A keeper review

Check out this latest review for my upcoming release, OVERTIME IN THE BOSS'S BED.

Fresh, funny, flirty and feel-good who can resist one of Nicola Marsh's delectable category romances? Written with plenty of style and brimming with sassiness and sensuality, if you like Rachel Gibson, you'll adore Nicola Marsh and her latest Harlequin Presents novel Overtime in the Boss's Bed!

A fabulous tale which you will devour in a single sitting, Overtime in the Boss's Bed is a wonderful category romance by a writer who never lets her readers down! With a fabulously fun heroine, a sexy hero and lashings of witty dialogue, sizzling sex scenes, laugh out loud lines and moving pathos, Overtime in the Boss's Bed is another keeper from the stellar pen of Nicola Marsh!

Rachel Gibson is fab so to be compared to her...fan girl moment!

Thanks PHS reviews.

If you want to read the entire review, visit here.

Feel-good reviews

I have the flu, so before crawling into bed, I'm going to post 2 new reviews for A TRIP WITH THE TYCOON that have cheered me up.

"A Trip with the Tycoon is a wonderfully evocative, highly poignant and thoroughly mesmerizing romantic read which I found absolutely impossible to put down. Nicola Marsh has not only crafted a spellbinding tale of taking chances, new beginnings and breathtaking romance, but she has also managed to meticulously recreate the sights and sounds of India so well, that I felt as if I was right there with Ethan and Tamara, surrounded by the exotic beauty of this magnificent country.
Warm-hearted, engrossing and deliciously romantic, A Trip with the Tycoon is another feel-good smash hit by the fabulous Nicola Marsh!" (CATAROMANCE)
"Nicola Marsh's latest Harlequin Romance, A Trip with the Tycoon, is a magical tale of new beginnings, second chances and happy endings set under the beautiful Indian sky.

A Trip with the Tycoon is absolutely wonderful! It's fresh, witty, sassy and feel-good, but also poignant, tender and moving. Nicola Marsh never fails to make me care and emphatize with her characters and in A Trip with the Tycoon, she has created a wonderful heroine and an absolutely gorgeous hero!

Set against the majestic Indian landscape and full of charm, pathos and romance, A Trip with the Tycoon will delight and enchant readers everywhere!" (PHS REVIEWS)

Reviews are in

Hot off the press, the latest reviews for THE BILLIONAIRE'S BABY.

"The supremely talented Nicola Marsh has written a wonderful heartwarming story that had me laughing and crying in equal measure. Fast-paced, romantic and thought-provoking, once you read the first page of The Billionaire’s Baby, you soon realize that putting the book down is not an option! Tender, emotional and true to life, poignant romance does not get any better than this!"
(CataRomance)

"Heartwarming, emotional and believable, The Billionaire’s Baby is the latest page-turner by talented Mills and Boon Romance author, Nicola Marsh!...The Billionaire’s Baby is just a wonderful story of second chances, new beginnings and the sheer strength of the human spirit. Nicola Marsh writes wonderful stories about modern women who know what they want and smart and sexy heroes her readers cannot resist falling in love. Romantic, engrossing and realistic, The Billionaire’s Baby shines with pathos, charm and heart and readers looking for a story they can lose themselves in shall certainly not be disappointed."
(PHS Reviews)

Now doesn't that make you want to snap up a copy right this very minute? ;)

Fresh and flirty

Then we have this review from the PHS.

If you’re looking for a romance that’s hot, sexy, modern and utterly delicious, then you’ll love Nicola Marsh’s latest Modern Heat: Hot Nights with a Playboy!

I adore Nicola Marsh’s stories because even though they are fresh, feel-good, flirty and modern, they still have that deep, emotional core that will ensure that readers of all ages will enjoy reading her stories. Featuring a sexy hero, a lovely heroine and plenty of drama, laughs and humour, Hot Nights with a Playboy is the perfect book to pack in your beach bag this summer!

In other news, would you believe the dreaded lurgy is back? Feeling decidedly blah, just like I did this time 3 weeks ago.
Note to self: don't push it!
Now, I just need to listen this time. Annoying, considering Zac and Lana were really getting into some heavy stuff.
They've had fun at the lagoon in Suva, now are back on board dealing with the fall out.
But I'm not going to write today. Must rest...

Are doubt demons chasing you?

Ever had those doubt demons chasing you down as you write?

Undermining your confidence?

Taunting you?

Want to banish them? Check out my post over at the PHS today!

My lovely ed rang last night to discuss revisions for Wish Upon a Valentine. I made her cry, twice! So I'm glad I wasn't the only one who got a bit choked up over this one. I really love how this story has panned out: loads of emotion yet fun at the same time.

Camryn and Blane are going to be my focus over the next week.

If I don't get distracted by all those hot heroes to come, that is :)

Where am I today?

The start of another month...and how many days till Christmas? Sheesh! Where has this year got to?

I'm blogging at the PHS society about why I love the Harlequin Modern Heat series. And yes, there will be the usual sexy hero pics. Need you ask? ;)

Tonight, I'm off to my very first book launch at Dymocks in the city, at Australia on Collins.

I was thrilled to be a part of SIZZLE, SEDUCE & SIMMER, the fabulous short story and recipe anthology collated by Marion Lennox.

Hope to see you there! If you can't make it, pick up your copy here. It will make a great Chrissie present!

COVER TO COVER: In the beginning...

Welcome to my new series COVER TO COVER, a 'how to write a novel' snapshot taking you through from start to finish of the Harlequin Romance I have just started.

I decided to blog about this process because I'm using a new technique to write this one and feel like it's my first book all over again! So bear with me...

By far, the most common question I get asked as an author is 'where do you get your ideas?'

My standard answer is everywhere! That's not being trite, it's so very true: a newspaper headline, a magazine article, a facial expression on an actor's face...ideas spring from everywhere. (They also tend to spring most often in that drowsy state between sleep and consciousness so always keep a notebook by the bed!)

Until now, my story ideas have been PLOT driven.

That is, an idea for a plot will spring to mind and I invent the characters to fit the plot.

For example, in my recent Harlequin Romance PRINCESS AUSTRALIA, I saw a newspaper article featuring concierges from major Melbourne hotels and knew I had to write a book centered around a hotel plot. Then I thought 'wouldn't it be great to have a heroine in this role...but she actually owns the hotel...and who would she meet at the hotel to really turn her head...oh, I know, a prince!'

With INHERITED: BABY, the book was written around Melbourne Cup time, the horse race that stops a nation, so I had an entire plot right there.

In BIG-SHOT BACHELOR, my first Harlequin Modern Extra, I made several trips to Brunswick Street, Melbourne's boho centre, and knew a plot featuring this amazing cultural experience was just waiting to be hatched.

So you get the idea? (no pun intended!) I choose a plot first, then match the characters to that particular plot.

With COURTING CUPID, my new work in progress, I've reversed the process and started with the characters first. Why? Because I like a challenge, I want to add depth to my characters, I want to take my writing to the next level, and because my editor suggested it! (always a good reason for a change!!)

In COURTING CUPID, I wanted 2 characters who are in such total opposition with their goals and motivations that they had no option but to be in total conflict, and a conflict which will deepen as the story progresses.

So I thought 'what could be more difficult to overcome than a cynical, divorced heroine pitted against a laid-back, romantic hero who wants a family above all else?'

From this original idea, I have fleshed out the characters, spent time interviewing them and collaged them (more about all these processes under 'characterisation' early next week.)

The characters have come alive. I can see them. I'm inside their heads. I know what they're feeling.

And the plot has developed from there.

So which method do you use? Are your stories plot or character driven?

(PS. Thanks for all your fabulous suggestions for naming my fictional cafe. I'll let you know the results early next week!)

Accolades

The RITAs (awarded by the Romance Writers of America) are the authors' equivalent of the Oscars and the finalists were announced yesterday.

In the Best Traditional category we have talented and lovely Aussies like Barbara Hannay and Marion Lennox, alongside a newbie Fiona Harper, and Jackie Braun. Great to know the Romance series is alive and well. Good luck, ladies. Wish you could all win.

In writing news, I finished the final read-through of PICTURE PERFECT last night, so will send it off to my editor at the end of this week. Still waiting for revisions on my last Romance, so hoping to tackle those asap. Aiming to update my website this week too. Busy, busy, busy.

And for those interested in seeing how I revamped an old manuscript and turned it into my latest sale, PURCHASED FOR PLEASURE, visit the Pink Heart Society today where I've blogged about the process.