Nicola Marsh's Blog, page 43

WEEKEND BOOK CLUB: No Dress Required

NO DRESS REQUIRED summed up in a word? Fabulous!



Part of the shorter 'Flirt' series for Entangled Publishing, No Dress Required packed a powerful punch and left me hankering for more.

No surprise it hit the USA TODAY bestseller list, it's a wonderful story.



Here's the blurb:



After years of ho-hum dating, Noelle Gregory is tired of fooling around. There’s only ever been one guy for her—Jake Conroy, her best friend’s older brother. Now that Jake’s back in town, she’s headed to his sister’s New Year’s Eve party to make her move. Purse full of condoms? Check. Sparkly dress guaranteed to show Jake the sexy woman she’s become? Check. Carjacker that makes off with both two hours before the party? Check.



When Jake finds Noelle stranded on the side of the road—looking sexier than ever in her striped socks and silly holiday shirt, damn it—he’s glad for the snowstorm that cancels his sister’s party. His and Noelle’s friendship has tormented him for years, and now, Jake wonders if he should dare to sample what he’s always wanted…and if he’ll be able to walk away when it’s over.



I devoured this in one sitting!



Absolutely sensational read!



Cari Quinn has a unique voice that sucks you into the story from the very beginning.



For a shorter read, the emotional and sexual tension between Noelle and Jake is top rate.

Love, love, loved the fireworks they created! Steamy yet sweet.

The kind of story I wished could go on forever.



I can't wait to read Jake's sister Alexa's story, in a longer format, yay!



Highly recommend.

FRIDAY FLICKS: Puss in Boots

Kidlet adored movies from the age of 2 but his younger brother not so much.

When PUSS IN BOOTS released last year, it was the first movie preschooler sat through with some interest.

Since then, he has watched Shrek 2 & 3 a hundred times for one reason: Puss in Boots.

He thinks the cat is super cool and I have to agree.

With the movie just being released on DVD (and yes, I had to buy it yesterday) I thought this review is timely.



PUSS IN BOOTS is a prequel to Shrek 2, where Puss first makes an appearance.



In this movie, he teams up with the mastermind Humpty Dumpty and a street-wise cat Kitty Softpaws, to go after the outlaw couple Jack and Jill who have the magic beans he's been searcing for his entire life. 

Beans that can lead to the giant's castle hiding valuable golden goose eggs.



Sounds like fun, huh?

The movie is a rollicking good adventure, made easier on the ears by the dulcet tones of Antonio Banderas who plays Puss.

Salma Hayek is fabulous as Kitty Softpaws.

And Jack (Billy Bob Thornton) and Jill (Amy Sedaris) are seriously scary!



I won't give away any plot points but needless to say, there are many twists and turns in this fun film.

Kids will love it.

And if you're like me and mainly see kids' flicks these days, adults will enjoy it too.

Sold! My Young Adult debut...

Hot off the press from Publishers Marketplace, the announcement I've been dying to shout out:



April 9, 2012






Children's: Young Adult



USA Today bestselling author Nicola Marsh's debut SORORITY OF THE SUN, in which a sixteen-year-old supernatural misfit, bound to the Celtic sun god and his Druid-driven Sorority, enters a boarding school for the freakishly gifted, discovers powers she has no idea what to do with, and battles coming-of-age issues while embarking on a quest to recover an icon that may change her family and the world as she knows it, to Georgia McBride at Month9Books, in a three-book deal, for publication in November 2013 (World).



I adore this book.

Really, truly, adore it.

And I can't wait to share it with readers!!!



Still pinching myself Georgia had the same vision for the series I did...I'm going to be a Young Adult author, woo hoo!!!!!!!!

COVER REVEAL: Greta and the Goblin King

Another fabulous cover reveal for a fellow ENTANGLED PUBLISHING author, Chloe Jacobs.



Chloe Jacobs is a native of nowhere and everywhere, having jumped around to practically every Province of Canada before finally settling in Ontario where she has now been living for a respectable number of years. Her husband and son are the two best people in the entire world, but they also make her wish she'd at least gotten a female cat. No such luck. And although the day job keeps her busy, she carves out as much time as possible to write. Bringing new characters to life and finding out what makes them tick and how badly she can make them suffer is one of her greatest pleasures, almost better than chocolate and fuzzy pink bunny slippers.





GRETA AND THE GOBLIN KING releases November 13, 2012.



Here's the blurb:



While trying to save her brother four years ago, Greta was thrown into the witch's fire herself, falling through a portal to a dangerous world where humans are the enemy, and every ogre, goblin, and ghoul has a dark side that comes out with the full moon.




To survive, seventeen-year-old Greta has hidden her humanity and taken the job of bounty hunter—and she's good at what she does. So good, she's caught the attention of Mylena's young Goblin King, the darkly enticing Isaac, who invades her dreams and undermines her determination to escape.




But Greta's not the only one looking to get out of Mylena. The full moon is mere days away, and an ancient evil knows she's the key to opening the portal. If Greta fails, she and the lost boys of Mylena will die. If she succeeds, no world will be safe from what follows her back…



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Lucky 7 meme

I got tagged for this by the lovely Kathy Bradey, YA writer and Sydneysider who I love chatting with.



The Lucky 7 Meme Rules



■Go to page 77 of your current MS/WIP



■Go to line 7



■Copy down the next 7 lines–sentences or paragraphs–and post them as they're written. No cheating.



■Tag 7 authors



■Let them know



So here's mine from NOT THE MARRYING KIND (Entangled Publishing Indulgence series) releasing soon!



She wanted him, wanted this, whatever this was.






He plundered her mouth, long, hot, moist kisses that left her boneless and mindless with desire until all she could do was sag against him, soft and pliant and wanting. So much wanting.




An eternity later his lips eased away, lingering long enough to place a surprisingly sweet kiss on the corner of her mouth.




"So what do you say?" He traced her bottom lip with a fingertip, the residual tingle from his kiss intensifying as he stared at her with the determination of a guy used to getting his own way. "Marry me?"




She wanted to say no.




She wanted to tell him where he could stick his proposal.




Instead, she nodded, a reluctant "yeah" tumbling from her lips a second before he claimed them again.




Tagged:



Natalie Anderson

Liz Fielding

Rachel Firasek

Cathryn Hein

Kate Hardy

Rachel Harris

Rachael Johns

FRIDAY FLICKS: The Bext Exotic Marigold Hotel

I love entering a movie theatre knowing absolutely nothing about the film I'm about to see.

No expectations to fall short.



That was the case last week when I took my folks to see THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL . I knew nothing about the film and when my mum mentioned it was set in India, I was hooked!



So that's all I knew: the location.



And what a rollicking good time I had.

I laughed out loud continuously throughout the movie, though it isn't a comedy per se.



It's a poignant 'fish out of water' story about English retirees 'outsourced' to a rundown hotel in India.

Each character has a satisfying growth arc from start to finish, with plenty of romance thrown in for good measure.



With an all-star cast and excellent acting, I dare anyone not to enjoy this feel-good film.



My rating: 8/10

Quickie interview

The lovely Donna Newton invited me to do a quickie 30 second interview over at her blog (which has loads of fab articles.)



Check it out here

True grit as a writer

Great post today at Bob Mayer's blog, discussing the heirarchy of goals in writing.



Having a strategic goal is crucial and Bob has some absolute gems that will resonate.



Go check it out here



(I'm still rapt I got to hear Bob speak at the RWAus conference last year in Melbourne. He really inspired me to become a hybrid author willing to take chances in this ever-evolving publishing industry. He's brilliant! If you ever get a chance to hear him speak, grab the opportunity, you won't regret it.)

My 31st Harlequin book sold!

Funny how many books I write are inspired by one picture, usually of a hot celeb.



In the case of my 31st category romance for Harlequin Mills and Boon, this picture of Brad Pitt inspired my hot surfer dude Archer Flett.



I've just had word WEDDING DATE WITH MR. WRONG (Harlequin Romance) will be released in North America in October this year (with UK release date to be confirmed.)



The brand new excerpt has just gone live too!



I still pinch myself every time I sell a book, because it feels like only yesterday I sold my first.

Time flies and I'm so lucky to have the best job in the world!

WEEKEND BOOK CLUB: Fury

I hadn't heard of this YA novel when I picked it up.



The cover and the blurb sucked me in.



It's winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems...





Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year's even better--the guy she's been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there's no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em's best friend.



On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that's nothing compared to what's really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it's only a matter of time before he's exposed.



In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay.



Em and Chase have been chosen.



This book had me riveted. Could hardly put it down.


Intriguing premise, with revenge being the underlying theme.

Revenge with a paranormal twist!



The author nailed the YA voice perfectly too and the teenage angst really sucked me into the story. Excellent characterisation.



Very unusual plot twist at the end to lead into more books in this series.



Enjoyable read.



What are you reading this weekend?