Pitch & win critiques!

As most writers have discovered at some stage, synopses suck.

It's extremely difficult to take your fabulous manuscript and highlight the best bits in a succinct, cohesive way.

It's harder yet to to write a query, a 3 paragraph summary of your book.

The hardest?  A pitch, a one or two sentence summary.

So of course, that's what I'm asking you to do for a chance to win critiques.

I'm doing you a favour, honest. How can you convince someone else to read your story if you can't describe it in a snazzy, short, convincing way?

For tips, check out:

Rachelle Gardner's post on One-Sentence Summary

Nathan Bransford's post on How to Write a One Sentence Pitch

So, what's the prize?

-A critique of the first 5 pages of your manuscript by LIZ PELLETIER, senior editor & co-founder of ENTANGLED PUBLISHING (What they've achieved in a short space of time is truly phenomenal. I love working with them!)

-A critique of the first 5 pages of your manuscript by a USA TODAY, Waldenbooks & Bookscan bestseller with 30+ books under her belt. (Yeah, that'd be me!)

So here are the rules:

-As this is a blog contest, it's only open to followers of my blog (feel free to follow now to participate.)

-Your pitch must be 1 or 2 sentences max.

-Post your entry in the comments section here.  Your entry must include:

1. Title, genre, word count

2. Your polished 1-2 sentence pitch

3. your email address

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-Contest open to unpublished writers only.

This contest will run for 1 week, entries closing 11.59pm Monday 16th October.

FYI
Entangled Publishing submissions: We are seeking novels and novellas in the following subgenres of romantic fiction for publication in Summer 2012 and beyond:


•Contemporary (including category series romance.)
•Upper YA/New Adult (17-22 yo protags) that will appeal to crossover audiences

•Historical

•Romantic Thrillers

•Science Fiction
•Paranormal and Urban Fantasy
•Fantasy

Their latest October 2011 wishlist is here.

Good luck!
And please spread the word: on your blog, Facebook, Twitter.
Thanks!

(Don't forget the chance to win my latest release all week here!)

SIX SENTENCE SUNDAY: Busted in Bollywood

There's a huge movie theme running through BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD (as you probably guessed from Bollywood in the title! I also managed to squeeze loads of my favourite movies into the book, Dirty Dancing being one of them.)

Here's when Rakesh and Amrita meet for the first time, at JFK.

“Another Dirty Dancing fan, huh? Great, I thought Shari was the only one on the planet.”
“She is, I hate that film. Her way of playing a trick on us.” Another scathing glare directed at me before she turned her smiling attention to Rakesh. “She’s sick, posing as me, traveling all the way to India.”
“We should discuss the state of your friend’s mental health.” Rakesh held out his arm and Rita slipped her hand through it, smiling up at him like she’d been handed George Clooney on a plate. Naked.

Check out other SSS here.

**Want to win a Kindle? Come help me cast my next hero over at ROMANCING THE NAKED HERO where I'm blogging today!**

And don't forget my book giveaways in yesterday's blog hop post!

Got Great Giveaways?

If you're like me, there's nothing better than seeing your To Be Read pile grow with loads of fabulous books just waiting to be snapped up.

Here's your chance to add to it!

Check out the long list of adult and Young Adult book giveaways here.

And if you want to win a signed copy of my current release, SEX, GOSSIP AND ROCK & ROLL, leave a comment at the end of this post.

This giveaway ends October 12th.

But don't forget my other book giveaway in the Celebrating Romance post below.

Yeah, 2 posts in one day, 2 signed copies to win.

Go for it!

Celebrating Romance blog hop

As part of the Celebrating Romance blog hop, I'm giving away a signed copy of my current release,
SEX, GOSSIP AND ROCK & ROLL.

To be in the running to win:

-Be a follower on my blog

For bonus entries:

-Like my Facebook page (link in sidebar)
-Follow me on Twitter (link in sidebar)
-Subscribe to my bi-annual newsletter (yep, you guessed it, in the sidebar!)

However you choose to enter, leave me a comment specifying what you've done.

And don't forget to check out the rest of the blogs to win more book prizes!

Hot nights

Just released in Germany, WILD NIGHTS WITH HER WICKED BOSS.

Taking a stab at the translation...Hot Nights in Alaska?

Love the cover, very steamy!

Now, a heads up.
Tomorrow I have a book giveaway of my current release, SEX, GOSSIP & ROCK & ROLL right here.

And next week, I'm giving away critiques!
One from a fab mystery guest, the other from yours truly.

Stay tuned!

Another cover quote squeeee!

Anjali Banerjee writes beautiful books. I have her IMAGINARY MEN and INVISIBLE LIVES on my keeper shelf.  Then I met her on Facebook and we started chatting about books, deadlines and life in general and she's as lovely as her books.

When I asked her for a cover quote for BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD, she was only too happy to read for me.  Here's what she said:

"A delightful romp through the colorful cities of Mumbai and New York, Busted in Bollywood is a hilarious romantic comedy of secrets, lies, and the triumph of true love."

I'm blown away that two authors I love to read have blurbed my book.

And we both have fab Susan Wiggs quotes on our covers!

Thanks Anjali, I have HAUNTING JASMINE on my TBR pile, can't wait to dive in.

RELEASE DAY: Sex, Gossip & Rock & Roll

Today one of my personal favourite books I've written hits shelves in the USA.

Yes, it's release day for SEX, GOSSIP & ROCK & ROLL.

Here's a snippet:

Quelling the urge to turn and run, she frowned. “You’re not dressed.”

“You noticed.”
Her heart leaped at the wicked glint in his eyes and she slapped it down.
“Because if the towel’s a problem, I could lose it—”
“I’ll give you five minutes.”
“Or what?”
As he leaned forward, a tantalising blend of expensive toiletries and freshly showered male washed over her, undermining her anger.
The guy was a player. He flirted for a living. So why was she tempted to broach the short distance between them, bury her nose in the crook of his neck and inhale deeply.
“Just do it,” she said, annoyed by the slightest quiver in her voice. “We have to hit the road.”
“Your loss.”
He shrugged and turned away as she gaped at his insolence. Not that it stopped her watching him stride across the room, the thick white bath sheet draped provocatively low on his hips, clinging to his butt with every tempting step.
The man was a menace.
Whatever she’d expected, this wasn’t it.
Luca Petrelli in the flesh was a lot more disarming, a lot more charming, than she’d expected. And the fact she hadn’t had a date in ages went a long way to explaining why her hormones were shimmying along behind him, tugging at that damn towel.
He paused at the bathroom door and she quickly glanced up. Not quick enough if his smug grin was any indication.
“You’ve misjudged me.”
“How’s that?”
“You don’t think I have what it takes to be a rock star?”
He pointed to the towel and smirked. “You should see my tat.”

I love Luca (and that pic of semi naked Matthew Mc a few days ago? Yep, he inspired Luca!)

An Ordinary Girl & a Sheikh

Release day for AN ORDINARY GIRL AND A SHEIKH, a reprint of my sole sheikh, THE DESERT PRINCE'S PROPOSAL.

The fact I'm in an anthology with Liz Fielding and Barbara McMahon?  Cue fangirl moment!

You can grab this By Request anthology here.

SIX SENTENCE SUNDAY: Busted in Bollywood

Here's another Six Sentence snippet from BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD.

           “Yes, yes, very exciting. The young man who delivered it was very handsome, very big, great body, make good husband.” She clapped her hands like a hyperactive child while I resisted the urge to clap my hands over her ears in a swift judo chop.

            I didn’t want a husband, least of all one who delivered letters reeking of Brut 33.

            Choosing silence as the best defense against Anjali at her matchmaking worst, I tore open the envelope and reeled back as the overpowering stench shot straight up my nostrils. Even if this guy was Will Shakespeare and Dan Brown rolled into one, I couldn’t tolerate longer than a quick scan of his prose before I fainted from the fumes.

Check out other interesting SSS here.

Romancing the Naked Hero

We interrupt WEEKEND BOOK CLUB transmission this week to bring you naked men instead.

Yes, that's right.

Today I'm thrilled to be part of the the new ROMANCING THE NAKED HERO blog.

As the tagline says, 'A Goddess's Work is Never Done...' and that's what we're going to bring you daily...naked men.

Okay, maybe not naked men all the time, but we're going to strip down heroes, discover what makes them tick, along with a lot of other fab blog goodness.

You can check out the regular bloggers (including moi!) in the sidebar.
If you're a writer, you can also find loads of great archetype information in the header.

So come along and help us in the arduous job of Romancing the Naked Hero.

The best bit?  As a special launch prize, we're giving away a kindle!

Come visit!

It all starts with an idea

Most of my book ideas have come to me in a flash.

Maybe a spark of an idea from a magazine article, an expression of a movie-star captured in a photo, a first line of dialogue or a hint of 'what-if?'

Alexandra Sokoloff has a fantastic post on how to get the ideas flowing.

Writers out there, how do your stories come to be?

Susan Wiggs cover quote for Busted in Bollywood

I'd like to thank everyone for sharing in the excitement of my cover reveal earlier this week.  I had such a ball that day!

Now, I'd like to unveil the cover with the fab author quote...by Susan Wiggs, whose books I adore!

Susan is gracious and lovely and giving of her time.
When I emailed her a few months ago asking for a cover quote for Busted in Bollywood, she didn't hesitate in saying yes.
Then when I met her at the RWAus conference in August, she was just as lovely and warm as I imagined.

I'm beyond thrilled she took the time to read BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD and that she enjoyed it.

This fangirl is floating... :)

BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD: Excerpt

After unveiling the cover for BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD yesterday, thought it might be nice to give you an excerpt today.

Here's Shari starting her first day tour in Mumbai:

            As Buddy tested his Angry Birds skills—people were like the game app. birds, seemingly flinging themselves at our car—I swallowed a curse. Oblivious to my morbid fear of inadvertently killing one of the many pedestrians jamming the sidewalks and spilling onto the road, Anjali stared at my hands, where I clutched at the worn leather.

            “That’s a lovely ring.” She pointed at the ruby. “From someone special?”

            “No.” I released my grip on the seat to twist the ring around, wishing I didn’t love it so much. Definitely not from someone special.

            She didn’t probe, her curiosity snagged by my watch. The gold link and diamond TAG had been a gift to myself with my first paycheck at Tate’s law firm, a splurge I’d justified at the time by saying I needed to look the part at an upmarket practice, when in reality I’d wanted to impress the boss who’d already made a pass at me during the first two weeks.

            “That a gift, too?”

            Jeez, who was she, the jewelry police?

            “A gift to myself.”

            Needing a change of topic fast, I pointed out the window. “That’s the third cinema we’ve passed in a few blocks.”

            She craned her neck for a better look. “Nothing unusual. We’re the movie capital of India, so there’s a multiplex cinema on every street.”

            She had to be exaggerating, but as Buddy weaved in and out of the road chaos, I spotted five more.

            “Personally, I prefer cable.” Anjali rummaged around in her giant handbag and pulled out a TV Soap magazine. “Hundreds of channels, better viewing.”

            She flicked it open to a double page spread of buffed guys with bare chests and brooding expressions. Not bad, if you liked that fake chiseled look. By the twinkle in Anjali’s eye as she shoved the magazine my way, she did. “Bill Spencer is my favorite.”

            Clueless, I shrugged.

            Horrified, she stabbed at a photo of a dark-haired, dark-eyed Adonis with rippling pecs and a serious six-pack. “Don Diamont. You’ve never heard of him? Young and the Restless? Dollar Bill Spencer in Bold and the Beautiful?”

            “Uh, no, I’m more of a rom-com gal.”

            Shaking her head, she snapped the magazine shut and thrust it into her bag, casting me a disbelieving glare. “I’m thinking Amrita did you a favor sending you here.”

            I didn’t want to ask, but there was something cutesy and lovable about Anjali, and I couldn’t resist. “Why, Auntie?”

            “So I can educate you.”

            I stifled a snort. “About soap operas?”

            “About men.” She rattled her bag for emphasis. “These are the men you must aspire to. Handsome, tall, broad shoulders, rich.”

            “Fictional,” I muttered, earning a click of her tongue.

            She crossed her arms, hugging the bag and magazine to her ample chest. “You’ll see. Once you ditch Anu’s son, we can concentrate on finding you another boy.”

            I refrained from adding, “I want a man.” No point encouraging her.

BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD cover reveal!

Here it is!

The long-awaited cover reveal for BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD.

After countless hours of hard work by the team at Entangled Publishing, and many mock-ups (which are just as gorgeous as this one!) this is the final cover.

Fab author cover quote will be inserted where the tagline is when this book launches December 6th.

Thanks to Liz Pelletier & Heather Howland for not sleeping nights in the production of my cover!

And thanks to the bookbloggers who are co-currently revealing this cover:

Shelley Watters

Katrina Whittaker

Kerrin Hearfield

Fiona Lowe

Liz Fielding

Marg Bates

Nas Dean

Entangled in Romance

I'll be revealing some great news about this book in the next few days so stay tuned!

Entangled in romance

Less than  24 hours to the BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD cover reveal here and I can't wait!

If you want to get a sneak preview (in puzzle form!) go visit Entangled Publishing's new blog, ENTANGLED IN ROMANCE.

Speaking of Entangled, they're actively acquiring novellas (YA & adult romantic fiction) so if you have one ready to go, follow submission guidelines.

Lastly, one of my Entangled Publishing peeps, the lovely Rachel Firasek, has a great new segment on her blog, Meet Me Mondays. Check it out.

So, you want to know something about me, huh?

Well, I was chatting to several readers on Goodreads last night, who were based in India, interested in BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD and wanted to know if I'd been to India.

While I researched this book by interviewing Hindu friends, on the Internet, and stories I've heard from my parents, the answer is yes, twice!
Sadly, I was a kid so can only remember snippets but I'm planning on returning one day.

So that's my 'meet me' snippet. 
I love meeting new people.
What's yours?

SIX SENTENCE SUNDAY: Busted in Bollywood

Here we have it, my inaugral Six Sentence Sunday post.

If you don't know what SSS is, check it out here.

First up, here's 6 sentences from my upcoming release, BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD.

Between Anjali’s sniping at the family and Rita’s dossier, I gathered the Ramas were rich, very rich. And by the size of their newly white-washed two-story house, they were loaded. In a country where real estate was at a premium, these guys had a monopoly on space, their house taking up a quarter of the block.

“Nice place,” I said, smoothing the chiffon of my kameez and hoping all the drama training at high school would count for something in the hours ahead.
“All pomp and show.” Anjali’s glare at the house would’ve exploded bricks if she’d had superhuman powers. “A fat cow needs a big barn.”

I love this book so much, I can't wait for readers to grab it!
BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD will be available for pre-order very soon.
 
In the meantime, pop back here for regular 6 Sentence Sundays, excerpts, recipes from the book, and hot Bollywood guys!

WEEKEND BOOK CLUB: Wild Justice

I've been snowed under with revisions so for the first time in a long time, haven't read a book to review this week.

Instead, I'm thrilled to discuss Liz Fielding's WILD JUSTICE.

Liz Fielding is a fellow Harlequin Riva/Romance author who writes fabulous books.
Her RITA winning Marriage Miracle is my all time fave of hers (wheelchair bound heroine.)

Along with her award winning Harlequin Romances, Liz has self published a trilogy of contemporary romances (check out the cover!!)

Here's the blurb:

Felicity Beaumont, a very private young woman who, having fallen at the first hurdle in her film career has devoted herself to the commercial radio station that is her life. When her sponsor goes bankrupt overnight, leaving her with a huge financial hole in her budget, she turns to the new man on the scene, Luke Devlin, hoping he will pick up sponsorship deal. His offer to bail her out has strings attached and her instincts tell her not to trust him. Worse, with enough electricity to light the national grid sparking between them, she does not trust herself.

WILD JUSTICE is the first book in the Beaumont Brides trilogy and is available to download free from Amazon UK, Nook and Smashwords.

That's right, FREE! Go grab it now!

WILD LADY and WILD FIRE are available for $2.99 everywhere.

What are you reading this weekend?

Cover reveal for Interview with the Daredevil

Courtesy of my lovely ed at M&B London, here's the cover for INTERVIEW WITH THE DAREDEVIL, releasing in December in the UK.

What do you think?

(and yes, if you click on the link to the book, you will see naked George Clooney in a swimming pool!)

Another Goodreads giveaway

SEX, GOSSIP & ROCK & ROLL hits US shelves in 2 weeks and to celebrate, I'm giving away 2 signed copies over at Goodreads.

No questions to answer, no websites to check out, just hit the button.
Easy!

Publishing information at your fingertips

Agent Rachelle Gardner has a fantastic post with extensive lists to publishing information including:

-how to get published
-freelance editors
-what do say if an agent calls
-agent blogroll
-query letters

and much more!

Check it out here.

Weekend Book Club: Abby & the Bachelor Cop

I've been on a real category romance kick recently and have just finished another of Marion Lennox's heartwarming books.

Here's the blurb:

Bride-to-be Abigail Callahan has her life mapped out. Good career, wealthy fiancé—it's perfect…too perfect. Then sexy bad-boy-turned-cop Raff Finn reenters Abby's life, landing her with an adorable homeless dog called Kleppy and a whole lot of trouble….
Raff's teenage recklessness once broke them apart, but he's not about to let his childhood sweetheart marry the wrong guy. With help from Kleppy and some Banksia Bay magic, Raff plans to reawaken the Abby he's always loved.

Curling up with a Marion Lennox book is like curling up with a cup of hot cocoa: warm, comforting and oh so sweet.

She has a way of creating realistic, flawed characters and bringing them together with seamless ease.

And this book has a hint of mystery as well as a cute kleptomaniac dog!

An immensely satisfying read.

What are you reading this weekend?

Calling bookbloggers!

I have some news!

The cover reveal for BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD is imminent and I want you to be a part of it!

So if you're a book blogger, and you're interested in participating in a simultaneous cover reveal (so yeah, that means you get to see it first before anyone else!) email me and I'll tee it up.

Can't wait!

Foreign rights deal!

I'm thrilled to announce that Entangled Publishing (publishers of my BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD, releasing December) have made their first foreign rights deal.

To read about releases in Turkey, check out here.

With the publisher's foreign rights director (a 20 year veteran with Bloomsbury USA & Houghton) heading to the Frankfurt Book Fair next month, the future is bright!

Would be great to see Entangled's list hitting bookshops worldwide.

New Voices writing comp

All you budding category romance writers out there, Mills and Boon have just launched another New Voices competition.

They bought several authors from last year's comp, so go check it out here.

Good luck!

Life's curve balls

Life has a way of throwing you curve balls when you least expect it.

Saturday night, I'd had a ball at a party, get in the car to drive home and see little flashes of light out of the corner of my left eye (not UFOs, flashes in my eyes!)

Took a couple of Panadol, went to bed.
Sunday morning, flashes eased but blurry spots floating in my eye constantly.
Monday, more of the same, so this morning I went to an optometrist.

Turns out I have a PVD in my left eye.
Posterior Vitreous Detachment, where the jelly-like vitreous detaches from part of the retina at the back of the eye. The floaters are bits of jelly.

No cure, just have to live with it.

Yeah, it's a major pain, but could've been worse.
If the flashing lights come back, could be sign of retinal detachment and that's instant surgery to minimise loss of vision.
Pretty scary stuff!

No reason it happens, idiopathic, but it tends to happen in older people over 60! Hello! Not there for a quite a while yet! The joys of getting older...

In the meantime, I'll still be writing and reading and doing my best to ignore the blurry bits.
Interestingly, it's worse in brighter light, so if you see me swanning around in sunglasses permanently, it's not an ego thing, it's a necessity. :)

WEEKEND BOOK CLUB: Friends to Forever

I adore the Harlequin Romance series for its varied voices.


Some readers think the series is too 'sweet' and avoid it but let me tell you, as an author who writes for the series and who reads widely across it, these romances are packed with sizzle, sexual tension adding to the page turning quality of the books.


Some books in the series are lighter (eg. The Fun Factor mini series most of my books appear in) and some are emotional heart-wrenchers.


Nikki Logan's Friends to Forever is the latter.
Here's the blurb:


She was the high school princess. He was the high school nobody.
But Marc Duncannon and Beth Hughes were the best of friends—until a heated kiss exposed secrets and ruined everything….
Ten years later Beth seeks out Marc, and finds him battling to save a stranded whale. Together on a lonely Australian beach, they face exhaustion, the elements and their own personal demons—for Beth and Marc need to save each other, too. They discover that their friendship is worth fighting for—but between them might be something even stronger…perhaps a love that could last a lifetime…?

I remember reading Nikki Logan's debut and being blown away.
This book hasn't changed my opinion of her writing style.

Friends to Forever is character driven all the way.

An alcoholic heroine battling her demons and an emotionally scarred hero in desperate need of loving.

The poignant and realistic way in which they deal with their past is truly magical to read.


And I love how Nikki layers nature into all her books (this one features saving a stranded whale.)

An excellent, emotional read.

What are you reading this weekend?

READER REVIEW: Girl in a Vintage Dress

I love it when readers 'get' me.
When they can tell what has gone into the book by reading it.
This is one of those readers.

Just stumbled across this review for GIRL IN A VINTAGE DRESS on Goodreads:

Oh, how I adored this book, I really did.

Everything about it feels beautiful.

I am into vintage and retro myself (I really do wear my hair and makeup like my avatar!) and I could tell that Nicola Marsh had not only done her research very thoroughly but also enjoyed it!
The descriptions of Lola's shop, clothes, accessories, hair, make up etc are fantastic, I could really visualise everything.

The story is really good too! Chase and Lola are two wonderful characters; perfectly matched yet totally different, which makes for some really delicious tension.

What I like most about this book is the balance between the snappy, casual and fun writing and the tenderness of the romance.

Nicola Marsh's characters are always likeable and, more importantly, relatable and this is certainly the case with Chase and Lola (love that name!).

If I had to pick one word to describe this book it would be 'Gorgeous'. Because it really is!
Recommended.

The thing that struck me about this review is the reader picked up on how much I loved researching the vintage aspect. I spent hours pouring over vintage fashions and accessories and blogs, having an absolute ball, and I'm thrilled readers are getting a feel for my fun through the book.

Here's the full review.

Are you a follower?

Only a few days left to enter the BACK TO THE BOOKS giveaway hop.

I'm thrilled to welcome so many new followers to my blog. Stay tuned for more giveaways & competitions!

Check here for full details of this hop.

Branding

Timely post by Nathan Bransford on branding today.

He says there's no such thing as branding on the internet, only you, and I have to agree.

Because I've always wanted to write mainstream fiction alongside my Harlequin romances, I deliberately chose a generalised tagline "Flirty Fiction with Flair."

With the upcoming release of BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD, I've been toying with the idea of a separate blog, until I realised something.
I have a loyal following here. I look forward to interacting with those people daily.
I don't want to branch off somewhere else where I may miss out on those interactions.

Then there's Facebook & Twitter & Goodreads, where I chat daily too.
And I'm totally with Nathan. What you see on those media sites is ME. I chat life, books, kids, footy, food, Bollywood, publishing stuff.
I'm the brand.
Not a tagline, not what I write.
Me.

So that's what you're going to get.
Sure, there'll be loads of new Bollywood goodness here (stay tuned for some exciting reveals!) but what you see is what you get.

Nathan Bransford's post is reiterating this. Worth reading.

Don't forget the BACK TO THE BOOKS giveaway is running for another few days!
Check out my 3 book giveaway HERE.

READER REVIEW: Tag Team

My reading time has been seriously curtailed this week while working on BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD edits and uploading my very first short story to Amazon & Smashwords!

(So Weekend Book Club will return next weekend.)

I'm thrilled to see 3 ripper reviews up on Amazon in the first 2 days:

"a super fast paced awesome short story packed with tension and sexual sizzle amidst the International police drama, action and espionage...I've always enjoyed Nicola Marsh's contemporary romances and this short story delivers a powerful punch! The dialogue and action scenes felt like I was watching a movie rather than reading!"

"Hot, potent and riveting! Amidst a life or death situation these two really spark, through dialogue, tension and emotion. When they finally get it on it feels so real, deep and exciting. Nicola Marsh is a whizz with words, creating such wonderful, fresh, lively characters. My only wish? That there had been more to this story!"

"Tag Team by Nicola Marsh oozes sizzlin heat... short and steamy, but wafting with goodness..."

Thanks to Nas, Kerrin & Katrina. Read their full reviews here.

And snap up the story for 0.99 cents!
Available at Smashwords too

Don't forget my 3 book giveaway running all this week!

My first ebook short story release!

I'm thrilled to announce my romantic suspense special ops short story, TAG TEAM, is now available on Amazon & Smashwords.

Here's a snippet:

The woman had balls.
Big, brass cojones according to rumour circulating the ADF, though the technical terms in Coralee Keaton’s Australian Defence Force file read “brave, brilliant, resourceful.”
Garcia Diaz—Fox to anyone who wanted to walk out of his office without a permanent limp—had witnessed her demonstrate those admirable qualities first hand.
Now she was back.
To muscle in on his operation.
Again.
“Son of a bitch,” he muttered, squeezing his eyes shut, pressing the pads of his thumbs into them, wishing he could obliterate the memory of this woman and what he knew about her.
It didn’t work.
Her file was embedded in his brain: Coralee Keaton—Lee if you didn’t want a Remington 870 shotgun aimed at your head—thirty-four, joined the 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (Commando) after six years Army service, and became part of the embedded Tactical Assault Group (TAG) after 9/11.
An integral part of TAG if her results were anything to go by. This, on top of her leadership in 4 RAR (Special Forces Commandos).
Was there anything the ball-breaking wonder woman couldn’t do?
A brief pounding on the door had his eyes snapping open in time to see her stride into his office, her expression a study in polite professionalism, her eyes eerily blank, as if she didn’t know him.
Intimately.
“You cut your hair,” he said, throwing his pen on the stack of monotonous paperwork in front of him, pissed at her intrusion yet glad for the distraction.
Coralee Keaton might be a pain in the ass to work with but her taut body, long legs and impressive D cup more than compensated for the grief.
“You cut your surveillance on the Ebola job.”
She slammed her palms on his desk, loomed over him. “It nearly botched the whole operation.”
“But it didn’t.”
Leaning back in his chair, he locked hands behind his head, thrust his chin up, his smug smile guaranteed to grate.
She reared back, her blue eyes frigid as the Yarra River on a winter’s day as she stared him down.
“You better not make the same mistake on the ricin job.”
He’d had enough of this crap. Balling his hands into fists, he stood so fast his chair slammed into the filing cabinet behind him.
“I don’t make mistakes, Coralee.”
He deliberately used her full first name, hoping to get a rise.
It worked.
“Then what the hell am I doing here?”
“Wasting tax payers’ money?”
Stalking around the desk, he stopped a foot in front of her, invading her personal space, daring her to make an issue of it.
With a toss of her glorious shoulder-length black bob, she met his taunting gaze head on.
“I’m the best there is.”
Jabbing his chest for good measure, she smirked. “And don’t you forget it.”
Like he ever could.
He’d tried to forget, dammit, tried with every rebellious cell in his body, but the memory of the last time they’d hooked up on a job was burned into his brain.

Want to read the rest?
Grab it here for only 0.99 cents!
Or here at Smashwords.

And don't forget my 3 book giveaway in the post below!

Back to the Books

Blog hops are fun and the BACK TO THE BOOKS giveaway hop, hosted by I AM A READER, NOT A WRITER & BURIED IN BOOKS offers a huge range of prizes.

If you love reading, love books, love winning stuff, check out the link here.

So what am I giving away?























A 3 book pack of my latest releases!


-GIRL IN A VINTAGE DRESS

-HER BAD, BAD BOSS

-DESERTED ISLAND, DREAMY EX!

To be in the running, here's what you have to do:

-Follow my blog

For optional bonus entries:

+1 'Like' my Facebook author page (Link in the sidebar)

+1 Follow me on Twitter (link in sidebar)

+1 Have a confirmed newsletter subscription (sign up by emailing me, link in sidebar)

Easy!

(Please leave a comment with your name if you opt for bonus entries. Thanks!)

The contest runs until 7th September.
Good luck!

Changing landscape in publishing

As an interesting follow on from the Joe Konrath blog post yesterday, here's one from my favourite publishing guru, Bob Mayer.

I love his clarity and bluntness.

Well worth reading about the changing landscape of publishing.

Power in publishing

I love hearing the daily developments in publishing at the moment and here's another one.

Joe Konrath and Blake Crouch discussing who has the power in publishing.

Fascinating reading.

WEEKEND BOOK CLUB: The S Before Ex

I'm on a category romance roll at the moment.

And I'm picking up some beauties to read!

Sorry to say this is my first Mira Lyn Kelly read but won't be my last!

I adore reunion stories, probably because I don't have to suspend disbelief much to understand two people falling in love, something going wrong to drive them apart, yet finding their way back to each other.

This is a passionate reunion story, filled with emotion and poignancy and sizzle.

Loads of sizzle!

Ryan and Claire are finalising their divorce, but through mutual disclosures and building trust they grow closer.

I loved the practicality of this novel. No trite or miracle endings.

Just two people working hard to find their way back to one another.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

What are you reading this week?

Another big book giveaway!

I'm a featured author over at Small Blogs, Big Giveaways today.

Go check out my interview for GIRL IN A VINTAGE DRESS.

And yes, I'm giving away books!
(check out the other books on offer too!)

In addition, I'm giving away 2 signed copies of Girl in a Vintage Dress right here!

To be in the running:

-Follow my blog

-For a bonus entry, 'like' my Facebook author page (link in sidebar.)

Good luck!

THE WRITE WHISPER: Writing processes

I'm fascinated by writing processes.

How other writers bring their stories to life.

At the RWAus conference, I had an enlightening, informal chat at afternoon tea on Sunday with Stephanie Laurens, Anna Campbell, Barbara Hannay and Annie West.

Fabulously talented mainstream and category romance authors whose books I've read and enjoyed.

What intrigued me about our conversation was our different writing processes.

Some are linear (start the book and right straight through), others write snippets of dialogue or separate scenes, then weave it all together at the end.

I'm always a little in awe of this second group. How do you make it all fit together so seamlessly? And make it look like you wrote it in one go? Amazing.

Me? I'm linear all the way. From the moment I write Chapter One on a blank document, I write the rest of the story straight through. No jumping. No editing. Just write.

Luckily, I write a fairly clean first draft so mainly need to tweak and layer a tad as I go through the next time before sending off to my editor.

Interestingly, I've heard from readers who can pick I write the book in one go.

Yet here's the thing. I heard another gem at the conference that piqued my interest and I'm tempted to try.

In Bob Mayer's "POV & VOICE" session, he mentioned this:

"don't worry about the opening scene. Write the book. The climactic scene should mirror the opening scene therefore you can come back and write/rewrite the opening scene."

Fascinating stuff for a linear writer like me.

Have to admit, I tend to do this unconciously, ensuring the climactic scene ties in to the opening scene but actually mirroring it? Not so much.

While I have to nail my opening chapter every time to set up the rest of the book, maybe next time I'll go back and see how closely it mirrors the last.

Now, you know what's coming next...all you writers out there, I'm dying to know your writing processes. Please share!

WEEKEND BOOK CLUB: Dating & Other Dangers

I've been lucky this year. The few category roms I've read have all been crackers and this one is no exception.

Natalie Anderson's Dating and Other Dangers is a snappy, modern read I didn't want to put down.

Here's the blurb:

Nadia Keenan's first date Dos and Don'ts:
1. Do boost your confidence by looking hot
2. Don't put out until at least date two
3. If the man is trouble (however sexy!) do report all on www.WomanBWarned.com

After being trashed on Nadia's website, serial dater-and-dumper Ethan Rush is about to put Nadia's rules to the test! He's determined to change her mind about him.
She's determined to prove him for the cad he is.
Let the battle of the dates begin...

The sparks generated between Nadia and Ethan are super hot! Sexual chemistry at its best.

Loved the one-upmanship between them as much as their banter.
Loved the pacing of the novel.
Loved the contemporary website angle.

A thoroughly enjoyable read.

What are you reading this week?

CONFERENCE GOLD: Characterisation

This is a very brief summary of Bob Mayer's session on 'Writing your story in 3 dimensions: Characterisation.'

I stress brief because Bob provided copious helpful notes and I'm picking out a few main points I jotted down too.

-Everyone has a core motivation. Victor Frankl called this the 'One Thing'.
When a character reaches a moment of crisis, we discover their 'one thing'.

-Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs:
-What do you want?
-What do you really want?
-What do you need?

-Don't pitch plot, pitch character.

-Give the character an anomaly.

-In your first scene, what your character is doing sets your character.

-In your last scene, we need to see character doing something emotional they weren't capable of at the start. This demonstrates arc growth.

CONFERENCE GOLD: Picking up the pace

Here's a brief summary of Kelley Armstrong's 'Picking up the Pace' session:

-AIM: you want the reader to not be able to put the book down

-HOW to do this:

-shorter chapters (between 10-12 pages)

-end chapter at a point where something about to happen naturally (don't need to invent cliffhangers, let the events happen naturally.)

-'go in late, get out early'. (look for the soonest moment to end a scene and stop there.)

-avoid repetition
eg. Action scenes
1) Set up
2) Action
3) Aftermath
Don't labor the point.

-Taking care of business (eg. starting car, climbing stairs, etc...) CUT these to increase pace UNLESS building suspense.

-RUE (Resist the Urge to Explain.)

-Don't write parts that readers skip (eg. scenery, description, backstory, repetition of character, technical info.)
If need to convey, use in small chunks broken up by action, dialogue, etc...

-Dialogue: if conveying info only & nothing revealed, get away with a couple lines of narrative instead.

-Look at the pulse beat of your story (go back through your story after written, analyse each scene for conflict/interest/high stakes. Rate 1-5. 1=low, 5=high. Should have a good mix.)

CONFERENCE GOLD: Plotting

Here is a brief summary of my notes taken at Susan Wiggs fabulous session, PLOTTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT.

The plotting/pre-writing phase.

-Find your 'white' space. (eg. long walk)

-Make a collage (not an avoidance technique, is part of your 'white' space, being the architect of your story.)

-Make a playlist ('white' space again, even if you don't listen to it while writing it can spark ideas.)

-Focus on a powerful emotion you're experiencing (you don't need a big plot if your character has a big issue/problem)

-Couple an image with that emotion (may lead to something you can hang your story on.)

-Sociogram (what I refer to as mind maps-see previous post on this blog.)

After all this pre-writing, you should have an idea of your main character.
For Susan, this pre-writing phase can take up to 2 weeks, less if tight deadline.

For me, hearing her describe how she uses collaging, etc...(may do it then not look at it again while writing) resonated with how I do my pre-writing. Loads of research, may collage, then don't look at it while writing!

-Go through this process with every main character in your book.

-Take your main character to the point of decision in her life.
(Open blank document, start writing in 1st person present tense, fast writing, where character unloads her baggage/burden she's carrying-great internal problems!)
Also encourages the character's natural voice rather than the author's (about 500 words.)

-Start each day's writing with your character DOING THE NEXT INDICATED THING.

-Self help books also a great source for giving arc of growth for real issues.

Tomorrow, a summary of Kelley Armstrong's workshop, Picking up the Pace.

CONFERENCE GOLD: Snippets

Here are the stand-out quotes from RWAus11 that resonated with me:

-"Park your brain & write from the heart. Write from love, fear, anger. Tap into those emotions." (Susan Wiggs.)

-"We write because we have to write, not because we want to write." (Susan Wiggs)

-"Which channel you choose to publish with isn't important, reaching your readers is." (Stephanie Laurens.)

-"Take a risk, the known quantity is dying." (Bob Mayer)

-"Content is king. Promo is queen." (Bob Mayer)

Tomorrow, a summary of Susan Wiggs' workshop, "Plotting from the Inside Out."

CONFERENCE GOLD: The Fangirl

All this week, I'm doing a wrap-up of the RWAUS conference right here.

Snippets of conference gold I heard.
Recap of workshops.
Enlightening moments from plenary sessions.

To start, I have to gush like a fangirl.

Several months ago, I emailed Susan Wiggs for a favour. Her gracious reply blew me away.
Then I met her in person on Saturday, when the conference organisers asked me to intro her session.
She instantly recognized my name, enveloped me in a big hug and insisted someone take a photo of us which she emailed me the next morning with a lovely message.

Her books are amazing and so is she.

Next fangirl moment: Bob Mayer.

Quite possibly the smartest guy in publishing at the moment.
He's informed and savvy and ahead of the game.
If you're not following his blog, do so!

Stay tuned for the conference lowdown.

WEEKEND BOOK CLUB: Tempest

Julie Cross is my agency sister and I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Tempest via my fab agent, top 10 YA seller on Publisher's Marketplace, Suzie Townsend!

TEMPEST has huge raps. To be released in January 2011, it has already been optioned for film with Summit (makers of Twilight), and has a first print run of over 250K!

Here's the blurb:

The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time.

But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.
That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps.
Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future. Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.
But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.
Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

This book made my head spin (in a good way!) with its breakneck pace.

Loved Jackson (and loved a YA from male POV) and his romance with Holly, his feelings for her a major motivator throughout the book for his actions.

I like a book grounded in solid conflict.
I also like interesting, layered secondary characters and Tempest had that in spades.

From an author's perspective, I'm in awe of how Julie Cross kept the plot timeline fluid in this book.
Would've been a huge challenge to write! Kudos.

And it's definitely a 'film' book, one I can see playing out on the big screen.

While I'm away at conference this weekend, what are you reading?

From Here to Eternity

This is where I'll be today, the beautiful city of Melbourne, for RWAustralia's 20th conference, 'From Here to Eternity.'

I love learning about the craft of writing.
I love networking.
I love catching up with writer buddies from interstate and overseas.
It's going to be a blast!

If you're at the Hilton over the weekend, come up and say hi!

I'm in the news...

Following an interview I did with uber journalist Neil McMahon recently, his article FEEL THE LOVE is in THE AGE newspaper today.

It's a positive look at romantic fiction.
Well worth a read.

And here's the result of my 90 minute shoot with the photographer.
(Photo: Craig Sillitoe, The Age, 7/8/11)

Deserted island in Germany

I'm flat chat with deadlines so my reading this week has been slow, hence no Weekend Book Club post (am hoping to rectify that next week because I'm reading a cracker YA book!)

Instead, I bring you DESERTED ISLAND, DREAMY EX! out now in Germany.


Aren't the cover colours striking?

3 book giveaway!

If you're on Goodreads, you may want to check out this.

I'm giving away 3 copies of GIRL IN A VINTAGE DRESS.

And all you have to do to enter is click a button!

Marketing your book

Check out this extensive list of blog posts on how to market your books via agent Rachelle Gardner.

Entangled Publishing launches!

Happy launch day to the fabulous folk at Entangled Publishing.


They've been labelled as a "boutique publisher bridging the gap between traditional and indie publishing" and from my experience with them, I can't speak highly enough.


Their professionalism, transparency and dedication to producing the best books possible has been amazing.

I've revised my manuscript BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD 3 times with the help of an extremely astute and enthusiastic editor, who has helped me take this book to the next level. And I have a publicist working behind the scenes to ensure my book has the best possible launch.

I'm thrilled to be a part of Entangled!


To join in the launch activities and be in the running to win a Kobo, check out their blog.
(which also has a list of what they're looking to acquire in August.)

New release: Girl in a Vintage Dress

If you're in Australia & NZ, GIRL IN A VINTAGE DRESS is on shelves now!

The reviews for this book have been fab so grab it for yourself and see why :)

Here's the latest review, from the lovely Julie at CATAROMANCE:

"Nicola Marsh specializes in writing classic romances with a modern twist and Girl in a Vintage Dress is the latest fun and fabulous romance by this talented USA Today best-selling author...

A fantastic tale full of sassiness and spirit, Girl in a Vintage Dress is a fast-paced contemporary sprinkled with red-hot repartee, witty one-liners, sizzling chemistry and feel-good romance.

Lola Lombard is a real and believable heroine we can all relate to and Chase is a sexy hero whose vulnerability and generous nature makes him all the more irresistible.

A wonderful summer read sure to make you smile and wipe away a tear or two, Girl in a Vintage Dress is another keeper from Nicola Marsh’s outstanding pen!"

Read the full review here.

The book will also be available at ROMANCE WRITERS OF AUSTRALIA 'From Here to Eternity' conference in 2 weeks and I'll be there to sign copies, yay!
Hope to see you at the Hilton!

Poor prose

Heard of the Bulwer-Lytton annual contest for poor prose?

If not, go check out the results for a good laugh.

Sue Fondrie won with this gem:

“Cheryl’s mind turned like the vanes of a wind-powered turbine, chopping her sparrow-like thoughts into bloody pieces that fell onto a growing pile of forgotten memories.”