Hot Nights with an Australian

I'm not usually a fan of 'leg' covers but have to say I love this one! (and no, not just saying it because my name's on the cover! Along with mega authors Emma Darcy and Lindsay Armstrong, yay!)

This anthology features a reprint of OVERTIME IN THE BOSS'S BED (Callum the brooding CEO and Starr the dancer, who have a one night stand in Sydney, only to have her so desperate for a new start she takes him up on a job offer in Melbourne.)

It's out in July and you can pre-order here (AU$8.33 for 3 full length category romances, plus free worldwide postage, bargain!)

Snail mail

I love receiving letters, always have. In high school, my best friend and I used to trade notes almost daily. In uni over summers, my best friend and I used to write long, elaborate letters, detailing our lives. These days, email is quick and convenient but I miss those days of letter writing, so it's always a thrill when a reader takes the time to write me a letter. That said, responding by email is so much easier so please, if you're taking the time to write to me, include your email address. If you don't have one and that's why you're writing, please enclose that in your letter. So for Ann Bailey, who took the time to write to say she enjoyed Wild Nights with her Wicked Boss and wondered if there were connecting stories...yes, Ann, Callum has his own story in Overtime in the Boss's Bed. Enjoy!

Pickled

OVERTIME IN THE BOSS'S BED is out now in Germany.

I'm no translator, but when I first glanced at the title I chuckled, because it looks like 'So Pickled with Champagne'!!

The importance of fans

How many of us take time out of our busy lives to contact the authors whose books we love?

I never used to do it until I started receiving fan mail of my own and realised how much it meant to me. So whenever a book blows me away, I contact that author and tell them. Some respond, some don't. But that's okay, I've let them know how much their book meant to me.

So for all you avid readers out there who think authors are too busy to hear from you or you don't want to bug us...think again.

The author whose book you just read and loved may be having a very bad week.
She may have had her 25th book rejected.
She may have massive revisions.
She may have had a lousy review.
She may have a tight deadline, sick kids, a house falling apart, whatever.

Your email can make her week.

So to the lovely Kerrin, who regularly comments here, I thank you for this:

If you aren't a Mills and Boon reader that's okay, I wasn't in the past. They are a fantastic quick read. Right to the story, good characters, great story line, all about passion and heart and conflict - well depending on the line you choose of course :)

I just love Nicola Marsh. Her stories are fun, fast paced and... well you just have to read them to know what it is! She has that something about her stories that, despite the small size of the book, they really pack a punch!

I am traditionally a single title lover - you know the 100,000+ word novel. But her books are fantastic and this one...man!

Starr and Callum are hot, sassy and so good together you root for them right from page one! Go and buy it, you won't regret it!!

Kerrin took the time to review OVERTIME IN THE BOSS'S BED on her blog.
She made my day and brought a smile to this author's face!

When readers take the time to comment on our books, the author usually knows. Google Alert is a wonderful thing :)

So to all my fans out there, silent or otherwise, I thank you!

End of the line

Hey, if you're in OZ or NZ, my current release (along with Mira Lyn Kelly's debut) are the last SEXY SENSATIONS ever!

That's right, as of next month, the UK Modern Heat series will be released as straight SEXY in OZ/NZ, so go grab your bit of history today :)

Dirty dancing

Here's another snapshot of Callum and Starr in OVERTIME IN THE BOSS'S BED:

“Let’s dance.”
Just one quick spin around the floor. She couldn’t stand much more of the tension, nor the constant nagging inner voice that continually whispered ‘you’re in too deep’.
He stopped dead, his serious expression belied by the naughty gleam in his eyes.
“I lied to you.”
“About?”
He bumped her gently with his hip, pointed to his shoes. “I don’t have two left feet.”
“Proof of the pudding and all that.”
“I was junior state ballroom dancing champion for two years straight in high school.”
“You can dance?”
His self-effacing smile merely added to his charm. “Don’t sound so surprised. Do I look like a clumsy oaf to you?”
What he looked like was the ultimate dreamboat, every girl’s fantasy come to life.
“Now you’re just fishing for compliments.”
Tossing her hair, she took his outstretched hand. Could he be any more perfect? Next he’d be saying he adored sushi and funky jewellery and long, decadent baths.
With a toe-curling smile, he said, “Is it working?”
“I have a feeling you know exactly how good you are.”
“Hey, a guy can never have too much reassurance.”
“Come on, Mr. Ballroom Champ, let’s see what you’re made of.”
Tugging on her hand until she was plastered against his chest, he said, “I’m up for the challenge if you are.”
“I’m up for anything.”
She pinned him with a sultry stare, leaving in little doubt to what she meant.
Brushing the barest of kisses against her lips, he murmured, “Then let’s make this dance quick and get out of here.”
Finally, finally, they were on the same page. Trouble was she knew what the next chapter held but what about the one after that? And would this page-turner have a happy ending?
As the sexy soulful music filtered through the club, Callum held her tight, his feet never faulting as he guided her through a perfect rumba.
She should’ve been in her element, oblivious to everything but the music taking her to the special place it always did but with Callum’s arms around her, his body deliciously close, all she could focus on was him. Only him.
As the music changed he released her, tipped up her chin.
“Care to rate my performance?”
“On a scale of one to ten?”
“Sure.”
Trailing a fingertip down his cheek, she said, “Nine point five.”
“What did I lose the half point for?”
“Doing the dance upright.”
His eyes widened, darkened, at the innuendo and before she could lose the advantage along with her bravado, she grabbed his hand and made a break for the door.

Latest OZ/NZ release

I've been so laid back since I got back from my week away, I forgot I have another release in Australia/NZ this month!

OVERTIME IN THE BOSS'S BED is out now.

Here's what a lovely reader on Amazon had to say:

To me this is one of the best HQ books I ever read, truly different from the regular themes and plots.

Very refreshing, extremely witty, deep, and it really touched my very romantic soul :) Highly reccomended!

If you aren't in OZ/NZ and still want to grab a copy, order here from the Book Depository for free worldwide postage!

Borders bestseller!

I'm thrilled that one of my current releases, OVERTIME IN THE BOSS'S BED, has hit the Waldenbooks (Borders group) Top 10 bestseller list this week!

Woo hoo!

Triple release month!

Rather surreal but this month I have 3 releases!

In the UK, a re-release of A TRIP WITH THE TYCOON, my RT finalist for Best Harlequin Romance 09.

And in the USA, THREE TIMES A BRIDESMAID... hits shelves along with OVERTIME IN THE BOSS'S BED.

Fancy some flirty reading?

Go grab them!

Another keeper review

This time by the fabulous folks over at CataRomance.

Here's what they had to say about OVERTIME IN THE BOSS'S BED (hitting US shelves next week!)

"Consistently entertaining, wholly absorbing and fabulously readable, Nicola Marsh’s romances are simply too good to miss and her latest sensational novel for Harlequin Presents: Overtime in the Boss’s Bed is certainly no exception!"

"Fast-paced, sassy, sexy and sparkling with witty repartee, delicious humour and sizzling sensuality, Overtime with the Boss’s Bed is a fabulous page-turner readers will devour in a single sitting! With a charismatic heroine, a drop dead gorgeous hero, heartfelt emotion, electrifying sensuality and engrossing pathos, Overtime with the Boss’s Bed is feel-good romance at it’s best!"

Aww...thanks! Full review here.

OZ cover revamp

Some of the Harlequin series have had cover revamps in Australia lately, with Sweet being one of them.
With more of a mainstream feel, I love them.

Here's my first in the new covers.

THREE TIMES A BRIDESMAID...hits OZ shelves in June, but can be bought right now online!

Speaking of online, OVERTIME IN THE BOSS'S BED hit the eHarlequin Top 10 Bestsellers last week, and did the same over the weekend for ebooks. Yay!

Another RT verdict

You heard what ROMANTIC TIMES had to say about my other June release, THREE TIMES A BRIDESMAID... earlier this week.

Here's what they say about OVERTIME IN THE BOSS'S BED.

OVERTIME IN THE BOSS’S BED (4 stars) by Nicola Marsh: Dancer Starr Merriday is jobless, homeless and penniless, and willing to do anything, including work for the man with whom she shared a wild night of passion. CEO Callum Cartwright doesn’t think Starr will take him up on his job offer, but he wants to atone for past sins. Though he’s trying to focus on his company, having the sexy dancer underfoot at work plays havoc with his concentration.
The saucy heroine is well matched to the driven alpha hero. Marsh does an admirable job of challenging her characters to confront their innermost fears and find love in the process.

Love Starr being described as saucy! And to think, I had to tone her down!

Some serious overtime

If you're in the UK, OVERTIME IN THE BOSS'S BED is out on shelves right now!

Here's a snippet from Chapter 2 to tempt you:

“Cal?”
“Yeah?”
He heard the faintest hiss of breath, before Rhys said, “It wasn’t your fault.”
Callum disconnected in a hurry, the gut-wrenching twist of sorrow deep in his gut telling him otherwise.
It was his fault, every shocking, mind-numbing moment of that night fourteen years ago.
He could forget most days, chase away his demons by submerging himself in business until the figures blurred before his eyes but it was nights like this when it all came rushing back in an agonising avalanche of horrific memories.
Rubbing a weary hand across his eyes, he shoved the phone back in his pocket, turned, scanned the crowd for the blonde.
She’d vanished.
He wanted to pick up where they’d left off, to continue their flirtation. She’d been a firecracker, he could tell. All sass and mouth. Just the type of distraction he needed right now.
Tonight, he wanted to forget.
Everything.
He’d thrown the job offer out there as a challenge, though a small part of him hoped she’d take him up on it. He needed a fill-in PA desperately, the only temp agency he trusted had no one available for eight weeks and he was seriously floundering.
Even a beautiful dancer with a smart mouth, a movie star name and a body built for ballroom rather than clerical would be better than his current predicament.
He scanned the crowd, the entrance, finally spotting her beneath a towering indoor plant near the lobby.
He should leave, head back to his hotel, find solace in pricey single malt Scotch. Instead, he found his feet veering towards her and at that moment she glanced up, tossed her dirty-blonde hair and pinned him with a curious stare.
The impact of those large blue eyes slugged him all the way to his toes.
She glowed with vitality, from the tips of her silver painted toe nails to the top of her mussed, just-out-of-bed hair.
She wasn’t his type, far from it. But there was something about her, something about her boldness that reached to him on an instinctual level.
“Is it too much to hope you’re waiting for me?”
“Way too much.”
“I asked you to hang around for me back there.”
Shrugging, she flicked a less-than-impressed stare his way. “Guess I don’t always do as I’m told, so sue me.”
Oh yeah, she was a firecracker all right, exactly what he needed tonight: hot, feisty, a world away from wallowing in memories he’d rather forget.
“Yet you’re still here?”
She cocked her head to one side, studying him. “I was waiting to say goodbye to a friend but I think she ditched me for one of those hunky waiters.”
“What? Those fake-tanned, muscle-bound Neanderthals?”
Her glossed lips curved into a smile and he couldn’t tear his gaze away.
She had the most beautiful mouth he’d ever seen: full lips, even white teeth, a smile that could make a man forget where he was and why.
“Naked himbos not your thing?”
“Himbos?”
“Male equivalent of bimbo.”
She rolled her eyes, her tolerant expression reading ‘don’t you know anything?’ as he chuckled.
“Looks like she’s a no-show.”
She pushed off from the monstrous terracotta pot where she’d propped, partially hidden amid the lush foliage of a palm, and it hit him all over again how utterly beguiling this woman was.
It had little to do with the sexily mussed blonde hair hanging half way down her back, the wide shimmering blue eyes or the saucy smile curving her lips, more to do with the aura of vibrancy that shimmered and danced around her, intriguing for a guy like him who focussed on business all the time.
He’d never met anyone like her, only dated well-dressed, well-heeled, well-put-together socialites who played things cool.
Starr Merriday was hot, the antithesis of every woman he’d ever been with and he couldn’t walk away.

For those who can't wait...

For those who can't wait until my double release hits the shelves May in the UK and June in North America, both my upcoming releases are available NOW!

For Harlequin Romance, THREE TIMES A BRIDESMAID, here.

For Harlequin Modern Heat, OVERTIME IN THE BOSS'S BED, here.

I'm waiting rather impatiently myself for my UK copies to arrive because I can't wait to gobble up Liz Fielding's latest. I adore Liz's books so to be paired with her is beyond exciting!

Hot stuff

UK copies of OVERTIME IN THE BOSS'S BED haven't arrived yet so imagine my delight when I stumbled across the UK cover last night (Google Alerts is a wonderful thing!)

How hot is this?

Definitely my hottest Mod Heat cover yet.

I love it.

The cover fairies have waved their magic wands again!

While Callum's story is soon to hit shelves, I've heard back on his brother Rhys' story. My editor absolutely loved the revisions, going as far as to say it's one of my strongest Mod Heats yet. Emotional depth, sexual chemistry, strength, all there (why is it the books we find the toughest to write as authors and don't like as much as others always seem to grab attention?)

Just a few tiny tweaks and I should have a release date for you.

Stay tuned!

The postman knocks twice

I was out Monday when the delivery service came knocking, so came home to a note saying I'd missed them.

I know the service means US copies of my books so was annoyed. I still love grabbing the box off the delivery guy, rushing inside and ripping it open to cradle my latest book in my hands. The excitement never dulls!

Yesterday, I wasn't taking any chances. I signed the note and left it for them so when I got home...yay! Author copies of this book.Rather timely, as I'm going to re-read and see if I can get more of a handle on Rhys...before the revisions come in.
And they will.
I have no doubt.

Somewhere along the way he lost his sparkle...am hoping to recapture it before the book hits your hands!!!

Seduction in the City

As promised, here's my cover for OVERTIME IN THE BOSS'S BED.

Love the 'Seduction in the City' tag!

I also have UK & USA covers for my other May release, THREE TIMES A BRIDESMAID...

It's gorgeous! Really romantic!

Once I crop it I'll post here.

Thank you, cover fairies, for being so nice to me yet again :)

Putting in some serious overtime

The excerpt for OVERTIME IN THE BOSS'S BED (May 2010) won't be up on my website until next week, so thought I'd give you a little preview here.

The bronze god was naked.
Gloriously, eye-poppingly naked, every muscle flexing and bunching and glistening as he carried a tray laden with cocktails and champagne flutes through the crowd.
“You can close your jaw now, before it hits the floor.”
Starr Merriday blinked once, twice, the spell broken as she tore her reluctant gaze away from the waiter and frowned at her best friend Kit.
“It’s your fault. You brought me to this den of inequity.”
Kit wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, her chuckles positively wicked. “Yeah, and you’re loving every minute of it.”
“It does have its benefits.”
Starr’s gaze strayed to the ripped waiter again, lingered on his pecs, the light smattering of dark hair across his broad chest, dipped to his navel, at the arrowing of hair beneath it…
“Jeez, what does a girl have to do to get a drink in this place?”
Kit smirked. “Bit hot under the collar?”
“More like hot all over,” she muttered, thankful the waiters were clothed from the waist down, beyond thankful Kit had chosen one of her entrepreneurial mother’s infamous cocktail parties for her farewell.
Nothing like a roomful of semi-naked guys to get a girl’s mind off the fact she was jobless, homeless and penniless.
“Don’t look now but I think he’s checking me out.”
Kit’s subtle head jerk towards Mr. Pecs had her darting a quick glance in his direction, in time to see him stumble, the tray skating on his palms like a penguin on ice, sloshing cocktails everywhere, the bulk of it landing on the guy next to him.
Sympathy warred with mirth as she watched the waiter try to mop up his mess, the guy in the suit waving him away with a frown.
The cocktail-wearing-recipient looked out of place, suited and buttoned up in a roomful of semi-naked guys and she grinned as he fiddled with the knot on his tie, straightening it, aiming for cool despite having several Mojitos and a magnum of champagne dumped on his Armani duds.
“Yeah, he was definitely checking me out. Just one look and the guy does that. Back soon, hun. Off to mingle, find me a less clumsy one.”
Kit headed for the bar—and a tempting conglomeration of buffed waiters—while she found her gaze drawn back to the suit.
She’d been too busy ogling the waiters to notice the other guys in the room but now she had…slick guys in suits weren’t her thing but there was something about this guy…the way he stood, tall, proud, indomitable despite a cocktail dousing, his class obvious, his imperious gaze scanning the crowd…clashing with hers.
Startled, she dropped her gaze, surprised by the lick of heat lapping her skin after their momentary eye lock.
The smart thing to do would be to quickstep out of here. Considering the shambles her life was at the moment, she hadn’t done the smart thing in ages.

I love the dance theme woven throughout this book. I had an absolute ball writing it!