I’ve been nominated as Australian Romance Author of the year in ARRA’s annual awards. A surprise and an honour. Thanks so much to everyone who voted. Keep supporting those Aussie titles.

“Rapunzel in New York” has been nominated in ARRA’s Best Short/Category list. Not bad for a book not released here yet! Thanks to the members of the Australian Romance Readers Association for the vote of confidence.

So a month or so ago I got an email from my editor letting me know my latest book had been accepted (yay) and asking me whether I could ‘squeeze in’ a novella before my next deadline. I hesitated because my schedule was carefully constructed to give me some time off over Christmas after I wrote-through the last two holiday seasons.

“It’s a Christmas book…” she hinted.

Mmmmm… vaguely more interested, I’ve never written a Christmas book… Then she brought out the kryptonite

“…and it has to have puppies in it.” 

A puppy-based Christmas book. SOLD!

Image courtesy Wikipedia under Creative Commons

Instead, mine’s about a litter of wild-dogs and the conservationists working to help save them.

Aren’t they adorabubble!! African Wild Dog pups. I’ll let you know how I go when it’s all over!!  Back to the keyboard…

I’ve just sold another book to Harlequin (part of an eight-book continuity fantastically sandwiched between Marion Lennox and Patricia Thayer *sigh*) and it’s been given a title and release date.

Release: August 2012
Title: Slow Dance with the Sheriff

I don’t always get excited by the titles given to my books by Harlequin’s marketing team but this one I *love*. It’s exactly right for the tone and the story.

Nice work marketing peeps!

New title
My latest book, set in Texas, has been scheduled for release August 2012 and titled Slow Dance with the Sheriff. Loving that title.

Nominated!!
‘The Soldier’s Untamed Heart’ has been nominated for an RT Reviewers’ Choice award for series romance. Huge honour.

New website coming soon
The time has come. Having lots of fun working with the designers on a new nature look.

8-book Continuity
End Sept: handed in my eighth of a texas-set family saga. Learned a lot being part of such a big series. Should be out mid 2012.

RWA Conference
Presenting a workshop on the importance of author BRANDING at the annual conference of Romance Writers of Australia in Melbourne, August 2011

Busy writing Deep into the married hero story. Tricky topic, challenging book.

• Appearance I’ll be speaking on the importance of Arousing your Reader at SWANCON in Perth on 23rd April. Come along and say hello if you’re in Perth.
• Continuity I’ll be one of eight Romance line authors in a new series of stories set around one dynastic family in the US. This will be only my second story set outside of Australia.
• New stories Three new stories approved by London, to be written in 2011. Look out for a married hero, a hermit hero and heroine who might just be related to her hero!!
• Going to New York, baby! I’m heading to the Romance Writers of America “Nationals” in NYC end June. Really looking forward to being a fly on the wall for ‘best in show’ for writers.

• Nikki Logan Trailer uploaded to You Tube (search for Nikki Logan book trailer). I made it myself over Christmas break.
• Finished! My latest book set in Oberon, NSW. My first ‘virgin birth’ story. Awaiting title and release date.
• Retreat in Tasmania I’m spending a week with three other writers in a lighthouse in Tasmania. I can definitely see a lighthouse book in my immediate future

• RELEASE DATES! ‘Rapunzel in New York’ in UK July 2011 (Riva), ‘A Kiss to Seal the Deal’ in UK July 2011 (Cherish) ‘Friends to Forever’ in UK/US Feb 2011, ‘Shipwrecked with Mr Wrong’ in UK/US Apr 2011,
• WIP Just started prep work for book #9, set in Aus, ‘virgin birth’ story.
• Will be joining Romance Writers of Australia committee next year. Yay!

• Free download! Their Newborn Gift will be the free download for the Romance line in 2010/11! Download one book from every line free from Sept 1, 2010.
• 3 More books! Huge thanks to HMB for opportunity to write three more books for Harlequin Romance (books 7, 8 & 9)
• WIP: Taking a brief break between books (yay!). Playing with new website.
• LOOKING AHEAD Romance Writers of Australia conference – Coogee (NSW) August 13-15

• WIP: Sealed with a Kiss – based on my friend Kate’s actual seal research. Not how she met her husband though Loving this pair, they so deserve a happy ending.
• SOLD : Friends to Forever but yet to be scheduled. With an alcoholic heroine and the entire first half of the book taking place in the water rescuing a whale, this was my most challenging story to write.
• LOOKING AHEAD (Half-day) Romance Workshop with Nikki Logan: Spearwood Library, July 10. (Booking Essential)
• ROMANCING THE WEST (May 1): ‘Branding’ workshop for thirty WA writers.
• NEW EDITOR: Kim Young has been promoted (congrats Kim!), new editor is Senior Editor, Jo Grant (lovely, lovely!)

• Aussie cover now released – stylish new look for Sweet covers in Australia… here
• Online appearance: Nikki will be hanging out with the gals over at Fresh Fiction on Weds 17th February and the Pink Heart Society on Saturday 6 February.
• Personal appearance: Nikki’s speaking at the City of Cockburn (Spearwood, Western Australia) 10am Saturday 13th February about all things romance. Registration essential @ tinyurl.com/nikkitalk
• PinkHeartSociety: Lights, Camera… is Book Club Pick for February. Read it and log in to chat about the book on Feb 23rd.
• Lights, Camera…Kiss the Boss hits North American & UK shelves Feb 9th.
• New release date: ‘The Soldier’s Untamed Heart’ will be released in the UK in October 2010 and in the US in 2011 (date, TBA).
• New excerpt: part of the first chapter of Their Newborn Gift (June 2010) is up as an excerpt on this site.
• ‘Lights Camera…Kiss the Boss’ getting strong reviews pre-release…
• ROMANTIC TIMES: ‘Superb debut’ 4.5 stars.
• READER: E-HARLEQUIN ‘Depth and beauty’ ‘grips the soul’
• READER: BLOG: ‘I could’t put it down’

• RWAus ‘RuBY’: Entered ‘Lights, Camera’ in the RuBY.
• LIBRARY PROMO: Confirmed to be delivering a workshop at Cockburn Library, February 13 2010.
• RWA ‘RITA’: entered ‘Lights, Camera’ in RITA
• RELEASE DATE: confirmed June 2010 “Their Newborn Gift”
• DEADLINES: December 2009 (Whale rescue) & March 2010 (shipwreck hunter)
• NANOWRIMO Had to withdraw after revisions came in mid-month.

• COVER! I have my cover for Lights, Camera.
• WRITING NOVELLA – 25k for UK only release
• STARTED PROMOTION in advance of February release. Blogging all over the place.
• THINKING OF IDEAS for next two new full-length novels

• THREE-BOOK CONTRACT – Woo hoo. Contracts for novella (work-in-progress) and next two full-length books. Fantastic to have a few up my sleeve!
• UNTAMED HEART – Accepted and in production. No release date yet.
• PITCHED to Melissa Jeglinski (The Knight Agency) at the Romance Writers of Australia conference and will be sending a pile of works to give her a feel for my style.

• JUST ADDED TO WEBSITE – FACTSHEET on the pros and cons of writing competitions.
• 25K novella – I’m planning this month and will start writing as soon as my wilderness revisions are done.
• Working on revisions for my wilderness book

• Started work in progress OUTBACK BABY BARGAIN a 50,000 contempory set in the Western Australian bush.
• I have a title! LOVE ON A ROOFTOP will be released as LIGHTS, CAMERA…KISS THE BOSS in February 2010.

• Completed second book in my contract UNTAMED HEART and submitted it to London. This story has special meaning for me because its written for a friend who had a really bad year last year and survived. She’s a reminder of the strength we all have inside us.
• WILD ENCOUNTER won the RWNZ “Strictly Single” competition. Requests for full manuscript from agent Susannah Taylor (Richard Henshaw Group) and from Keyren Gerlach from HQN Romantic Suspense. Fingers crossed.
• WILD ENCOUNTER finalled in the US “Great Expectations” competition (Romantic Suspense category). Final judge is from Grand Central (Forever). Fingers crossed.

SOLD!! SOLD!! SOLD!!: Kimberley Young (Harlequin Mills & Boon) has offered me a two-book contract. “Love on a Rooftop” is to be released in January 2010 and my next novel (yet to be written) is also pre-contracted. Hopefully “The Player” and “Wild Encounter” will find a home in the future, too.

• HIGH FIVE 08: “The Player” and “Love on a Rooftop” both finalled in the 2008 HIGH FIVE (RomAus) competition and have been sent to Diana Vertimiglia of Silhouette (New York).
• REVISIONS FROM HARLEQUIN NEW ROMANCE!: Kim Young of Harlequin Mills & Boon contacted me in October regarding revisions to ‘The Player’ to suit the Harlequin Romance (Sweet) line. During those discussions she also requested a look at anything else I had and so I emailed her “Love on a Rooftop”. As a result she has sent specific revisions to that novel as a prospect for her line. Stay tuned.
• THE MOLLY (RWA US): Final judging placed “Wild Encounter” as runner-up in the Romantic Suspense category.