Heidi Rice's Blog, page 15

Let's hear it for Voluptuous Heroines...

I'm over at I Heart Presents this weekend talking about my heroine Ruby Delisantro from Cupcakes and Killer Heels... And why I loved her curves so much! The book is out in the US this month as a Harlequin Presents Extra, btw..

In other news it looks like Nate and Tess's story will be an autumn release and (hopefully) part of the Riva relaunch at the end of this year... No title yet though, so stay tuned for that.

Also, if anyone has been following my Pinterest page, I had a little panic this week and have deleted my boards for the time being. I thought I was allowed to pin any pictures I found on the internet, but it turns out it's not quite as simple as that (Duh!!). But I hope to be pinning again soon once I've read the terms and conditions properly! If anyone else knows for sure what you can pin and what you can't, I'd love to hear from you....

Cover Joy!

Wow, just got hold of the US cover for The Good, the Bad and the Wild... And I love it to bits, not only do Nick and Eva look exactly like they do in the book, but I've even got a balcony and Lake Garda in the background.. How cool is that?

The book's out in July as a Harlequin Presents Extra and it's in a duo titled 'How to Flirt in Italian'. Love it!! Of course, Nick's not strictly speaking an Italian, but he certainly knows how to flirt like one so I'm fine with it.

Still waiting to hear the final word from my Ed on Nate and Tess's during which time I've gone a bit Pinterest crazy and done a mood board for the story... So if you want a sneak peek about what the story's about, you can always go check it out! Amazing how you can persuade yourself you're working while you're actually just looking at extremely hot pictures of good-looking guys.

Happy Birthday, Mr Dickens!

So it's Charles Dickens's 200th birthday today... And as he's one of the writers who inspired me to become a writer I celebrated in style by sending off the epilogue to Nate and Tess's story this afternoon.

After my editor's very positive feedback, I'm hoping that the news will be good when she reads the revised manuscript with the epilogue attached.

But I have to be totally honest with you and say this wasn't the easiest book to write. Accidental pregnancy stories have always fascinated me not just because of the instant ramping up of the conflict, but because of all those obvious questions which it's sometimes easier in romance (and especially the sort of lush romantic fantasy that I write) to shy away from because, well, they're not very romantic. Such as, if the heroine's accidentally pregnant, wouldn't she consider having a termination? And wouldn't the hero be likely to question whether he is the father, especially if he's only made love with this woman once, and hardly knows her? And if two people are thrown together because of an accidental pregnancy, wouldn't that make them more cautious about committing to a long-term relationship rather than less cautious? Wouldn't the shock of having a major life change like parenthood thrust upon them make them want to avoid any other emotion complications? I wanted to have my couple wrestle with those very real questions in a believable way while at the same time keeping them sympathetic, giving the romance that fun flirty edge that Riva demands  and having them eventually fall in love.

Well folks, it wasn't easy. And once I'd started writing, I realised exactly how not easy a set-up it was. Because apart from trying to give my hero and heroine that contemporary edge, I'd also given them one heck of a lot to resolve in 50K words. Not just their own unique internal conflict, but also enough external conflict to fell two much lesser mortals. Luckily for me, Nate and Tess came through in the end - after having to give me several stern talkings-to during the course of writing the book - and I'm very pleased with the story now. But I won't lie to you, I had several moments when I wanted to kill them both (not to mention the baby, to my eternal shame!).

And for all those peeps considering the 'accidental pregnancy' trope as an easy way to ramp up your couple's conflict.... All I can say is... It ain't! Now I know why Dickens never used it... Smart man.

And the winner is....

Hi all

Well, the competition is now closed, many thanks to everyone who entered. Did the draw this morning with a little help from my first born (who was not too ecstatic about being dragged out of bed on his half-term!!).

The winners of a copy of The Good, the Bad and the Wild are:

Aimee Duffy


Henza Richard

So you two just email me your snail mail addresses on heidi@heidi-rice.com and I'll post off a copy asap.

To everyone else, do not despair, (shameless plug alert) copies are available to buy in paperback and ebook at the M&B website NOW. And the book will be on the shelves in the UK and Ireland next month and in North America (as a Harlequin Presents Extra) in July. I'm also doing a Goodreads Giveaway for the UK edition (you can enter to win on the right) and I will do another Goodreads Giveaway (for all territories this time) for the US edition in June!

Right, still waiting to hear back on my current ms from my ed... And taking my mind off it by joining Pinterest courtesy of fabulous fellow Riva author Nicola Marsh. I'm not really a visual author, more of an auditory one (it's the voices in my head that help me create!) but I've had great fun doing a Pinboard of photos for The Good, the Bad and the Wild with selected quotes from the book - amazing how you can persuade yourself that trawling the internet for that perfect picture of Colin Farrell's tattoo is actually extremely valuable book promotion!!

Want a sneak peek of GBW??

Can you tell I'm waiting to hear back from my ed on my latest offering?? Yes, this is why I'm currently blogging like crazy, because I've already bitten off all my nails. Hate this bit... How is it that as soon as you press that send button you then go back and re-read your ms and discover all those things that need to be corrected that you should have spotted in the edit! Groan

Anyway, enough about me. I have now got a sneak peak of The Good, the Bad and the Wild up on my website... Go have a read and tell me what you think. And in honour of it, I've added a lovely istock photo of San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge, anyone want to guess where Eva and Nick go for their bike ride after meeting in that art gallery???

The Good, the Bad and the Wild... Goodreads Giveaway

There's still a few days left to enter my competition to win a copy of The Good, the Bad and the Wild...

But failing that you can also apply for my Goodreads Giveaway of the book on your right.

So don't say I never give you nothing!

The Good, the Bad and the Wild comp has landed!

So, I finally sent off my latest manuscript on Monday night, after much last minute research on Facebook.... Still need to find an events planner I can have an email or phone chat with, so if anyone reading this blog knows one, especially one based in the US, let me know.

Now, on to my BOOK COMPETITION!! 

The Good, the Bad and the Wild is out as my next Riva in March. It's a linked book to Cupcakes and Killer Heels as the hero is my cupcake baker Ruby's long-lost brother Nick Delisantro... A delicious bad boy screenwriter who lives in San Francisco. I'll be posting a sneak peek on my website shortly. But first:


I have two copies to give away to two lucky readers. All you have to do is answer the following question and I'll put you in the draw to win. (hint: You will have to read the back blurb which I have already posted on my website for the answer)

Question: In The Good, the Bad and the Wild, who's good, who's bad and who's going wild?

Send the answer to heidi@heidi-rice.com and I'll be announcing the winner on 1st Feb!


Good luck

PS: There's still five days left on my Goodreads giveaway of the US edition of Cupcakes and Killer Heels, you can click to enter on your right....

Attack the Block and news of a new book comp!

I'm talking about the cracking aliens vs hoodies movie Attack the Block at the Pink Heart Society today, so come on over and make a comment!

In other news my author copies of my March Riva, The Good, the Bad and the Wild, have just arrived and I'll be holding a competition to win a copy here on the blog early next week (and posting a sneak peek on my website) - as soon as I get my current ms off to my editor!!

So watch this space. But until then, here's the back cover blurb to whet your appetite:

One of the Good Guys?

Nick Delisantro is famous - for scripts, for his looks, and above all for his ruthless bad-boy charm. Eva, on the other hand, has spent her life being an overlooked wallflower! Now she's got to meet with Mr Tall, Dark and Brooding or her only chance of promotion is over...

Nick can't stop staring at the mysterious blushing girl who's dressed like a vixen but frozen under his gaze like a rabbit in the headlights... He can't wait to see what's behind the innocent front! But Nick's about to get far more than he'd bargained for - not only does Eva have the key to his secret past, but there's nothing more dangerously addictive than a good girl going wild...

Nick and Eva's Story has a Cover!

Check it out! Nick and Eva's story, my brand new Riva release 'The Good, the Bad and the Wild', has a cover... And it's gorgeous. Hunky hero and seductive heroine... Yummy.



It'll be out in March in the UK and I can't wait to see it on the shelves now (funny how that never gets old). In case you don't already know this is the story of my Cupcakes heroine Ruby Delisantro's long-lost brother Nick and shy and inexperienced genealogical researcher Eva Redmond. Eva's been dispatched to San Francisco to locate the illegitimate heir of an Italian Duc... Who just happens to be none-other than bad boy screenwriter Nick. One wild ride on a motobike across the Golden Gate Bridge and an even wilder night of pleasure later, and it's not just her job that's under threat.

Will be posting a sneak peek on my website soon. And doing a giveaway here and on Goodreads.

And also out in March, Cupcakes gets its long-awaited (well, by me anyway) Harlequin Presents Extra debut - also with a very hot cover and love that tagline 'Men Who Won't Be Tamed'.

 
Will be doing a Goodreads giveaway for this one too... So stay posted.

Penny Jordan: An Inspiring Writer, An Inspirational Woman

Very sad to hear this morning of the death of Penny Jordan on New Year's Eve. I only met her a few times but she was always gracious, friendly and remarkably humble given her amazing achievements.

Abby Green has left a moving and heartfelt tribute on her website which I think says it all.

Her death will leave a huge gaping hole in the romance writing community.