Romantic Times double!

I'm stoked!

Both my September releases have done well with stellar reviews from Romantic Times.

My favourite, A TRIP WITH THE TYCOON, was awarded 4 1/2 stars!

Here's what Catherine Witmer had to say:

A TRIP WITH THE TYCOON (4.5) by Nicola Marsh: Looking for a fresh start, widowed food critic Tamara Rayne takes the trip to India she'd once planned with her deceased mother. It's supposed to be a solo journey, but restaurateur Ethan Brooks, a friend of Tamara's late husband, decides to go along, allegedly on business. Ethan's wanted Tamara for years, and now that she's free, he's determined to win her. But Tamara's still nursing wounds inflicted by her verbally abusive and unfaithful husband ... wounds that Ethan's unaware of.

Sterling characters, an exotic setting and crackling sexual tension make for a great read. The realistically paced romance is also refreshing.

And Sandra Garcia-Myers had this to say about TWO WEEKS IN THE MAGNATE'S BED:

TWO WEEKS IN THE MAGNATE'S BED (4) by Nicola Marsh: After Lana Walker is passed over for a major promotion, she takes a two-week cruise to get away and let it all hang out, so to speak. Shipping tycoon Zac McCoy, who's undercover as the PR director, is on board to catch a culprit who's been causing trouble on different trips. But it's Lana who catches his eye. When the flirting starts, Lana throws caution to the wind. After all, what could happen in two weeks?

This fun and flirty shipboard romance features an entertaining twosome who will charm readers.

Don't you just want to run out and grab both books right now? :)

Hot in Germany

I love discovering foreign translations of my books, especially when they arrive in the mail.

Yesterday, I received copies of my current French release of THE BOSS'S BEDROOM AGENDA, German copies of PURCHASED FOR PLEASURE and German copies of HOT NIGHTS WITH A PLAYBOY.

Set on a Whitsunday island, I thought the cover was perfect!

And I'm featured here. Wish I could read it!

THE WRITE WHISPER: Tricks of the trade

These days, there are so many resources available for writers, it can be confusing.

What works?

What doesn't?

And what works for one person might be another person's version of personal hell?

Lately, I've been doing a glut of online courses (my personal favourite for learning new techniques...but that's another upcoming post entirely!) and during one of these courses, the use of recording data came up.

There are loads of fancy software programs out there (Writersblock, Powerstructure are examples) but what got me really interested was the use of spreadsheets.

Some people use them religiously for every book, plotting anything from word count per chapter, who appears in that chapter, to precise details like weapons used, animals, supporting characters, time, day, season, etc...)

Some use them as a rough plotting device while some use them while writing, filling in as they write the book (eg. at the end of each chapter) so that they can tell at a glance what has happened in their story and what needs to be filled in.

I've never used one but am intrigued.

For a mainstream book, I think I could be tempted, keeping track of all those extra characters and places and events...

Have you used anything like this with your writing?

Care to share?

Calling all unpublished writers!

Harlequin Mills and Boon have just launched a new writing competition.
Details below.
Good luck!

Have you always dreamed of writing for Mills & Boon Modern Romance?

Do you feel you have a passionate story to tell, with characters that leap off the page, and emotional conflicts, drama and excitement that will keep the reader turning the pages?

Then we have the perfect competition for you!

The Mills & Boon ModernTM Writing Competition for first chapters is your chance to win an editor for a year!
For those of you who are familiar with our previous contests Instant Seduction and Feel the Heat, you will know that we have had a high calibre of entries in the past.
So high in fact, that we have since bought our two winners: Lynne Raye Harris and Lucy King! Lynne won the Instant Seduction competition and her winning entry, and debut novel, Spanish Magnate, Red-Hot Revenge is published in Mills & Boon Modern, August 2009.

Lucy King won our second competition Feel the Heat, aimed at Modern Heat editorial. Her winning entry and debut novel Bought: Damsel in Distress will be available from Modern Heat in October 2009.
But the successes do not stop there! Earlier this year, we were thrilled to buy another talented new author, Tina Duncan, who first caught our eye when she entered the Instant Seduction competition in 2008. Although she didn’t win,or even place as a runner-up, Editorial saw her potential and kept working with her until we finally bought her book, Da Silva’s Mistress, which will be published in December 2009, in Mills & Boon Modern. Could you be our next competition winner or catch our editors’ eyes as a potential new writer?

Details:
This competition will be run from 1st July as The Mills & Boon Modern Writing Competition 2009 in the UK and The Harlequin Presents Writing Competition 2009 in North America

You can enter online at millsandboon.co.uk or iheartpresents.com

The competition entry must consist of either the first chapter and synopsis of a Modern or Modern Heat novel

The WINNER receives an editor for a year

TWO RUNNERS-UP will be given critiques of their first chapter entries and an editorial telephone consultation

The competition will close on 2nd November 2009 and the winner will be announced in December 2009 on this page of the website and www.iheartpresents.com where you will also be able to find full details and terms and conditions of the competition.

The competition will be supported by blogs on I Heart Presents by previous winners, authors and editors

Ooh la la!

One of my favourite books, THE BOSS'S BEDROOM AGENDA, is out in Italy and France this month.

Aren't those covers something?