Nicola Marsh's Blog, page 39
July 5, 2012
Not the Marrying Kind: Hero
I'm so excited about the impending release of my first category romance for Entangled Publishing's Indulgence series!
NOT THE MARRYING KIND ($2.99 e-book) releases July 15th (9 days, squee!) and in the lead up, I'm providing background snippets from the book.
So...who's the hero?
Beck Blackwood is a desert bad-boy-made-good.
He's a construction king in Vegas, but prefers his house in Red Rock Canyon outside Vegas to the glitz.
He'll do whatever it takes for the deal of a lifetime...including blackmailing a woman into marriage!
What does he look like?
Think Gerard Butler.
'Nuff said.
July 2, 2012
A screenwriter's review
Exciting times with the mass market release of BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD in the USA at the moment.
It's always lovely to read fab reviews for this book of my heart, and I'm rapt to share one from a screenwriter today.
Adite Banerjie was hired to write a screenplay, based on a true life story, for a Bollywood movie. How exciting is that!
Her full review and interview is here
June 30, 2012
RIP Nan
Yesterday, my Nan died unexpectedly.
She was the sharpest, brightest, loveliest lady.
Her stories inspired me to write and she was my biggest fan, taking my books to her community group every week.
Her hugs and smiles brightened my days.
And she adored her great grandchildren.
The last words we said to each other were:
"I love you," and I responded with "I love you too."
I'm holding those words deep in my heart, along with the precious memories I have.
I loved my Nan very much and the emptiness is palpable.
The impulse to pick up the phone and chat with her is so strong, I've had to stop myself several times.
RIP Nan.
I'll love you forever.
She was the sharpest, brightest, loveliest lady.
Her stories inspired me to write and she was my biggest fan, taking my books to her community group every week.
Her hugs and smiles brightened my days.
And she adored her great grandchildren.
The last words we said to each other were:
"I love you," and I responded with "I love you too."
I'm holding those words deep in my heart, along with the precious memories I have.
I loved my Nan very much and the emptiness is palpable.
The impulse to pick up the phone and chat with her is so strong, I've had to stop myself several times.
RIP Nan.
I'll love you forever.
June 27, 2012
Pinterest: Pros and Cons
Everywhere I turn these days, people are discussing Pinterest.
More to the point, there are divided opinions whether to be on it or not.
Author loops are rife with Pinterest discussions and I've been chatting about it on Twitter too.
My viewpoint?
I jumped on Pinterest with gusto. Within the first week I had beautiful storyboards for my books and WIPs. My BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD and HOT HEROES boards had over 500 followers within days. I was loving it. Having an absolute ball. And it really helped my creativity to see the stories I was writing unfolding before my eyes in pictures.
Then a lawyer wrote an article about the dangers of Pinterest and of being sued by photographers.
Then 2 authors I know had to pay huge sums of money for incorrectly using pictures, despite taking them down as soon as they were notified.
And I pulled my boards.
All of them, except my covers, and I haven't logged onto Pinterest since.
It soured my entire experience, the thought that pictures we pin, despite linking back to the original source, can cause so many problems.
And then I started thinking...as an author, it's the bane of my existence when people illegally pirate my books, posting them for free on the Internet.
How do the photographers feel, having the same done to their work?
So in all good conscience, unless Pinterest cleans up the legalities, it's something I won't be doing.
Where do you stand on the Pinterest debate?
More to the point, there are divided opinions whether to be on it or not.
Author loops are rife with Pinterest discussions and I've been chatting about it on Twitter too.
My viewpoint?
I jumped on Pinterest with gusto. Within the first week I had beautiful storyboards for my books and WIPs. My BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD and HOT HEROES boards had over 500 followers within days. I was loving it. Having an absolute ball. And it really helped my creativity to see the stories I was writing unfolding before my eyes in pictures.
Then a lawyer wrote an article about the dangers of Pinterest and of being sued by photographers.
Then 2 authors I know had to pay huge sums of money for incorrectly using pictures, despite taking them down as soon as they were notified.
And I pulled my boards.
All of them, except my covers, and I haven't logged onto Pinterest since.
It soured my entire experience, the thought that pictures we pin, despite linking back to the original source, can cause so many problems.
And then I started thinking...as an author, it's the bane of my existence when people illegally pirate my books, posting them for free on the Internet.
How do the photographers feel, having the same done to their work?
So in all good conscience, unless Pinterest cleans up the legalities, it's something I won't be doing.
Where do you stand on the Pinterest debate?
June 24, 2012
Be Here Now
What is "BE HERE NOW?"
“Be Here Now” is an inspiring documentary about the
actor Andy
Whitfield, who put the same determination and dedication that he brought to
his lead role in the hit television show, “Spartacus: Blood and Sand,” into
fighting life-threatening cancer.
It was Andy’s hope that by opening his story up to a
documentary, he might help or inspire others facing similar challenges, while
pushing to accelerate the pace of cancer
research around the world.
“When Andy was told his lymphoma
had returned and that without treatment he had 3 – 6 months to live, he was
compelled to share his exploration into the unknown. He selflessly invited a
film crew into our lives, who followed us through out the last year of Andy’s
magnificent and courageous journey. We now need your support to finish the
documentary and fulfill Andy’s legacy.”
~ Vashti Whitfield (www.maybemcqueen.com)
What
are "BE HERE NOW" Critiques?
“Be
Here Now” needs
funding for additional filming and editing, else the documentary will not be
completed.
As a writer/fan of Andy
Whitfield/despiser of cancer, Kathy Bradey has rallied some wonderfully
generous authors to offer various manuscript, chapter and query critiques in
exchange for your pledge/donation to the “Be Here Now” Kickstarter
campaign.
For more
information, see Kathy’s blog.
• If you would like to pledge without partaking in the auction, do so
here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/426354716/be-here-now-the-andy-whitfield-story
Thank you
for your interest and support! Please retweet, blog, spread the word!
June 22, 2012
So you think you can write?
All you romance writers out there...ever dreamed of writing for HARLEQUIN MILLS & BOON?
Here's your chance!
Launching in September, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN WRITE contest offers a publishing contract as the ultimate prize!
You'll need a completed manuscript to enter.
Check out details here.
(and loads of fab writing tip links!)
Good luck!
Here's your chance!
Launching in September, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN WRITE contest offers a publishing contract as the ultimate prize!
You'll need a completed manuscript to enter.
Check out details here.
(and loads of fab writing tip links!)
Good luck!
June 21, 2012
MIA
Not very often I go a whole week without posting here but I've been laid up with a shocking flu!
3 whole days in bed, have never been so sick.
So I will return shortly...in the meantime, chat among yourselves...
3 whole days in bed, have never been so sick.
So I will return shortly...in the meantime, chat among yourselves...
June 18, 2012
Il milionario cerca aiuto
GIRL IN A VINTAGE DRESS has had some lovely covers around the world and this one is no exception.
So bright and sunny!
It's out this month in Italy with the lovely Nina Harrington.
June 14, 2012
GUEST BLOGGER: Lilian Darcy
Today I'm thrilled to welcome Lilian Darcy.
She has written an amazing 80+ books for Harlequin and been nominated for a RITA 4 times!
Last week the wonderful Liz Fielding had me as a guest on her blog to talk about "Saving Gerda", and somehow even though the blog post itself was a fairly serious musing on how I researched the book, in the comments section we drifted onto the rather more frivolous - and yet still critically important in every author's fantasy world - topic of who would play the characters from the book when they make it into a movie.
You can see why this is important, right?
Oh, excuse me, that's the phone. Better get it in case it's Hollywood calling...
It wasn't. Oh, well, never mind, I can still have all the fun of casting my book, without inconvenient reality stepping in. I mean, could my mythical producers really afford Johnny Depp?
In my fantasy world, absolutely!
I can see him very clearly in the role of Johannes, the shy, awkward and poverty-stricken artist who somehow doesn't know how good-looking he is.
Now, who do we pair him with, in the role of Sophie, who sees past the awkwardness?
Maybe Talulah Riley, who played Mary Bennet in the film version of "Pride and Prejudice" that featured Keira Knightley. She's looking a little older, now, than she does in this picture, otherwise she'd be too young for Johnny and too young for the role.
Then there's Kitty, who is really the main character in the book - beautiful, blonde, English and very well-bred.
How about Jessica Brown-Findlay from Downton Abbey? She could easily become a blonde.
Kitty's husband Christian is an important character in the story, although in many scenes he's a presence in the background. I like Hugh Bonneville for the role, but he'll need to be made to look a little younger than he does in Downton Abbey.
I like this picture of him, even though it's in black and white.
Finally, there's Gerda, the title character, and she's the hardest of all. I really struggle to go past the gorgeous photo of the girl on the cover of the book, but that was an old photo, and I suspect the model for it would be in her seventies by now. There is something haunting about her face, and yet she's clearly inherited her mother's beauty.
No, I really can't think of someone to play Gerda. She turns thirteen in the book, and children grow and change so fast, anyone who's out there now would be too old by the time filming took place.
Oh, there goes the phone again. Excuse me, I can't afford to miss that important trans-Pacific call...
Sigh. Still wasn't that big-time producer I'm waiting for. Never mind. The story is probably stronger in my own head... and maybe even on the page... than it could ever be on the screen.
Women's fiction and romance author Lilian Darcy has written more than eighty novels for Harlequin, Silhouette, MiraAustralia, and Mills & Boon. Under another name she has also written for Australian theatre and television. She has made many appearances on the Waldenbooks Romance Bestsellers list, and has four nominations for the Romance Writers of America's prestigious Rita Award.
You can buy SAVING GERDA here & here
She has written an amazing 80+ books for Harlequin and been nominated for a RITA 4 times!
Last week the wonderful Liz Fielding had me as a guest on her blog to talk about "Saving Gerda", and somehow even though the blog post itself was a fairly serious musing on how I researched the book, in the comments section we drifted onto the rather more frivolous - and yet still critically important in every author's fantasy world - topic of who would play the characters from the book when they make it into a movie.
You can see why this is important, right?
Oh, excuse me, that's the phone. Better get it in case it's Hollywood calling...
It wasn't. Oh, well, never mind, I can still have all the fun of casting my book, without inconvenient reality stepping in. I mean, could my mythical producers really afford Johnny Depp?
In my fantasy world, absolutely!
I can see him very clearly in the role of Johannes, the shy, awkward and poverty-stricken artist who somehow doesn't know how good-looking he is.
Now, who do we pair him with, in the role of Sophie, who sees past the awkwardness?
Maybe Talulah Riley, who played Mary Bennet in the film version of "Pride and Prejudice" that featured Keira Knightley. She's looking a little older, now, than she does in this picture, otherwise she'd be too young for Johnny and too young for the role.
Then there's Kitty, who is really the main character in the book - beautiful, blonde, English and very well-bred.
How about Jessica Brown-Findlay from Downton Abbey? She could easily become a blonde.
Kitty's husband Christian is an important character in the story, although in many scenes he's a presence in the background. I like Hugh Bonneville for the role, but he'll need to be made to look a little younger than he does in Downton Abbey.
I like this picture of him, even though it's in black and white.
Finally, there's Gerda, the title character, and she's the hardest of all. I really struggle to go past the gorgeous photo of the girl on the cover of the book, but that was an old photo, and I suspect the model for it would be in her seventies by now. There is something haunting about her face, and yet she's clearly inherited her mother's beauty.
No, I really can't think of someone to play Gerda. She turns thirteen in the book, and children grow and change so fast, anyone who's out there now would be too old by the time filming took place.
Oh, there goes the phone again. Excuse me, I can't afford to miss that important trans-Pacific call...
Sigh. Still wasn't that big-time producer I'm waiting for. Never mind. The story is probably stronger in my own head... and maybe even on the page... than it could ever be on the screen.
Women's fiction and romance author Lilian Darcy has written more than eighty novels for Harlequin, Silhouette, MiraAustralia, and Mills & Boon. Under another name she has also written for Australian theatre and television. She has made many appearances on the Waldenbooks Romance Bestsellers list, and has four nominations for the Romance Writers of America's prestigious Rita Award.
You can buy SAVING GERDA here & here
