Pre release party!

Fingers crossed Renovation, Renovation, Renovation will be available in e book tomorrow/Monday. My publisher thinks they've uncovered the cause of the glitch and the powers that be hopefully will get it fixed. So, while we're waiting, meet some of the people in the book.

Hi, I'm Kate, and my doofus very ex-boyfriend, Steve bought this mouldering money pit of a cottage instead of the beautiful barn that he was supposed to have bid for. Needless to say we're no longer together but thanks to the property crash until Myrtle Cottage is sold then I have to stay here - all our money went on this dump.

Hi, I'm Steve, Myrtle Cottage is a great investment, an incredible 15th century cottage in a prime location with acres of land. I can't believe that Kate can't see what a great deal it was or that we broke up over it. Women! I'll never understand them.

I'm Lou, Kate's sister - can you believe those two? If you ask me, and someone should, they're still crazy about one another - when they're not arguing of course. I've got my own problems to worry about though.

There are people in my home, strange shadow people in strange clothes. I am afraid I may be mad or perhaps 'tis a punishment for my sins. (Mary Ann)

Now you've met some of the people - how about a contest? Tell me your ghost experiences and I'll draw some people from the comments for a prize of a download of Renovation, Renovation, Renovation when it releases. Contest will close Tuesday 9am GMT

Visiting...

Today I'm being hosted by the lovely Debs Carr.Over Here Drop by to hear what she thinks and for another excerpt.

Are we nearly there yet?

I'm so sorry there isn't a preorder link up for the e book of Renovation, Renovation, Renovation yet. My publisher has been working hard to try and sort out the glitch but you know what technology can be like. It might even be Monday or Tuesday before it gets resolved. The preorder for the paperback is on Amazon Uk so maybe something is happening. For my lovely US readers - I'm hoping we can get things sorted soon.
In the meantime how about an excerpt?
Overworked, over budget and just so not over him! 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.

A small heap of rubble littered the ancient grey tiled floor in the no man's land area of the kitchen. The room was deserted. Only the dirt and a pile of unwashed mugs in the sink showed the enemy had been there. I knew he must still be inside the cottage as his van was parked outside, but for now it was safe to enter.
Orange plaster dust crunched under my shiny office court shoes as I made my way to the fridge. A layer of grime coated the once pristine white appliance I’d chosen with such loving care twelve months and three houses ago. The interior however was thankfully dust-free with shelves clearly marked in blue and red tape.
When Steve and I first separated and things had turned ugly I’d marked the shelves. The blue shelves - mine - were stacked with neatly labelled Tupperware. The red ones - Steve’s - were bare except for an opened packet of dried up ham and an out of date box of eggs.
(C) Nell Dixon 2011

Countdown!

Yep, Renovation, Renovation, Renovation releases this week - paperback to follow March 5th 2012. This weekend there'll be a big release party here with lots of giveaways, excerpts and fun so make sure you stop by.
Today I'm guesting Here with the lovely Australian author, Maggie Nash. Where I'm sharing a couple of my research pics and talking about writing what you don't know.

What I'm watching

If you know me well then you'll know I don't watch much TV and when I do watch it I'm a sucker for reality shows. At the moment I'm in heaven. Big Brother - hosted by Brian Dowling - okay so he's still a bit wooden but he is so much better than Davina at interviewing. Made in Chelsea - or men without chins as we call it. Then the best, the ultimate The Bachelor with Gavin Henson, a show so terrible it's pure gold.
You're all probably shaking your heads as you read this and wondering why I like this kind of thing.
As a writer I love to people watch, I like to understand their motivations and see how they cope with situations. All the people involved in the shows lead a life so completely different from mine I'd never encounter them in any other way.
So if it's BB's Alex, who looks like a man in drag getting so many spray tans she looks as if she's been dipped in creosote. Or MIC's Spencer, the man who can't keep a girlfriend, giving Hugo relationship advice or Gavin, being persued by Carrie of the squeaky voice and the lisp on the Bachelor it gives me a valuable insight into another world.
If you don't believe me check out Alex trying to talk to Aaron about music 'Deryerlikendubzderyer'
Or Spencer 'You can have all the cakes in the bakery'
Or Gavin 'I don't know what to do now, I don't honestly.'

Festival of Romance guest author - Charlie Cochrane

You may have seen that along with lots of other authors I'm going to be at the Festival of Romance at Watford on 21st and 22nd October. To get the ball rolling some of the authors are visiting other blogs. Here's my guest; Charlie Cochrane.

1. What are you looking forward to at the Festival of Romance?


Meeting people. Networking with other authors online is great, but you can’t beat meeting face to face, and sharing experiences (successes and horror stories alike). And, as an author of gay romance, I like to make sure that our part of the genre has a presence at these large events. We had our second UK Meet for authors of GLBT fiction this year; while it was fantastic, being among like minds, there’s a value in mingling with a wider mix of people. I’ve learned so much at, for example, RNA events and I want to carry on learning.



2. What will you be doing at the Festival of Romance?



Taking part in a panel called ‘Not what your mother might expect’ with Erastes and Jo Myles, explaining about gay romances and why they’re different from (and exactly the same as!) het romances. The title is based on a cover quote from the anthology I had my first published story in, ‘Speak Its Name’, which was described as being “Not your mother’s historical romance”. My daughters think that’s hilarious, because it is their mother’s historical.



I’m also hoping to take part in the Novel Openings slot, reading the first words of one of my books. Good luck to whoever has to run that session (I think I may have volunteered), keeping everyone to 150 words, or whatever the magic number is.



3. Why should romance readers come to the Festival?



How much space have I got to answer that?

a) Many readers are themselves aspirant authors. What better way to find out about the business than to come and hear the all the different stories about how we got to be published?

b) There are some really good panels, with the opportunity to ask authors the questions readers might have always wanted to ask and were too scared.

And

c) they can meet those authors face to face, of course—and that’s not in an “Oh wow, look who’s there, swoon,” sort of way. It’s great for us to meet readers (whether they read your books or not) and find out what they want from stories, and from the market. Please come and tell us!
Visit Charlie at Her Blog
To find out more about the Festival of Romance Go Here!

Ta- dah!

Coming September 28th to a e book retailer near you and in paperback March 5th 2012
After renovating twelve houses in seven years Kate wanted a ring on her finger and the forever house.
Instead of her dream home and her dream man, she get’s house number thirteen, Myrtle Cottage. A crumbling seventeenth century money pit.
Trapped by the credit crunch on yet another renovation project with her now very ex boyfriend, Steve, will she ever find the forever love she’s after or will it just be more renovation, renovation, renovation?

Guest Blogger - Talli Roland

Talli is one of my RNA writing friends and I'm thrilled to welcome her to my blog to talk about her new book and to tell us why she doesn't write about writing.
Over to Talli:
WHY I DON'T WRITE ABOUT WRITING

Well, writing techniques, anyway.

I do write quite a bit about the actual quirks of writing -- writer's arse, habits and such -- but I've never been comfortable advising others on writing techniques. I have no problem talking about my own if someone asks, but I really believe that every writer is different and you need to find what works for you. Plus, there are a zillion writers out there way more qualified to discuss techniques than me (than I? See?!)!

When I first started writing, all the books and blogs I read boggled my mind. Write every day. Don't write every day. Write what you love. Write for the market. And on and on, until I had no idea where to even start. Should I sit in the chair? Or should I stand? Should I turn on the radio, or write in silence?

The one thing I did learn was this: read all the books, but don't live by any of them. Do what you enjoy; what really makes you embrace the process of writing. I truly believe if you do that, everything will fall into place.

You'll find your rhythm.



Talli Roland has three loves in her life: chick lit, coffee and wine. Born and raised in Canada, Talli now lives in London, where she savours the great cultural life (coffee and wine). Despite training as a journalist, Talli soon found she preferred making up her own stories – complete with happy endings. Her first novel, The Hating Game, was an Amazon UK best-seller, remaining in the top 100 for over two months. Watching Willow Watts, her next novel, is available on Kindle now. Talli blogs HERE and tweets HERE.


And Watching Willow Watts, her latest book - here's what it's all about!
For Willow Watts, life has settled into a predictably dull routine: days behind the counter at her father's antique shop and nights watching TV, as the pension-aged residents of Britain's Ugliest Village bed down for yet another early night. But everything changes when a YouTube video of Willow's epically embarrassing Marilyn Monroe impersonation gets millions of hits after a viewer spots Marilyn's ghostly image in a frame.

Instantly, Willow's town is overrun with fans flocking to see the 'new Marilyn'. Egged on by the villagers -- whose shops and businesses are cashing in -- Willow embraces her new identity, dying her hair platinum and ramming herself full of cakes to achieve Marilyn's legendary curves.

But when a former flame returns seeking the old Willow, Willow must decide: can she risk her stardom and her village's newfound fortune on love, or is being Marilyn her ticket to happiness?
Available Here and all good e tailers.

September Song is out!

And at a bargain price! Amazon UK Amazon.com Also available on NOOK
Erin came to New Bay on her year out, keen to experience life in a vibrant seaside town famous for its surf and surfers. She doesn’t expect to be left with a very expensive spare ticket to the hottest concert in town.

Her boss, Kelly’s solution is to recruit Dan to take the ticket and escort Erin to the concert. But why would Erin want to go on an enforced date with the geekiest guy in New Bay? And why doesn’t ex-champion surfer, Dan surf anymore?

Fancy an excerpt?

“Here, let me help you.” Dan held her jacket out.
The sensitive skin of her neck tingled as he straightened out her collar for
her.
“Thanks. It was a great concert, wasn’t it?” She bit her bottom lip
uncertainly. His eyes met hers, deep, dark pools in the light of the stadium. For a
brief wonderful moment, she thought he was about to kiss her, but then he
moved away along the row of seats.
“Yeah, it was really good. We’d better get to the car.”
Her spirits plummeted as she followed him to the top of the steps to
descend to the exit. It looked as if she’d misjudged his intentions. He waited for
her to make it through the throng to his side.
“Do you want anything else to eat or drink before we go?” he asked.
She shook her head as a group of people rushed past her, throwing her
off balance. She lurched against Dan as he placed his hand on her arm to steady
her. For a sweet all-­‐‑too-­‐‑brief second, her head rested against the broad plain of
his chest, and she heard the wild tattoo of his heartbeat.
“Time we got out of here, I think,” he said.
Her pulse raced as he held her hand all the way along the path to the car.
His fingers warmed her cold flesh and she enjoyed the feeling of closeness, the
intimacy of his fingers interlaced with hers. Her heart pitter-­‐‑patted in time with
their footsteps on the paved surface, the butterflies in her stomach dancing like
the moths in the beams from the lights that lined the path. They halted at the side
of his car and he drew her closer to him.
“It’s been a lovely night,” she murmured.
He dipped his head and his lips claimed hers. His arms were around her,
pulling her gently towards him. She quivered with pleasure as her hips bumped
against his, her body pressed against his lean firm length. Her tongue explored
his mouth and she revelled in the sweet heat of his lips against hers.

Progress!

Thanks to the wii fit I have now lost my first stone. Still a long way to go but the main issue for me is to build up my damaged muscle so it eases the strain on my hip and back. My balance has improved and my ankle muscles are getting stronger so I don't go over on my foot as often. I've set another new small target for next month and I'm planning to keep on edging towards it.
Writing target wise I'm on the home strait with my next book for Myrmidon Press. It's coming into focus more now. There is tons of stuff I need to add and tweak on the second draft but that's ok. I'm also working on another short 15k novella which I need to finish by the end of October so the other project I was working on will have to sit and wait now till those two things are done and out in the world.
September Song is due for release anytime now with Cue Me In following in October. Renovation, Renovation, Renovation is still on target for digital release at the end of this month with the paperback out March 5th next year.
If you're in Germany or speak German then Animal Instincts is available in German for kidle and paperback from September 16th and the large print of Just Look at Me Now is also now available this month. The paperback of Brief Encounters will also be out sometime in the next six weeks!
Flipping heck! That's a lot of releases.

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.

A little something

I thought you might like to see a snippet of one of the things I'm working on. Here's a tiny taster from the novella - currently called Sour Grapes. Hope you enjoy it!

She stared at the padlocked barrier with a sinking heart. Gym had always been her least favourite subject at school and the combo of tight jeans, achey legs and general clumsiness meant tackling the gate wouldn’t be a piece of cake.
Dominic stood waiting for her on the other side. “Do you need a hand to get over?”
Her body heated as his level gaze took in her muddy clothes and dishevelled appearance.
“I think I can manage.” She grasped the wooden post at the top of the gate and began to climb up to the point where she would be able to swing her leg over the top. The tightness of the denim combining with fatigue made it a struggle and she teetered on the crossbar trying to summon enough energy to adjust her position.
“Lucy!” Dominic moved forward just as she lost her balance.
“Oof!”
She lay sprawled on the wet turf on top of Dominic with his dog attempting to lick her face. Temporarily winded from her fall she was horrified to see he had his eyes shut and a pained grimace on his face.

Guest Blogger Gemma Halliday!

I'm thrilled to introduce my guest blogger and fellow Romance diva - Gemma Halliday.
Gemma had a hard time figuring out what she wanted to be when she grew
up. She worked as a film and television actress, a teddy bear
importer, a department store administrator, a preschool teacher, a
temporary tattoo artist, and a 900 number psychic, before finally
selling her first book, Spying in High Heels, in 2005 and deciding to
be a writer.

Since then, Gemma has written several mystery novels and been the
recipient of numerous awards, including a National Reader's Choice
award and three RITA nominations.

Gemma now makes her home in the San Francisco Bay area where she is
hard at work on her next book.
Her latest release is the fabulous Hollywood Confessions.
Here's the blurb!
Allie Quick has high aspirations - much higher than reporting on the
latest celebrity gossip for the L.A. Informer, Hollywood's most
notorious tabloid. But if she's going to join the ranks of the real
reporters, she's going to need a headline worthy story under her belt.
Which is just what she gets when the producer of the trashiest reality
shows on TV winds up murdered, and Allie convinces her editor, Felix
Dunn, that this story has her name written all over it. Between an
aging dance-off judge, a family with sextuplets and triplets, and the
star of a little person dating show, Allie has no shortage of reality
stars to question. But when she finds herself falling for her prime
suspect, Allie's relationship with her editor is suddenly on the
rocks, and her life is in danger. This is one deadline Allie can't
afford to miss!

Special FREE download of the first two books in the series – Hollywood
Scandals (book #1) and Hollywood Secrets (book #2)! Just go to
Smashwords.com and type in the following promo codes at checkout:

For HOLLYWOOD SCANDALS: JZ89Y
For HOLLYWOOD SECRETS: HV54W
You can get a copy of Hollywood Confessions from any of these places.
Paperback: https://www.createspace.com/3621092
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Confessions-Headlines-ebook/dp/B0052U9GQC
Nook: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Hollywood-Confessions/Gemma-Halliday/e/2940012613325/
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/62229

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!