I’m very excited to have Tracy Cooper-Posey as my guest blogger today.  Her story is amazing—talk about taking a chance on love!  But, then, I’ve met her husband (when he was a contestant in the Mr. Romance contest) and I’m not at all surprised that it all worked out.

One commenter will win a PDF copy of Tracey’s hawt new book, Ningaloo Nights.  Be sure you include your email address so that I can send it to you.

Now, with no further ado…

I’m grateful to Toni for letting me guest blog here today. 

A fairly common theme running through Toni’s blog (yes, I read it regularly) is getting things done.  Achievement.  Especially, achieving big things and not wasting our lives.

That’s something I can relate to in a major way.  On October 4, only nine days ago—and a whole 13 years ago—I stepped on a plane holding the hands of my two little children, with a suitcase holding my worldly possessions, and moved from Australia to Canada to marry a man I’d only ever spoken to via the Internet and the telephone (you shoulda seen the phone bills!).

I’m still here.

Those two little kids are both taller than me now, and that man is now my husband and we’re indecently happy.

But the only reason I stepped on that plane in the first place was because I didn’t want to get to the end of my life and look back and regret having wasted the chance.  After all, it’s only distance.  I had a return ticket (they don’t let you into the country without one).  And yeah, it was a risk, but look at the pay-off if it worked out! 

Some of the bigger achievements in life do involve a bit of risk.  But if you look at the potential loss if things go wrong, it makes the risk easier to handle. 

I stood to lose very little.  So I gave up a rental house I was fond of…I could always find another.  I had to sell off several hundred books that I’ve never been able to replace to this day...but books aren’t bodily organs.  I can live with that loss, even though reading is a passion of mine.  Yeah, my kids were uprooted, but every time we’ve ever spoken about this “uprooting” they’ve always said they were glad about it.  They’re mature, worldly, stable, educated adults now, with a global perspective that they may have missed out on if I’d raised them “proper.” 

As far as I can tell, the biggest risk I took was a broken heart...and hell, we all risk that every time we fall in love again, don’t we?

The biggest lesson I learned from stepping on that plane is that life should be inhaled whole, not lived timidly.  Since then I’ve gone on to be published and now write full-time, and my husband to become a professional wrestler (a life-long ambition), and we try to make sure our lives are always heading in the direction we want them to go, rather than stagnating.  Our kids went through school being able to tell their friends that their mum (always the English spelling!) was a romance writer and their dad was a wrestler and watching jaws drop.

Whenever we feel like we’re reverting back into the “safe” mode, we try to shake ourselves up.  As a result, we tend to live a little outrageously and on the edge...but it’s never boring, and it’s certainly fun! 

 

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Tracy’s latest book, Ningaloo Nights, set in Western Australia, her home territory.  Part of the Going Down Under series with Ellora’s Cave, the romantic suspense novel was released on October 9^th.  To buy the book or read an excerpt, click here.

 

New York cop Sherry Abandonato cashes in her savings and dashes to Ningaloo in remote north-west Western Australia to find her sister who disappeared ten days ago.
The only one with the skill to guide her to Derremawan is Mason Hayward, once an official guide, and still with a reputation for getting people out of trouble, but now the town’s bad man.
In a searing afternoon of unexpected passion, Mason strikes a bargain:  He’ll get her to Derremawan, if she agrees to go there with him unconditionally, on his terms, and his conditions. Sherry is astonished to find herself agreeing to the insane bargain, and worse, responding positively to the idea of three days of Mason Hayward dictating terms out under the Australian sun...

Now THAT is a romance.

Hey Tracy! What fun! You definitely have lead a very interesting life. I did something similar with my current boyfriend. I flew from the US to meet him in Spain. Boy, did that take some mental coaching! lol But in the end, it's worked out great, and I would've had it no other way.

Happy Writing!
Rachel

PS I'm going to have to steal your "indecently happy" line! I love it!

Glad you took the chance, I did the same almost 13 years ago and we are married 12 years now. I only had to get into my car for a short 45 mile ride. Easy for me, but for you a lifetime change WOW and WOW again. The internet can be a wonderful place.

I'm so admire you taking so many chances and am glad to hear your big leap worked out so well. I often miss the days of taking chances, as my life is too settled, and truly admire those of you who do it. Can't wait to read your books.

Wow, you were brave but that's what it takes to write romance full time. I wish I had your courage. ;)
I hope I can borrow some of your courage so I can take my big leap into the future. All the best, and stay happy. Kay
ps. Thanks Tonia for featuring such an inspiration.
K

I love how you say "life should be inhaled whole and not lived timidly". Sometimes big risks pay out in a big way. This was a great post. Thank you!

G'day Tracy!

I don't know what it is about us Australians that make us so adventurous - but you outshine us all, what a great story!! Crossing the world for love, what could be more inspiring? And THANK YOU for retaining the 'mum' spelling, hee hee!

:-D

Ok now that is cool I met my husband online too of course we were in the same area code. lol. Love the story.:)

Wow...I'm so behind. You'll have to forgive me for stepping in late, here. I got in from RomantiCon 2009 about midnight last night, and got up this morning with 500+ non-urgent emails staring me in the face. Ugh. Anyway, thanks Su, Rachel, Jo Anne, Jeanne, Kay, Mercedes, Jannete, Carolyn, for commenting.

I'm no longer surprised by the number of people who have met their partners on-line. It is a natural meeting place for people, especially as there's no physicality getting in the way. It's pure personality, so relationships that start on-line stand a better chance of actually working out in the long run, I think, as long as both parties are legitimate in the first place, and you haven't accidentally hooked up with a stalker! :)

And g'day Jannette, especially -- I went to school with some Dalgliesh people.

Cheers,

Tracy

WOW! it sounds like you have an exciting life. I'm glad you took a chance and I'm happy for you! I haven't had a chance to read Nigaloo Nights yet,it is on my list to buy. right now I'm reading one of your other books Black Heart it's really good!!!:)