5 Facts about A Bird in the Hand characters and setting are as follows:
Makayla is an ace at maths. She was in the running for a scholarship until her last mathletics event in high school.
Tyler has been injured while snorkelling a reef and has an impressive scar to show for it.
C*ck Monster is a foul mouthed sulphur-crested cockatoo who enjoys harassing Makayla. Sulphur-crested cockatoos can live up to 20-40 years in the wild and up to 100 years as a pet.
A Bird in the Hand is set in the state of Western Australia which is the biggest state in Australia covering an area of 2.646 million km².
Broome, a small town in the north of Western Australia has a population of 16,000 people. It once supplied eighty percent of the world's peral shell used for buttons and cutlery.
She yearns for the past. He wants a better future. Can they learn to love the present together?
When thirty-something Makayla’s long-term boyfriend breaks it off, she is left broken hearted. Her best friends seize the opportunity and book a bus tour up the west coast of Australia. They hope distance will give her perspective, but she can’t see past what she’s lost.
Tyler needs a break from work and seeks something more fulfilling, even if he has no idea what that is. When his mates plan the trip of a lifetime he decides to tag along. He’s sure it will get him out of his rut, and in turn, help him set a course for his future.
No one is prepared for the planning mishap that finds Makayla and Tyler sharing a room. They are opposites in just about every way and are definitely not interested in each other. Add a fouled mouthed cockatoo to the equation and the perfect trip is not so perfect. Or is it?
**This is a standalone romance with medium heat**
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Message from the Author
A Bird in the Hand was a fun book to write. Along with my characters, I visited parts of Western Australia I have never been to and others I have explored before. Even though I visited them nearly twenty years ago, they still hold a place in my heart.
From the start, we could see the differences between Makayla and Tyler, even if they were subtle. I enjoyed watching them change over time, where their attitude changed from ‘no way’ to ‘this could be a thing’. It was their bravery and their patience with each other that allowed that to happen.
The cockatoo in the story, with a most unfortunate name, was based on a pet cockatoo when I was a child, Old Bugger. I also asked people to share their cockatoo stories with me and formed this foul-mouthed character. Cockatoos are very smart and CM’s colourful vocabulary certainly showed that.
I like to bring awareness to social issues in my novels. This time, I chose inequality and diversity. I only touch on these in the novel, but I hope it opens my minds of readers and perhaps begin important conversations.
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Excerpt
As we walked back to our campsite, Rosanna narrowed her eyes and studied us, like she should have been the scientist and not Nicki. She didn’t try to hide her stare; her eyes wandered up and down and her mouth twisted in thought. What was she seeing? Our hair? It may have been dry but it still had the distinct look of someone who had been swimming in the sea. Or had she noticed how close we had been sitting together? She smiled a sheepish smile and looked away. “Maybe we should play truth or dare instead.”
“We’re not teenagers,” Nicki said.
We’d arrived back at our campsite.
“Maybe some of us are and some of us—” Rosanna tilted her head towards us.
“You’re just jealous,” I said.
“What, of not having sex in the sand? Who wants sand in all those places?” She indicated to between her legs.
“Mak, do you have any sand in those places?” I asked, mimicking Rosanna’s hand movements.
I was sure Mak would be beet red but she just grinned at me. “Are you referring to my vagina?”
Rosanna’s mouth snapped shut. I laughed.
“No, I don’t believe I have sand in my vagina.”
“Me either.”
“You don’t have a vagina,” Harrison said.
“Are you sure?”
“I’ve seen your junk. No vagina there.” A wicked grin appeared. “I’m sure Mak can vouch for that.”
Mak blushed and moved away. That girl was no good at keeping secrets. This time Nicki and Rosanna studied us. I tried to act like I didn’t notice but couldn’t help sneaking looks at them. Mak busied herself with setting up the chairs in a circle.
“By the look on Makayla’s face, she’s seen your junk too and is embarrassed for you.” Harrison plopped down in one of the chairs.
When I sat next to Mak she leaned across and whispered in my ear, “You have nothing to be embarrassed about.”
I swung my head around and kissed her with enough passion as I dared in front of a group of people.
When we parted, she said, “You didn’t let me finish. I was going to add that lots of men have small dicks.” She gave me a kiss on the cheek and turned back to the group.
She’ll be wishing it was small later.
*****
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Author Bio
is a project officer by day and a writer by night. She is a contemporary romance writer who likes to share a little bit of history, some Australian scenery and a whole lotta love. Cynthia does not shy away from difficult topics, as she feels that they should not be ignored.
She lives in Queensland, Australia, where the sun shines at least 283 days a year.
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