Nancy Warren's Blog, page 3

Sun Kissed Cover Reveal

I’m happy to announce I’ve got a new book coming out. Sun Kissed is the first in a series of three hot romances that span from Sydney, Australia to San Francisco.

Here’s the cover for Sun Kissed. It was created by the talented Kim Killion. Check it out and let me know what you think.

FREE book (with dog!)

So, I’m not really going to send you a dog by email. Seems to me that would be taking spam to a whole new level. No pooch spam from me, just a fun, sexy romantic comedy that is FREE until May 17 only.

It’s called Rich Bitch and is, of course, about a dog. Spoiled multi-milionnaire Mimi is a toy poodle who only understands French, or pretends to. When Vince Grange, a hard-nosed labor negotiator in New York, whose nickname is Bulldog, inherits Mimi with her painted toenails and her Cartier diamond collar, he knows he needs help. Enter Sophie Veneau, a gorgeous French nanny who Vince hires to look after Mimi. But trouble seems to be following Sophie.

This is a story about opposites attracting, about the strange paths in life that lead us to exactly the right place. About a spoiled poodle and a homeless mutt, a big, tough New Yorker and the delicate Parisienne who’s a lot stronger than she seems. I hope you’ll check it out. Grab one for yourself and think about gifting one to a friend.

Happy Reading, Nancy

 

New Trilogy from Harlequin Blaze

Game On is out now. It’s the first of a trilogy for Harlequin Blaze about three guys who have known each other since they played in the sandbox together as little kids. I actually know three men who go back that far and are still the closest of friends, so that was a place to start. But so what? They needed something else to bind them. And that something became hockey.

Now, I know, not every woman loves hockey (though an amazing number of us do, and this new crop of young, sexy players in the NHL obviously has nothing to do with that.) However, my guys aren’t in the NHL. They play in a charity league for emergency services personnel but, trust me on this, they are still hot and I fell in love with every one of them.

Yes, I know. When you say you fell in love with a fictitious character of your own creating you sound a bit like a woman who collects cats and doesn’t get out much… But isn’t that the joy of romantic fiction? To step out of the real world and fall into love with a sexy guy for a few hours? Or, for me as the writer, a few months which, frankly, is a lot longer than some of my romantic relationships.

I’d love to tell you more, but it’s time to start feeding the cats…

Game On is in stores and online now. Breakaway, the second book, is out in April and Final Score rounds out the series in June.

 

Embarrassing Moment becomes Valentine Fantasy

Have you ever had an embarrassing experience in front of a hot guy? Of course you have! Please don’t tell me these things only happen to me. It was in Atlanta last summer during the RWA conference. I was having dinner with my friend Dani Collins, a Harlequin Presents author and all around sweetheart, and we were so busy chatting that I accidentally slipped my hotel room key card into the bill folder instead of my credit card. The hot waiter came back and showed me my mistake. Embarrassing! We all laughed about it but I had a cringe moment. Did he think I was inviting him up to my room? After he left, Dani said, “That would make a great opening for a story.”

I had to agree. Luckily, I’d just been talking to my editor, Birgit Davis-Todd, about writing a novel for the Cosmo Red Hot Reads. I had my opening. Then I added chocolate, set the story around Valentine’s Day and everything fell into place.

Which only goes to show that even those embarrassing moments sometimes turn out to be great opportunities!

Click here to buy Her Valentine Fantasy!

Drive Me Crazy Cover Reveal and Release

I’m so, so, so excited. My favorite cartoonist in the world, Stewart McKenzie created yet another fab cover for me.

The book is Drive Me Crazy. It’s a hot and sexy romantic comedy with suspense, which are pretty much all my favourite things in a novel. I was thinking as I was editing and updating this book (it first came out with Kensington Brava) how much I love cliché busting. If I say Small Town Librarian, what image springs to mind? Is it a really hot, sexually exciting young woman who wears her skirts short and her heels high? I didn’t think so. How about if I mention art history professor? Do you picture a virile, rock climbing, guy with washboard abs? Gotcha again!

What’s fun about these characters is they play both against stereotype and with it. Alexandra Forrest, my librarian, is hot, gorgeous and sexy but she also passionately loves books, order and don’t even think about talking above a whisper in her library! Duncan Forbes my ‘Indiana Jones of the art world’ is a rugged outdoorsman who knows his way around danger, but he’s also studious and intellectual. Yum.

Drive Me Crazy, in its new and improved glory, is available now. Click here to buy.

On Books

I recently realized that I’ll never live long enough to read all the books I own. These are what I like to call ‘real’ books. The ones with actual paper and ink that come from trees and live in book shelves. But have you noticed what happens when you get a Kindle or Kobo or iPad or whatever electronic reading device you choose?

Have you noticed that the number of books you own explodes? Why is that? Is it the number of free and inexpensive titles you can download while sitting in your pajamas? Frankly, I have bought books for ninety nine cents that I wouldn’t have paid ninety-nine cents for in a bookstore if it was a hardcover that was marked down from forty bucks. But because it was on Kindle and I could have it at the push of a button, click, whoosh. There it is. Another tiny icon asking me to commit more of my precious time.

I think I need to cull my cyber shelves…

*Image courtesy of adamr / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The I Finished the %^* Book Present

My good friend Shelley Adina has a wonderful tradition where she buys herself a gift whenever she finishes a book. Shelley collects vintage jewelry and usually buys herself a piece of jewelry, or a piece of art. Back when I sold my very first book I bought two matching white couches for the living room. Then years went by, I got divorced and a couple of months ago I gave away the couches on Craigslist. I vacuumed them thoroughly, making sure every trace of dog hair was gone, because heaven knows you want your free couches to be perfect. Two burly young Irishmen hauled those couches “and part of my history” away with them. And that was that.

So, having just turned in the last of my Last Bachelor Standing trilogy that will be out in Harlequin Blaze next spring, I’ve decided I’m not getting sucked into furniture again. I’m following Shelley’s lead. I think, if I had an era, it would be deco. I love the 20s, the clothes, the architecture and the books of that time. However, on searching out jewelry I’ve discovered I have diamond tastes on a cubic zirconia budget. Here’s what I really want…

Starting bid is $7,000.00. If only I hadn’t given away those couches, I could look under the cushions for extra change! I’ll keep looking. I know I’ll find the right thing. And it’s always fun to have an excuse to get out and go shopping.

Speaking of shopping, Christmas is coming, I hope you’ll check out my selection of Christmas stories that range from sweet to sexy. All are value priced at .99 cents each and are a great stocking stuffer, or a nice little treat for yourself.

Happy reading,

Nancy

Nancy’s Fall Message

Wow. September is here, kids are going back to school, leaves are falling off trees. For me, September always feels like it’s time to sharpen pencils and buy new jeans. I did, in fact, buy new jeans yesterday, my subconscious back to school wardrobe. I’ve got lots of exciting news. First, I’m thrilled to be a finalist in the Kindle Book Review 2013 Indie Book Awards for The Christmas Grandma Ran Away from Home. If you’re looking for a fun, fairly short read, it’s getting great reviews. Dawn at KBR was one of the early and strongest supporters of this story. Thanks, Dawn! Second, I’m thrilled (wow, I really need to think up more superlatives, enough already with the thrilled.) Okay, I’m delighted that I will be writing a Cosmo Red Hot Read through their partnership with Harlequin. My story comes out in February and is, of course, a Valentine’s fantasy. Complete with chocolate, I’ll say no more Details closer to the time.

 

Happy September!

Reflecting: November 2012

The end of a year is always a time for reflection. For me it’s been an amazing year. I hiked the Inca trail in Peru to Machu Picchu in October. The trail is a four-day trek at high altitudes. I was challenged but I loved it. I think sometimes when we challenge ourselves we find out we’re stronger and more resilient than we believed possible. I celebrated my daughter’s 21st birthday (not as much as SHE celebrated it, but that’s another story) That was a bittersweet moment because she’s my youngest. My baby. And if she’s now 21, she’s an adult by every definition. And if she’s an adult, then what happened to my job as a mom? Is it over? Of course she’ll always be my baby and I’ll always be her mom, but in some sense I know that our paths diverge. It’s sad and wonderful and I look at the woman she’s become and I see this person who is all grown up and amazing. And who really doesn’t need me very much any more. Which is why I can do things like trekking in Peru without worrying about what would happen to my kids if I died. Because I’m a mother, I worry about these things.

This was also the year that I embraced the ebook. I got a Kindle for Christmas last year and after a bit of moaning about how ‘it’s not the same as a real book’ I discovered all the ways that an ereader is better than a real book. I love the convenience, especially when you travel, I love that you can scroll through a list of books and decide what you want to read – out of hundreds of possibilities — all in one slim device. I love that I can decide I want a new book and, from home in my bed, I can download a book in a few seconds. I’ve discovered new authors and I’ve got a few of my own books as ebooks. All three of my ebooks were bestsellers at one point through the year. That was really cool for me.

I have amazing friends, amazing efriends! And amazing readers. I am thankful for all of you.

Happy reading,

Nancy

Everything I Learned About Romance

The Five Ws

Who, What, When, Where, Why? Every journalist and journalism student has those five questions burned into their brains. A reporter tries to answer the five Ws within the first paragraph or two.

For example, a good lead might be: A young Kansas (WHERE) girl named Dorothy (WHO) is missing (WHAT) after a tornado swept through her family’s farm (WHY) last night. (WHEN) Also missing is the girl’s pet dog, Toto.

Who, what, when, where, why? Those famous five questions… Those famous five questions of the journalist must be answered, or at least alluded to, in order to pull the reader into your romance. Who is this story about? What’s going on? What’s the problem they are facing? When is this happening? Where is it located? Why is the most critical question. Why should the reader care? Why should they read on?

Make every word count. This is especially true in freelancing where writers are paid by the word. In novels, where there are so many words, it’s easy to let freeloaders jump on board. Ask yourself, would you pay for this word? This sentence? This paragraph?

Respect deadlines. In a newspaper a missed deadline often kills the story and doesn’t do a journalist’s reputation any good. Romance editors work on schedules, too. Meet your deadlines and if for some reason you can’t, let your editor know as soon as possible. Deadlines can also be your friends. I admit to being a bit of a deadline junkie. I produce a lot more when I know I must. Get into the deadline habit even if you’re not yet published. Contests are great. You can also commit to your own deadlines. Write them down. Challenge a fellow author to complete a novel by a certain date. Writing goals down and making them public really does help.

Choose your quotes carefully. Journalists will condense an interview that may have lasted fifteen minutes or an hour into a few words or lines. The quotes they choose are those that best represent the character and point of view of the person being interviewed - and, of course, the words that make the reader want to find out more. This is a great skill for romance dialogue. Don’t let your characters ramble on the way people do in real life. Get to the good stuff. Journalists also pay attention to body language, facial expression, and listen to what’s not being said as well as what is. Start paying attention to unspoken communication, especially when someone is in conflict or under stress.

Write the right word. Words are the tools of our trade. Keep your vocabulary in top working order and try to choose the best word for the context. Also, remember, these are words not the crown jewels. Editors will edit them, and this is a good thing. Nothing improves a good writer like a good editor.

Research pays off. Facts and significant details add enormously to the authentic feel of a novel. And don’t overlook the local newspaper for story ideas.

Nancy Warren (who), a former journalist (what), went back to the newsroom for a Temptation, Duets trilogy set in rival newspaper offices. HOT OFF THE PRESS is a February (when) Temptation, and will be followed in April by A HICKEY FOR HARRIET and A CRADLE FOR CAROLINE, a Double Duets.

 

You are welcome to reprint this article or quote from it, but please attribute it to Nancy Warren and include the following:

Reprinted with permission from www.nancywarren.net. Nancy Warren writes humorous, sexy romances for Harlequin and Kensington.