
No one had read my writing, youknow, and that just get getting
there.
So at first I, yeah, I got the.
Shortlisted email.
Um, and then what did you feellike when you got shortlisted?
Even just that would have beenamazing away.
Yeah.

(25:29):
Like blown away.
Like I had actually evenforgotten that I'd sent it.
I was just waiting for thejudge's feedback to come
through.
Like, it wasn't even like, Oh,well, any day now I'll find out
if I made it.
That wasn't even, that was noteven a thought.
The thought was.
I can't wait to get the judge'sfeedback

back so

I can, you know, improve on whatever their
comments were.
And so when I got theshortlisting email, yeah, I just
remember saying to my husband, Igot this like, I've been
shortlisted.
How about that?
And that was, so that was justafter COVID.
So normally there's a conferencefor the CYA conference, but it
was all online.
So, um, I frantically bought aticket because I didn't even buy

(26:08):
a ticket to the conferencebecause I didn't like think that
I would be going for like anyreason, but they do, they did do
the like announcement of who wononline.
And, um, again, just likelistening in just to see, you
know, Oh, cool.
They might mention my name atsome point.
And, um, Then I don't know thenthen oh yeah and then they said

(26:30):
um if you if you're beingshortlisted can you turn your
camera on um because it's all onzoom or whatever and I was like
oh hang on what and so I'm inthe bathroom like whacking on
some makeup and trying to likestraighten down my hair and
Quickly like put a, you know, Ithink I was in gym gear trying
to put a shirt on, like, justlike, Oh my God, are you kidding

(26:51):
me?
And so I turned the camera onand I didn't even know where
they were at with what categoryare they in?
And then I recognized one of thenames of the people who'd been
shortlisted.
I was like, Oh, okay, this mustbe my category.
And so I was like holding thecamera, like my computer trying
to get like a decent light andgood angles.
So I sat in the toilet with thetoilet lid down.

(27:14):
I, just to clarify.
So I sat on the toilet lookingat the, um, Wait, camera
pretending like you couldn't seethe toilet.
And that was the best lightingin your entire house on the
toilet?
Well, I had, I was, it was like,I had seconds to spare cause I
was like doing makeup and thenI'm like, Oh my God, this is my
category.
Turn on the camera, sit downquickly.

(27:36):
And yeah.
And then I'm, so I'm sitting onthe toilet when they're like,
The winner first place goes toTina Straughan and it was

a

glamorous moment.

Oh, that is the best story ever.
Oh, I can't.
Oh my gosh.

Kate Horan (28:04):
Hello listeners.
I'm Kate Horan, a member of the2025 Debut Crew and author of
The Inheritance, which wasreleased on the 1st of January
through HQ.
The story was inspired when Ireceived a DNA test for
Christmas and I thought tomyself, I wonder how often
people discover scandaloussecrets when they do tests like
these, and so that led to theidea for this story.

(28:26):
The Inheritance is about twowomen and the dark secret that
connects them.
29 year old journalist MegHunter arrives in the exclusive
town of Hartwell to investigatesuspected corruption by Ashworth
Property.
She's also seeking answers tothe mystery surrounding why her
mother fled the town 30 yearsbefore, leaving them without any
family at all.
Meanwhile, 30 year old heiressIsabel Ashworth is sent to

(28:49):
Hartwell by her mogul father toprove her commitment to the
family business.
When her path crosses withMeg's, the carefully guarded
secrets of the past start tounravel with the help of three
DNA test kits, whichmysteriously appear under the
Ashworth Christmas tree.
As Isabel starts to questioneverything she knows about her
family, she's drawn to Meg andher pursuit of the truth.

(29:10):
But someone will stop at nothingto keep their secrets hidden.
The Inheritance is a fast pacedstory full of mystery, intrigue
and plenty of twists to keepreaders guessing right to the
final page.
I've been absolutely thrilledwith the feedback I've had from
readers so far, which has beenabove and beyond anything I
imagined.
I'd like to say a big thank youto Madeleine and Tina for
letting me pop onto the podcastand talk about my book, The

(29:32):
Inheritance, out now in all goodbookstores.

I think so many people have those, um, those
zoom COVID stories.
That is a great one, Tina.
That is wonderful.
On the toilet.
You, oh, oh my gosh.

Yeah.
I was going to say, like, howdid

you feel?
Like, did you have to do aspeech?

No, no.
Cause it was like.

Cause there's always an echo in the

bathroom.
I might've made more of aneffort to, but yeah, I had no
mic.
I had nothing.
It was, and it was just like,they're running through all the
names of, you know, all theshortlisted and, you know, then
the winners and then the nextcategory.
Cause there's quite a lot ofcategories and

yeah.
So, and then I was like in a bitof.
Like shock.
So what did it mean?
So you, okay, you've won thiscompetition.
Mm-hmm So what, what hap whathappened then?

So then the prize, which I didn't even
really know what it was, becauseagain, I'm not thinking I'm
winning, I'm just waiting for myjudge's feedback.
And so then I was like, oh,okay, so 15 minutes with.
The judge, like the, so there'sjudges speech category, and then
there's a, a publisher judges,the final, like the short list.

(30:44):
Wow.
Yeah.
So.
I was like, Oh, great publisherhas read it.
And I was like, Oh my God, apublishers read it and said that
it's the best one out of thatcategory.
Oh my gosh.
And then I find out it's LisaBerryman from Harper Collins.
And I'm like, I was literallylike, okay, I can just rest on

(31:07):
that now.
That is it.
That is the pinnacle.
Publisher from Harper Collinsthinks that my entry.
Was better than the others.
Um, that I, yeah, cool.
That's it.
Done.
I was just like happy.
I can just be happy for the restof my life now.
Just cause just absolutely blownaway by it.
So, but then the prize is soprices 15 minutes with the

(31:32):
publisher, which is like gold,you know, like that is
absolutely gold.
15 minutes with a publisher, um,who's read your work and it's
just, yeah, amazing.
So I not only read it, but alsojudged it as the best.
So that's huge.
Yeah.
And I, so I had my 15 minutes.
Um, were you nervous?
Booked in with Lisa?

(31:52):
Yeah, I, I was, but I still waslike, I think I would, I think
it was kind of good cause I wasnaive, really naive.
Like I had no, no idea.
Did you think at that point, Oh,well it's going to get published

now?
No, not at all.
Not even like an inkling going,okay, well this is a good
opportunity.
Like,

no, I don't think so because I don't like.
Like, if it happened now, if Iwon now, I would, because I know
how it works, I would be like,you're meeting with them, they
judged it as the winner, maybe.
You know, and you've heardthose, I've heard those stories
now of people being offered, youknow, they go, we judged it, you
won.
And hey, also, we'd like to,we'd like to contract this

(32:32):
contract.
Yeah, yeah.
I know that that can happen.
I didn't know that that couldhappen.
Then.
I didn't know what the processwas, so it was just like a,
just, you know, sitting therewith a pen and, um, my notepad
just ready to write downeverything that she could give
me.
I was just like, tell meeverything.
How do I make it better?
What's, you know?
And it was just, it was really,yeah.
Really, really interesting.

(32:54):
And yeah, I just remembersucking up all the information
and just my biggest question,like the conversation was coming
to an end and I was just kind oflike, so should I keep doing
this?
Like, can I like, like, I just,I'm just like, what, like really
tell me what do you think?
I just was like, I was like, canI even write?
And she was like, Oh, you canwrite.

(33:15):
And I was like, Oh my God,really?
And you know, just thinking alsoin my head, she's just being
polite.
She's just being nice.

So many writers do this, don't they?
Even when the validation is likeliterally shaking them,
literally in front of themsaying, yes, you can write.
You're like, but can I?

Yeah,

will I?

We just started talking about some other
stuff, you know, um, and Imentioned that I had Um, in the
zoo industry, because I thinkLisa was sort of talking about
being so busy, you know, as apublisher and lots of people
having ideas of what it's liketo be a publisher or saying, Oh,
I'd love to do that job.

(33:55):
How do you get there?
And I was like, yeah, it sounds,I used to be a zookeeper, so I
know it's kind of what you meanthere.
Like I used to get, people justused to ask all the time, how
did you get that job?
What's such a great job.
And you're kind of like, I knowit is such a great job and then
you think I just scrubbed poofor three hours but sure you
know like parts of it are reallygood parts of it are scrubbing

(34:15):
poo and she was like well youknow what you need to do then
mate you need to write about azoo based book like as we've
spoken about I have lots ofideas and I used to just write
them down or dump them down andI was like yep that Great.
I mean, it was on my, I was onmy ideas list, but it definitely
wasn't something that I wouldhave probably been at the top of

(34:37):
my list to write.
Um, yeah.
And, you know, Lisa was like,you know, I think middle grade
is the perfect fit for it andit's really popular right now.
And, um, that would be a reallygood, you know, you need to
write.
I was like, yeah, that's soundslike so much fun, you know,

(34:57):
giving a reason for me to writethat.
And she said, okay, cool.
Um, just write me some samplechapters and, and, you know,
send them to me.
And I was like, just remember,like, and then we got off the
phone and I was just like, oh,yeah.
Okay.
Well, I'll just Write somesample chapters and that doesn't
really happen.

That doesn't happen that often, does it?
When a publisher just says, Oh,like you, you sort of talk about
an idea and then the publisherrequests a few sample chapters
because normally you would havesomething in the back drawer.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So that's incredible.
So she must've thought yourwriting was really good.

Yeah, I guess so.
So I mean, I guess, like I said,you know, we've got the, she's
seen my writing and then we'vemade connection and we're having
this conversation.
And then, um, I guess the nextstep from there, because there's
a lot of things that go towardssomeone getting a deal.
Right.
And then I think that reallytalks to, um, right.

(36:02):
right time, right place, uh,right person.
What's good in the market.
What's going to work.
And what the publisher islooking for.

And I

just had that opportunity to be in front of
her and.
Um, you know, she's, she's had,you know, just had this idea
that like, that would be areally good book.
She could, she, you know, sheobviously already knows that
maybe there's probably a marketfor that or that that's what's
needed right now.
Cause they know what they knoweverything about.
What the trend, not reallytrends, but what's selling,

(36:34):
what's needed, what's overdone,what would be a nice little gap,
what's novel.

It's a business, isn't it?
Writing is a business and theirjob, our job is to be creative,
but their job is to be able tosell it.
So that makes sense.
Yes.
Yeah.

Yeah.
Cause you hear all the time ofpublishers just saying love to
the book, love to writing, lovethe story.
I just can't sell that rightnow.

Yes.

You know, and it doesn't mean no, never, but
it just means right now.
I just know that it's not goingto get picked up and because of
the market or the media or theway that everything's, um,
working at the moment, like outin society.
And I just, so, and what thekids are reading and yeah.
So, so I think there's threereally important things.
There's my top tips, everybody.

(37:20):
Oh my goodness.
Wearing your writing, um,connecting.
Making connections is soimportant and, um, just remember
that it is like right time,right place, um, right people,
you know, at that time.
So, um, yeah, so that all wenttoward it.

(37:43):
So yeah, then I, you know, Iwrote my sample chapters, just
how quickly did you write them,how, you know, I should have
looked this up before I spoke toyou because I.
I keep it, I feels like a blur,but I remember saying to myself,
okay, I'll give myself likethree months to, to write.
I didn't know how long, like itwould, I've never sat down and
with a goal like that before.
And I thought this is 2021,right?

(38:05):
This

isn't

2021.
Gosh.
Well, 22, no, 2021.
No, it was 2021.
And, um, yeah, just thinkingI'll give myself three months,
which is actually quite a lot oftime, but, um, you know, I
hadn't done it before and Iwanted it to be at a level that
I could.
Give it to a publisher, right?

Like,

so I think it was like, you know, a month or
so in, and Lisa emailed me tosay, Hey, really interested on
seeing those sample chapters.
And, and I was like, okay, causeyou know, I'd had, I already
had, I was just tinkering.
I was nonstop tinkering withthis and that and changing this.

(38:47):
And I was like, okay, I like, Ican send them, but please know,
like, it's not as perfect as Iwould want it to be.
Like I, you know, I'm justtinkering.
And she was like, you can tinkerforever.
Like that will never, like therewas, there's no end to
tinkering, which I've learned isvery true.
And you have to, it has to justbe a point when you finish.
And, um, yeah, so I sent themthrough and I just remember Lisa
saying, um, that she loved it,that she loved them and just,

(39:13):
how quickly did she respond toyou?
Um, I think it was like maybe aweek to maybe a week.
Yeah.
So she was very keen.
A week or so.
And, um.
Yeah.
And I mean, we're talking like,so I did the first third.
So just what came up to anatural conclusion for the first
act sort of thing.
And that's, that was about 10,000 words.
So, you know, it wasn't a lot,but, um, yeah, I think, yeah, it

(39:39):
was, I just.
It's just like, what does thiseven mean?
This, am I dreaming?
This whole process has just beena big dream.
So yeah, that was prettyincredible.
Yeah.
And I, and she said, I want totake it to acquisitions and I
was like, I don't know what thatis, but that sounds great.

So, okay.
So she took your 10, 000 words,did you have to do like a
chapter summary for the

rest of the

book?

No, I just sent the 10, 000 words.
And I sent, um, a whole page of.
one liners with, there'sprobably like 21 liners on there
of ideas that I could, I had.
So I think I did the, like alittle, like a little pitch,
probably like a paragraph onwhat it was going to be.
So, you know, probably almostsimilar to probably what's on

(40:26):
the back of the book now andsent my sample chapters and
then.
Sent a document that had about20 dot points of, um, all these
other ideas for about 20 otherbooks.
Like I was like, I could, Imean, it's, I could just come up
with a thousand ideas ofadventures for Nika in a, in the
zoo, you know, like it just hadso many and I was just like, and
here's all these ideas for anyother books that you might want

(40:48):
about Nika, like any other Nikabooks and, um, Yeah.
Yeah.
Yes.
And you're like a publisher'sdream,

Tina.

Well, I didn't even know I was just
like, well, these ideas keptpopping up.
And so here they are.
If you want some ideas and, um,and then.
Yeah.
So she just took the 10, 000words to acquisitions and, uh,
yeah, I, I knew whenacquisitions was going to be,
which was, I don't know if it'sa good thing or a bad thing.

(41:18):
I literally spent the whole dayjust, you know, refresh,
refresh, refresh on your emails,just constantly checking
constantly and thinking aboutit, but then also being like,
well, I don't know.
Like maybe you don't find outfor three weeks after, so no
idea about the acquisitionsprocess.
Um, yeah.
And then Lisa sent me an emailsaying, you know, everyone loved

(41:38):
it and they, you know, it's the,it's a great story and you're
the perfect person to write it.
And um, yeah, cause actuallythat's right.
I also sent in a couple ofphotos of some of the cool
things that I had done.
So like in action with, sorry,there's one of me like holding a
fluid bag above a, um, rhino inthis rhino.

(41:59):
Sanctuary that I was at in SouthAfrica.
And, um, uh, what else?
I think like, you know, one witha koala and, uh, yeah, I can't
even remember all the other onesnow, but they were doing fun
stuff.
Oh, giraffe in South Africa aswell.
Yeah.
Just doing lots of fun stuffwith lots of cool animals.
Just, I don't know.
I just wanted them to see that,you know, if I'm writing this,

(42:21):
so about what.
Uh, this book about working in azoo, it's coming from a really
natural place for me.
And I've got lots of ideas.

How did it, how did it, so when that email came
through, so, so Lisa emailed youto say, yes, everyone loved it.
Tell us about that moment.
Cause that is a very amazingmoment in a, in a writer's
career.

Yep.
Yeah.
Actually, that's really funny.
I, um, I was on the toilet whereI wasn't, but I was in a meeting
at work and I was checking myemails.
Sorry, work.
I love you.
Um, and I was focusing in thatmeeting, I promise.
But after that I was not becauseyeah, when I got that email, I
was just like, Oh my God.

(43:03):
And you know, it was, yeah, Iwas one with one of my close
teammates and I, um, yeah,waited for the meeting to end
and I was like, I'm sorry, but Ijust have to tell you that,
that, you know, I've written abook and the publishers want to
publish it.
It's just crazy.
And, um, yeah, I remembersending, you know, at least her
email back saying, Oh my God,that's incredible.

(43:24):
And then that I was kind offilled with this, like, Well,
hang on.
So she said it went throughacquisitions and I was like, is
there some other process that Idon't know about now?
Is this actually, and I waslike, hang on, can I get
excited?
Is this the point where I getexcited?
Where's the point where I like,is that now do I get super
excited about it?
And do I buy a bottle ofchampagne?
And, um, and that's what Iactually emailed her back.

(43:46):
I was like, Oh, just checking.
Um, so who acquisitions, solike, does that mean I can buy a
bottle of champagne andcelebrate now?
you know, or is this somethingelse that's meant to happen?
And she got back to me and saidsomething like, actually, I
think she rang me.
And she was like, look, yes,it's very exciting.
It's, you know, it's, it meansthat we want to publish it.

(44:08):
Um, you know, you haven't gotyour, you know, your contract
and everything yet hasn't beensigned.
You know, there's a few thingsthat we've got to go through
admin wise, but so you can buy abottle of champagne and
celebrate, just don't make itlike the, you know, the, um, or
anything like that.
You know, just a bottle of, Iwas like, hey, just like a
bottle of yellow then is thatgood enough?
She's like, yeah, save the goodstuff for when you sign the
contract.

(44:28):
What

was it like when you told your family, cause
you've got kids and you'rewriting middle grade, so what
was it like telling them?

Yeah.
Well, you know, it, It's, theyknew that, well, they knew that
I won the competition, which wasa bit of like for them, you
know, I think they, well, theyknew that I wrote, cause I used
to do when I was younger, but Idon't think they, so I didn't
tell, I don't tell people aboutmy writing.
I didn't tell people it was justsomething that I just did.
And um, I don't think they knewthat I was even writing again.

(45:01):
So they were like, Oh, you wanta competition?
Like a little bit shocked.
And then, so then they camealong, you know, for that
journey of like.
You know, it's going, you know,I'm writing this other thing now
and she's taking, you know,it's, you know, probably they're
taking it to acquisitions andyeah, so it was, yeah, they were
still, I think, yeah,gobsmacked, but, you know, I

(45:23):
think I know now the gravity,obviously it was really
important and it was reallyhuge.
And like I said, like, I think Ijust felt like I was in a dream.
Um, now I was.
It's almost like I know how muchwhat the gravity of that is as
well, like even more now,because I was kind of just super

(45:43):
naive to it and none of it everfelt like it would ever happen.
But it's funny, my boss at workwas, you know, When I was in the
middle of writing Nika, I tooksome time off of work, not time
off, but, you know, drop myhours a little bit just to
focus.
And, you know, I had some stuffon it home and that, where I
just wanted to be home a bitmore.
And, you know, I was like, Oh,you know, thanks for being so

(46:04):
flexible.
I really appreciate it.
And he's like, you know, whocan't stand in the way of
someone's dream, you know?
And I was like, you know what,it's so funny.
Cause it wasn't a dream.
Yeah.
It was never a dream to bepublished.
I just never thought it wouldhappen.
Um, so obviously it is like adream

come

true, but I just, it wasn't even something
that I had on my radar.
I just didn't think it wouldhappen.

So, so that was in 20.
So, okay.
So eventually you sign yourcontract.
You have your fancy champagne.
Then what happened?
So that's what end of 2021.
And it's now we're looking into2025.
So the.
The road to publication doestake a lot of time, even after
you've signed the deal.

It takes a really long time.
And that is one thing that I'dheard of, you know, and I
remember just thinking two orthree years or like even one
year, but two years publication.
That's it.
That's like out of control.
That's so long.
It's like when you start uni andyou're like, Oh my God, three
years.
That's.
That's my whole life.

(47:07):
And then three years just goessuper fast.
And, um, you know, I think thecompetition was awarded in like
June, July, my meeting with.
Um, Lisa, for some reason I feellike was November for some
reason.
And then I feel like, yeah,acquisitions was early the next
year.
So early 2022 and then signingthe contract, that deadline on

(47:30):
that very first one was actuallysuper tight.
I think it was like going to bea year to publication.
So Nika and the missing key isheavily illustrated.
And that was something that, youknow, they always wanted and.
And it's incredibly illustrated.
It's so gorgeous, yes.
Yeah, so, so lucky to have MaxHamilton as my illustrator.

(47:50):
If anyone knows her work, like,it's just incredible.
Really adds to the story, Ithink.

Mm hmm.

And that took a bit of time trying to find
someone who had the right style.
And then, of course, we got, wefound Max, and she's just
Perfect.
And it's just been the absolutebest.
Well worth the wait.
I think.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
So, you know, I think it was ayear and then there was a bit,
you know, another in the end, itended up being like another
year, but we look back now andgo, that was probably very

(48:19):
undoable to, to do it in thatyear to the, to the level that,
you know, um, HarperCollinswanted it to be.
And, um, yeah, so it would'vebeen a lot of pressure hitting
those deadlines.
So

there's,

um, there's three books in the series, so,
you know, it just feels.
Yeah.
There's a lot of, there's a lotof deadlines and due dates.

Yeah.
And then how, I don't actuallyknow how you do it.
Well, maybe I do.
Maybe it is you getting up at aridiculous hour in the, in the
day to, to, to, to do all ofthis.
Cause having three books comingout in one year is significant,
especially when you, when yousigned the contract as well,
you'd only written that thosefirst 10, 000 words.
So you didn't even have likefull drafts of each and three

(49:00):
books that you're workingtowards as well.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And you obviously have a busy,busy job as well, a day job.
Um, you've got family.
How, how do you balanceeverything, Tina?

Hmm.
How do I balance it or juggle itor cram it in?
Um, I think.
I think there's a few things, Iguess, that, I mean, there's
practical things.
Like I do wake up at four 30 inthe morning and I started doing
that when, you know, I wastalking about those lovely three
hour naps, you know, that my sonwas having.

(49:32):
And that's when I was doing mywriting and you know, those naps
eventually disappear.
Yes.
Unfortunately,

like, just, can you please go down just to have
a three hour nap

as a six year old.
Um, and.
And I went back to work when hewas about 18 months old as well.
So that took that nap time andwriting time away and I just
thought, well, like, when can Ido it?
And I thought, well, maybe I'lljust set my alarm for five and
get up before the kids get upbecause you know how your day

(50:04):
can just, just go away and justdisappear or just turn to, you
know, turn to poo and you justrun out of time for whatever
reason the kids can wake up andbe sick.
And then that's it.
Your whole day's gone or, orwhatever.
So I was like, if I just wake upat five and do an hour, then,
then it's done.
Like tick the box done for theday.
And that's what I was doing.
And it seems like an hour workswell for you like that.

(50:26):
Is that your goal?
Yeah.
I mean, some people cannot doearly mornings.
I can't do late nights.
Like I'm not, it's probablycause I do wake up at 4 30 in
the morning.
Maybe I should get up later andsee if I can do a late night,
but even when I was studying atuni, like I could never pull an
all nighter, but I could go tobed and set my alarm for like 2
and be fresh as a daisy, like mybrain just like, yep, okay, I've

(50:47):
had my little nap and I'm, andI'm, you know, clear just, but I
know some people need that timeto.

For their

brain to wake up, but not for me, I just like
do it first thing and Iliterally push every single
other thing out.
Like nothing else.
Like, don't think about anythingelse.
Just do that.
Um, and yeah, so just get itdone.
And then, you know, after a bitof time, I was like, I should
probably fit, you know,exercising back into my routine
now as well.
And that's when I was like, I'lljust get up at 4 30 so I can fit

(51:14):
my exercise in that like.
six o'clock.
And then, um,

that's like,

you know, so that's why how it became 4.
30.
Um, yeah.
So there's a little bit ofpractical stuff like that.
Cause honestly, I don't know ifthere's books and things out
there about getting up at 5.
00 AM.
There's even like, there arelike hashtag 5.
00 AM writers club as well.
Poor people.
Because it really like it is.
Um, like you can get so muchdone in that it's a whole extra

(51:42):
hour in your day, basically.
And had I not gotten up earlyand had that time, like I would
not have books now.

Yeah.
There's no other time

when you're a young mom, uh, and with young
kids, there is no other time inthe day, you know, I would be
better with it now.
I can kind of write when thekids are up and being disrupted
and stuff, but at the time ithad to be.
Nothing else disrupting me.
And, um, yeah, there's a lot ofcompartmentalization.
Like I said, it's like, this ismy writing time.
It's an hour.
Anytime I thought of anythingpopped in my head, like, Hmm,

(52:10):
what am I going to cook fordinner?
Like, just put it out of yourhead.
Don't do it even for a second.
Just don't check your socials.
Don't do anything.
Just.
And then I just like, you know,my hours up, I put it down, move
on to exercise that's over.
And then I just all day long,it's just compartmentalized.
And that works.
That just works for me.
I mean, everyone's brain'sdifferent and that's how mine
likes to do it.

(52:30):
I've took me a long time torealize that that's what I
needed to be productive, but Ithink whatever works right.
Like

for

you, um, it's

so good that you found that routine.
That's amazing.
Yeah.
Okay.
So it's been three years thenI've just counted because it's
2025 since the competition,since you've signed your books
coming out in a matter of daysinto the world.
How do you feel?

(53:00):
Are you excited or anxious orwhat, or what's the thing that
you're most looking forward toabout it?

Yeah.
I mean, I think I'm just lookingforward to sharing it with.
people and people enjoying it,you know, it's so nice hearing,
you know, um, yeah, just likeyour comments even on it.
And, you know, um, it's at thatpoint where we can share a
little bit of it on, um, socialmedia now.
So people are starting to seesome of Max's amazing

(53:31):
illustrations and just seeinghow excited people are to see
that and,

and

then read the story around it.
I think that's just really nice.
Just all that work and beingable to.
You know, paying off and, um,being able to provide people
with, yeah, something fun to,you know, to, to read and to, to
look at, cause I can't stoplooking at it.
So I think that's, yeah, mostlyjust like sharing it, I think.

(53:58):
And having it out in the worldand having, you know, I had so
much fun writing it.
And so I hope people find it funto read as well.

It was super fun to read.
I read it in less than a day.
I just, I spent a whole morningjust absorbed by it.

Oh, that's so cool.
I loved it.
Because you always, you always,okay, look, I know it's
published and I know it's signedand everything, right?
But you still go.
But is it any, you know, am Iany good at writing?

Tina, I can categorically say you are very
good at writing.
I can't wait to buy this for mynieces as well.
I think they're just going tolove it.
So what are you doing to markthe occasion when, when your
book comes out into the world?
What are your plans?

Yeah, it's so funny.
I've been so focused on the booklaunch because I'm having a
launch on the 8th of February.
So like about a week afterwards.
And I've been kind of focusedon, on that almost like.
So, um, the actual day, yeah, Idon't know.
I think it very much should behonored with a dinner out,

(55:00):
right?
Like I should be treating myselfto a big old dinner.

Yes.

Um, I, you know, I'm not working that day,
so.
Maybe let's make plans,Madeleine.
What should I do?
Maybe I should go for, you knowwhat I should do?
Go for a soak or a massage.
Just something like that.

Yes, I'd love a class.
Do something really just goodfor you, I think.
I think it's a great planbecause a lot of people, when
their book comes out, I've read,They go to a bookshop first
thing, but often they don't havethe copies.
I know.
And that's what I'm scared of.
So I

actually don't think I'm going to do
that.

No, no, instead you have a Tina day.
I think that's

wonderful.
And then I might send someoneelse to check.
I'll send mom out.
I'll be mom because she lovesthe shops.
Go to the shops, go, go and havea look in all the bookstores
that say that they've got thebook and let me know if it's
there and then maybe I'll comein.
She can be my scout.

Yes.
Yes.
It's so, so exciting.
Um, I just, I saw on Instagramto Kylie or answer her
unsolicited tip to, to dailycruise, which we very
appreciate.
Yes.
Um, so if anyone else has othertips for us, we, we, uh, we are
open to them, but I loved heridea, which was.

(56:14):
Um, you take a book around yourbook around to all your events
and people can write a message.
And I just think that's sobeautiful.
Are you going to do that?
Do you think

I saw that too?
And I had heard of that beforeand I was like, Oh, that's a
really nice idea.
What a nice idea.
So yeah, I think I will do that.
Thanks Kylie.
Yeah.
Thanks Kylie.
She's a friend of the podcast.
So yeah, it'd be lovely.
It'd be so nice to just.
Yeah.
See

what people would write.
Okay.
So you've given us all three toptips already.
Three tips.
Um, I'm not, if you might haveanother tip, but I also want to
know what, what do you, what doyou, Tina Strachan wish you had
known when you were.
Back before you submitted to theCYA conference, when you just

(57:00):
finished that draft, when you,just before you're about to come
into this world, you said youdescribed yourself as naive and
you didn't really know muchabout the industry.
So you've had now three years toget to know this industry.
You've interviewed lots ofdifferent authors.
You're part of both 2024 and2025 debut crew.
So, you know, you know, a lotabout the industry now.

(57:22):
So what is your.
Tip that you're going to leavehere for aspiring writers.

And this is, this is a tricky one.
Uh, and that, and that'sprobably, I don't know if
there's just one answer, butwhat do I wish I knew
beforehand?
Um, I think how coming thewriting community is like,
honestly, I just, like I said,didn't tell people about my
writing for some reason in mymind.

(57:51):
If I wasn't published, I didn'tknow that I could actually do
it.
And therefore I wasn't confidentenough.
Or validated enough to be partof a writing community, which is
so silly, isn't it?
Like there's art, people do artand they do art groups.
There's people who run and theydo running groups, but they're
not, you know, like goldmedalist runners.
Right.

So you don't have to have a contract.
Yeah.
It

was just such a, I don't know, it's such a
private thing.
I've done it forever.
I remember.
So I just like never thought itjust felt so foreign and
strange.
And um.
Thank you.
I, yeah, but honestly I've, so Iprobably only just started
joining groups after I signed orwhen in the midst of, even like
after the competition, I waslike, Oh, I can actually do

(58:34):
that.
And, um, I had someone reach outto me who also had shortlisted
in the illustration, uh, in CYA,um, Kristen Willis, who's now
also published her books and.
Um, I just reached out to me.
Didn't know me from a bar or so,but was like, Oh, I, you know,
congratulations.
And it's so exciting.
And, you know, I could see heronline at the same time when we

(58:57):
were doing the CYA conference.
And just being like, wow, thisis incredible.
I don't know this person it's,this is, but they're, they're so
supportive.
And then, you know, just startedjoining on with the groups from
there.
Like the Gold Coast Riders.
you know, um, center and theQueensland writer's center and
just, you know, really juststarted kind of dipping my toes
into it.
And just honestly, I've madelike a full huge circle and a

(59:21):
wide circle of, um, friends, um,and yeah, friends now that are
in the writing community.
And some of them I've not evenmet yet.
And they're all just in real, inreal life.

It's

just on.
You know, socials or things,which I'd heard of that
happening and how supportivepeople are on social media.
They've never met anyone.
And I just never like in thewriter community.
And I never really thought thatthat could happen, but it's true
everybody, if you haven't joinedyour writing community yet and
it's inspiring.
And I think being published canalso be a little bit contagious.

(59:53):
You know, um, it, you know, itdoes seem to, you know, hang out
if you hang around.
You know, publish authors, alittle bit of that magic dust is
gonna, you know, spread ontoyou.
Hopefully that's the hopeanyway.

Tina Strachan (01:00:05):
That's right.
I think that's beautiful.
Well, Tina, the next time wetalk, you're going to have a
book out in the world.
It's very exciting, isn't

Tina Strachan (2) (01:00:15):
it?
We're here.
We're finally here, Madeleine.
You're not long after me.
I can't wait to interview youabout your book.

Well, I've still got a few months, so, um, yes, I
am just going to be eagerlywatching you and learning from
your experience as you go outand do it.
So it's very exciting.

I have to say, I didn't realize, um, I'm
not the first, so I'm also partof, um, The debut kid lit crew
as well 2025.
So many crews.
So because it is like, and wewere just talking about this
before we press record that thekid lit, um, publishing sort of
world can be quite, andprocesses can be quite different

(01:00:54):
to, you know, the rest of the,uh, publishing Industry and, um,
yeah, so it so sometimes thereare these like breakout groups
because, you know, but there'schat about illustrators and, you
know, all those sorts of thingsand what, you know, school
visits and stuff like that, or,um, you know, story times that
people do.
At libraries and things likeobviously there's it's that's

(01:01:16):
different to and things that maynot happen as much.
I mean,

an adult story time actually sounds quite fun.
Maybe that should be somethingwe should champion.

Oh, adult story time has to have wine
though, right?
Yeah, that's right.
And cheese.
Cheese.
Okay.
Uh, yes, I'd be, I'd be therefor that.
So I'm not the first to bepublished from our 2025 debut
crew, but I am the first to bepublished in the kid lit crew.
And I think there's actuallyonly been.
There'll be like three, youknow, that have gone before us.

(01:01:45):
So I'm actually really glad thatI got that extra time and I got
pushed, you know, bumped to likeanother year because I got to be
part of the 2024 crew and watchevery single one of them go
through.
And that's like 80 peopleStrachan now and watch them all
go through.
And it's honestly been.
Um, you cannot pay for thatwealth of knowledge, you know,
I'll have a question cause I'messentially the last of them.

(01:02:08):
Oh no.
Marion Taff, I think is going tobe cause she's now 25 as well,
but I can literally just tapinto that resource and ask a
question and just have all thesenow experienced published
authors.

Yes.

Um, give me some advice.
And

you've beckoned call for free.
It's amazing.
Okay.
Well, I don't want to end thisinterview because I just keep
talking to you all day, Tina.
As everyone, all our listenersknow, I

think we broke our rule of like aiming
for 45 minutes, which by now Ifeel like the listeners know
that we can't stick to anagenda.
Can we?
No, no, we're terrible.
We're terrible.

But, um, yeah, it was a great.
Great to hear that story infull.
And I think that's the firsttime I've heard the full story
with all the details as well.
So I think that's the first timeI've told it fully like that as
well.
So for listening.
Thank you for asking about it.
I think you might be telling ita few more times.
I might need a

shorter version.

All right.
Well.
And good luck, Tina! Thank you!

Thanks everyone for listening to that
episode.
It was really fun to record, butnow Madeleine and I are just
jumping in because we have someextra special news, a bit of a
surprise for this season of TheBook Deal.

That's right, Tina.
We're really excited tointroduce To all our listeners,
a wonderful debut author forthis year.
Her name is Natasha Rai, andshe's going to be featured in,
uh, our episodes once a month.
And she's going to beinterviewing some amazing
writers.
And that's, uh, we thought we'dshake things up a little bit

(01:03:45):
this season and introduceNatasha to you all.
She's, um, a very experiencedand wonderful interviewer, and
we think she's going to addgreat value to our podcast.

So we're super excited for this season
and Natasha is going to bring anice fresh vibe to the show and
her interviews are mostdefinitely still going to be
extremely helpful to all theaspiring authors out there.

That's right.
And so we will catch up still,uh, you and I, Tina, once per
month.
Um, so you won't get us everyfortnight, but you will hear us
once per month and that willgive us a little bit of extra
time while we are also launchingour books into the world.
Thanks everyone.

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