Spotlight - Tamara Gill

Hi everyone,

                     Today I have the lovely Tamara Gill joining me. Tamara writes fantastic historical romance and is a fellow member of the Romance Writers of Australia. Her new book, A Marriage Made In Mayfair has just been published by Decadent Publishing.

                      Tamara is graciously giving an e-book copy away, so leave a comment and your email address and you may be lucky enough to be swept back into luscious Regency England.

Hi Nicole and thank you for having me as your guest today. I’m an Australian mum, wife and author of Regency and time travel romance. I’m here today to celebrate the release of my Regency romance novella, A Marriage Made in Mayfair available from Decadent Publishing.

       Where are you from & why do you love it?

I was born and grew up in the South Australian mid north town of Burra. So I’m a country girl at heart. I love all the aspects of Australia. Its climate, animals and famous slang. LOL. The only draw back is its distance from my beloved England. I would love to live there one day.

      What type of romance do you write?

I write Regency romance and time travel romance set in historical periods. My first two novellas were erotic romance but, A Marriage Made in Mayfair my upcoming release is more sensual than erotic.

       What was the first thing you had published?

A naughty nibble, To Sin with Scandal available from Noble Romance Publishing.

When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

About four years ago I started writing as a hobby when I was home on maternity leave. I soon became addicted to the written word and about a year later I found Romance Writers of Australia. My writing career has grown from there to where it is today.

         Inspirations.

History. The Regency Empire style gown *grin*. Stephanie Laurens, Karen Marie Moning. I mean my list is endless. I’m often inspired by all sorts of things.

       How do you overcome writer’s block?

I had a problem last year with this when I was pregnant. My muse thought to disappear for a little while. I recommend sitting yourself down and forcing yourself to write, even if you think it’s turning out terribly. I think, by doing this, you eventually work your way through whatever is halting your progress. In my case I had my daughter and my muse came back with vengeance. I haven’t had a problem since.

Miss Suzanna March wished for one thing, the elusive, rakish charmer, Lord Danning. But after a frightful first season sees her flee to Paris, such dreams seem impossible. That is until she returns to London, a new woman, and one who will not let the ton's dislike of her stand in her way of gaining what she wants. Revenge on the Lord who gave her the cut direct and perhaps a little flirtation to show the mighty Viscount what he'll never have.

Lord Danning unbeknown to his peers is in financial strife and desperate to marry an heiress. Such luck would have it Miss Suzanna March fits all his credentials and seduction is his plan of action. Yes, the woman who returned from Paris is stronger, defiant, and a little argumentative, but it does not stop Lord Danning finding himself in awe and protective of her.

But will Suzanna fall for such pretty words from a charmer only after one thing. Or will Lord Danning prove to Suzanna and himself that she is more than his ticket out of debtor's prison...

~Excerpt~

“Suzanna, I do apologize. Here,” Royce said, leaning down and pulling her to stand. “I would never have barged in had I known you were standing behind the door.” He watched her right her clothes as best she could before she turned, sauntered over to a basin of water, and tried to wipe the remains of her dinner from her gown.

Suzanna glared at him over her shoulder as a blob of sauce dropped and splattered onto the floor. “My clothes are already soiled, so landing on the floor for a second time this evening will not matter.”

His eyes stole over her ruined apparel and the sad, unsure woman he had known last year stared back at him across the room. An ache settled in his chest at the dishevelled picture she made. All of which was his fault. Had he not tried to fluster her by touching her leg, she would not have suffered such humiliation.

“I apologize if my actions earlier this night upset you to the point you spilled—”

“My drink. All over the table before falling on my backside in front of the dinner guests I was trying to impress. Since,” she walked over to him and poked his chest with a finger, “the society I had initially graced wanted naught to do with me and all because of a certain pompous, arrogant, high-in-the-instep lord.”

Royce sighed. Her tone did not bode well for his plan to win Suzanna and make her his wife. “Like I said, I apologize. Perhaps for me to make amends, you would agree to a ride in the park tomorrow. I believe the weather is to be congenial.”

“Unlike the company,” she stated, with a narrow, piercing stare that could have turned him to ash on the Aubusson rug beneath his boots.

“There’s no need to be….” Her eyes narrowed further as Royce cut off what he was about to say. He doubted his suggestion that she should be polite would place her in a more pleasant mood.

Links –

http://www.tamaragillromanceauthor.com

http://tamaragill.blogspot.com

http://twitter.com/tamara_gill

http://www.facebook.com/tamara.gill.754

http://historicalhearts.blogspot.com.au/

http://www.decadentpublishing.com/

Nicole xx

Until The Stars Burn Cold

Hi everyone,
                     The final edits for 'Until The Stars Burn Cold' are done, which means that it will be here soon - Yay! I can't wait to share Jinn and Mia's story with you all. So in celebration I thought I would post a blurb and a little snippet.

Nicole x

Forbidden love. In ancient Persia, in the town of Adwan, Jinn is ripped from his beloved Shuri’s side. Jinn is cursed into a ring as punishment for daring to love the wrong woman. Empires crumble, centuries pass and Jinn is still captive. That is until present day antiques dealer, Mia Templeton accidentally releases him.

 

Mia stirred as a loud rumble of thunder echoed over her house. She cracked open one eye ever so slightly. A flash of lightning illuminated her bedroom wall. She relaxed back into her soft mattress and closed her eyes. She was warm, comfortable and content, and as sleep threatened to reclaim her once more she wondered if it would be possible to reconnect with the delicious and vivid dream she had been having. Parts of it were beginning to disappear and she tried to hold onto the details.

There had been a man, a beautiful man with wide shoulders and lovely brown eyes and he had been kissing her. Mia let herself begin to drift, she was floating, barely conscious of her surroundings as she snuggled deeper beneath her quilt. Yet there was a nagging in the back of her brain that something was amiss. The edgy feeling told her to wake up but her body rebelled and her breath began to deepen. She reasoned that it was nothing to be concerned about; the dream coupled with the oncoming storm had disturbed her and nothing more. That was until she felt a large hand hook around her waist and pull her closer to a warm mass that engulfed her back. Biting back a scream she pushed the hand away and flung herself off the bed. She turned, faced the bed and fear, shock and amazement blended together in a tight ball in her stomach as she saw that there was a man in her bed.

A weak shaft of light pierced the darkness and she could see he was lying on his side stretched out on top of the quilt, with his arm flung across the bed. He was reaching for where Mia had been dreaming only a moment or two ago. It was then that she realized with a little relief that he was fully clothed. He wore long dark green trousers tucked into soft leather boots that ran halfway up his calf and a deep cream shirt under a leather jerkin. 

Mia stumbled across the corner of the room, grabbing the tall, metal floor lamp. She yanked at the cord and pulled the plug out of the socket. The silk shade fell off and rolled towards the door. Flicking on the bedroom light gave her a little comfort; at least now she could see exactly what she was up against. She edged towards the bed and looked down at her intruder.

She saw the way the man’s chest softly rose and fell. His eyes were closed and his features were relaxed. Feeling a little braver, Mia took one tentative step back towards the bed and studied the stranger’s face. He was handsome, with high cheekbones and a square jaw. His golden brown complexion was offset by his long dark hair.

Mia held the lamp in front of her like a staff. Taking a deep breath, she wished her heart would stop racing. She pushed the lamp forward and jabbed at the stranger’s shoulder.

 “Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my bed?”

ARRA Guest Blog

Hi everyone,
                    Today I'm very excited to be at The Australian Romance Readers Association talking about fairytales, myths and legends. Drop by and tell us what your favourite fairytale was... or still is.

Nicole x

http://australianromancereaders.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/guest-blogger-nicole-hurley-moore/

Hi everyone,

                     Sorry I've been a bit quiet. I have barely left my computer as I've been finishing off a book, doing edits for another and launching myself into a new tale. I had hoped to be further into my current wip, but the last few days have been pretty damn dismal in the writing stakes. I write everyday and try to follow a semblance of a 9 - 5 day (more like 10:00 - 4:00 although sometimes it's more like12:00 - 12:16 *wink*). However over the last four days I've become a scattered brained ninny, distracted by everything... especially if it's shiny. Research keeps pulling me off on tangents and new ideas materialize and I have to stop and write them down before they disappear back into the aether. These things aren't bad, it's just the new wip doesn't seem to have progressed at all. I'm hoping that a new week witll bring focus.

      On the 25th of June I have the lovely Tamara Gill dropping in for a chat about her upcoming book 'A Marriage Made in Mayfair'.

I thought I would leave a sneaky peek at the opening of 'Rain'. It is the first book in my Elemental Series.

    

He hovered high above the ground as the heavy rain ran over his lithe body. As each drop hit his skin he revelled in the exhilaration of the storm as it swirled around him. With one deft movement his grey wings sent him soaring upward, where he spun and spiralled in the damp, cold air. There he glided until a small movement from below caught his pale ice grey eyes; his interest snared he swooped lower and saw with amusement that a small village lay below. It sat on the side of a river, in the shadow of a great mountain. As he flew closer he saw its inhabitants running to and fro in a vain attempt to escape from the storm. The smoke from their hearth fires, which burnt so brightly in an endeavour to warm their tiny cottages curled in the air and wafted up to where Maras flew. In the smoke he could smell ash, herbs and the aromas of roasted meat, yet almost immediately the rain dissipated the odour and replaced it with its own cool sweetness.

Nicole xx