Pressies all round

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas.

I'm still playing with all the fab toys Santa brought our littlies. Fun!

I had a few nice pressies on Christmas Eve.

My fab editor informed me that my upcoming Modern Heat, TWO WEEKS IN THE MAGNATE'S BED (UK, March) will be out in the US in September as a Harlequin Presents. Yay!

The other was a great 4 star review from Romantic Times for THE BOSS'S BEDROOM AGENDA.

Here t'is!

"To help finance her career as a metal sculptor, Beth Walker takes a temporary job as a museum tour guide. She's not too happy about it, until she meets the temporary CEO, Aidan Voss. The attraction between them is immediate and electric, but Aiden is an archeologist who wants to go on digs around the world, and Beth wants to stay in one place and put down roots. Can they meet halfway? From the moment these two meet, the attraction simmers until it finally explodes. What a nice change of pace that these two start out as equals on a journey that's filled with emotional twists and turns."

THE WRITE WHISPER: Romance PR

If you read or write romance, I want you to go outside right now, stand in the middle of your street, fling your arms in the air and shout "I love romance!" Shout it loud and proud. Make sure every person for miles hears you.

Okay, okay, I'm exaggerating but as romance lovers, I think that's what we have to do.

We have to be proud of the romance genre.
We have to hold our head up and meet gazes head on when people ask what we do and we respond 'romance writing.'
We have to proudly display that cover of a bare-chested hero in a steamy embrace with a gorgeous heroine while we're reading on the train.

We are romance ambassadors, every single one of us.

Last night, I was interviewed by several journalists in India to coincide with Harlequin Mills and Boon's 100th anniversary and the writing competition they've just launched there (more about that on Monday.)
The interviews went for 50 minutes total with a wide array of questions and the one thing that struck me, that has struck me repeatedly when I've done library talks or been a guest speaker elsewhere, is how fabulous romance is and how lucky I am to be part of it.

It's a genre that generated $1.375 billion dollars last year, with the biggest seller being contemporary series romance (Mills and Boon series romances), with 25.7% of the romance pie, followed by contemporary romance 21.8%, historical romance 16%, paranormal 11.8%, inspirational 7.1%, romantic suspense 4.7% with other subgenres to follow.

Harlequin sold 130 million books worldwide, equating to 1 book every 4 seconds and is the biggest romance publisher in the world.

These are statistics to be proud of.
These are statistics we should know as romance ambassadors.

Say it loud and say it proud.

"I love romance!"

That's my 'write not-so-whisper' for the day.

Almost there...

This man...

has followed this woman...

From here...

To here...

Okay, Nick hasn't exactly followed Brittany from Noosa to Oxford Circus but he is in London after stopping in the Caribbean along the way.

They're in Chelsea, in a dilapidated house, smack bang in the final scene.

Fireworks are going off...now she's crying...and I'm too tired to write any more so I shall finish this book tomorrow!

Just busting to tell you...

Two posts in the same day, highly unusual, I know, but I absolutely must tell you about 2 things.

First up, an author who is a new auto-buy for me.
I've just finished reading Richard Montanari's "The Skin Gods" and it was brilliant! Started it yesterday, couldn't put it down (and yes, I'm on deadline and trying to get this book done!) but here I sit at my computer with my word doc opened and my nose buried in this book desperate to finish it.

Harlan Coben and Tess Gerritsen are auto-buys for me, Richard Montanari is now part of that list. If you enjoy thrillers, grab his books!
I recently glommed Barbara Samuel and I'm off to glom the rest of this fabulous author's books too.

The other thing I had to share is the new cover for my next Modern Heat (March 09 in the UK).
I thought my Navy SEAL was hot in 'Purchased for Pleasure' but boy, does this guy rival him or what!!!

Right, you won't hear from me tomorrow.
I'm trying to finish this book!

THE WRITE WHISPER: Making your readers care

Welcome to a new series of writing tips, discussion and general blatherings as I traverse the wonderful world of publishing.

I'm hoping to make this a weekly weekend series though in all likelihood, I can see it featuring fortnightly...or maybe longer, we'll see how we go!

(And if you miss out on a post, you can see the lot in the sidebar link and on my website.)

So, how do we make our readers care?

The idea for this series was sparked while I was watching Prison Break this week.
This series is the best yet, with the writers giving every character motivation for their actions, no matter how nefarious.
But what really struck home was when I choked up over a former bad guy dying.
How did the writers do that?
How did they make me care enough about a 'baddie' to feel sorrow when he died?

Motivation.
It all comes down to this.
If you give your characters sufficient, believable motivation for their actions, readers will be behind them all the way.

How many times are you reading a book or watching a movie and enjoying it, only to be jolted out of the suspended reality by the character doing something completely out of character?
It jars.
It takes us out of the story.
It ruins our suspension of disbelief and makes us question everything about the remainder of the book/movie.

You don't want to do this to your readers.
You want them swept along in the story, so caught up in the characters' lives they absolutely must keep turning pages until they reach 'the end'...and leave them wanting more, particularly your next book!

A strong, real, believable motivation is gold.

That's my 'write whisper' for today.

Fan moment

I love hearing from readers.
Receiving emails discussing my books or saying how much they're enjoyed never fails to bring a smile to my face.

The funny thing? I never thought of writing to my favourite authors to thank them for their brilliant books.

Adele Parks was the first author I emailed and her response was lovely.
So imagine how stoked I was when she commented on my 'glomming' post over at the PHS last week. I had a distinct fan moment!

Now her latest book is hitting the shelves and I can't wait.
Hers are keepers for me.

Who's on your keeper shelf these days?

Guest speaker extraordinaire

Okay, that may be taking things a tad too far but I did it!

I actually got up in front of 200 plus people and discussed the life of a romance author and the wonderful world of Mills and Boon.

From the number of people who came up to me afterwards and said it was fantastic and inspiring and fabulous, I reckon I did okay ;)

The day was all the better because I got to catch up with a bunch of old friends.
I nattered almost the whole way of the longish drive with my oldest school friend (she was meant to do the talking so I could save my voice but somehow-as usual apparently!-I ended up doing most of the talking. Jenny said I always liked to tell a good story at school...)

When I arrived, I was interviewed by the Great Southern Star newspaper with loads of happy snaps and caught up with Mel, a writing buddy from way back.
Then onto lunch where a bunch of my uni mates formed a table to support me. How great is that?

So more nattering with Teresa (who roped me into this in the first place, thanks T!), Mary and Leanne, before I did my thing on the stage, followed by devouring the cakes. Oh boy, the cakes...quite simply, a highlight of the day!

I signed books, chatted some more, was barrel girl for the raffle and was presented with a stunning box of flowers and a L'Oreal gift pack (the sponsors of the day.)

There were Victoria and Melbourne representatives of the MS society at the lunch and I'm sure they would've been blown away by the attendance.

A great time was had by all (oh, and the frock and shoes were a hit too!)

Bon jour

The 1st of November?

Can someone tell me where the year went, please?

While I use every distraction technique known to man to stop from thinking about speaking in front of that crowd this afternoon (including rushing around last night to doctors and such because kinder kid came down with conjunctivitis completely out of the blue) my books are popping up overseas.

Executive Mother-To-Be is out now in France, available here.

(Don't you love the French covers? They're beautiful.)

While The Desert Prince's Proposal is out now in Spain, available here.

I'll be back Monday with all the goss from the charity luncheon.

Happy birthday Mum!

"For all the times you gently picked me up,
When I fell down,
For all the times you tied my shoes
And tucked me into bed,
Or needed something
But put me first instead.
For everything we shared,
The dreams, the laughter,
And the tears,
I love you with a "Special Love"
That deepens every year..."

I stumbled across this poem a while back (author unknown) and it really struck a chord.

My mum is amazing.
She's warm, vivacious, energetic, optimistic, caring and has raised me to be the person I am.
Until I had my own kids, I didn't realise the extent of a mother's love: how utterly overwhelming and amazing and never-ending it is. It's something I know I've taken for granted at times over the years.

So happy birthday Mum!
Thanks for the being the wonderful person you are.
I love you.

Juggling spinning plates

My editor has read 'Journey of the Heart' and loves it, but my hero Ethan is too nice!
I need to alpha him up.

That's the trouble with using Hugh Jackman as hero inspiration. He's a genuinely nice guy and it's difficult to make him otherwise.
So going to be busy the next few weeks wrestling him into shape.

Not to mention the countless parties: tonight, 2 on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, the following Saturday and Monday.

October is a crazy month.
And don't those revisions always land at the hectic times?

For now, Britt and Nick will have to wait...considering where I left them last, I doubt they'll be complaining!

Ooh la la!

Ooh, the excitement of a new cover, nothing like it!

And this one's extra special because it's my first Harlequin Presents!

Yes, I had 2 Harlequin Presents Extra releases earlier this year but this one's my first straight Presents and I can't wait for it to hit US shelves. So look out for my sexy boss coming to you in Feb!

And a quick wave to all the ladies who attended my talk at Kew library. It was a fabulous turn out, with at least 8-10 writers in the group of 30-odd.
Question time went almost as long as the talk and it's great to see so many people interested in writing for Mills and Boon, and in romance in general.

Now, if only I could banish the thought of speaking in front of 200 people in 3 weeks, I'd be feeling a lot better...

The Boss's Bedroom Agenda

Today, my sexy archaeologist and shoe crazy metal sculptor hit UK shelves.

If you like your heroes commanding and your heroines quirky, sassy and sweet, you'll love THE BOSS'S BEDROOM AGENDA.

Here's a snippet to whet your appetite:

“Don’t worry, Professor, I’ll look after you.”
She raised her cranberry martini in his direction, her hand jerking when she registered the shocked look on his face meant she’d let that little gem slip out.
“What did you just call me?”
“Professor,” she mumbled into her drink, using the glass to shield her burgeoning smile at the frown creasing his brow and making him look more professor-ish than ever.
“Why?”
She waved away his question, sloshing some of her drink onto his leg in the process.
“Oops, sorry.”
She grabbed at the napkin serving as a coaster on the table and dabbed at the spreading gin stain on his pants.
“Leave it, it’s fine,” he snapped, stilling her frantic hand while she tried not to yank hers out from under his.
If she thought he looked hot it had nothing on the effect he had on her body when he touched her.
It had taken all her willpower back in his office not to lean into him when he’d taken hold of her arms in a purely reflex gesture, the type of rescuing gesture a guy like him would make.
He was a gentleman, no two ways about it, so what was she doing here flirting with her boss?
This was madness. What had she been thinking?
She hadn’t thought as usual, caught up in living for the moment, flying by the seat of her pants.
Story of her life, really.
“You didn’t answer my question.” He released her hand before taking a healthy slug of his boutique beer. “Why professor?”
“It’s a term of endearment.”
She raised her martini glass in his direction before draining the rest of her drink. Better to scull and appear a lush than accidentally upend it over his chest.
Though if she got a chance to dab at that broad expanse of muscle because of it…

You can also buy here!

Another brilliant read

Another brilliant read by Barbara Samuel (who now has equal status as my favourite author alongside Susan Elizabeth Phillips.)

A PIECE OF HEAVEN features an American Indian hero, complete with acne scars and paunch, and she makes him sexier than sexy!
Luna, the heroine, is an alcoholic.

The way Barbara weaves a beautiful tale around these characters (along with a host of fabulous secondary characters) made me never want to put this book down.

If you haven't read Barbara, you absolutely have to.
The way she layers emotion and brings characters to life is nothing short of brilliant.

Fancy some hot nights?

Want to win a copy of this book?

I'm giving away a signed copy over at THE ROMANCE STUDIO today.

This book isn't scheduled for US release so it may be your only chance to get your hands on a copy.

Though I'm giving away several copies of HOT NIGHTS WITH A PLAYBOY in my newsletter contest coming up this week so if you want to be in it, sign up by emailing me.

Zo-Zo

Happy first birthday to my darling little god-daughter and niece, Zoe.

This is at her christening many months ago.

Isn't she a doll?

Glomming

Remember how I raved about Barbara Samuel's NO PLACE LIKE HOME last week?

Well, I've devoured 2 more of her books since then, MADAME MIRABOU'S SCHOOL OF LOVE and LADY LUCK'S MAP OF VEGAS.

She's a fabulous author.

If you love books packed with emotion, with real characters that will make you laugh and cry, grab her books.

I hadn't heard the term 'glomming' till recently (where you devour an author's backlist) and I'm proud to say I'm now a glommer of Barbara Samuel.

Best-laid plans

Yesterday was a disaster.
The date didn't happen.

I was so excited, got all dressed up, bub down for a long nap and happily watched by grandpa, and headed off in the car.
Not 10 kms up the road, a slow moving truck flicks up a rock and puts a chip in my windscreen the size of a 10 cent piece. Ka-ching! Moula to fix when we got home.

It was only a minor blip but I instantly thought, 'what else is going to go wrong today?'
Well, we were on the freeway, almost to the city, when we got a call from DS1's kinder. There had been an incident. We had to get there asap.
So cue the exit off the freeway, get back on, in the opposite direction.

The exquisite lunch we had booked never happened.
Our first date in goodness knows how long...nada.
But the kids are all right and that's the main thing.
And after being quoted $200 to fix the windscreen (my hubby got this on the first phone call!) I rang around and got someone to come out and fix it for $65. That first mob is famous and first port of call for most people...robbery!

The highlight of my day?
Curling up and finishing Barbara Samuel's NO PLACE LIKE HOME.

I met Barbara at the recent RWAus conference and was blown away. She's my idol.
So I rushed home that night and bought her entire backlist.

'No Place Like Home' is the first book I read...and oh my...she's brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
I cried and I never cry with books. Movies, yes. Books, rarely.

Here's what it's about.


Sometimes a wrong turn is the only way home. . .
No Place Like Home tells the unforgettable story of a family bound together by tradition-and the emotional journey of an estranged daughter risking everything for a second chance at life and love.
Twenty-one years ago Jewel Sabatino left her childhood behind and never looked back. After a magical taste of fame, she found herself alone with a son to raise and not much else. She survived with the help of Michael, her one true friend. But now Michael is too sick to care for himself, and Jewel has run out of options. She leaves New York for the hills of Colorado, unsure if the family she ran from will welcome her back.
For Jewel, coming home is falling back into a world that smells of Italian restaurants and home-baked pies. It is the laughter of sisters preparing for a summer wedding, and the peaceful haven for a treasured soul mate's last days. It also means facing the unforgiving eyes of a father betrayed by his favorite child-and letting go of a son who is ready to become a man. But most of all, it is the love she discovers in her own wary heart when Michael's brother Malachi unexpectedly arrives on her doorstep.

I will be devouring the rest of the books.
In fact, I'm already half way through MADAME MIRABOU'S SCHOOL OF LOVE and I only started in last night!
I want to be Barbara when I grow up. :)

My hero

This is one of my favourite pics of Hugh Jackman.
Unfortunately, I can't use it to fuel a scene in the book as Ethan isn't a motorbike kind of guy. But I'm generous. Thought you might enjoy this over the weekend.
Writing-wise, I managed 13000 words this week. I'm just over half way and the story is still flowing beautifully.
The downside? Have woken with a sore throat again. So can't push myself over the next 5 days. Must be healthy for conference. Will resort to Alphie during the day and trying to get to bed earlier at night. That's my battle plan to attack this super bug doing the rounds of Melbourne at the moment.
I will be in glossy, glam author mode next week. I will, I will, I will!

Hints for Sexy Writers

Remember I recently mentioned the FEEL THE HEAT competition for writers targetting Harlequin Modern Heat (Sexy Sensation in OZ)?

Well, if you want a few hints on how to create Mod Heat characters, I've posted an article at the Harlequin Presents Blog.

Hope it helps :)

Double release!

If you're in Australia and New Zealand, I have 2 books hitting the shelves today!

HOT NIGHTS WITH A PLAYBOY (Sexy Sensation) and THE DESERT PRINCE'S PROPOSAL (Sweet) are OUT NOW!

Remember what a few reviewers had to say:

"fast, wonderfully well-written read, it rekindles every fantasy about Prince Charming, exotic desert lands and being swept off my feet I ever had. Ms. Marsh's characters are quick-witted, intelligent and definitely have chemistry enough to make the romance sizzle. The setting is wonderful, with plenty of details to make it all come to life. THE DESERT PRINCE'S PROPOSAL is a great, bite-sized romance! Well done!" (Romance Reader at Heart)

"Forget about Sex and the City:The Movie, if it's fresh, flirty and feel-good you're after then pick up Nicola Marsh's latest Modern Heat: Hot Nights with a Playboy!...a steamy, sexy and fun contemporary romance that sparkles with glamour, humour, sophistication, passion and plenty of style!...a fast-paced sizzler by a writer who writes deliciously sensual contemporary romances that pack plenty of emotional punch! Don't miss it!" (CataRomance)

Looking forward to hearing more reader reviews :)