Category Archives: Rock Star Romance, Part 2: Sophie’s Run

Launch day for Sophie’s Run!

Posted on February 7, 2013 | 42 comments

7 February.
On this day in 2012, I had submitted my first novel, Sophie’s Turn, to Sapphire Star Publishing a few weeks previously. I was waiting with bated breath to hear back, having shared this latest submission with only my closest three friends and, of course, my husband. I was trying to keep a lid on it.

So imagine how excited I am today, less than a year that I signed with my publisher, to shout about the release of my second book, Sophie’s Run.

This might be a good time to put a finger in your ears.
LOL!

About Sophie’s Run

Glamour, glitz, intrigue, romance, weddings, betrayal, travel, rock music, food, a fire, an exploding cake, a gorgeous rock star, a zany best friend and a dashing male nurse.

Girl next door gets incredibly distraught in her quest for true love ~ Sophie‘s story.

Rock star suffers unrequited love ~ Dan‘s story.

Best friend loses her way, big time ~ Rachel‘s story.

Boy next door can’t believe his luck ~ Steve‘s story.

Intrigued? Here’s the blurb:

Her famous star remains her rock while life takes her on a little detour…

So she has finally found the man of her dreams; well, she’s seen him, for sure! Yet rock star and ex-fiancé, Dan, keeps getting in the way of her new romance—even if he is just trying to be helpful. A fire, an impromptu mini-trip with Dan, and a dreaded wedding later, Sophie is still struggling to meet the love of her life. Then, just as she is getting it together with her perfect man, best friend Rachel commits an act of unspeakable betrayal. Sophie has had enough. Surprising herself and shocking her friends, she embarks on a secret journey and eventually gets her life back on track.

Sophie’s Run is now available in Kindle edition from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk, and in Paperback edition from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. You can also get the paperback at Barnes & Noble, or download Sophie’s Run onto your Nook (coming soon).

Stop Press! To celebrate the launch of Sophie’s Run, you can get your Kindle copy of Sophie’s Turn for a special promotional price of $.099/£0.77 for TODAY (7 February 2013) ONLY. If you haven’t got it already ~ here’s your promo chance!!

The Preview Party

Yesterday, I had the tremendous pleasure of hosting a Preview Launch Party for Sophie’s Run over on Siren 107.3 FM. Chief host and producer was, of course, the one and only Alex Lewczuk, who very kindly dedicated the midweek drive show to this launch. We had some illustrious guests phoning in and here are the highlights:

THE HUSH ROCK BAND
Lead singer Jazmine Giovanni and guitarist Lee Landrum phoned in from United States to chat about writing, making and performing rock music and shared some rock star moments with us.

Reviewer Kim Nash plus Amy Lichtenhan and Katie Henson of Sapphire Star Publishing

Reviewer, book lover and ace book blogger, Kim Nash, shared her thoughts on Sophie’s Run… find out who she sees as Dan in ‘Sophie’s Run, the movie.’

Amy Lichtenhan and Katie Henson of Sapphire Star Publishing chat about signing the Rock Star Romance Trilogy and the appeal of my books. This is the part where I blush!

We had a fabulous time in studio!

Talking to my phone-in VIPs!

And this is only the beginning! I’ll try to bring you a soundclip for our fabulous chat with iconic rock photographer, Nick Elliott, as soon as possible. Meanwhile, you can already listen to the podcast for the Sophie’s Run Special MidWeek Drive featuring Nick as well as a couple of readings from Sophie’s Run and a chat with Cameron Tilbury here: http://southsidebroadcasting.podbean.com/2013/02/06/the-midweek-drive-sophies-run-launch-day-special/

In the studio celebrating with me were:

~Alex Lewczuk
~Ed Wellman
~Katie Grimason
~Shelley Paulson

Katie Grimason, Shelley Paulson, and Ed Wellman, dream team!

Sophie's Run on air give-away, competently adminstered and adjudicated by ED WELLMAN. Draw effected by Shelley Paulson and Katie Grimason and the winner is.... SHERYL BROWNE! Congratulations!

Sophie’s Run on air give-away, competently administered and adjudicated by ED WELLMAN. Draw effected by Shelley Paulson and Katie Grimason and the winner is…. SHERYL BROWNE! Congratulations!

Alex, Nicky, Ed and Katie: CHEERS!

The Party goes on ~ Join in and grab a giveaway!

I am celebrating all day over on Facebook! Pop on over and share your music, your rock stories, and your favourite bits of Sophie’s Turn or Sophie’s Run. I’d love to see you there!

Speaking of sharing, I am offering a giveaway! A double giveaway!

First of all, because I love chocolate almost as much as I love rock music, I am giving away one delicious chocolate gift to a lucky winner in the UK or North America!

You can enter here: a Rafflecopter giveaway

The small print: This Gift prize is a product of Unique Chocolate. The Gift prize is subject to availability in your country. If the Gift prize is not available in your country, Nicky Wells reserves the right to offer a substitute gift prize of a similar nature at her discretion. Nicky Wells will require the winner’s postal address for shipping purposes.

BONUS GIVEAWAY!

I am offering a giveaway of one Amazon gift voucher worth $20/£15 for one lucky winner. To enter, simply share your thoughts on Sophie’s Run with me. Email your comment to nickywells@sapphirestarpublishing.com and your name will be entered into the draw. Competition closes 1 May 2013. Good luck!

Thank you!

Thank you very much for your support over the past months and your enthusiasm for this launch. My job wouldn’t be worth doing if it weren’t for you, my readers, and I appreciate your every tweet, your every like, every email, every piece of feedback, every idea you share. Rock on!

A big thank you also goes to the following people for all their support: my husband and my family, Amy and Katie at Sapphire Star Publishing; Alex Lewzcuk and the team at Siren 107.3 FM; Linn B Halton; everyone at loveahappyending.com; my writing buddy, Sue Fortin; THE HUSH BAND; Nick Elliott; Kim Nash; Sharon Goodwin; Nova Reylin; Tobi Helton; Kate Verrier; Evelyn Chong; Katie Mettner. You guys are my rock stars and I couldn’t do this without you. Mwah!

A Shared Book Birthday: Give It Up for Elizabeth Arroyo!!

My Sapphire Star Publishing sister, the talented Elizabeth Arroyo, is also celebrating today as she releases her first novel, The Second Sign.

Hop on over to Elizabeth’s website or Facebook party to say hello and take part in the festivities!

Congrats, Elizabeth, I hope you have a rocking first Book Birthday! XX

Let’s party….

42 Comments

Posted in Rock Star Romance, Part 2: Sophie's Run, Sapphire Star Publishing Book Launch

Tagged book launch, giveaway, Kim Nash, Kindle, Nick Elliott, Nicky Wells, rock star, Romance, Sapphire Star Publishing, Siren 107.3 FM, Sophie's Run, THE HUSH

Come on Tour with Sophie and Dan! ~ Sophie’s Run Blog Tour

Posted on February 1, 2013 | 28 comments

Can it really be time for another blog tour already? My second masterpiece, Sophie’s Run, launches next week on 7 February, and I have the blog tour all sorted out. Well, you know me. I’m organized like that. And I like to party!

As before, I am going to stop at lots of blogs; nearly sixty, in fact. The tour includes many of my blogger friends old and new, and a fabulous cast of book bloggers from Reading Addiction Blog Tours, kindly organized for me by my lovely publisher, Sapphire Star Publishing. There is a tremendous diversity here and I am truly excited to embark on this journey… and to take you with me.

Blog Tour with a Difference

Speaking of: this blog tour really is a journey in more ways than one, and this makes it quite different from my previous tours. In addition to the traditional-style fun interviews and interesting guest posts, there is also a theme that connects many of the features.

Sophie and Dan would like to take you on a tour of geographic and culinary discovery, showing you many of the places they have visited and sharing recipes for their favourite meals. Are you ready to go on tour with my hero and heroine?

Photo Credits: See Below

But first things first: Thank You!

As always, I want to give due credit and say Thank You to all these amazing bloggers and fellow authors who are giving up their time and making space on their blogs to help me shout about Sophie’s Run. There are some new faces in the roll call, and I am so thrilled to have met you and enticed you onto this journey. And there are plenty of familiar faces who haven’t tired of undertaking my publication journey with me, coming along for a second and, in some cases, even a third time. I hope you know how much your support means to me. Whether new friend or long-standing best mate, I couldn’t do this without you. Thank You.

Sophie’s Run Launch Tour 2013
Come On Tour with Sophie and Dan!

Stops and features are subject to change. Links may not function until the date a post is scheduled. *Asterisked stops have been scheduled by Reading Addiction Blog Tours on behalf of Sapphire Star Publishing: Thank You!

07 February 2013 Romance that Rocks Your World Launch Party, Rock Star Style

07 February 2013 AL Jackson Someday! Launching Sophie’s Run

07 February 2013 Loveahappyending.com Same procedure as last time, Miss Sophie?

07 February 2013 The Romaniacs Necessity is the mother of invention

07 February 2013 We Do Write Interview

*07 February 2013 Reading Addiction Blog Tours Meet and Greet

08 February 2013 Bookreview by Rea Berlin

*09 February 2013 Andi’s Book Reviews Review/Interview

10 February 2013 Jera’s Jamboree Paris and Review

11 February 2013 Dizzy C’s Little Book Blog Lazy Surf’n’Turf and Review

*11 February 2013 Beth Art From the Heart Review

*12 February 2013 The Boyfriend Bookmark blog Review

13 February 2013 Eve’s Chick Lit Reviews Seaside

*13 February 2013 What’s On the Bookshelf? Review/Guest Post

15 February 2013 Love Reading Love Books Hamburg

17 February 2013 Forget the Housework Rock Star Lobster Ravioli

*18 February 2013 Author Ever Leigh Review

*19 February 2013 Stephanie Keyes Lobster

*19 February 2013 The Adventures Within Review/Guest Post

20 February 2013 The View Outside Drunken Prawn Pasta

*20 February 2013 My Reading Addiction Review

22 February 2013 The Book Chick London

*22 February 2013 Queen of All She Reads Review/Guest Post

*23 February 2013 Cocktails and Books Review and Guest Post

24 February 2013 Me My Books and I Rock Star Scallops and Pancetta

*24 February 2013 Dee’s Book Blog Giveaway

25 February 2013 Mandy Baggot New York

*26 February 2013 Me and Reading Review/Guest Post

*27 February 2013 Kaisy Daisy’s Corner Review

01 March 2013 Patricia Sands Highlands

*01 March 2013 Cozie Corner Review

*02 March 2013 Jersey Girl Book Reviews Review/Interview

03 March 2013 Jo Lambert – Writer Tea and Talk at Sally Lunns

*03 March 2013 Let’s Get Booked Review/Guest Post

04 March 2013 Kim The Bookworm Come into my kitchen…

*04 March 2013 Solitary Bookworm Book Highlight

*05 March 2013 Muse Unleashed Review

*07 March 2013 Reading Addiction Blogtours Review Wrap Up
(psst: average rating of 4.7!!!!!)

08 March 2013 Today I’m Reading Newquay

09 March 2013 Words from Anneli Paella

18 March 2013 Fascinating Books Langeoog

22 March 2013 Celtic Connexions Edinburgh

24 March 2013 Janice Horton Author showcase and give-away

25 March 2013 Chick Lit Central Review and give-away

26 March 2013 Sheryl Browne Munich

28 March 2013 My Life. One Story at a Time. Brussels

31 March 2013 Chick Lit and Wine Mussels

01 April 2013 Bonnie Trachtenberg Stockholm

04 April 2013 Jen Tucker Pizza

05 April 2013 Books 4U Tooting (London)

08 April 2013 Chick Lit Plus Cheesy Fondue and Review

10 April 2013 Amy Gregory Lasagna

12 April 2013 My Seryniti Canada

14 April 2013 Hello, You Dan’s Take on Travelling

15 April 2013 Chick Lit Club Connect (blog) When (my) life imitates (my) art: confessions of the eternal rock chick

17 April 2013 Brook Cottage Books Grünkohl mit Pinkel (sort of) and review

19 April 2013 Jennifer M Eaton Nicky meets The Little Blue Lady from Mars

What do you say? Are you coming?

You’ll get to see a lot of places
and you certainly won’t be bored, or hungry.

And lest I forget: Most stops will offer a GIVEAWAY as well, so it’s well worth stopping by.

Rock on! 🙂

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Photo Credits

Food photos are my own. All others as attributed:

(1) By Vwpolonia75 (Jens K. Müller, Hamburg) (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons
(2) By Lee Kindness [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons
(3) By Daniel Schwen (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons
(4) By Stefan Krude (Stefan_Krude) (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
(5) By User:Huebi (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons
(6) Source: By Joseph Plotz (Own work) [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons
(7) By Rnt20 at en.wikipedia. Later version(s) were uploaded by Ian Dunster at en.wikipedia. (Transferred from en.wikipedia) [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons
(8) By Derek Harper [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons
(9) By Benh LIEU SONG (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons
(10) By Taken by Shmuel Spiegelman using a Canon 10D. (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/1.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons
(11) By Oke (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

28 Comments

Posted in Rock Star Romance, Part 2: Sophie's Run, Sapphire Star Publishing Book Launch

Tagged Blog Tour, Cities, Come On Tour, Countdown to Sophie's Run, Food, Sophie's Run, Travel

Unveiling the Sophie’s Run Launch Extravaganza

Posted on January 25, 2013 | 53 comments

The day is drawing near…yes, Sophie’s Run is nearly here!
Twelve days and counting!

You know me. I like to party. You do know that by now, right?
So I have a bit of an extravaganza planned.
Are you ready?

Preview-Launch!
The Sophie’s Run RADIO Party,
6 FEBRUARY

The wonderful, one-and-only Alex Lewczuk over at Siren FM has very kindly agreed to dedicate the Wednesday Midweek Drive slot to celebrating the launch of Sophie’s Run.

Isn’t it simply awesome?
We will be Live on Air from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. GMT and
YOU CAN LISTEN LIVE no matter where you are!
You can find Siren at 107.3 FM and ONLINE! Tune in for:

~Readings from Sophie’s Run
~Chat with some Very Special Guests indeed
~Rock music, and non-rock music. Of course!
~A fab give-away (more below)

SPECIAL GUESTS
Well, what would a party be without guests?
Proudly presenting my phone-in guests:

THE HUSH ROCK BAND
We’ll be chatting with lead singer Jazmine and guitarist Lee!

THE_HUSH_at_El_Rey_Theater_Los_Angeles_2010

Photo Courtesy of THE HUSH, with thanks. 🙂

NICK ELLIOTT

Photo Courtesy of Nick Elliott Press Office: Thank You!

Renowned Rock Photographer Nick Elliott will be joining us on the phone to chat about his work and The Magic of Rock!
Find out more about Nick at from his Press Office Page on Facebook, on his official Press Office Blog, or follow him on Twitter.

SAPPHIRE STAR PUBLISHING
Of course Katie Henson and Amy Lichtenhan would be there. What would a launch party be without my lovely publishers?

KIM THE BOOKWORM
Reviewer and book blogger extraordinaire, Kim Nash, will offer her perspective on the Rock Star Romance books.

Also joining us telephonically will be Cameron Tilbury, CEO of MapleStar Music and Media, Phil Leirness, and Michele Monro, among others. What a line-up!

~~~

STUDIO GUESTS
Naturally, there will be a live, real-person party going on, too. In studio celebrating with me will be:

~Alex Lewczuk
~Ed Wellman
~Katie Grimason
~Nichola Clancy
~Natasha Turney
~Karen Waring
~my lovely husband
~and drop-in surprise guests (possibly)

**ON AIR GIVE-AWAY*

One Signed Copy of Sophie’s Run up for grabs!!!
Don’t miss your chance to win a signed copy of Sophie’s Run.

Simply tune in and share your thoughts on the show while we’re live on air, and your name will be entered in the draw.
Here’s what to do:
Post a comment to Siren FM’s Facebook page or on your own timeline tagging Siren FM, or tweet the show at @sirenfm and you’re in with a chance to win. Good luck, and happy listening!

Book Signings

Yes! Readers came! My first visitor arrived at just a few minutes after 10 a.m. Witness: my first author signature in a newly-purchased reader's copy of Sophie's Turn. Awesome feeling!

Okay, I admit it… Here’s one I took earlier! But you get the idea…

PREVIEW SIGNING
Siren Studios, Lincoln, 6 February, 7 p.m. onwards
Music, drinks and nibbles (subject to permission)

LAUNCH DAY SIGNING
Welton Library, 7 February, 10 a.m. until 10:30 a.m.
Tea, coffee and biscuits (music pending permission ~ it is a library!)

Virtual Parties

Join me right here on my blog and on Facebook for a
virtual all-day party zone!

Do you reckon I’ve got enough partying planned?

Now tell me: what songs should I put on the playlist?
#ThinkRock

53 Comments

Posted in Rock Star Romance, Part 2: Sophie's Run, Sapphire Star Publishing Book Launch

Tagged book launch, Countdown to Sophie's Run, Kim Nash, Launch party, Nick Elliott, Radio, Rock Photographer, Rock Stars, Sapphire Star Publishing, Siren FM, Sophie's Run, THE HUSH

Sophie’s Run is In The Building!

Posted on January 18, 2013 | 45 comments

It only seems like yesterday that I posted right here when Sophie’s Turn turned up in paperback format in my house. It is, in fact, only barely five months. Five months! And I am the proud author-owner of my very own second book.

Sophie’s Run. It’s here!

This one wasn’t eight years in the making. I wrote it from October 2011 until February 2012, taking about fourteen weeks to complete it.

I was going to publish in the summer of 2012. That was before I signed with my fabulous publisher, Sapphire Star Publishing, of course.
So Sophie’s Run got a little waiting period but here it is…

Oh my God.

Of course, this time, I knew what was coming. I knew I would be overwhelmed with joy and… glee. Yes, pure and unadultered joy at holding another book of mine in my very hands. I’m telling you, the feeling is just as great as first time round! And it’s not just me who’s insanely proud, it turns out…

Oh, this gives me an idea. Don’t the two books look good together?

Oh, let’s try another shot….

Oooh yeah, baby!
I’m sorry. I’m sorry! I couldn’t help playing at happy bookshelves with them. Just wait until book 3 joins them. (And book 4… and book 5…)

Work it, baby, work it…

Awesome. Not long to go now!
Launch day is 7 February, and I’ll be having the most rocking launch yet. Literally, really rocking!
Watch this space for more news and thank you for joining me.

Rock on!

Pssst! *whispers* In case you haven’t seen them: the advance reviews for Sophie’s Run are rolling in on Goodreads. Go take a look! 🙂

45 Comments

Posted in Progress Updates, Rock Star Romance, Part 2: Sophie's Run

Tagged Books, delivery, launch day, Nicky Wells, paper backs, rock star, Romance, Sapphire Star Publishing, Sophie's Run, Trilogy

The Run-Up to Sophie’s Run

Posted on January 11, 2013 | 13 comments

I declare the manic season open!

Oh yes, this is going to be my four weeks of madness ahead of the launch of Sophie’s Run, and I am very excited about it all. Here’s a little sneak peek at what will be happening, and I’ll bring you posts with updates as I go along, of course.

First of all, let me remind you what Book 2 is all about; here’s the blurb:

Sophie’s Run

Her famous star remains her rock while life takes her on a little detour…

Who says that the road towards true love is straight and even? Sophie is certainly discovering that it is anything but.

So she has finally found the man of her dreams! Well… she knows who he is, even though she hasn’t actually quite met him yet. But she misses her opportunity, and then her life goes crazy. Rock star and ex-fiancé, Dan, keeps getting in the way of her new romance—even if he is just trying to be helpful. A fire, an impromptu mini-trip with Dan, and a dreaded wedding later, Sophie is still struggling to meet the love of her life. Then, just as she is getting it together with her perfect man, best friend Rachel commits an act of unspeakable betrayal.

Sophie has had enough. Confused and distraught, she decides that it is time for radical change. Surprising herself and shocking her friends, she embarks on a secret journey eventually gets her life back on track.

Where is Sophie’s Run now?

Right at this very moment, Sophie’s Run is at the printer. Squeee! I’m hoping to get my trembling fingers on paper back copies of my second book in the next two to three weeks, and you’ll be the first to know when they get here!

In addition, the book is also being formatted for e-publishing in all the various formats so we will be all singing-and-dancing on pub day. (Pub day being 7 February 2013, in case I hadn’t mentioned the date lately).

What kind of launch party will there be for Sophie’s Run?

A fabulous one, to put it simply! Plans are afoot to launch this baby live on air over at Siren 107.3 FM with Alex Lewczuk and various Special Guests on the eve of publication, 6 February, from 5pm to 7pm. Let me hear you say, Hell Yeah! More details to follow when I have the line-up complete.

In addition, I’ll also be hosting a lightning-signing event at Welton library at 10 a.m. on 7 February, so if you’re in the area, drop by! You can visit my blog all through the day of 7 February to take part in the party. And if that’s not enough, I’ll also be hosting a Facebook party so that absolutely everybody can take part!

Will you be taking Sophie’s Run on tour?

Why, of course! And, more importantly, I’ll be taking YOU with me ~ on a tour of geographic and culinary discovery, just like a rock star. The schedule is nearly finalized, 90 per cent of the blog posts have been written, and I will post more details right here on this blog very soon, watch this space.

And of course, while I’m getting this all organized, I also have a duty to Sophie and Dan to finish their story, so I’m typing away at Book 3, Sophie’s Encore. #norestforthewicked, right? It’s gonna be awesome!

Will you join me on tour? Are you ready to party?

13 Comments

Posted in Progress Updates, Rock Star Romance, Part 2: Sophie's Run

Tagged Blog Tour, Countdown to Sophie's Run, Publication, rock star, Romance, Sapphire Star Publishing, Siren FM, Sophie's Run

On-The-Road Editing

Posted on December 14, 2012 | 20 comments

I know. It’s the festive season and everybody’s posting festive stuff. And so will I, very soon. In the meantime, however, life goes on and work needs to be done.

I recently finished editing my second book, Sophie’s Run, using fabulous input from my editor over at Sapphire Star Publishing. This was a fast-track, polish-it-up edit such as I haven’t done in a long time. And do you know what? It was totally exhilarating. I am so happy with the result, I haven’t stopped smiling since. (Better still, Katie and Amy at Sapphire approve too ~ happy dance).

But here’s the really juicy bit. The edits landed in my inbox just before I was due to leave for the RNA Winter Party. Well, what’s an author to do when she’s got a long train ride ahead of her, all the way to London and then back again? Plus some unexpected ‘downtime’ in a quiet hotel room with no distractions? You got it. A spot of on-the-road editing. In fact, I marked up seventy percent of the manuscript during the two-day trip.

And the moral?

Actually, there are two. One, there’s no such thing as a wasted train journey. And two, my brain definitely kicks into high gear on the road.

When the hotel grows quiet, the author gets editing!

Scratch, scratch, replace, alter… in several colours for several rounds of thoughts. And the whole thing looked amazing once it was ‘clean’ back in Word.

Have manuscript, will edit… even on trains, in planes and automobiles!

Do you enjoy editing (or writing) in unusual environments?

Oh. And here’s the thing. Sophie’s Run is currently undergoing proofing and I’m awaiting the fair copy for author approval. Because yes, this baby is coming your way on 7 February 2013 ~ watch this space!

20 Comments

Posted in Progress Updates, Rock Star Romance, Part 2: Sophie's Run

Tagged Editing, Nicky Wells, On-The-Road, RNA Winter Party, rock star, Romance, Sapphire Star Publishing, Sophie's Run, train

Sophie’s Run ~ Cover Reveal #sophiesrun #cover

Posted on October 12, 2012 | 35 comments

This is it!
Give it up for the glorious cover of
Sophie’s Run
Part 2 in the Rock Star Romance Trilogy
Coming from Sapphire Star Publishing on 7 February 2013.

Ready?

Wow. I am in love. A huge Thank You goes to Amy Lichtenhan and Chad Lichtenhan for their patience, good humour, great ideas and endless cheer as I changed my mind time and time again. You see, I had various conflicting visions for this cover and Amy patiently looked at all of them, gently but firmly guiding me onto the right path. And Chad is a hero for making all the little tweaks and changes that I kept heaping upon him. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, the team over at Sapphire Star Publishing totally rocks.

Thank you for this amazing cover!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sophie’s Run

Her famous star remains her rock while life takes her on a little detour…

Who says that the road toward true love is straight and even? Sophie is certainly discovering that it is anything but.

So she has finally found the man of her dreams. Well…she knows who he is, even though she hasn’t actually quite met him yet. When she misses her opportunity, her life goes crazy. Rock star and ex-fiancé, Dan, keeps getting in the way of her new romance—even if he is just trying to be helpful. A fire, an impromptu mini-trip with Dan, and a dreaded wedding later, Sophie is still struggling to meet the love of her life. Just as she is getting it together with her perfect man, best friend Rachel commits an act of unspeakable betrayal. And to top it all, her new boyfriend leaves her lying in the mud.

Sophie has had enough. Confused and distraught, she decides that it is time for radical change. Surprising herself and shocking her friends, she embarks on a secret journey that eventually gets her life back on track.

Coming from Sapphire Star Publishing on 7 February 2013!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you very much to my lovely, amazing author and blogger friends who are taking part in my cover reveal today!
I’d like to dispense big hugs to:

A.L. Jackson
Melanie Robertson-King
Sheryl Browne
Stephanie Keyes
Tobi @ Forget the Housework

Feel free to hop on over and say ‘hi’ to these great friends!

Now the stage is yours. I’m dying to hear what you think! 🙂

35 Comments

Posted in Cover Reveal

Tagged Authors @ Sapphire Star Publishing, cover reveal, Nicky Wells, rock star, Sapphire Star Publishing, Sequel, Sophie's Run

This is NOT it.

Posted on October 10, 2012 | 20 comments

No. Definitely NOT.

But if you come back this coming Friday, I can reveal to you the absolutely stunning cover for Sophie’s Run!

See you then? 🙂

20 Comments

Posted in Progress Updates, Rock Star Romance, Part 2: Sophie's Run

Tagged cover reveal, Nicky Wells, rock star, Rock Star Romance Trilogy, Romance, Sapphire Star Publishing, Sophie's Run

Me, and the Queen of Hearts: Split Author-Personality Syndrome

Posted on September 28, 2012 | 19 comments

Editing.

This little word puts the fear of God in a lot of writers. #amediting is an oft-seen hashtag frequently accompanied by wailing and proverbial gnashing of teeth. Many authors, me included, confess to a certain amount of dread when it comes to editing.

I wonder why. Because when it comes to it, I perversely enjoy it. Ignore the initial pain and frustration; once I knuckle down, I find the process quite exhilarating and ultimately rewarding.

My work process involves two broad types of editing. ‘Me’ editing, aka the author edit. And publisher editing, aka… well, publisher editing. Right now, for my second novel, I am working through stage one, ‘me’ editing.

Having let the manuscript rest for a good few months, I have taken another good, fresh look at it and got the red pen out. Why? Well, for one, I had to. I know Sophie’s Run is at least twenty-five thousand words too wordy for commercial publication, so they had to go. And second, because I wanted to. I felt the need. With a bit of distance, I wanted to go through my work and make sure that it still zings for me. There are certain things I learned from the publisher edits of Sophie’s Turn that I wanted to apply rightaway. I’ll talk about that some other time.

Me. Myself. And HER.

Today, I want to talk about this weird split personality that I have discovered. There’s me, and there’s The Other. My Inner Editor. She of the Ruthless Cutting Mindset. The Queen of Hearts.

So, the cutting. The bloodlet. That’s the part I dread and fear most. And yet surprisingly, it’s turning out to be quite easy. I appear to have grown a second head, one that is dispassionate and detached and ruthless. An Inner Editor has quite unexpectedly and without invitation taken residence in this new, second head of mine that isn’t even attached to my normal pair of shoulders. I kid you not—that’s exactly what it feels like!

I might be reading along merrily, quite enjoying myself, when my Inner Editor pipes up, quite brusquely—not to say, rudely—and instructs me to cut, cut, cut. “Can’t you see,” she’ll tell me in no uncertain terms, “that while this scene is fun, it’s also just excess fat? It doesn’t advance the plot, it’s not necessary. Take it out. Use it some other time.” Honestly, she really is like the Queen of Hearts, all Off With His Head (or rather, Out With The Scene!). Thus out come the scissors, and my office floor swiftly resembles a cutting room floor.

Me… and HER. Isn’t she scary?
Would *you* argue with her?

She’s usually right. It’s not that what I was written was bad, or wrong. On the contrary, I am quite often deeply attached to the scene in question. But if it’s not essential, then it has to go. If I can transplant the joke somewhere else, I will. If I can tell it in fewer words, I shall. And the end result: a pacy, fast, page-turning read (if I say so myself) that is better than it was before.

How much has she made me cut? I don’t know yet. I was going to start putting these edits into my manuscript in Word but owing to a small computer crisis, I’ve had a small delay. I can tell you, though, that I have cut at least four chapters; that there isn’t a page without at least five lines crossed out; and that a lot of excess verbiage has been clipped. I’m not entirely sure whether I’ve culled the required 25K but I don’t think I’m far off. And there are a few scenes that I have point-blank refused to take out (yet) even though Inner Editor was spitting with fury at my ignoring of her very relevant suggestions. These are my back up, my cushion, my fall back. With those, I will scrape over the all important finish.

I’m zinging with zest. I have this tingling in my toes that tells me I’m on to a good thing. The book feels sumptuous yet lean, luxurious and fast. Thank you, Inner Editor, and please forgive all the abuse I hurled at you. I love you, really.

Of course, this isn’t it. When I’m done, Sophie’s Run goes back to Sapphire Star again; my lovely publisher, has, of course, already read my second masterpiece, but now it’s time for the full-on, no holds-barred, all-out publisher edits.

Bring it on!

How do you approach editing? Do you have your very own Queen of Hearts sitting on your shoulder?

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Posted in Progress Updates

Tagged Cutting, Editing, Nicky Wells, Queen of Hearts, rock star, Romance, Sapphire Star Publishing, Sequel, Sophie's Run

The Serial Juggler: One’s Out, Two’s Done, Three’s WIP as the Rock Star Romance Trilogy takes shape

Posted on September 21, 2012 | 16 comments

Did you know I can’t juggle? Not at all. I’m hopeless with balls in the air. I have no spacial vision whatsoever and any kind of ball games involve me scrabbling around ungracefully, feeling foolish.

But write and promote a Trilogy within a contracted timeframe with a publisher while also performing my day job as a mum? Yeah, bring it on! Right at this moment, I am juggling. I’m juggling promotion, editing, planning and writing, and I’m having a ball.

The Trilogy in Process. On the far right is Sophie’s Turn, all done and dusted. The cardboard boxes contain promotional postcards and bookmarks. In the middle is the first draft for Sophie’s Run. And the small pile of paper on the left contains the initial outline, all plans and some of the research for book 3! (Read on to find out more about that…)

Promoting, promoting, promoting

You all know my first book, Sophie’s Turn, is now out and available to buy. It’s been getting fabulous reviews in my 67-strong blog tour, and I’m doing interviews, guest posts, give-aways by the dozens. I’ve also had the local paper round to do a lovely little feature, and I’m hosting a ‘meet the author’ event at my local library in October. In addition, I’m planning to contact local book clubs, independent book stores, the WI, radio stations… you name it, I’m on a roll. I live on Twitter and Facebook as the great promotional rollercoaster goes through loop after looop. Rock on!

Editing, editing, editing

My second focus at this time is Sophie’s Run. It is completely written but at just over 149,ooo words for the first draft (yes, you read that right) it is slightly too long. I am going through page by page, scene by scene, chapter by chapter, looking for excess fat, unnecessary detours and undue verbiage in my quest to eliminate around 30,000 words from the first draft. God, that sounds a lot, right? But it will be done. I have about four weeks to get the slimline version to my lovely publishers over at Sapphire Star.

Moreover, the cover is being designed right at this time and it is going to be absolutely stunning. I don’t know when the cover reveal will take place, but rest assured, I will shout about it!

What happens in Sophie’s Run? Here’s a little taster…

Her famous star remains her rock while life takes her on a little detour…

Who says that the road toward true love is straight and even? Sophie is certainly discovering that it is anything but.

Sophie has had enough. Confused and distraught, she decides that it is time for radical change. Surprising herself and shocking her friends, she embarks on a secret that eventually gets her life back on track.

If you’ve enjoyed Sophie’s Turn, you’ll be in for a real treat, if I say so myself with all due humility. Sophie’s Run is due for release by Sapphire Star Publishing on 7 February 2013.

And planning, and writing, and planning, and writing

So then… what about the last part in the Trilogy? Well, my friends, this is all planned out and I will be writing it just as soon as I’ve sent Sophie’s Run back to Sapphire Star for proper publisher editing.

The working title is Sophie’s Encore and this book is due for release by Sapphire Star Publishing on 7 September 2013!! It’s too early to give you a teaser for this last part, but it will end the story with due style and panache. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed!