Sunday, 29 June 2014
Brook Cottage Books is thrilled to welcome back a great friend and fantastic supporter of the blog. Please give a big cheer for Nicky Wells who has agreed to be interrogated interviewed!!
JB: You write amazing
Rock star romances. Tell us why you choose this particular theme?
NICKY: Aw JB,
that’s such a nice thing to say. Thank you so much! D’you know, even after five
releases, I still get flustered at compliments?
Anyway. Why
romance with rock stars? Well. *coughs* I have an incurable ‘thing’ for rock
musicians. I can’t help it. They just ‘do it’ for me. Red rag to a bull is
nothing like a rock star is to Nicky Wells! (My lovely husband is quite
indulgent of this affliction of mine, bless him. We even had a rock band we
know play at our wedding, but that’s a story for a different day.). That’s why
I write the books I do. Particular faves include Jon Bon Jovi and Joey Tempest.
I’ve recently discovered Myles Kennedy too! Bad boys and golden voices, tough
men with long hair and soft hearts…. *swoon*
JB: In 3 words,
describe your latest book FALLEN FOR ROCK.
NICKY: Naughty—romantic—loud
JB: In 3 words
describe the sexy hero in the book.
NICKY: Mike Loud, lead singer of rock band MonX, is:
talented—swoonworthy—caring
JB: Because you
obviously love music, do you listen to music when you write?
NICKY: Errr… I feel like I’m letting the side down, but no,
I don’t listen to music while I write. Planning, yes. Editing, sometimes.
Proofing, absolutely. But not while I actually write. The reason is simple.
Every song, every album has a certain ‘mood’ for me, and it’s hard to line up
enough songs to suit the mood of what I’m writing. Not to mention that given my
love for sharp twists and turns, the mood of what I’m writing my change quite
dramatically in the space of five minutes, and no play list could cater for
that. So I find music a distraction while
I write, but I certainly use it to inspire me and to relax during my
writing breaks.
JB: Give us your
writing playlist!
NICKY: Not so much a
writing playlist as the general soundtrack to my life… are you ready? Here are a few of my favourites, in
no particular order:
Living On A
Prayer (Bon Jovi); Enter Sandman (Metallica); Rock The Night (Europe); Hells
Bells (AC/DC); Jump (Van Halen); Here I Go Again (Whitesnake); Rock Star
(Nickelback); Tough It Out (FM); Cold As Ice (Foreigner); Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen);
We Will Rock You (Queen); Runaway (Bon Jovi); Wake Me up When September Ends
(Greenday); Who Will You Run To (Heart); Bring me to life (Evanescence); Sweet
Child o’ Mine (Guns ‘n’ Roses); Stairway To Heaven (Led Zeppelin); Nothing Else
Matters (Metallica); Other Side Of Midnight (FM).
Shall I go
on? Because it might take a few hours…
JB: Did the book
develop as you had planned or did it take you on a completely different
journey?
NICKY: That’s such a great question! You have to know that
I’m an obsessive compulsive planner. For one, it’s in my nature (blast that
A-Type personality) and for another it’s a requirement if I am to write
successfully around all the other demands on my time, notably family and radio
shows!
So for each book, I have a rigorous plan, a skeleton if you
will, that outlines the story arc, motivation, character development and all
that good stuff. I know where the story is headed before I start typing
‘Chapter One,’ and I have signposted all the major twists and turns.
Most of the time, the
writing flows from there, and I follow the plan. Most of the time, but not always. To give you an example, Sophie’s
Turn was meant to end after one book with the ending that I eventually deliver
in Sophie’s Encore. I had that all planned out for Sophie and Dan, but Sophie
didn’t cooperate. I got her to the hotel room in Paris mulling over Dan’s
proposal, and I was shouting, ‘yes, yes, do it woman, do it,’ and she goes…
‘nah. Sorry. Can’t do that. Not my style.’ That was a real huh moment. My character hijacked the story and rewrote the ending!
Likewise, there’s a similar scene in Fallen for Rock when
Emily showed me quite forcefully just how much she’d grown and changed. I send
her to a pub talent scouting with Mike, and she’s spotted a big shot manager.
My plan was that she would approach him and beg an audience because, you know,
that’s what I would do. Imagine the scene: you’re having an innocent drink and (INSERT FAMOUS ROCK MANAGERS NAME HERE) walks in. You’re desperate to talk to him. So you go up and
somehow start a conversation, making a complete fool of yourself in the
process. Cringe! That would be me.
But not Emily! Oh no. Emily turns the whole thing around and has Iron Dave
approach her. I so did not see that coming, and I can tell you, JB, I was
hanging on for dear life, wondering what the heck Emily would say next!
JB: Do you fall in
love with your characters as much as your readers do?
NICKY: Absolutely 100 percent. I cried when I finished the
third and final book in the Rock Star Romance Trilogy (aka Sophie’s Encore, and
yes Pattie Walker, if you’re reading this, I haven’t forgotten my promise to
you, just give me time!). I felt like I was waving goobye to my best friends,
and I felt seriously bereft.
I got very emotional at the end of Fallen for Rock too,
partly because I know this is a standalone, and partly because it ends on an
emotional note. I wasn’t as cut up
about saying goodbye here, probably because I hadn’t spend so much time living
with the characters, but my, I do love Mike!
JB: What’s next for
Nicky Wells?
NICKY: JB, I have two books in the works that I can tell you
about. My next Christmas novella, Fairy Tale in New York, is fully written and
due for publication in October or November of this year. It’s what I call a
‘standalone sequel’ to Spirits of Christmas. It’s a sequel in the sense that it
picks up the story of Jude and Carrie, but it’s a standalone story in that you
categorically, absolutely do not have to have read Spirits of Christmas to
enjoy Fairy Tale in New York. Here’s the blurb:
Fairy Tale in New York
When rock star Jude
gets stranded in New York with his family on Christmas Eve, he has no idea that
he is setting in motion a chain of events that will turn their Christmas into
the most magical one yet…
No good deed goes
unpunished, or so it seems to Jude and Carrie on the morning of the
twenty-fourth of December. The previous day, they gave up their return flights
to London to enable a distressed passenger to make a swift journey home in
their stead. Today, when they present themselves at the airport for their
rescheduled flight, a spectacular whiteout is grounding all planes, and Jude,
Carrie and baby Maya are stuck.
Tired, hungry and just
a little panicked, Jude loads his family into a cab and returns to their hotel.
His hopes of refuge are dashed when the hotel turns out to be fully booked and
not even a platinum credit card will make a difference. Snow is falling
heavily, and the family is facing a very bleak night indeed.
How do you celebrate
Christmas far from home, with no place to stay, no food, and no presents? Join
Jude, Carrie and Maya and a cast of colourful characters in this fairy tale
story of Yuletide in New York.
After ‘Fairy Tale’, I’m going to bring you another
full-length novel, probably in the late spring of 2015. This one will tell the
story of young rock star couple on their honeymoon who experience a
relationship crisis of epic proportions. And I mean epic! But that’s all I can
say at this point….
NICKY: JB, thanks so much for having me on your blog and for
all your fabulous support with my work, especially Fallen for Rock. J You’re an angel and a
rock star and your enthusiasm means the world. Loveya!
FALLEN FOR ROCK
‘A thrilling and delicious story of love
and self-discovery woven around a broken romance that will make you turn page
after page and cheer to the end.’
Love,
life, loyalties. Nothing stays the same when Emily gets drawn into the world of
rock.
Glossy and sophisticated professional
high-flyer Emily has no time for nonsense such as the rock music her
ex-boyfriend Nate adored so much. Yet when she unexpectedly comes into
possession of VIP tickets—access all areas—for new rock band phenomenon, MonX, she
can’t resist the temptation.
The fateful gig turns into more than one
night, and Emily finds herself strangely drawn to this new and unfamiliar
glittery world. However, only weeks later, MonX and her own universe fall apart
with devastating consequences for all. When MonX lead singer Mike appeals for
her help, she reluctantly embraces a new opportunity. But she soon discovers
that while she may be a rock chick after all, a groupie she is not… Or is she?
Just exactly where do her loyalties lie?
And what direction will her life take now that she’s left behind everything she
treasured?
Warning! Fallen For Rock contains some explicit content and strong language that
may not be suitable for readers under eighteen years of age.
****STOP PRESS!! FALLEN FOR ROCK IS AVAILABLE ON MONDAY 30TH JUNE AND IS AMAZING!!!!!****
About Nicky Wells: Romance that
Rocks Your World!
Ultimate rock chick author Nicky Wells writes romance with rock
stars—because there’s no better romantic hero than a golden-voiced bad boy with
a secret soft heart and a magical stage presence!
Nicky’s books offer glitzy, glamorous romance with rock stars—imagine
Bridget Jones ROCKS Notting Hill!
If you’ve ever had a crush on any kind of celebrity, you’ll connect with
Nicky’s heroes and their leading ladies.
Born in Germany,
Nicky moved to the United Kingdom in 1993 and currently lives in Lincoln with
her husband and their two boys. Nicky loves listening to rock music, dancing,
and eating lobsters. When she’s not writing, she’s a wife, mother, occasional
knitter, and regular contributor at Siren 107.3 FM with her own monthly show.
Rock on!
Nicky’s books: Sophie’s Turn | Sophie’s Run | Sophie’s Encore | Spirits of Christmas
***Fallen
for Rock—SALES LINK TO COME!!!***
Join Nicky: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Romantic Novelists’ Association | Sapphire Star Publishing | Amazon | Goodreads | Pinterest
Did you know? There’s a single
out now by Nicky’s fictional rock band Tuscq come to life! “Love Me Better” is
available for download from Amazon, iTunes and many other places.
Really enjoyed this interview because I've got to know Nicky via blogs and Facebook and so with our love of Rock we have lots in common and of course my life has been music, so it is always fun if I get flash-backs of events when reading her work which may well have happened to me or my artists or friends. Such a fab subject to write about, there are going to be endless tales she can write. Cannot wait for the next. I don't normally read romance but the music element and her writing skills have drawn me in - not one murder anywhere, so that is a good sign for her books being a good read for me. Well done Nicky and lots of success for this new book and all your others past and to come. Rock on. Rock on JB for hosting her. Fab interview. :)
Thanks so much, JB, for launching the Fallen for Rock tour with a fabulous interview--I'm so honoured to be on your blog! And squeeeee: launch day tomorrow!!!
PS: three words to describe my book and my hero... that was one of the toughest challenges ever! You know how I love to talk, LOL!
*waves* Hi Jane, thanks so much for stopping by and for your lovely comment. I'm thrilled I've drawn you into reading romance--that's high praise indeed from a crime-and-murder-writer! I hope you'll enjoy Fallen for Rock and thank you, as always, for all your enthusiasm and support. You rock! XX
Fab interview, Nicky and JB! Really enjoyed it!
Good to see some Heart and Evanescence in that playlist, Nicky. I can listen to music while I write, but not while I edit or proofread. Huh....!?! But then (as you know) I don't plan at all!!!
Keep up the good work, both of you! Rock on, Nicky! xxx
LOL, Jo, I think that music thing is as individual as the writing process! Thank for stopping by and for your lovely, lovely comment. You always make me smile! XX142