September Song

Here's the cover for my sweet novella release from Astraea press - coming to an e-tailer near you very soon!

Ups and downs

The last week has been strange. Some parts of it lovely strange, like being able to book my place to attend the festival of romance and working through the edits for Renovation, Renovation, Renovation and getting a peek at the cover for September Song. That was fun, I'll have several covers to share with you soon.
Then there were the downs, hearing that an old school friend had died and discovering a wasps nest under the eaves of the house - dying wasps dropping down the chimney and crawling into the lounge - yuck, shudder, ugh.
Back to work at the day job after my lovely holiday and we've tons to do - as usual. This holiday weekend the eldest belle and some volunteers worked with me at the local horticulture show - we potted up and gave away 150 plants and 3-400 potted seeds during the day as well as tons of leaflets explaining who we were and the services our charity offers. My colleagues are there today and if they are as busy as we were it'll be a good weekend. Of course now, my hip is not too happy but some rest and a few doses of painkillers should take care of that. I've been much better since I've been using the wii fit to try and repair the muscle damage in my dodgy leg. So, today is pyjama day at my house.

Guest Blogger - Shirley Wells

A warm welcome to my special guest - Shirley Wells!
Thank you, Nell, for inviting me to your lovely blog. It’s great to be here!

What gave you the inspiration for this book, Shirley?

I was lucky in that my publishers liked my novel PRESUMED DEAD and wanted a second book featuring my private investigator, Dylan Scott. Life’s so much easier when you can welcome back your main character. I had no idea what to do with Dylan though until, one day, I was taking a rest from a city centre shopping trip. I saw a young, bright, attractive girl with a small scruffy dog at her feet. She caught my attention for two reasons. One, she was full of life. Two, she was eating the most enormous cream cake I have ever seen. I looked away, looked back, and she’d vanished. I had an excellent view of roads in all directions, but it was as if she’d been plucked from the planet. People don’t vanish though, do they? They’re abducted, they’re murdered, they choose to go into hiding … the possibilities are endless. That girl became Samantha Hunt in DEAD SILENT. If you’re curious, this is from the back cover:

Ten months ago, Samantha Hunt set off for work...and was never seen again.
Despite the statistics of cold cases, Dylan Scott wants to believe the young woman's alive—and not just because her father, his client, is desperate to find his missing daughter before he dies of cancer. By all accounts Sam was a lovely girl, devoted to her younger stepsisters, well-liked at her work, in love with her boyfriend.
But as usual not everything is as it seems in sleepy Dawson's Clough. Sam's boyfriend has a violent past. She may have been having an affair with her boss. And Dylan can't shake the feeling that her stepfather is hiding something. Meanwhile, someone is trying to scare Dylan off the case.
Who wanted to silence Sam, and why? The truth turns out to be worse than anyone expected...

What are you working on now?

At the moment, I’m working on the fourth Dylan Scott mystery. PRESUMED DEAD was published in July 2010, DEAD SILENT has just released, and the third in the series, SILENT WITNESS, releases in March 2012.

Which authors do you enjoy reading?

I read anything and everything so there are far too many to list. Must-buy authors are Ruth Rendell, Jodi Picoult, Joanna Trollope and Ian Rankin, among others, but I love exploring and have recently enjoyed new-to-me author Gordon Ferris who writes beautiful crime novels. I was one of those people who vowed never, ever to read an e-book, but I got an iPad and became an e-book fan overnight. Since then, I’ve read far more widely. It’s much too easy to see a review of a book that sounds interesting and download it.

If you could choose some authors or fictional characters to invite to dinner who would you pick and why?

First, I’d need to buy a much bigger dining table. I’d love to see Columbo pit his wits against Sherlock Holmes. Two great fictional detectives, but completely different characters. While they were discussing the criminal mind, I’d introduce them to Miss Jane Marple and let her astound them with her insight. I love the wit of Mark Twain and would enjoy seeing him and Douglas Adams at the same table. I feel sure there would be many laughs to be had. Stephen King would have to be present so I could ask him about his writing. I don’t read many books on writing but I loved his On Writing and often read snippets for inspiration. Alan Bennett would entertain us with his humour. JK Rowling would tell us how Harry Potter changed her life. And you, Nell, would sit at the head of the table and tell us how much fun you have writing your own books.

Thank you for having me!

Having had several hundred short stories, ten serials and ten novels published, Shirley Wells is finally getting the hang of this writing lark. She’s lived in Orkney, Cyprus and the Cotswolds, and now lives in Lancashire, UK, where the Pennines, with their abundance of great places to hide bodies, provide the inspiration for her popular mystery novels. She shares her home with her husband, two dogs, two cats and any other stray animals that fancy being pampered. Connect with Shirley via her WEBSITE, follow her on Twitter or find her on Facebook.

Her latest Dylan Scott mystery, DEAD SILENT, is available from CARINA PRESS AMAZON Barnes & Noble and all good e-book retailers.

What we did on holiday!

Back to news

We're home - hopefully my darling belles will download their pics and I'll be able to share them with you soon. We had a lovely, lovely time. It was nice to come back to a ms request from one publisher and an acceptance from Astraea Press for my little Halloween novella. So three subs still out under active consideration - meep!
Today was A level and AS level results day. My eldest belle had her AS results and she passed! yay! So she's going to continue for her second year and hopefully will find out what she'd like to do as a job. She got an A* on her extended project too - worth lots of lovely UCAS points so that was extra fabby.

Holiday!

Bet you have the Madonna track going in your head now! The house sitters are here, the fish feeding instructions are done and we're packing the caravan for our holiday in Devon. Looking forward to Torquay, Brixham, Paignton and Exeter - some of my favourite places. The kindle is stuffed full of lovely books, the fridge is loaded with goodies and I have a pad and pen to scribble down the new 15k Christmas novella I have unfolding in my head right now - another new Bay story hopefully. Never too sure how much net I'll get while I'm away so you might see me - you might not!

September Song

I'm thrilled to announce that Astraea Press have bought my other little New Bay set novella, September Song. So if you loved Making Waves then I know you won't be able to keep from falling in love with Dan in September Song. It's being scheduled for an early release so should be available in just a few short weeks!

Guest Blogger - Rowan Coleman

I'm excited to have the fabulous Rowan Coleman visiting to talk a bit about writing and her gorgeous new book - Lessons in Laughing Out Loud.
Rowan, when did you start writing?
I've always been a story teller, being dyslexic meant it was some time before I could really use writing as a medium to tell my stories, probably from my early twenties onwards.

What's your favourite book to read?
I love, love, love Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Last summer I got to see a few pages of the hand written manuscript in the British Library. I cried, it was so moving to be so 'close' to a writer that as inspired me for most of my life.

Are you working on anything new?
Yes, I'm writing book eleven or twelve. I still don't have a title for it yet, though. Really need to be struck by inspiration soon!

If you could ivite some book characters or authors to dinner, who would you choose and why?
Oh, I'd really like to have a girls night in with all my favourite lady writers, Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte and her sister, George Elliot, and all of the very man great contemporary women writers there around today - including you, Nell! I think we would have a blast.

Tell us about Lessons in Laughing out Loud:

Have you ever wondered what might have been...?

Willow and Holly are identical twins. They are everything to each other. Holly calls Willow her rock, her soulmate, her other half. And Willow feels the same about Holly. They are alike in every respect but one - Willow is afraid on the inside. And all because of a secret - one that binds the sisters closely together and yet has meant their lives have taken two very different paths.

Willow often feels there are large parts of her missing, qualities she only knows she's lacking because she sees them in her sister. For a very long time Willow has felt separated from Holly by one terrible moment in time - a moment that meant Willow's life was never the same again. And when the past catches up with her, Willow realises its finally time for her to face her fears, and - with Holly's help - learn to laugh out loud once more.
It sounds brill - where can we get it? Amazon and all good retailers.

Thanks to Rowan for visiting. I've some more fabby guests lined up for you later this month.

Start of the school holidays

I have all three belles home for the six week hols. They all have differing plans. Eldest is tied up with driving lessons and card making workshops. Middle belle is involved with Everybody Dance Now, the big millenium festival of dance and drama in Wolverhampton. Youngest belle always has plans, most of which revolve around her hectic social calendar.
I'm counting down the days to my holiday - ten days in Devon coming up in the next few weeks. Before then though I seem to have landed myself with a load of work. I have four submissions out there, edits coming this week on Renovation, Renovation, Renovation, a deadline galloping towards me for the next contracted book and in the midst of this my brain thinks it would be a good time for me to write a childrens story.
I don't write children's stories. The only other one was Bertie the Christmas Beetle which I wrote for my neice in December - yet now I have a 1k fairytale called the Emperor's Gold Fish. I have no idea if they are any good or even what on earth I could do with them.

Guest Blogger - Phillipa Ashley

Phillipa is a good friend of mine and a fabulous writer. A while ago, just around December, at one of our coffee crew meetings, Check out our blog she mentioned she had this manuscript lying in a drawer. When she let us read it, we couldn't believe she'd left it to play with the dust bunnies for so long. Now it's out for everyone to read - hurrah! It's a wonderful warm, sexy, read with a lovely heroine and one of Phillipa's trademark to-die-for heros.
Here's the blurb:
The road to heartbreak is paved with honorable intentions…

After a year dealing with her mum’s health scare and the end of a bad relationship, Keira Grayson was looking forward to kicking up her heels at her best friend’s wedding. Until she kicks off her (spare) knickers in front of the trifecta of perfection. Tom Carew. Son of an earl, honorable doctor and possibly the hottest man on the planet.

One look at Keira’s delightful embarrassment, and Tom’s hormone meter spins off the charts. Trouble is, his bags are already packed to return to the jungles of Papua New Guinea. He has patients waiting—and amends to make for a terrible choice that left devastation in its wake.

They both reason that indulging in a one-time dinner date won’t hurt…until their inhibitions melt away in the heat of their lethal sexual chemistry. Leaving Keira wondering if a sizzling fling is just what the doctor ordered, or another prescription for relationship disaster. And Tom fighting a battle against inner demons that could shatter both their hearts.

Warning: This book contains a hot aristocratic doctor, sparky heroine, new uses for a chaise longue, a steamy shower scene and a knicker-ripping encounter in a four-poster bed.
Don't you love the disclaimer!!!
Available from all good etailers including Samhain Publishing and Amazon
And for those of you who still love print - a print version will be available in a few months time!

Be My Hero audiobook - out tomorrow

Be My Hero – available as an audiobook July 19th from AUDIOLARK

Nathalie Mayer is thirty-four. On the surface she is an attractive, happy, single, successful woman running her own bridal business. Despite her line of work and her obvious delight in other people’s weddings, including that of her twin brother, Nate. Nathalie has always declared that a settled relationship is not for her. There has only ever been one man whom Nathalie felt she could love.
Evan Davies is back in town after a six year absence. Last time he was here, he and Nathalie had tentatively begun to take their friendship to a different level. Now he’s home again and has the reason for his sudden departure from six years ago with him – his daughter, Polly.

The shop bell jangled again and a delivery man came in with an enormous basket of dark red roses.
“Oh, aren’t those gorgeous!” Gemma and Karen exclaimed together.
“Delivery for a Miss Nathalie Mayer?” The man read from a clipboard he carried in his other hand.
“Tali, they’re for you,” Gemma breathed.
“Wow, you must have an admirer?” Karen’s face was alive with curiosity.
Nathalie quickly took the basket from the man. “Thank you.” She moved away and rested the flowers on the counter. Karen and Gemma crowded around as the delivery man left.
“Open the card,” Gemma urged.
“Who are they from?” Karen asked.
Nathalie’s hand trembled as she slid the small white card from the envelope, even though she already knew who they must be from.
“Evan!” Karen announced in a triumphant voice before Nathalie had a chance to hide the card from view.
Nathalie pushed the card into the pocket of her jacket. “Can you take these through into the back of the shop please, Gemma?”
Gemma looked puzzled. “I’ll put them in your office.”
“Just friends, hmm?” Karen queried.
“The flowers were a thank-you for something I’d given his daughter,” Nathalie fibbed. She didn’t want Karen to spread her private life all over town. Unfortunately, she had a feeling it might already be too late. Karen had drawn her own conclusions.
“Are you bringing him to my rehearsal dinner?” Karen asked.
“I told you, no. We aren’t on those kinds of terms.” Nathalie felt herself flush.
“Well, those flowers look to me like the kind a man sends to a woman when he wants to be on those sorts of terms.” Karen picked up her handbag ready to leave. “Dark red roses? Please. Those are the flowers a woman gets the morning after a night well-spent with a man.” She nudged Nathalie’s arm. “And you look as if you didn’t get much sleep last night.” She swept off out of the shop.
©Nell Dixon 2011
http://www.nelldixon.com
Romance with Heart

Here, there and everywhere

The audiobook version of Be My Hero is being released on July 19th by the fabulous AUDIOLARK This is an early release so caught me a little on the hop. Normally at this time of year I'd be at the RNA conference but it's so crazy here at the moment I wasn't able to go. My youngest belle left for Germany at midnight last night. My middle daughter is at a full day dress rehearsal for her upcoming play and then I need to get her case ready as on Monday morning she's off on an arts week residential doing drama for the week. I've prepped and edited then submitted two books to two different publishers this weekend and now need to crack on with my contracted book before my edits for Myrmidon hit and my critiquing work picks up for the summer.
I suppose somewhere I need to find time to clean my house too.

Pushing on

I'm pushing on with the edits for Passionate Harvest this weekend so I can get it out the door to the editor. Fingers crossed for a sale - although it will depend on it being right for them. I have some other houses that I think it could work for if not but I have a lovely opportunity to work with people I've wanted to work with for ages so I just hope I've got it right.
I just got the audio proof for be My hero so I'm looking forward to hearing that. Audiolark did such a wonderful job with The Cinderella Substitute. Check them out if you like audiobooks!
Then it's on with my other contracted book and the secret project.
The belles have a packed weekend. My youngest is off to Germany at midnight on Saturday and my middle daughter has a full day costume rehearsal Sunday for her upcoming play and then she's off for the week to her residential drama course.
For the first time in years I'm missing the RNA conference, which makes me very sad, but finances this year are too tight and the belles have so much on I really couldn't swing it. I'll be there next year though as I think I'll probably be giving a workshop.
I'll really miss seeing everyone and hearing all the gossip and news.

Sale!

Making Waves and Dangerous to Know are on sale! Yay! Only 71p for Making Waves - wow!
Dangerous to Know – Available NOW from Astraea Press Amazon and all good online book stores! http://www.astraeapress.com
ON SALE http://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-To-Know-ebook/dp/B004W82K04/ref=sr_1_8?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1309788328&sr=1-8 only $2.30 ! Hurry!
Jerome Mayer is tall, dark and dangerous to know. Normally Gemma would run a mile, but with a freshly broken heart maybe it’s time for this good girl to take a walk on the wild side. However the danger to them both turns out to be more than just emotional when someone objects to their attempts to uncover a corrupt land deal.
“Dangerous to know.”
Nathalie’s words about her elder brother, Jerome, resonated in Gemma’s mind.
“Strawberries taste better when they’re dipped in chocolate.” Jerome suggested and dangled one near her mouth.
Gemma licked her lips, a gesture that was purely automatic. It felt very warm inside Nathalie’s sitting room and she struggled to draw enough air into her lungs.
Why had she decided the best way to get over being dumped yet again was to boost her confidence by flirting with Jerome? The corners of his deep blue eyes crinkled and she knew he found her naïve attempts at flirtation amusing.
Gemma leaned forward and took the fruit from his fingers with her teeth. She chewed and swallowed as Jerome’s pupils darkened in the soft light from a nearby lamp.
“You’re right. It makes all the difference.” Even to her own ears her voice sounded husky.
He smiled and her heart skipped a beat. “Well, there’s more if you want some.” His fingertips were coated in melted chocolate from the fountain that stood in the centre of the platter of fresh fruit.
His words held the unmistakable note of challenge. Gemma sucked in air. This was not a good idea. She was in too deep. She tried not to stare at his fingers or imagine the taste of his skin. Phew, she felt hot…
“Gemma, Tali says could you come and be on the photo she’s taking?”
Gemma blinked and tore her eyes away from Jerome. Polly, Nathalie’s little stepdaughter, stood waiting in her pink party dress.
“Of course, where is she?”
“She’s in the hall. She said to get you as well, Uncle Jerome.”
“Lead the way then, princess.” Jerome wiped his hands on a napkin and leaned forward to murmur, “Later,” in Gemma’s ear. His words fell soft and intimate on her hot face and her heart rate quickened.
© Nell Dixon 2011

‘This story had me going from the very start. I was curious to find out what was going to happen to them and if Gemma would finally realize all she needed to do to feel better was be true to herself. I like the way Gemma figures things out even though it takes a while. I also like Jerome being so careful about things. He is a sweetie. I enjoyed this book a lot and eagerly anticipate the next one by this author.’ 4 Coffee cups – from Coffeetime Romance reviews
http://www.nelldixon.com Romance with Heart to read the first chapter and to join my quarterly subscribers newsletter!

It seemed like a good idea at the time

Most of you know I've been writing like a mad woman to finish my novella, Passionate Harvest. Well I made it for my deadline and had the opportunity to pitch to a publishing house I really, really would like to work with. I'm thrilled to say one of the editors there has asked to see it. So, guess who's writing/aditing like a mad woman again to make it all shiny beautiful? Sigh. I also discovered that I hadn't written the synopsis for it. I was sure I had. So yep, I know. I do this to myself all the time.
The other so-called good idea is Mr Nell has bought a wii fit. The way it says ouch every time I get on is doing nothing for my ego. In a rash moment I agreed to be a diet buddy to my eldest dd who wants to tone up now she's able to do physical exercise again after her foot surgery last year. Apparently I'm okay at yoga. Well, the easy peasy bits anyway. I'm building up slowly into the harder stuff. Every day this week now I've been doing 30 mins of exercise. Hopefully it will help my posture and stave off the hip replacement for a bit longer. My mobility has deteriorated this year. If I don't post for a while I'm either aditing or the wii fit has killed me. Either way, send biscuits!

This month's catch up!

This year is zooming by much too fast. I have lots of lovely things coming up. Be My Hero is out in audiobook in August, Animal Instincts is released in German in September, Brief Encounters will be in print in September and, best of all, Renovation, Renovation, Renovation will be out as an e book in September and March 5th as a print book!I'm so excited.
Writingwise at the moment I'm pushing on with the novella as I really want to get it done and start shopping it over the summer. I'm into the final third of my next book for Myrmidon, and I've now got a synopsis and a couple of chapters on the project I'm totally not supposed to be working on at all.
So it's pretty busy right now. I'll be sharing a few tid-bits from Renovation, Renovation, Renovation over the next few months and I've some fabulous guest bloggers lined up for you too.

Blog Hop Party Winners!

Many Thanks to everyone who stopped by this week to share their drink favourites and their hero favourites. Once again there were so many of you I'm giving out some extra prizes, so the winners are:

Stina6891
Bellcolella
and Michelle Aurict
Stop by again soon for more giveaways and tasters

PARTY 'TIL YOUR HEELS FLY OFF: MEGA AUTHOR BLOG HOP TOUR (JUNE 13-20)

Tour Rules
1) HAVE FUN!!!
2) INVITE ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!
3) THIS TOUR STARTS: Monday, June 13, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
THIS TOUR ENDS: Monday, June 20, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
Winners will be drawn and posted June 21st! ***
4) MEET AND MINGLE WITH ALL THE AUTHORS! EXPERIENCE A NEW PARTY 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) PARTICIPATION AT ALL BLOGS IS RECOMMENDED, BUT NOT REQUIRED. REMEMBER, THE MORE BLOGS YOU HOP, THE BETTER YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING PRIZES. 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 GOOOOOOOOOOOO!

***Authors have full discretion to choose an alternate winner in the event any winner fails to claim their prize(s) within 72 hours of their name being posted or after notification of win, whichever comes first. Anyone who participates in this blog hop tour is subject to these rules***

Bring a dish party!
Hmm, since this is a romance writers blog and it is a party after all. Heres a recipe! Recipe provided by Better Homes and Gardens

Nothing says 'celebration' like champagne, and a traditional champagne cocktail is perhaps the height of celebratory drinks. Its pretty color makes it ideal for Christmas entertaining, and its two-ingredient composition makes it beyond easy to make. Serve this cocktail as an aperitif before a formal dinner or at a cocktail party along with appetizers and desserts. If using cranberry juice instead of pomegranate, float a couple of cranberries in each flute as a garnish.
And for my other bring a dish - here is one of the pics from my hero inspiration file!
I'm offering a prize of a free PDF download of Brief encounters to be drawn from the comments at the end of the blog hop - why not leave me a drink recipe or tell me who your party dish is to be in with a chance to win?
Available now! Brief Encounters is a sparkling new anthology of six romantic short stories. Sweet and sexy, contemporary and historical - the collection has something for everyone and is written by three top romantic authors Phillipa Ashley, Nell Dixon and Elizabeth Hanbury.
‘I loved these stories. A fabulous literary box of chocolates with something for everyone. Dip in and enjoy!’ Christina Jones.
Excerpt from Plus One Guest © Nell Dixon 2011
“You have to be kidding?” Diana eyed Lucy with suspicion as Lucy moved her office chair away from her desk and replaced it with a large, blue inflatable exercise ball.
“Nope, I need to lose these last two pounds by Saturday and desperate times call for desperate measures.” Lucy sat precariously on the ball, adjusting her position until she could reach her keyboard.
“You’ve finally flipped.” Diana grinned, and shook her head in mock despair.
“It’s supposed to tone your tum and bum whilst burning calories and improving your posture.”
“Blimey, does it work?”
Lucy smiled back. “No idea, but I have to do something so that I can get in my dress for the wedding.”
“Have you done anything about finding someone to go with you? The invitation is for ‘plus one guest’.”
Lucy knew what Diana meant. Since her dear, conniving, boyfriend-stealing cousin Shannon was actually marrying Lucy’s unfaithful, rat-bastard, ex-boyfriend, finding a suitable man to accompany her to the wedding had been at the top of Lucy’s to-do list. So far all her options had failed.
Available from Amazon and all good e –tailers.



Your next hop destination is Nichelle Gregory's Chocolate Party Have Fun!

Review for Brief Encounters!

Bookishly Attentive Brief Encounters just got a review! The reviewer, Angie says 'Brief Encounters is a must read, and its size makes it the perfect evening getaway. Be sure to download this as quickly as you can! It can be found at all online bookstores, and according to author blogs, the print version will be out in September. Well done, ladies!'

Ban the bear

Click at your own risk!Surely it's not just me that finds the Birds eye bear creepy and disturbing? It's getting so I don't want to open my freezer just in case. Janice should get an injunction.