Leap year proposals

With the 29th Feb coming around once in 4 years, I love hearing about the strong women who aren't afraid to propose to their men on a leap year.

Considering many of my books end with a proposal, it got me thinking...

What's the most unique proposal you've heard of?

Or care to share your proposal story?

Let's share the romance warm and fuzzies today!

Six Sentence Sunday: Interview with the Daredevil

Today's Six Sentence Sunday snippet is taken from my current release, INTERVIEW WITH THE DAREDEVIL.

Ava and Roman meet under interesting circumstances (colliding in a hotel swimming pool).
Ava, freshly divorced and the ex-PM's daughter, can't help flirting with the hot extreme sports fanatic.

“You’re a sporting neophyte.”

“I’ll have you know I’ve taken great interest in Aussie Rules since I’ve moved to Melbourne, and I watch the tennis and the occasional golf.”


“That’s because you like men in tight shorts, Nadal’s broad shoulders and Adam Scott’s torso when he swings a club.”


Laughter twitched her lips. “Let me know whether to pack my binoculars when I come watch you get pulled behind a boat on a ridiculously small board.”


“Neophyte and a perv.”

Check out more Six Sunday's here

Big Bollywood news!

I'm thrilled to announce that BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD will be released in the USA as a mass market paperback in June!

So you can go to your local bookstore and grab it off the shelves, yay!

The price? $7.99.

Or you can pre-order at the Book Depository for $5.60.

(Winners of WHO WANTS TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE? from the Naughty After Dark blog hop are:
-Simply Kayla
-Ronda (Queentutt's World of Escapism)

Please email me with your details so I can post your books out.
And thanks to everyone who entered!)

Naughty After Dark Blog Hop

Now that the romance madness associated with Valentine's Day has quieted, it's time to get Naughty After Dark!

This blog hop is hosted by Close Encounters of the Night Kind and Natasha Blackthorne (thanks guys!)

So what am I giving away?

2 winners will receive a signed copy of my current release WHO WANTS TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE?

(The naughty factor in this book? Chains are involved in the first scene! The heroine chaining herself to something of the hero's...)

To be in the running:

- Follow my blog

- 'Like' my Facebook page

For more fab giveaways, check the full list of participating blogs here

Contest runs until midnight Feb 22nd & is open internationally.

(Please leave a comment to let me know how you entered: blog follow or FB 'like'. Thanks!)

Tree change?

An old physio uni buddy is moving with her family to Argentina for 6 months and is putting her eco-friendly home in Castlemaine up for rent.

So any Melbourne city-dwellers keen on a 6 month 'tree change' to see what country living is like, check out all the info here

Looks gorgeous!

Valentine's Day Pitch the Book of your Heart winners!

Thanks to everyone for entering the Valentine's Day Pitch the Book of your Heart contest.

I'm absolutely thrilled to announce the winners:

LORI WILDE'S winner (critique of a partial & synopsis): Bronwyn Stuart's Mixing Business with Pleasure.


LIZ PELLETIER'S winner (Partial critique): Mustang Sassy by DL Snow
(and a bonus! A full request for A Quirkey Affair by Michelle Stuart)


LIBBY MURPHY'S winner: (critique first chapter) Live to Tell by Marisa (Winner)
(and another bonus request: Head Over Wheels by Danielle Dreger)

ALETHEA SPIRIDON HOPSON'S winner: (a full manuscript request) Julie Rowe's Molly Gets Her Man

KERRI-LEIGH GRADY'S winner: (5 page critique) Iron Guns, Blazing Hearts – Heather Massey 
(and a bonus request Project Shadow – Rachel K)

NINA BRUHN'S winner: Eve's The Waiting Game
(Nina has also emailed several participants inviting them to submit with the idea that she can bring them closer to the word count during revisions!)

A HUGE thanks to the wonderful editors from ENTANGLED PUBLISHING who generously offered their time in this contest. Much appreciated.

For the winners, you can find editor email addresses here at EP's website.

My Valentine's Day gift to you: free writing resource!

I belong to the amazing NINC, an excellent organisation for authors.

They are offering a fabulous FREE writing binder (with loads of articles from their conference last year).

Go download it now!

To all romantics out there, happy Valentine's Day.
I'll be announcing the winners of my pitch contest later tonight.
Stay tuned!

Release Day: Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire?

WHO WANTS TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE? is out now in Australia & New Zealand.

Featuring a marine environmentalist scientist and a ruthless property developer battling it out over land in Portsea, sparks are guaranteed to fly!

It's also out now in the UK!

Release day: Interview with the Daredevil

Release day for INTERVIEW WITH THE DAREDEVIL was actually last week but with the excitement of the pitch contest, I waited until now to announce.

Here's the blurb:

The man behind the headlines…



After spending the last few years as the perfect political wife, Ava’s finally single and free to live her life as she chooses – away from the paparazzi.

She starts her new life as a freelance writer with a massive scoop: an interview with extreme sports legend – and dreamboat! – Roman Gianakis. The immediate chemistry is all-consuming, but Roman lives his life firmly in the public eye. To match him, she’ll have to step up next to him. Till now she’s always wished she could hide in the wings – is she ready to embrace centre stage

To see the pic of George Clooney that inspired this book, check here

To buy print version (with free postage worldwide): BookDepository
To buy the e-book here

Here's what one satisfied reader had to say:

I have to admit that this is the first book I have read by Nicola and wow am I impressed. To paraphrase Jerry Maguire "You had me at ..." the mention of George Clooney. Loved both characters Ava and Roman to bits and I read this book in one sitting (& really late into the night) - I just couldn't put it down. Locations were fab and just made me itch to go and see it for myself (someday) and the chemistry and emotion throughout just got me (yes there were tears from me!).


Rollicking good read and very highly recommended. Now must find other titles by Nicola to read!
(Bridie Coleman, Goodreads)

Valentine's Day Pitch the Book of your Heart contest!

It's time for the VALENTINE'S DAY PITCH THE BOOK OF YOUR HEART contest to begin!

I have 6 editors from Entangled Publishing taking pitches here from today to the 10th February.

Winners will be announced on Valentine's Day!

Pitches can be for any age-range, any genre, and lengths from 10k to 120k words.

"Entangled is a boutique publisher of romance fiction. We pride ourselves on quality stories and commercial covers, and our innovative business model offers our authors the best of indie and traditional publishing. To find out more, see our website. And don't forget to look through our current open submission calls."

Before posting your pitch, you may want to check out the Imprint Guidelines on their website.You can also check out each editor's current wish-list over the last week right here on this blog.

To enter the contest, leave the following in the comments of this post. Entries will be accepted from now until midnight EST on Feb 10th.

Title
Genre/Sub-genre
Word Count
1-3 line pitch
Email address

-Entries must be for a completed manuscript (novellas included.)
-Contest open to unpublished & published writers.

You do not have to indicate which editor you are pitching to; all the editors will read all of the entries. Each editor will choose at least one winner.
Winners will be announced Valentine's Day- keep an eye out on the blog here and on my Twitter account for the announcement.

You can post up to two different pitches, but each pitch must be written in a separate comment.

*Editors reserve the right to not choose a winner, based on quality and quantity of submissions.

So what are you waiting for?
Let the pitching games begin!

From pitch to published!

I was absolutely delighted to receive an email recently from Robyn Thomas, one of the winners of my last pitch contest, saying she is now published!

Here's what Robyn had to say:

It COULD happen to you! If you’re considering entering the VALENTINE’S DAY PITCH THE BOOK OF YOUR HEART contest then please read on...

I entered Nicola’s last Entangled pitch contest – in October 2011 – and went on to sell the book, currently titled Freefalling, to Lori Wilde’s Indulgence line. I’m all set for a May 2012 release, and you could be next!

My one sentence pitch was one of the three chosen by Liz Pelletier, and (after picking myself up off the floor) I sent her the full ms a few days later. I went back to my work in progress, and tried not to think about it.

The weeks ticked by, and I began to check my inbox with more trepidation. An email arrived and I skimmed it about a dozen times, looking for the words regret, however, not at this time, or anything of a negative nature. But those words weren’t in there. It was an offer! Entangled Publishing wanted to buy my book for their Indulgence line.


It has only been a few weeks since I got The Call, but I’ve already heated up my ms to match the line, submitted something else for consideration, and pitched a possible series. And I’m anticipating my first cover, which I just know I’m going to love.

It’s an amazing experience… and it all started with a pitch on this very blog. Why are you still reading? Polish those pitches, and enter the contest!

So there you have it!
The contest starts tomorrow so I hope you have your pitches ready to wow the editors.
 
And in breaking news...
I have another fabulous editor joining in the judging!
 
NINA BRUHNS, the Editorial Director for Entangled's Dead Sexy imprint, will request a partial and synopsis or a full manuscript and synopsis.
 
She'll let the author know what problems, if any, they need to tackle in order to publish with Dead Sexy and if close, her editors will work with the author to get it in shape for publication.
 
Thanks Nina!
 
So what are you waiting for?
The Valentine's Day PITCH THE BOOK OF YOUR HEART contest starts here tomorrow!!
 

Editor's wish-list: Kerri-Leigh Grady

Hope you all spent a lovely weekend honing your pitches for the Valentine's Day Pitch the Book of your Heart contest starting here tomorrow!

Here's what Kerri-Leigh (Associate Editor at Entangled Publishing) is currently interested in acquiring:

She loves paranormal romance and UF worlds that aren’t complicated by numerous mythical beasties, smart romantic comedy, dark comedy, romantic thrillers/suspense/horror, dystopian romance including steampunk, reunions, BFFs falling in love, marriage of convenience, [strong] woman in jeopardy, man in jeopardy, supernatural elements, clever monster elements, multi-cultural characters, alpha nerds, high stakes adventure, and general hilarity.
She’s open to F/M, F/F, and M/M pairings in all heat levels.

For Indulgence, she's looking specifically for the following: reunions, BFFs, marriage of convenience, ugly duckling, [strong] woman in jeopardy, man in jeopardy, road trip, alpha nerds, high stakes adventure and suspense, forbidden love, fish out of water, and smart romantic comedy. I’d love to find a military hero where the romantic conflict rings true and is related to the challenges of being a mil-girlfriend or milspouse.

Kerri-Leigh is generously offering a 5 page critique as a prize.

Thanks Kerri-Leigh!

So there you have it.
You've met the editors.
You know what they're after.
And if you've written something completely out of the box, that's great too.

Pitches start right here tomorrow!

Editor's wish-list: Alethea Spiridon Hopson

Alethea Spiridon-Hopson is the Managing Editor & Senior Editor for the Indulgence series.

Here's her current wish-list:
Boss-secretary with a twist: not actually bosses and secretaries, but in different setups like Leanne Banks’ Shocking the Senator.

Makeover stories, but the heroine’s personality can’t change and it has to be done in such a way that the hero didn’t just finally fall for her because she changed her appearance.

Best friend’s little sister.

Single dads.

Millionaire playboy.

Reformed Rakes/ Bad boys.

The bet

Enemies to lovers.

Best friends to lovers

Nanny to wife

Temporary fiancée.

Alethea has generously offered a FULL manuscript request as a prize.

Thanks Alethea!

Cover reveal for NYT bestseller

Today I'm happy to be a part of New York Times bestseller Jenna Bennett's unveiling of her newest cover!

Here's a little about Fortune's Hero:

Last year, space smuggler Quinn Conlan was on top of the world. He had everything a man could want: a fast ship, a great crew, a gorgeous girlfriend, lots of money, and adventure and excitement around every corner.


That all changed when he agreed to ferry a shipload of weapons to the beleaguered planet Marica, currently under siege by Rhenian forces. Now he’s stuck in a prison camp on the moon Marica-3, subjected to weekly sessions with the camp’s “medical team,” and praying for a quick death before he breaks under the torture and spills everything he knows about the Marican resistance.

When the opportunity presents itself, Quinn takes a Rhenian med tech hostage and heads into the inhospitable interior of the small moon. There, he has to keep himself and Doctor Elsa Brandeis safe from the deadly flora and fauna, as well as hidden from the prison guards searching for them, all while formulating a plan for getting his crew out of prison, his ship out of impound, and everyone out of orbit.


But when Elsa professes her love, can Quinn take the beautiful doctor at her word, or will trusting her—and his heart—condemn him and his crew to an eternity on Marica-3?

Fortune's Hero releases with Entangled Publishing August this year, look out for it in a bookstore near you!

Editor's wish-list: Libby Murphy

Today I'm introducing the lovely Libby Murphy (my fantastic editor at EP, she's truly amazing: insightful, enthusiastic, and she even makes revisions fun!)

Libby would like to see submissions for adults and young adults written with a killer voice, and she especially loves quirky characters and plots. She loves sci-fi with aliens, robots, and high tech; urban fantasy and time travel; contemporary romance; women’s fiction with a strong romantic element; and suspense and mysteries. She craves humor, anti-heroes, and underdogs, and strong, capable heroines are a must. For Indulgences, she's looking specificaly for the following: Best friends, best friend’s younger sister, millionaire playboy, athletes, relationship because of a bet, arranged marriages, bad boys, revenge plots, reunions, adventure (Indiana Jones meets Bridget Jones!), romantic comedy, forbidden love, geeks (hero or heroine), and military heroes. I’m not likely to request sheiks or royalty, but if the royalty is the heroine, that’s definitely more likely. I’m a huge sucker for snarky heroines, funny heroes, and heroes who are the strong, silent type.
Libby is especially interested in Flirts and Ever Afters that fit the following:

Scientists or inventor-types who walk the line between good and bad (like Batman)

Paranormals with a villain hero/heroine who is redeemed by the end

Disaster or apocalyptic events in which people find love, despite everything falling apart around them (can be sci-fi, fantasy, or contemporary featuring a natural disaster, for example)

Quirky contemporaries or paranormals—humor is a must!

Sci-fi, especially if it has a Tron, I, Robot, or a Terminator type setting

Thrillers set in a small town

Zombie hunters :)

Romantic Comedy (would love to see a trilogy about a group of girlfriends finding love)

Libby is generously offering a critique of the first chapter of the winner of her choice.

Thanks Libby!

Editor's wish-list: Lori Wilde

Lori Wilde is the Managing Director of Entangled Publishing's INDULGENCE series.

Indulgence is an innovative line of category romance novels. They're looking for fresh voices and realistic stories that reflect how women live and love in the new millennium. Whether funny, mysterious, dramatic, snarky, sexy, or heartfelt, these stories are active, fast-paced, and dialogue-heavy. Be bold. Be daring. Get out of the box.


Specifically, we want:

•Quality storytelling
•Bold authors who aren’t afraid to push creative boundaries
•Prolific authors who can write three to four books a year
•Proven category tropes such as matchmakers, ugly duckling, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, reunited lovers, Beauty and the Beast, emotional rebirth, lovers from different worlds, rags to riches, cops, cowboys, CEOs, etc.
•Stories featuring alpha heroes (from billionaires to the oldest brother who runs a bar) and the confident (or by the end of the book confident) women who love them
•Sparkling dialogue
•Emotional depth depicted through strong conflict, theme, symbolism and sub-text
•Manuscripts must be 45-60K words in length.

Lori Wilde has generously offered a critique of a partial manuscript (first 3 chapters) and synopsis.
 
Thanks Lori!
 
So all you writers of category romance, start polishing those pitches.
 
Valentine's Day Pitch the Book of your Heart starts Feb 8th, right here!

Editor's wish-list: Liz Pelletier

First up we have Liz Pelletier, senior editor at Entangled Publishing.

Liz judged my first pitch contest a few months ago and from that contest one of the winners is now published with Entangled!

So what are Entangled acquiring and interested in seeing during this contest?

Novels in the following subgenres of romantic fiction for our Entangled Books, Entangled Select, and Entangled Teen imprints:


•Contemporary

•Upper YA/New Adult (17-22 yo protags) that will appeal to crossover audiences

•Historical

•Romantic Thrillers

•Science Fiction

•Paranormal and Urban Fantasy

•Fantasy

-Manuscripts must have strong romantic elements.

-Adult and New Adult novels should be 70k to 120k words in length for all genres except contemporary romance, which should remain under 90k.

-YA novels should be 50k to 100k words in length.

What's on Liz's Indulgence (category romance series) wishlist:
 
Best friends, misunderstood heroines, ugly ducklings, revenge plots, CEOs and secretaries, really just about any common category trope except sheiks and royalty-related. Personal preference is for heroines with snarky voices, but a sweet-natured heroine who makes a cold millionaire smile can win me over.
 
You can also pitch for their Ever-After & Flirt imprints.
 
For all submission guidelines, check here
 
Liz is generously donating the same prize as last time, a partial request!
(Though last time, she ended up requesting 3 from pitches that caught her attention!)
Thanks Liz.
 
Stay tuned for another editor's wishlist and prize on offer tomorrow.