Taking time

It's been so nice these last few days not to have to be anywhere for a set time. I've been writing - adding words to all three books and enjoying the process. I've finally got around to making a proper author page for FACEBOOK I suppose now I'll have to behave like a proper author. I've been busy booking some fabby guest bloggers to visit here over the next few months. I met up with Elizabeth Hanbury and Phillipa Ashley my fellow coffee crew authors for one of our working, okay, gossiping lunches. As always it's so inspirational and I always come away fired up and ready to write. Look out for Phillipa's book Wish You were here btw if you're in the US as it's released tomorrow by Sourcebooks. (It's one of my favourite reads of Phillipa's) I've been pottering around the house catching up on laundry, cleaning the insides of the windows - it's not foggy out there, who knew? And generally annoying the belles with requests to tidy up, put things away etc. To make my week even better I'm off soon to one of my favourite places. A tiny town on the Welsh border just for a couple of days. The fish and house sitters are organised so hopefully I can spend a few days in lovely countryside with a notepad and pen adding a few more words to my wips.

A bit of a catch up!

I've been a bit of a bad blogger lately. My excuse is that time seems to be whizzing past and I have been horrendously busy. Things are moving swiftly with Renovation, Renovation, Renovation - edits are due anytime soon and yesterday I saw some of the cover concepts - all of which are gorgeous and different and lovely. As soon as I get the official release dates I'll be shouting about them on here. I'm halfway through writing the second contracted book for Myrmidon so I'm having to pick my way through the various complicated plot threads at the minute to make sure i don't end up with holes.
I'm also still writing Sour Grapes, my shorter novella. I have the next week off from the day job so I may do some more on that then. That's also half done. Then there's my secret, not supposed to be writing it at all book. All I'll tell you is that it's Jane Austen inspired contemporary rom com.
The belles have been busy too with my eldest dd sitting her AS level exams, and the two younger ones taking part in the annual dance show, plus my middle dd working with her theatre group ready for the summer festival.
I'm really looking forward to a week just puttering about, tinkering with my wips and tidying up the house. It'll be so nice not to have to rush around everywhere.

Winners from the round the world blog hop

A huge big thank you to everyone who stopped by. I so enjoyed reading your stories. There were so many of you I'm going to give away three downloads of Making Waves.
The winners are:
landS'sMom
Leanne109
JuneM
Congratulations - your prize will be in your inbox soon!

Trip Around the World: Mega Author Blog Hop: Ticket to Paradise!

TOUR RULES:
1) Have fun!
2) INVITE ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!
3) THIS TOUR STARTS: Monday, May 16, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
THIS TOUR ENDS: Monday, May 23, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
4) MEET AND MINGLE WITH ALL THE AUTHORS! EXPERIENCE A NEW DESTINATION AT EVERY STOP! PARTICIPATE IN EVERY BLOG CONTEST AND BE ENTERED FOR CHANCES TO WIN MULTIPLE PRIZES! EVERY BLOG VISITED IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO WIN!!
5) 5) PARTICIPATION AT EVERY BLOG IS RECOMMENDED. BUT REMEMBER: THE MORE YOU HOP THE MORE CHANCES YOU HAVE TO WIN EVERY AUTHOR IS WAITING TO MEET AND INTERACT WITH YOU, SO PLEASE BE SURE TO SHOW EVERY AUTHOR SOME LOVE!
6) DID I MENTION TO HAVE FUN? WHOO! HOO!! HERE WE GO!



Welcome to those of you who've hopped here from Tricia Schneider's blog. Shake off the jet lag from the fast ride from Germany and welcome to Cornwall. Home of King Arthur and the Knights of the round table at mystical Tintagel. Did I mention it was the home of Daphne Du Maurier? We also boast world class surfing beaches along with fabulous food like clotted cream, Rick Steins seafood restaurant at St Ives and even a a mystical beast haunting the wild moors of Bodmin. Not to mention smugglers and if you were a Poldark fan... well need I say more?
That's why I couldn't resist setting Making Waves there.
Making Waves by Nell Dixon Astraea Press
Also available from Amazon in Kindle format, Smashwords, B&N and other reputable e-tailers.
Cassidy Jones needs a holiday and her friend's cottage in New Bay sounds perfect. The beach could heal the bruises from losing her job and her fiancé. Perfect for some time alone to gather her thoughts and heal her broken heart.
Josh Parker is also looking forward to a much needed break after eighteen months of non-stop work. His out of town friend offers her cottage and Josh thinks it would be just right for some time to let his hair down and revive his social life with his old surf buddies.
One cottage, two unsuspecting occupants, a recipe for romance or disaster?

An outside table stood empty in the far corner near the seawall under the shade of a gaily striped umbrella. Cassidy took a seat and pulled off her hat, dropping it on the table. She ruffled her hair with her hands in an attempt to restore some bounce to her smooth auburn bob.
The pretty blonde waitress was busy taking an order from a group of surfers crowded together on a couple of tables near the outdoor service hatch. Cassidy sat back in the shade to wait her turn.
The male surfers were all wearing black or blue wetsuits, unzippered and rolled down to the waist. Pretty girls in tiny bikinis laughed and chatted as the group placed their orders.
One of the guys with his back toward her seemed strangely familiar. It was something about his stance and the untidy mop of dark brown hair. Cassidy sat up straight, willing him to turn around so she could see his face. Her heart thumped in a mix of fear and anticipation as she watched him chatting to the girls.
The waitress came toward her with a pad and pen in hand. Cassidy ordered a fruit juice, her attention still focused on the man with his back to her. Then, just as the waitress left to take Cassidy’s drink order inside the café, he turned around.
“Cassidy? Cassidy Jones?”
Her heart sank. It looked as if she had been wrong about not meeting anyone who knew her here in New Bay. Of all the people she hadn’t wanted to bump into,
“Hello, Josh, what a surprise to see you.” Josh Parker was definitely one of them.
He crossed the paved area between the tables to come and stand at her table, a bewildered expression on his face. “What brings you here? I thought you and Ethan were supposed to be headed for the Seychelles.” He looked around as if he expected Ethan to suddenly materialize beside her.
Cassidy bit her lip. It looked as if her famously work-obsessed boss hadn’t heard the news.
“I didn’t get married.” She tried not to sound terse. In her head she’d practised how she would tell people and explain to them what had happened. Now, confronted in the last place on earth she had expected to see someone she knew, all her carefully chosen phrases deserted her. “Ethan dumped me.”
Josh looked confused. “So, you’re not married?”
Cassidy clenched her teeth. “No.”
“Oh.”
She did a mental eye-roll. For a supposedly intelligent man who’d built up a thriving dotcom marketing business, Josh could be mystifyingly dense. “Are you here on holiday?” She prayed he’d say no, that he was just a day tripper. He hadn’t taken a holiday to her knowledge for over a year.
“I’m here for three weeks. I’m staying in a friend’s cottage.” He made a vague gesture in the direction of the cliffs.
Cassidy’s heart sank. Not only was he staying in New Bay, but her cottage was on the cliffs overlooking the sea, too.
© Nell Dixon 2010
http://www.nelldixon.com
Romance with Heart
Look out for Dangerous to Know and explore the English Lake District – also from Astraea Press
To be in with a chance to win a download of Making Waves - leave me a comment telling me about your favourite holiday memory and I'll draw a winner. Enjoy your next stop on the blog hop in the Roman Forums of the 1880's.Elizabeth Amber

Brief Encounters

It's out!
You can get your copy HERE also available in other reputable digital outlets. Check out the Brief Encounters site for a contest running this week to win a copy - starting tomorrow.

A day trip to the US embassy

Today I finally got round to doing something I should have done a while ago. I finally applied for my itin number so I can get an exemption from paying tax on my US earnings in the US. I'd reached a point where it had to be done otherwise everything I earn in the US gets taxed at 30% there and then again here at 20%.
If you're wondering why I hadn't sorted it out before it's because it's a real pain in the bum. It involves getting a letter from my publisher/s taking my passport, and a form to the US embassy in London in person and having them verify all the documents, copy them, they send them to Dallas and then all being well 12 weeks later you get sent your number so you can then fill out another form and pass it on to the publisher.
If I lived near London it wouldn't be such a big deal but with trying to balance family life, the day job and find the money for train fares it becomes a big deal.
Luckily today I had Phillipa Ashley to keep me company so we met up at Euston and went together. Mr Nell had been a bit antsy as Mr Bin Laden's recent demise may have caused problems but it worked in our favour as there wasn't a queue for the IRS dept. We dutifully surrendered our phones and car keys to the nice security people and Phillipa drank some of her water to prove it wasn't going to blow them all sky high and then we went through to the dept.
The man in the dept wasn't exactly Mr Cheerful but he was very helpful and made sure we had everything filled in correctly.
Even so we were quite glad to get out, reclaim our property and tazz off for lunch and a quick shufty around Marks and Sparks before getting the train home.
Definitely one of mine and Phillipa's stranger adventures but we had a lovely lunch and a good gossip. Now fingers crossed we get our numbers through okay!

Alternate Rialto

My wonderful CP Kimberly Mennozzi has a new release! Please go check out and grab a copy of Alternate Rialto - available for download from Smashwords. I promise that if you like women's fiction with a dose of romance but a hint of something dark then this is the read for you.
Here's the blurb: All Emily Miller wants from her trip to Italy is the chance to get over her recent breakup. Watching her beautiful best friend Jenn revel in the attention of countless available men isn't helping matters. After arriving in Venice for the final week of their trip, hurt and disappointed, Emily strikes out on her own.

After a chance encounter in a paper shop, she finds herself the object of the affections of a handsome Venetian named Jacopo. At his invitation, she decides to throw caution to the wind and take a chance on a once-in-a-lifetime fling. Before she can do so, however, Emily must let go of the pain of her past and learn how to trust her own judgment in matters of the heart. Nevertheless, as Jacopo reveals more about himself and his surprisingly long-term intentions toward her, Emily comes to realize that in Venice, not all the masks are put away after Carnevale.

At $2.99 it's a steal! Buy Here Go on, treat yourself!

Reading and Kindle

Some of you probably know that Mr Nell and the belles bought me a Kindle for my Christmas/Birthday present. I was so excited, I'd wanted one for ages. I already read some e books when I had a laptop and it's prefect for when we go away in our touring caravan and Mr Nell makes grumpy noises about my cupboard being full of books instead of clothes.
What I hadn't forseen was how much I would love it. So far this year I've read 34 books, all but five have been on my Kindle. I read more widely now, YA, Christian romance, erotica, mystery, crime, sweet romance. I'm so there. Free books have been a great way for me to try new publishers, new authors, new genres. I've rediscovered old favourites - if Harlequin ever put the whole of Betty Neels backlist into e book format I'll be bankrupt. I've found new autobuy authors - Lorena McCourtney - the Invisible Ivy series is the Stephanie Plum of pensioners - with a dash of the God squad - brilliant. Books I've adored - Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes - a fabulous YA book and some which I've thought - what on earth??? Happily those have been very much in the minority.
I've loved being able to buy old favourites and have them with me wherever I go - I'm never without something to read.
I knew I would enjoy having a Kindle, I just hadn't expected to love it quite this much. How many of you have a Kindle, Nook or e reader? And are you loving it as much as me? Which new authors, genres or books have you found?

A huge big thank you

to everyone who has emailed, facebook messaged, twittered, myspaced and called me about the sale of Renovation, Renovation, Renovation to Myrmidon. I'm so very lucky to have so many lovely, generous and supportive friends.
Here's a little snippet of what the story is all about:-

After helping her live-in partner, former boy-band singer turned property developer, Steve Ricardo, renovate thirteen houses in seven years, Kate Michaels has had enough. When Steve impulsively purchases house number fourteen – the rambling and run-down Elizabethan Myrtle cottage – by using all their capital without consulting her, it’s the last straw. Kate had been expecting a romantic proposal and an engagement ring, not another renovation project. This time, as far as she’s concerned, the relationship is finished.
The only snag being that, with all their money tied up in Myrtle cottage and the property market on the skids, Kate has no choice but to stay in the house with Steve until the renovations are complete and the house is sold. Kate already dislikes the cottage, but when she starts to hear footsteps, snatches of conversations and music which is definitely of another era it really sets her nerves jangling. Wasps' nests, spiders and mice are one thing; ghosts are something else completely.

My Writing News - At Last!!

Myrmidon are delighted to have acquired two romantic comedy novels from award winning author Nell Dixon. Myrmidon have World rights to RENOVATION, RENOVATION, RENOVATION and a second novel direct from the author. Kate would like an engagement ring from Steve but instead he's lumbered them with a thirteenth renovation project, and doing up Myrtle Cottage disturbs a ghost from the English Civil War who has romance troubles of her own.
Nell Dixon is the author of ANIMAL INSTINCTS which won Love Story of the Year in 2010. RENOVATION, RENOVATION, RENOVATION will be published in paperback in 2012 with a digital pre-release later this year.

Publisher Ed Handyside: "Nell is a superbly talented writer and we're absolutely delighted to have her on board."

For more information:

Kate Nash

kate@myrmidonbooks.com

07973 218434

Hi Honey, I'm home!

We arrived home yesterday. Had a lovely holiday, not really long enough sadly but still can't have everything. The weather was pretty good all week with the exception of Wednesday.
Coincidentally Wednesday was the fabulous Julie Cohen's birthday and we met on the Cobb at Lyme Regis at Midday with Julie, the Fecklet and the Rock God (Julie's son and hubby) for fish and chips on the beach. After a lovely, if a bit chilly, lunch we adjourned to the pub to warm up before hitting the town to cause chaos in Serendip - the bookshop. (Pictures to follow).The Fecklet was very taken with my eldest belle who has a sort of magic spell that she always manages to weave over small children. We had a nice few hours before the heavens opened.
We spent the week pootling around Sidmouth, Seaton, Lyme Regis, Honiton and one of my favourite places, Exeter. We did jigsaws, hunted for fossils, metal detected on the beach, shopped and visited the town museum. Lovely.

Almost forgot

in the midst of my packing, trying to persuade the belles they really don't need a dozen pairs of shoes each, I have a book coming out. Dangerous to Know releases on Tuesday from Astraea Press If you could all just talk about it amongst yourselves or even buy a copy to keep a starving authors teenagers in shoes then that would be most appreciated.
To whet your appetites - here's a taster:

Jerome’s deep rumble of laughter at her answer caused a couple of people’s heads to turn in their direction.
“Touché!” He grinned. “So I don’t frighten you?”
“Like I said, maybe it’s you who should be scared of me.” She hoped the pulse she could feel fluttering wildly in her throat wasn’t visible.
His eyes twinkled. “And why should I be scared of you, Gemma?”
“Well, let me see. You’re a well-known bachelor of this parish and here am I, a dumped and desperate spinster.” Although her words were in jest, she couldn’t help but feel bitter towards her former boyfriend.
“You are much too lovely to ever be desperate.” His eyes locked onto hers and his lips brushed her mouth, warm and soft against hers, stealing her breath away. “And your ex-boyfriend was a fool to let you go.”
Startled, her words stuck at the back of her throat. “See, I could be luring you into my web.”
“Step into my parlour said the spider to the fly?” His lips were still only a few inches from her own and the sound blew soft on her face.
“Something like that,” she agreed. Gemma couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth. She had never flirted like this with a man before and every nerve in her body told her that with Jerome, she was playing with fire.
He stroked a finger down her cheek and she shivered.
“What if the fly were to ask the spider out tomorrow?”
“I don’t know if that would be a good idea.” Oh boy, she was in much too deep. In fact, she was more than in deep - she was probably drowning and with no hope of a life belt.
“I see.” He moved a little away from her and the tops of her arms chilled.
“I, um…” She tried to think of a good reason why she shouldn’t go out with him.
“If you tell me you need to stay in and wash your hair, I won’t believe you.” The corner of his mouth quirked and she knew he had called her bluff.
(C) Nell Dixon 2011

Errands to run

Monday is my desk and errand day. It's when I sort out 'stuff'. It's amazing how 'stuff' builds up and multiplies in a week, kind of like dustbunnies under the bed or hangers in a wardrobe. I also turned over my calendar and realised I'm off to the seaside at the weekend - yay! I love being by the sea especially early and late season when there are just a few people around. I always feel inspired to write and read when I'm there. Fingers crossed we get a few sunny days, my middle belle has already found her metal detector ready for the beaches.
What settings inspire you? Are you a seaside person or more lakes and mountains? or perhaps you like to travel to foreign countries?

Guest Blogger - Meet Joselyn Vaughn

Please welcome my guest blogger for this week, one of my fellow Astraea authors, Joselyn Vaughn.

Joselyn, please introduce yourself to everyone;
I live in the Great Lakes State with my adoring husband, three energetic and ambitious toddlers, and two of the laziest beagles. I believe there is nothing better than a warm hug, a good romance novel and chocolate. When not changing diapers or removing a toddler from a precarious situation, I enjoy sewing, running, shopping at thrift stores and reading books longer than thirty pages. I have two other published books: CEOs Don't Cry and Courting Sparks.

Sucker for a Hotrod is a very unusual title, what's the story about?
Bryce Halloway only dates a woman once. No exceptions.
It gives him the reputation of a heart-breaker, but he can handle that as long as it keeps his mother, Dinah, from trying to marry him off. Judi Montgomery and her tempting ponytail finagle their way around official dates with car problems and driving lessons. She worms her way into his heart and entices him to want more from his life.
When health issues cause his father to retire, Bryce inherits the family-owned tractor repair shop. Can Judi’s love and encouragement give him the courage to break tradition and pursue his dreams of owning a custom hot rod shop?

Tell us more about the book, it sounds great, why did you choose to write this book?

The story started out about a car that couldn’t be fixed and then it evolved. Bryce’s story changed so much as I work. I thought he would be a cocky guy who thought he could fix anything and then I found out he wasn’t working on cars and he didn’t like where he was working. The story became much more about him than I thought it would be when I started.

What authors do you like to read?

W.S. Gager. Tanya Eby, JQ Rose, Jillian Grant, Julia Quinn, Meg Cabot, and many more. It’s so hard to remember all the authors I like.

Do you write to music or silence?

Does the Bob the Builder theme song count at music? I’m sure it isn’t silence. The kids are watching Dora right now. It’s my first experience with Dora and unfortunately I don’t think it will be my last. I find I get the most fiction writing done when there’s silence.

Do you have any more books planned?

I’m working on one focusing on the owner of the bed and breakfast in my first book. It’s been a lot of fun as well as a challenge. Minnie is in her seventies and has a lot more history behind her actions than other heroines I’ve worked with. She’s also the feistiest.

If you could take two fictional characters from any book out to dinner, who would you take and why?

Oh I don’t know. I think the main character from Meg Cabot’s Queen of Babble series would be fascinating. I would really like to know how she transformed the Scottish wedding dress. Maybe she’d have pictures. My sister does clothing alterations and has done some really cool transformations, like a men’s sweatshirt into a women’s dress. I think it’s fascinating. I’d like to hear more about this character’s work. And number two? This is so hard. How about Gilbert Blythe from the Anne of Avonlea series? He’s just so cute.

Thanks Joselyn for coming along to chat about your book, Sucker for a Hotrod sounds like a really fun read. It's available now for Nook or Kindle on all the usual sites plus Astraea Press

Feeling foggy

Well, Spring has apparently been and gone. This morning the house is surrounded by fog - a bit like my brain at the moment. I can't believe it's almost April. This year has been crazy for all kinds of reasons. I've at least one book out this month, Dangerous to Know, you can check out the first chapter on my website HERE and if you want to keep tabs on my news don't forget to sign up for my quarterly newsletters. Next one is due out in a few weeks. Brief Encounters will also be released in a few weeks - six fabby little short stories, two from me, two from Phillipa Ashley and two gorgeous regency tales from Elizabeth Hanbury.
I still can't tell you my big, big, writing news yet though as things still aren't finalised but I promise I will as soon as I can.

Sunshine!

It makes such a difference to how you feel when the sun comes out, doesn't it? Despite the fact that it's the time of year when the tree pollen is stirring and I need to stock up on my hayfever meds. Life has been a bit sticky here for a few months, employment worries, the Belles and their concerns and commitments and health issues for various family members.
None of that has changed really except today the sun is shining, I have a voucher (just a small one) to spend in M&S and I have critiquing work to do. I do a small amount of critiquing work for private clients and for the RNA NWS throughout the year. I may be able to take some more private clients this year so if you think you might be interested in working with me drop me an email and I'll send you my rates. For now though I need to go and run all my errands before getting back to my list of jobs for today.

Spot the difference!

Apparently the cover for Dangerous to Know caused a few ructions in the world of sweet romance so my lovely editor, Steph and brilliant cover artist Elaina, had to make a slight change. For your delectation and delight here is the new (uncontroversial version!)
I think it's even hotter but then what do I know!

Busy, busy, busy

I know, I am trying to slow down I promise. Life is a bit crazy still with uncertainties in the day job, something I think everyone is experiencing at the moment. Waiting for eldest belle's first lot of exam results (college)middle belle with her option choices and that she's managed to sign herself up to two dance shows and a drama fastival. Then the writing side of my life has been incredibly busy.
Thank you to everyone who's downloaded a copy of Making Waves and sent me nice messages - I'm so glad you like it.
Dangerous to Know will be out on April 12th from Astraea Press and Brief Encounters will be out from E-Scape Press at the end of April/start May.
I'm just finalising the details but hopefully very soon I'll be able to share some really big news with you! It's to do with a certain mss that features a ghost, a cottage and a very yummy hero.

Dangerous to Know

Coming soon from Astraea Press - meet Jerome!

Dyscalculia Day March 3rd

This Thursday is Dyscalculia Day. For those of you who don't know - My name is Nell and I have a maths disability.
Dyscalculia, a disorder which primarily effects a person's ability to work with numbers and mathematical concepts, is a virtually unknown learning disabilty. It is so little known, in fact, that World Dyscalculia Day was not started by a research institution or large non-profit advocacy group -- we dysclaculics don't have any of those in or corner (yet!). World Dyslcalculia Day is a grassroots effort by members of the Dyscalculia Forum online community. World Dyscalculia Day is as effort by dyscalculics, for dyscalculics, to educate others about this learning disability. Dyscalculia is defined by a person's difficulty with numbers and arithmetical concepts. It's estimated (by people who are good at that sort of thing) that between 4% and 6% of the world's population has dyscalculia, but that only 1% has even heard of the disorder.

People with dyscalculia struggle to perform everyday tasks, such as remembering addresses and phone numbers, figuring a tip at a restaurant, or determining exactly what that "10% OFF!" sale will get them. We tend to transpose digits (reading 67 for 76), invert digits (reading 6 for 9), or just get plain confused (3 and 8 might look like the same symbol to a dyscalculic). All that, and we haven't even talked about using numbers to do actual math!

Notice how Dyscalculia Day is on March 3rd -- 3/3? That's because it allows us to safely get the day and month confused (and we will ... we will) -- but we can't screw it up.
It isn't just 'not being good at maths' it is about a real disorder that spills over into areas of everyday life. I can't text, use a cashpoint machine, remember phone numbers or my car registration number. I can't read a digital clock and have to have a calculator where the keys and the numbers on the keys are clearly marked out in different colours so they don't blend into the background. On a bad day, I'm worse when I'm tired or stressed, I can't remember my own birthday. It affects my spatial awareness, I can't tell left from right and my job share partner is perpetually baffled and amused by my complete inability to process even simple directions or to remember my way to and from somewhere.It affects co-ordination and balance - that spatial awareness thing again.
People with dyscalculia aren't stupid - I have four professional qualifications, a string of GCSE and A levels but I can't remember a pin number for a card and frequently get dates and appointment times scrambled.
Some of the explanation above came from the Dyscalculia Forum
I'm not alone, many famous people also have dyscalculia, Cher, Mary Tyler Moore, Henry Winkler,Benjamin Franklin, and Hans Christian Anderson, even Einstein struggled with basic maths.
If you, or someone you know is dyscalculic please visit the forum and raise awareness of Dyscalculia. If it's cool for the Fonz to admit it then I can too - I'm Nell and I have dyscalculia.