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 :)

Calling all sexy writers!

Harlequin Mills and Boon are running another fabulous contest to discover new authors and this time it's for the Modern Heat/Presents series (Sexy Sensation in Australia), one of the fab series I write for.

So if you like writing sexy, have a fun, fresh, flirty voice and would love to be published in this series, why not give it a go?

All details for the FEEL THE HEAT contest are here.

Good luck!

Titles

CONTRACT TO MARRY is out now in Germany (in a collection with Kim Lawrence, Sharon Kendrick and Jennie Lucas.) You can buy it here.

The title is MIT DIR IM SIEBTEN HIMMEL which translates to 'With You in Seventh Heaven'.
Cute, huh?

I'm always intrigued by foreign translations and the titles. And I often wonder if the stories are the same or something gets lost in the translation?
Would love to hear from anyone who has read my books in another language :)

Another great review for my desert prince

You've heard the lovely things ALL ABOUT ROMANCE and ROMANCE READER AT HEART had to say about my desert prince, now I've had another great review, this time from CataRomance.

Here's a snippet:

The fabulous Nicola Marsh always manages to imbue her award-winning Harlequin Romances with lots of fun, wit and sophistication, whilst retaining the warmth, tenderness and intensity of the Romance imprint that has kept readers from all over the world entranced for decades!

Warm-hearted, fresh, tender and compelling, Nicola Marsh’s The Desert Prince’s Proposal is the perfect book to lose yourself in on a hot summer night! With a wonderful cast of characters, a fast-paced plot and plenty of emotional power, The Desert Prince’s Proposal is another spellbinding romance from a wonderful novelist with a wonderfully bright future ahead of her.

And over at the Pink Heart Society reviews we have this:

Tender, romantic, warm-hearted, sassy and feel-good, The Desert Prince’s Proposal is a classic Sheikh romance that sparkles with plenty of wit, humour and charm! Don’t miss the latest page-turner by talented romance writer Nicola Marsh!

Right, now I'm feeling pumped I'm off on a research trip tonight.
Will tell you all about it on Monday :)

Latest review

Here's the latest review for HOT NIGHTS WITH A PLAYBOY (hitting Aussie and New Zealand shelves in August.)

Nicola Marsh sets the stage for a steamy read in HOT NIGHTS WITH A PLAYBOY. The tropical environment of the photo shoots helps to play on the emotions Abby and Judd are feeling as they work closely together. Both have tried to deny their chemistry but it is impossible when what they really want to do is the direct opposite. I loved the frank discussions of friendship and lust Judd and Abby shared. Complexities abound for them as they do not want to lose their friendship. At the same time, the reader is definitely rooting for them. Their bond is very strong but with Judd’s fears of relationships, of settling down and not traveling all over the world, it makes it difficult for Abby to trust in his avowals of love. HOT NIGHTS WITH A PLAYBOY is steamy and has several interesting character complexities that keep the story fresh.

ROMANCE JUNKIES gave it a blue ribbon rating of 4, a book they would recommend to all their friends :)

COVER TO COVER: The final result

From this (last September)

To this: THE BILLIONAIRE'S BABY (yay, I now have a title!) a Harlequin Romance, out in May 09.

Way too long to wait considering I think this is the best book I've written and I absolutely love it! I hope you will too.

If you want to follow the creation of this book from start to finish, click on the Cover to Cover link in the sidebar.

And if you want to see all the 'under the covers' action and read a brand new excerpt, head on over to my website.

Double whammy!

If you're in Australia and New Zealand, August sees 2 of my books hit the shelves.
But if you can't wait that long, both these books are available online NOW!

Fancy a bit of sizzle on a Whitsunday island? Check out HOT NIGHTS WITH A PLAYBOY, available here.

Fancy the scorching kisses of a desert prince? Check out THE DESERT PRINCE'S PROPOSAL here.

Or why not indulge and grab both? ;)

The Boss's Bedroom Agenda

Here it is, the gorgeous UK cover for THE BOSS'S BEDROOM AGENDA.
What do you think?
I love it!
That boss can seduce me anytime ;)

This book features Aidan Voss, archaeologist turned temp CEO of Melbourne Museum, and Beth Walker, shoe addict and avant garde metal sculptor.
I had so much fun writing this book (little wonder I had to give Lana, Beth's geeky cousin, her own story!)

And the great news?

This book will be released as Harlequin Presents in the USA in Feb 2009!

The end

Zac and Lana have sailed into the sunset.
(This is the picture that started it all...sigh, isn't he gorgeous?)

'Making Waves with the Magnate' is done!

Rather fortunate, as had a chat with my editor last night and plans have changed, big time!
Revisions for THE DATING DILEMMA have been shelved, as my next Romance (the one I can't wait to tell you about) needs to be written...now!
This is the commissioned book as part of an exciting new series and my deadline is...like yesterday! Yikes!

So guess who's going to be a busy little bee? Then it's another Mod Heat asap, then while I'm waiting on that one I can tackle revisions.

Throw in several deadlined articles I have to write, a requested short story for a magazine, several interviews, guest blogs and the general life stuff of being a supermum and you'll know why I couldn't sleep last night. My head is buzzing!

So exciting times ahead.
But firstly, Zac needs to be edited next week. That first article has to be written, as does the short story.
Then it's onto...JOURNEY OF THE HEART.
Wait till you here about this story! I love it so much already and I haven't written a word yet!

I'd also hoped to post my cover of THE BOSS'S BEDROOM AGENDA today but must dash (kinder kid off to a party-I swear his social life is more of a whirlwind than mine!!)
There's some great news about its US release too, but I'll leave that till Monday :)

Another shot of confidence

I've had another lovely review for THE DESERT PRINCE'S PROPOSAL so I'm finally starting to relax a little over this book :)

Here's what ROMANCE READER AT HEART had to say:

"THE DESERT PRINCE'S PROPOSAL by Nicola Marsh is pure fun. A fast, wonderfully well-written read, it rekindles every fantasy about Prince Charming, exotic desert lands and being swept off my feet I ever had.

While this story has been told before in lots of variations, this telling stands apart. 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!"

And just in case you've forgotten who inspired Prince Samman al Wali, here he is. Nice. Very nice.

And speaking of my desert prince, I'm running a HUGE competition to coincide with the release of this book.

Details shortly!

I'm stoked!

I am absolutely stoked!
Thrilled!
Doing side-kicks!

ALL ABOUT ROMANCE are well known and notoriously tough to get a good review from (they range from A-F and if you check out their reviews page, they're liberally peppered with Cs and Ds.)

So imagine my delight when I just discovered THE DESERT PRINCE'S PROPOSAL (out in the UK and US in July) got a B+!!!

Here's a snippet:

"The Desert Prince's Proposal is a delightful fairy tale, and does a near perfect job of whisking one away from the everyday.

Whether you're in the mood for a quick read or you just need a sweet love story rather than a hot, lusty tale, The Desert Prince's Proposal makes for a wonderful modern-day fairy tale.

The best parts of this book reminded me of afternoons spent watching old romantic movies.

Let yourself get swept away in the fantasy."

Cool, huh?
I luuuurv the book being compared to old romantic movies...a lovely compliment :)

The review means a lot considering I have a few doubts about this book, being my first 'desert prince/sheikh' fantasy and all...so nice to know I've captured this reviewer's imagination.

Can't wait to hear what my readers think!!!

What happens when you rest

I've been good.
I've tried to rest as much as possible with 2 very active little boys over the weekend. Even managed an hour and half nap yesterday afternoon which left me feeling almost human again.
Stuffy head still there but aches gone!

Bub still teething so last night, I was up to him at 3.30am, cuddling him in a rocking chair, when the start to my next Harlequin Romance popped fully formed into my head.
I love it when that happens! Most of my books have begun like that, in the wee small hours of the morning, in that half-wake/half-dream state.

This book is so vivid for me. The outline has already been approved by my ed (as it's part of a commissioned Harlequin series-will tell you more about it when I get to the book after I finish Zac) The characters are gorgeous, the emotion is there and the journey they go on...let me just say, it's special. Very special.

I can't wait to start this one. My fingers are itching.
But I have a cold to recover from...a month long one!
And a Modern Heat to finish.

But the dream is there...the excitement is building...and I can't wait to share it all with you :)

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...