Sunday 27 February 2011

First Class Twit of the Year!


On Friday, my DH informed me that I had to join Twitter because it was easy to figure out and I'd be able to 'connect' better with readers... Now, I have to admit I've been avoiding it like the plague up to this point because it has 'enormous time-suck' written all over it, and what with two catering-challenged teenage boys who never stop eating, a major email addiction and a slight problem with prevarication to deal with already it's not like I need another one of those in my orbit. But I have to admit the words 'easy' and 'connect' seduced me big time. And I should add that while doing the Selfridges workshop I was asked by several of the attendees why I wasn't on Twitter, which made me feel a bit like the moment when my oldest son informed me I was the last person in the universe who didn't know how to use predictive texting.

So I decided to dive in.

Here are a few of the valueable lessons I have learned from the process:

1) If a man ever tells you something is easy DO NOT believe him (really I should have learnt that one after he suggested we have kids, but I'm a slow learner).

2) Twitter is not easy, especially if you're like me and tend to lapse into a coma if anything even remotely resembling instructions have to be read beforehand (which probably explains why I have so many pieces of IKEA furniture which don't stand up properly).

3). Despite appearances to the contrary, if you simply hit reply when a tweet appears on your mobile, you are not replying to that person, but all your followers (thanks for the tip Trish Wylie!). So if anyone was wondering why a series of disconnected Tweets appeared on my account saying things like 'Huh?' that's why.

4). I am now following 47 people, and I'm not sure I even know 47 people... It's exciting, exhilarating and totally terrifying...

5). I have 30 something followers who are going to get extremely bored following me if I don't think up something interesting to say. Which is exciting, exhilarating, totally terrifying and just as suspected, a complete time-suck.

6). Be careful about what picture you put on your profile. As your DH may tell you a perfectly innocent shot of your knees looks like something else entirely and you'll have to change it in a hurry so as not to unintentionally flash your followers.

7). If you find it hard to edit your blog posts to less than 5,000 words, writing something smart and witty and informative in 48 characters (or whatever the heck it is) is like trying to squeeze yourself into a size 8 dress again after two kids, several thousand bars of Green and Blacks and without the benefit of armour plated magic knickers. ie: Not gonna happen.

So there you have it.. Why I'm on Twitter. And why I'm crap to follow but I hope you'll follow me anyway on @HeidiRomRice

PS: If anyone knows how to link their Facebook status and their blog posts to their Twitter account, please let me know before I have to throttle my husband.

Wednesday 23 February 2011

Heidi breaks the Four Star barrier at RT!

Amazed to discover that my April release in the US of Surf, Sea and a Sexy Stranger has got a Four and a Half star review from the venerable Sandra Madan at RT Book Reviews! Cheers Sandra, never thought I'd manage it.

Here's the review:

SURF, SEA AND A SEXY STRANGER (4.5) by Heidi Rice: Lifeguard Maddy Westmore has had enough with fixing everyone else’s problems, though she can’t help but check on the “bad surfer” she rescued earlier in the day. For said surfer, entrepreneur Ryan King, his injured leg is the least of his concerns, as a previous accident has left him psychologically impotent. So when a solution to his most worrisome problem turns up in the form of storm-ravaged Maddy, he can’t resist. But when Maddy finds out Rye is actually her boss, he’ll have his work cut out for him if he wants their affair to continue. A steamy romance and interesting characters will leave readers smiling.

In other news, I'll be taking part in Brenda Novak's Diabetes Auction again this year and offering a critique of a first chapter and synopsis aimed at Harlequin Presents (or M&B Riva) with the promise of a follow-up breakfast meeting at the RWA Conference in NYC. Obviously, if you win it, and you're not going to RWA we can always have an email chat! Anyway, bidding is from 1st-31st May and there's tons of great lots on offer for readers and aspiring authors alike (Presents author Kate Hewitt is offering a critique of an entire manuscript), so definitely worth checking it out.

Just wanted to also add a quick word for the people of Christchurch, New Zealand. One of our lovely Riva authors Natalie Anderson lives in the city and as I'm sure you all know the earthquake there has been absolutely devastating. My thoughts are with them.

Monday 21 February 2011

The manuscript has left the building... And a special thanks to Ms Katy Perry!

Muchas celebrations here in North London after I pinged off my latest manuscript to my wonderful editor (notice the sucking up, for added good karma) on Saturday... Only a day late! Yippee! Of course it may soon come winging back to me with a 20 page revision letter attached, but I'm not letting the prospect dampen my spirit, or my wine intake tonight!

As the ms is out the way (for now) I have spent some quality time updating my website with a brand new Books page, which lists all my books in order of publication (for all those readers who are as anal as me and like to know this sort of thing!). I've also added a sneak peek of Cupcakes and Killer Heels which is due out in the UK and Ireland in May. Check it out and let me know what you think? Wanna read more? I certainly hope so.

Unfortunately I've been told the release of Cupcakes in the US (which is a linked book to Surf, Sea and a Sexy Stranger - as it's Maddy's brother Cal's story) will be delayed until 2012 as my next book in the US will have to be the one I've just sent in. See, the new ms is all about a scorchingly hot winter fling in London at the height of the festive season (complete with shopping at Selfridges, where else!) so needs to go out in the Christmas period in both the US and the UK... Now why didn't I think of this before I started writing it!! Doh!

Amazingly, I already have a new idea cued up and raring to go as it's a linked story to Cupcakes (and Sexy Stranger)... While writing Cupcakes I discovered that my heroine Ruby Delisantro had a very interesting brother. Nick Delisantro is a North London bad boy turned Hollywood scriptwriter living in San Francisco. He and his sister Ruby have been estranged since he ran away from home at age 16. As it turns out he's had a very dark and tortuous journey to Hollywood success which means he's of particular interest to a bookish ancestral geneologist called Eva Cooper - a woman who knows everything there is to know about long-dead people but very little about living men. Eva specialises in tracing the long-lost heirs to European estates and is about to uncover the secrets of Nick's past... What she doesn't know is that she has some pretty hot revelations of a more personal kind in her own future when she makes the mistake of tangling with Nick - who's sexy, surly, has a killer instinct for seduction and doesn't take too kindly to women who want to know more about him than he's willing to reveal.



Nick btw has been inspired by the rather tempting guy from Katy Perry's Teenage Dreams video. Don't have a clue who he is, but he's got just the right quality of sex, smoulder, surliness and shock value! And Katy certainly looked like she was enjoying herself!

Can't wait to get writing this one, and after the tortures I had with kick-starting my last story I'm hopeful it won't be as hard... ie no re-writing the first three chapters twenty times. But don't quote me on that!

Friday 11 February 2011

Tired, Tangled and Bewildered!

So had a fabulous day talking up a storm with some very interesting women interested in writing for M&B... And as writing and my books are my two favourite subjects I waffled non-stop for three solid hours altogether and hopefully at some point did actually impart a few pieces of useful information. Even managed to get a write-up on the Grazia website (muchos gracias Minx Lorraine for the link) as one of the attendees was a reporter.. Her M&B send-up is actually very funny and has some serious potential (LOL!) particularly like the setting in Dalston market (tres glamourous that) although was a bit bewildered by her take on internal and external conflict (crikey, did I say that??). Should also say a special thanks to my fellow Riva author Fiona Harper who popped in half-way through and managed to answer some questions that I couldn't!


Wanted to add that I'm talking about the fabulous new Disney cartoon Tangled on the Pink Heart Society for Must Watch Friday, so pop over there if you want to discuss it. Loved that movie.



Also (drum roll please) wanted to say a huge congrats to my mate, Modern author Abby Green whose fabulous book Bride in a Gilded Cage (that's her sultry sexy Argentine tango book!) has been short-listed for the Love Story of the Year prize....! Go Abby!

Thursday 10 February 2011

Cupcakes cover! Woohoo!

Off to Selfridges today to impart much wisdom about how to write a Mills and Boon (or at least try to fake it convincingly)! As you can probably tell current pineapple is still causing a few problems. Have several gem moments in there but as I finish the rough draft I know I'm going to be having a lost weekend trying to winkle them out of all the dross..

But to perk me up I got a sneak peak of my first bona fide Riva cover from my good mate Kelly Hunter (thanks Kelly!). As you know (if you read this blog) Cupcakes and Killer Heels is a linked book to Surf, Sea and a Sexy Stranger and features Maddy's charismatic, wildly gorgeous and completely closed off brother, barrister Callum Westmore, and his flashfire one night stand with lush, sexy and fabulously reckless cupcake entrepeneur Ruby Delisantro... A one night stand that turns into a lost weekend of epic porportions (complete with cupcakes!). Loved the title and now love the cover. Will be posting a sneak peak on my website very shortly... Once pineapple has been birthed!




This for me is one of the best bits of writing... The chance to enjoy the fruits of your labour when all the hard work has been done. It's also a good way to persuade yourself that the bald patch you created while tearing your hair out over your characters and their conflict was worth it (and then you can go out and buy a nice hat with the proceeds!).

Sunday 6 February 2011

More Free Book News!

Okay, this is getting a bit silly now... Apparently a little bird has told me that if you are a UK resident and you pop on over to www.datemillsandboon.com M&B will post you a Riva copy of Surf, Sea and a Sexy Stranger for free! All you have to do is give them your name and address and it'll be on your doorstep. And you can also download a free ebook copy of The Walk of Fame....

And if you then go back to the site and rate your date with Riva you could win £500! And there's also £500 cash and a luxury spa day at Champneys up for grabs if you introduce a friend... Pretty cool.

Friday 4 February 2011

Let's Get This Party Started!


Just wanted to give you a heads up about the workshop deets now posted on Selfridges website here... All very exciting, looking forward to seeing lots of you guys there.

The PR lady at M&B has told me that we've already filled up the morning slots (wanted to keep it to six so we can all have a proper chat) so I've agreed to do another workshop each day at 1pm...

In other exciting news my December book Surf, Sea and a Sexy Stranger has been repackaged as a Riva and will be a giveaway in The Sun (here in the UK) on 18th Feb, so if you haven't got a copy already and you want a free one get The Sun that day. I think you have to take the token to your local WH Smith... The Sun will also be offering The Walk of Fame (aka Public Affair, Secretly Expecting) as a free ebook to download.