Join Romance Giveaways for all Giveaway Information

Nicola Marsh, Girl in a Vintage Dress and a Giveaway!

Today we all are about to meet USA Today Bestselling Australian author Nicola Marsh. So let's welcome her! 

Thanks Nas for having me, it’s great to be here.

You are very welcome! We love chatting to authors and getting to know their processes so we're looking forward to chatting with you!

I’d planned on a much longer post but thanks to sick kids and deadlines, I’m going to make this short and sweet, and hope I can visit again J

Oh, definitely, we shall look forward to chatting with you again!

Over to Nicola Marsh....

I write for Harlequin Romance and Presents Extra series, so when I’d completed my favourite category romance (SEX, GOSSIP AND ROCK & ROLL) I knew the book I wrote after it would be a let down unless it was something special.

Thanks to an article on retro charm schools in a Sunday newspaper magazine, my heroine Lola strutted onto my page!

A curvy heroine who adores all things retro, I needed a hero opposite her in every way.  Enter techno-savvy, entertainment CEO Chase.

I love ‘opposites attract’ stories and have a ball writing them.
Thankfully, I think Lola and Chase have what it takes to match it with their predecessors, Luca and Charli in Sex, Gossip & Rock & Roll.


* How did the title came about?

My working title was Retro-A-Go-Go.  Girl in a Vintage Dress (chosen by Mills and Boon) is pretty descriptive though.  Sums up Lola perfectly!


* How did you choose the genre? ...You write YA as well?

I love writing category romances!  There’s something infinitely satisfying in creating guaranteed happily-ever-afters.  I have a ball choosing a modern setting, contemporary characters and putting my spin on it.

That said, I also enjoy writing longer stories with the chance to explore a plot and secondary characters in depth, hence my foray into YA and mainstream romance/women’s fiction.

I have a contemporary romance, BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD, releasing this December from Entangled Publishing and I’m super excited about it!  Set in Mumbai and New York City, it’s about an Indo-American trying to find herself (while creating chaos along the way!)  BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD is packed with fun, laughs and food, lots of glorious, delicious Indian food. Yum!


* What inspired you to become a writer?

I loved writing at school and always said I’d write a book one day.  Somehow I got sidetracked, did a degree in Applied Science in physiotherapy instead, and ended up working in this field for 13 years before I had an epiphany.  Rather than talking about writing a book one day, I actually did it.

Luckily I sold my first book not long after and haven’t looked back.  I’m so lucky, writing is my dream job!


To celebrate the release of GIRL IN A VINTAGE DRESS, I’m giving away 2 signed copies of another favourite of mine, OVERTIME IN THE BOSS’S BED.
To be in the running to win, sign up for my newsletter by sending me an email with NEWSLETTER in the heading to nicola@nicolamarsh.com

Thanks again, Nas!



EXCERPT from Girl in a Vintage Dress:

Lola didn’t take kindly to being bossed around.  She’d had enough of it growing up from her Miss Australia finalist mother and catwalk model sister.
Wear the boot cut jeans, not the slim fit. 
Don’t wear the A line skirt, it makes your bum look big. 
Use the coral lipstick, not the pink, you look washed out.
Bossiness never failed to raise her hackles and the moment Mr Tall, Dark and Domineering had strutted into her domain, ignoring house rules, she’d been primed for battle.
Mobile phones didn’t belong in Go Retro for a reason.  Trying to recreate a vintage ambiance was imperative to her business and considering those infernal devices weren’t invented back then, she’d made it a house rule to not have them used in her pride and joy.
She also hated their constant buzzing and ringing and clattering as people tapped at those miniature keypads like their lives depended on it.
How anyone could be glued to a phone when surrounded by all this beauty…she trailed a hand over a velvet 1940s vermillion ball gown, savouring the plush-ness, the timeless elegance, let her fingers skim a floral silk scarf she bet could tell a few stories about the necks it had been knotted around over the years.
She glanced at the diamante shoe clips, the crimson lipsticks in different brands, the fascinators at jaunty angles on the classically dressed mannequins.
Every item had been lovingly chosen in the hope it would bring joy to its next owner in the same way it had brought her joy to discover it.  Surrounded by all these wonderful treasures of the past, how could anyone not be tempted?
“I need an answer.”
Just like that she snapped out of her reverie and glared at the philistine who wouldn’t appreciate vintage at its finest if it slithered off a mannequin and onto his rather impressive frame. 
The same impressive frame that made her want to run and hide out in the back room and let Immy deal with him.  His type scared the beejeebies out of her: slick, smooth, successful.  Guys who had it all and knew how to wield their many god-given talents.  Guys who could use their looks and success to bedazzle a girl like her.  Guys like Body.
     Annoyed she’d let her past creep into the present, and doubly annoyed that she’d showed a glimmer of her fear when this guy had strutted in here like he owned the place, she squared her shoulders.
So he thought he could boss her into accepting his deal by throwing money around and sweetening it with a personal recommendation? 
He had that look about him, the look of a man used to getting his own way: designer, from the top of his perfectly cut chocolate brown hair to the bottom of his Italian loafers and his five-figure charcoal suit cost more than the entire front display.
As for Dazzle, of course she’d heard of them.  Anyone who lived in Melbourne knew of the entertainment company’s formidable reputation.  You wanted something to make your event special?  Dazzle did it, from jugglers to fire-eaters to international rock bands.
So he was the CEO?  Figured.  A guy like him would be used to throwing his weight around and never accepting a knock-back.  Well, there was a first time for everything.
He wanted an answer?  She had one for him, as soon as she phrased it in more ladylike terms than the ones running through her head, something along the lines of stick it.
Her disdain for his high-handedness must’ve shown for he rubbed a hand over his face and when it dropped, his haughty expression had been replaced by a rueful smile.
“Look, I’m sorry for barging in here and blustering.  It’s a sign of a desperate man.”
With those devastatingly blue eyes, charismatic smile and smoother-than-honey voice, she seriously doubted this guy had ever been desperate in his life.

Check out my review of GIRL IN A VINTAGE DRESS

And my review of GIRL IN A VINTAGE DRESS was picked up our local newspaper for their The Sunday Times magazine, so I was quite surprised to come across it while browsing the paper on Sunday morning!

So remember folks, to be in the running for signed copy of OVERTIME IN THE BOSS’S BED, see what Nicola says above!

 For more news about Nicola, you can visit her Website and Blog. You can Friend her on Facebook or Follow her on twitter!

55 comments:

  1. Oooooo! Great excerpt, Nicola! The Bollywood title coming out later in the year sounds fascinating, too. Here in Vancouver we have a huge South Asian community, and everything about India has always fascinated me.

    (Sorry to hear about the sick kids...)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi LP,

    Thanks for coming by, we shall get Nicola to come in December again to give us more about BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD and to do some giveaways of it as well!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love happy ever after endings too! I've always been a sucker for a good romance! These books all sound terrific :)

    Hope the kids are better soon!

    ReplyDelete
  4. It's fantastic that writing is your dream job. I bet it shows in your stories.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Jemi,

    I love these books with a passion! I can read one in less than a day so get to the h/h happy ever after that much faster!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Lynda,

    Thanks for coming by!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Nicola, I look forward to reading Girl in a Vintage dress and the other titles too. Busted in Bollywood sounds fascinating.

    Hi Nas, great interview.

    Well done.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I enjoyed the excerpt...I'm new to your work so it is nice to meet you...

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow, fantastic excerpt, Nicola! Thanks for hosting, Nas.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love anything vintage! Look forward to checking this out.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Nas, sorry about the sick kids.

    Nicola, I could see YA being an easy switch because there's always romance! The Applied Science Physiotherapy to writing was probably a bigger transition.

    ReplyDelete
  12. You are very fortunate indeed to have sold your book so quickly. Good luck with all your books.
    Nancy
    N. R. Williams, The Treasures of Carmelidrium

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great to meet you Nicola! Hope the kids get alright soon!!! It was great to hear about your writing journey and congrats on the books :)

    Thanks Nas, for bringing us another fab author !!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Kiru, thanks! Busted in Bollywood does sound interesting, isn't it?

    Hi Savannah, thanks for coming by!

    Hi Talli, thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi Liz, do check it, GIRL IN A VINTAGE DRESS is a fabulous story!

    Hello Theresa, with Nicola looking after sick kids amidst writing must be really hard. No wonder she hasn't shown up yet!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi Nancy, Nicola is indeed fortunate to have sold her first book so early, thanks for coming by!

    Hi Ju, thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Blogger & Wordpress keep booting me off here, will try another way.

    I want to chat to everyone!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Ah, success!

    Sory for being so late to the party, offline all day yesterday with preschooler's asthma & I had heart symptoms, drama galore!

    Thanks to everyone for dropping by, will try and respond to you all :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. I'm really excited about Busted in Bollywood, LP.

    (and Vancouver is a gorgeous part of the world, love it, visited on my honeymoon almost 10 years ago!)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks Jemi and Lynda.

    Nothing like a good HEA fix :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thanks Kiru, Savannah and Talli,

    nice to meet you all :)

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hope you enjoy Girl in a Vintage Dress, Liz.

    Was so much to research all those gorgeous vintage clothes!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Lol, distracted by kids, that was meant to read 'so much fun to research' :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. I love flexing my writing muscles, Theresa, so writing YA is hugely fun for me.

    As for switch from physiotherapy, was very different! My physio friends are still a little stunned.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thanks Nancy and Ju.

    Yes, I count my blessings I sold quickly.
    Writing is my dream job :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. Nas, I'm so thrilled your review of Girl in a Vintage Dress was picked up by your Sunday Times magazine.

    Kudos!

    And thanks again for having me. :)

    ReplyDelete
  27. Great excerpt! And I love 'opposites attract' stories too. :)

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hooray for just writing the novel instead of talking about writing the novel!
    Nice to meet you, Nicola!

    ReplyDelete
  29. There's nothing quite like that epiphany where you decide to actually WRITE the book instead of talking about being a writer someday. It's a wonderful feeling.

    Great post!

    ReplyDelete
  30. I've wanted to write category romance since I was 14. Truly. Except; I'm not the happy ending type writer/reader. But I have returned often to read Harlequin :)

    Nice meeting you Nicola (love your name). That excerpt was magnificent.

    .......dhole

    ReplyDelete
  31. What a fun excerpt. I like both the cover and the concept. Your upcoming book sounds great too.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Opposites attracting are my favourite stories, Susan.

    So much scope for the sparks to fly!

    I'm revising one at the moment (my next Harlequin Romance after this one, WHO WANTS TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE? Jan 2012), featuring an environmental scientist and a property developer. Boy, are the sparks flying between Rory and Gemma, too much fun!

    ReplyDelete
  33. It was satisfying to stop talking about it and actually doing it, Lydia :)

    Scary too!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Sure is a wonderful feeling, Meagan.
    I often wish I'd done it sooner but I guess the timing wasn't right.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Thanks so much, Donna.

    I'm addicted to HEA so I guess that's why I write them :)

    That said, I love reading YA too because you're often left hanging and waiting for the next instalment.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Thanks Shelley, the retro theme really grabbed me, was so much fun to write!

    And the cover is one of my all time favourites :)

    ReplyDelete
  37. Hi Nicola, thanks for coming by, I hope your child is feeling better.

    I can see all my friends are having a ball chatting with you!

    To all my friends, all the best for the giveaway!

    Remember what Nicola said above, "To be in the running to win, sign up for my newsletter by sending me an email with NEWSLETTER in the heading to nicola@nicolamarsh.com"

    ReplyDelete
  38. Thanks Regina.

    There's more where that came from in the book ;)

    ReplyDelete
  39. He's slowly on the mend, Nas.
    Didn't get much sleep again last night, hate seeing him struggling for breath, awful :(

    As for giveaway, please sign up!
    I only send out 2-3 newsletters a year if that so I promise not to bombard you!

    ReplyDelete
  40. They all sound brilliant and great review Nas!

    ReplyDelete
  41. Great excerpt! Thanks for introducing us to Nicola, Nas!

    ReplyDelete
  42. Thanks Catherine. I loved the unexpected twists and turns in Girl in a Vintage Dress, and it was an enjoyable read!

    Hi Deniz, you're welcome!

    ReplyDelete
  43. Nas, Interesting interview and book review. I love the print in the dress or top that Nicola is wearing in the picture.
    Manzanita@Wannabuyaduck

    ReplyDelete
  44. Thanks Manzanita, that's one of my oldest and favourite dresses.

    Have had it for 15 years and I still love wearing it :)

    ReplyDelete
  45. Hi, Nas. I clicked over to see your review of Girl in a Vintage Dress. You're an awesome reviewer! This is definitely your niche. Thanks for hosting Nicola Marsh. To Nicola: I hope your book sells well. I like both romance and YA, but YA's my favorite.
    Ann Best, Memoir Author

    ReplyDelete
  46. Hi Ann,

    Thanks for your lovely ccomment! My reviews in our local papers now.

    And you're very welcome!

    ReplyDelete
  47. Can't wait for Busted! Loved this excerpt, Nic! And that Presents cover is Hot!!

    ReplyDelete
  48. Hi Robyn,

    You're warmly welcomed to my blog!
    Friends, this is Robyn Grady, HM&B Presents author!

    Thanks for coming by!

    ReplyDelete
  49. I adore YA too, Ann.

    I've become addicted to reading & writing it!

    ReplyDelete
  50. Hello to all my friends,

    Thanks for coming along and all your lovely comments.

    And a special thank you to Nicola Marsh for taking the time out of her busy schedule to be with us. She'll announce the winners of the two signed copies of her, OVERTIME IN THE BOSS'S BED, on her blog!

    ReplyDelete
  51. Thanks so much for having me here, Nas, I had a ball!

    ReplyDelete