In association with Author Nicky Wells, Jersey Girl Book Reviews is pleased to host the virtual book tour event for Fairy Tale in New York!
Author Interview
Hiya Kathleen, and big thanks for hosting me today! It’s a pleasure to be here. So, a little bit about me… My name is Nicky Wells, and I love romance, rock music, lobsters, and cake. When I’m not writing, I’m mum to two young boys and love spending time with my family. I also have a radio show called BOOKS ROCK on Siren FM, which airs monthly. I was born in Germany, but I’ve lived in the UK for more than half my life. Oh and, I’m prone to bursting into song at random moments: http://youtu.be/jrDQmGXImFM
How long have you been a writer?
Now there’s a question! I submitted my first stories to a publisher of children’s books when I was about twelve. Evidently that didn’t work out (mostly because they didn’t publish books by children), but I suppose that’s where it all began. I started writing novels in earnest in 2004 while I was waiting for the birth of my first child, and I’ve been publishing since 2011.
Do you have a day job, or is being an author your career?
Being an author is my career. However, as royalty payments can fluctuate wildly, which makes it difficult to meet the financial demands of a family, I have a small part time job to generate a small steady income stream.
What inspired you to become a writer? Describe your journey as a writer.
I’m not quite sure how to answer that. I can’t not write, at least not now that I’ve started publishing. Words are my medium. I live and breathe stories. I get anxious and grumpy when I don’t have a story on the go.
I feel lucky that I was able to realise the dream of ‘being a writer’. My first ever masterpiece has been consigned to a box in the attic, never to see the light of day again, as I wrote out of my system every bad habit an aspiring writer could have. Since then, I have approached writing with a professional mindset, making plans, plotting in extremis, editing, polishing, and publishing. I began as a self-published author in 2011 but signed with Sapphire Star Publishing in 2012. Since then, I’ve published three novels with Sapphire, and one novel and two novellas independently.
Please give a brief description/storyline about Fairy Tale in New York.
Oooh can I share one of my favourite teasers with you here? Take a look:
What was the inspiration for this story?
I love Christmas! It’s my favourite time of year. But I wanted to write a story that was a little different, that looked at a Christmas in adverse conditions and without any presents. My question was: how do you celebrate Christmas when you’re far from home, with no place to stay, no food, and no presents? Because to me, Christmas is much more about the love, the friendship, the lights, the sharing, and I wanted to bring together a cast of characters that would make my perfect Christmas come to life.
How did it feel to have your first book published?
I cried. Then I did a mad dance around the living room. Then I cried some more. And then I took a paper copy and showed it to all my friends. LOL! It was a surreal, proud, magical moment. Incidentally, it still feels the same with every new book, although I’m now able to curb the compulsion to run around the streets shouting ‘I did it, I did it.” LOL!
Do you write books for a specific genre?
At this time, I write romance with rock stars. You could classify my work as chick lit-slash-romance, as it straddles both genres in places. In the future…. Well, let’s just say I have big plans in the romance genre!
What genres are your favorite(s)? What are some of your favorite books that you have read and why?
I love reading romantic comedies, but I’m also an addict to thrillers and crime. Novels by Lee Child and David Baldacci are firm favourites! I adore the breathless pace, the rhythm, and the trying to work out who dunnit.
Do you have a special spot/area where you like to do your writing?
I mostly write in my office, although I have been known to roam around the house and write in the lounge, the sun room, and even in bed!
How do you come up with the ideas that become the storyline for your books?
They just pop into my head. Usually it’s a nugget, a conundrum, a crisis, or a funny moment that will provide the prompt to spin a plot around. Quite often this happens at night when I can’t sleep (I’m a chronic insomniac) and when I amuse myself by inventing stories to while away the wee small hours of the morning.
When you write, do you adhere to a strict work schedule, or do you work whenever the inspiration strikes?
I adhere to a strict schedule mainly because I have to fit writing around the family. So most of the time, I write when the boys are in school. However, occasionally, a story, a scene, a chapter, simply has to be written, and then I scooch off into my office after dinner, or after the kids’ or husbands’ bedtime.
What aspects of storytelling do you like the best, and what aspects do you struggle with the most?
Do you know, I don’t really know. I am such a compulsive planner that once I get writing, the whole thing just flows from my fingers. BUT I do find it difficult to say goodbye to characters, especially at the end of a series.
What are your favorite things to do when you are not writing?
Spending time with my family, cooking, presenting radio shows, going to rock concerts, and taking walks on the beach.
What is/was the best piece of writing advice that you have received?
Write for the love of writing and have faith in your work.
What is the most gratifying thing you feel or get as a writer?
Ooooh without the shadow of a doubt, it’s messages from readers. When an email pops into my inbox or a DM appears on Facebook that tells me somebody couldn’t put my book down, loved the characters, laughed, cried, and/or is recommending the book to everyone they know: that makes my day. That kind of feedback is a writer’s manna, over and above the royalties, I would say. It means the world.
How do you usually communicate with your readers/fans?
I am on Facebook, both as ‘me’ (Nicky Wells) and as ‘author’ (Nicky Wells Author), and a lot of my reader interactions happen here. I also hang out on Twitter (@WellsNicky) and Google+, and there’s a contact form on my blog. I’m really approachable and I simply love hearing from readers!!
Is there anything in your book based on real life experiences or are they purely all from your imagination?
Hmmmm…. Obviously it’s all fiction. I have to say that, you see. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t events in my stories that were based on real life experiences, mostly mine. LOL!
What authors have been your inspiration or influenced you to become a writer?
The authors who truly sparked my desire to become a writer were authors of children’s books. In particular, I’d have to blame Enid Blyton and Astrid Lindgren and probably also Michael Ende. I devoured their books as soon as I could read, I still own a lot of them, and I’m gradually introducing my boys to them too. These books were well written with engaging plots for kids that fostered in me a love of reading and, ultimately, the desire to ‘write something just like that.’
What is your definition of success as a writer?
My personal success criteria is whether readers find my books entertaining, thrilling and engaging, whether they walk away happy and with a smile on their face. I measure this type of success via emails and reader feedback, plus obviously the content of reviews that gets posted on Amazon or Goodreads.
Moreover, when there’s a group of readers out there who simply cannot wait for your next release, who have enough faith in you to one-click your next book on pre-order without even reading the blurb, and who’ll message you with their feedback the minute they finish reading your book, then you know you’re doing something right!
Are you currently writing a new book? If yes, would you care to share a bit of it with us?
Absolutely! Due for release in the second half of 2015, it’s called Seven Years Bad Sex. Here’s the blurb:
One wedding. One cursed mistake. Disaster ever after?
A seven-years-bad-sex curse? Surely not! Yet something went wrong when rock singer Casey and drummer Alex got married on that beautiful yacht anchored off St Tropez in the south of France. Something went badly wrong. For even on their wedding night, the young couple discovers a complete and somewhat surprising inability to make love. Muddling through their honeymoon with a string of thin excuses for their predicament, the lovers defer finding a solution (and panicking) until the return to their home in London. After all, they married for life and to make rock music, not for the love of sex. Right?
But when they resume life as normal in London, all hell breaks loose. Increasingly frantic in their quest for release, the unhappy newlyweds embark on a string of hilarious and occasionally harmful antics that drives them, their band, and an assortment of random strangers to the brink of despair. But it ain’t over ‘til it’s over or, in this case… it ain’t over ‘til the newlyweds sing.
Thanks so much for hosting me again, Kathleen! Here’s wishing you and your readers a wonderful festive season and a rocking great 2015!! See you then!
Thank you Nicky for sharing with us a part of yourself and your writing career! Have a wonderful Holiday season & Rock On in 2015!
About The Author
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 | Fairy Tale in New York
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.
AUTHOR WEBSITE / BLOG
GOOGLE+
GOODREADS
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
ROMANTIC NOVELISTS' ASSOCIATION
SAPPHIRE STAR PUBLISHING
Book Review
Fairy Tale in New York by Nicky Wells
Publisher: Independent Self Publishing
Publication Date: November 10, 2014
Format: Paperback - 100 pages
Kindle - 346 KB
ISBN: 978-1501044700
ASIN: B00O98EMRG
Genre: Christmas / Holiday Novella
BUY THE BOOK: Fairy Tale in New York
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in the virtual book tour.
Book Description:
New York. A restaurant near Park Avenue. It’s early evening, and dusk is falling. So is the snow. Jude and Carrie are only killing time while they wait for their flight to London. They don’t know yet that their life will never be the same.
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 London-bound flights to someone in crisis. And now, a spectacular whiteout is grounding all planes, and Jude, Carrie, and baby Maya are stuck far from home.
Tired, hungry, and just a little panicked, Jude loads his family into a cab and returns to their hotel. But there’s no room at the inn, 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 with no place to stay, no food, and no presents? Join Jude, Carrie, Maya and a cast of colourful characters in this fairy tale story of Yuletide in New York.
Book Excerpt:
‘I can’t believe it’s all over. Where did three weeks go?’
Carrie smiled at Jude while shifting their baby daughter, Maya, onto her other hip. The check-in queue at JFK airport had ground to a complete standstill, and Carrie was beginning to struggle with her six-month-old’s weight. Unperturbed, Maya gurgled happily and snuggled her head onto Carrie’s shoulder.
‘She’s half asleep again,’ Jude commented and stroked his daughter’s rosy cheeks. He planted a quick kiss on Carrie’s forehead before responding to her question.
‘It’s crazy, isn’t it? Three weeks on tour all over the US, and suddenly it’s done. Seventeen gigs in twenty-one days. My God, I’m not half knackered.’
‘It was worth it, though. You were a runaway success.’ Carrie grinned with proprietorial pride at her rock star boyfriend. ‘They loved you.’
Jude chuckled. ‘They did, too, didn’t they? Gosh, San Francisco was a riot. I thought they’d take the stage down.’
‘I’ve never seen so much underwear flying your way. You’re gonna have to watch it, mate, or your girlfriend might get the wrong idea,’ Carrie teased.
‘Oh no, she won’t. She knows I love her.’
Jude looked Carrie deep in the eyes. He hoped she knew how much he loved her. One of these days, he ought to make an honest woman out of her. He had planned to, of course. He even had a ring. But what with Carrie having fallen pregnant, she hadn’t wanted to get married before the baby was born. ‘I don’t want to waddle down the aisle,’ she had joked when they had talked about it almost a year ago now. ‘I want to float, serenely.’
Add the band’s recording deal and the UK and European tours into the mix of their crazy life, and there hadn’t been the right time. There hadn’t been any time. They had just about managed to furnish a nursery for Maya, but that had been it on the family front.
New Year’s Eve, Jude resolved silently. I’ll propose to her then, and we’ll marry in the summer.
He snapped to abruptly when he realised Carrie was still talking.
‘I think Dan was a little put out at not getting quite so much attention himself after you gave up the stage,’ she was saying.
Dan was the mentor, manager, and record label owner behind Jude’s band, The Blood Roses, and also the lead singer of his own band, Tuscq. He was now on his way to Toronto for a special Christmas Eve show.
‘Dan was fine. He’s thrilled that it’s going so well for us. And I am looking forward to a lovely quiet Christmas at home, just me and my girls.’
Jude wrapped Carrie and the now sleeping Maya into a hug. The Blood Roses weren’t opening for Tuscq for the Toronto gig and had therefore gone their separate ways. Jude and Carrie elected to go back to London straightaway, but the rest of the band had added a short trip to Las Vegas to their itinerary.
‘Home. Ha. If we ever get there,’ Carrie grumbled. She yawned widely. It was only five-thirty a.m. Their flight to London Heathrow was due to leave in a little over two hours, but the queue hadn’t advanced for at least fifteen minutes. ‘Here, can you hold Maya a minute? She’s getting rather heavy.’
Jude took the baby out of Carrie’s arms and rocked her contentedly. He hadn’t expected to become so utterly bewitched by a toothless, hairless, and demanding little being.
Quite suddenly, the distant babble of voices that had been permeating his consciousness rose to a shouted exchange. Jude turned towards the front of the queue, curious to see what the commotion might be.
‘I really, really need to get on this flight,’ a harassed-looking man in an expensive suit reiterated. He wiped his brow with a monogrammed white handkerchief and tapped his fingers on the counter impatiently. Jude couldn’t help but eavesdrop along with the rest of the terminal.
‘Look,’ the man continued, adopting a more reasonable tone. ‘I know I’m not booked on this flight. But tomorrow is too late for me. I’m willing to pay anything at all to get a seat, any class. First class, cattle class, I really don’t care. I need to get home.’
Carrie smiled at Jude while shifting their baby daughter, Maya, onto her other hip. The check-in queue at JFK airport had ground to a complete standstill, and Carrie was beginning to struggle with her six-month-old’s weight. Unperturbed, Maya gurgled happily and snuggled her head onto Carrie’s shoulder.
‘She’s half asleep again,’ Jude commented and stroked his daughter’s rosy cheeks. He planted a quick kiss on Carrie’s forehead before responding to her question.
‘It’s crazy, isn’t it? Three weeks on tour all over the US, and suddenly it’s done. Seventeen gigs in twenty-one days. My God, I’m not half knackered.’
‘It was worth it, though. You were a runaway success.’ Carrie grinned with proprietorial pride at her rock star boyfriend. ‘They loved you.’
Jude chuckled. ‘They did, too, didn’t they? Gosh, San Francisco was a riot. I thought they’d take the stage down.’
‘I’ve never seen so much underwear flying your way. You’re gonna have to watch it, mate, or your girlfriend might get the wrong idea,’ Carrie teased.
‘Oh no, she won’t. She knows I love her.’
Jude looked Carrie deep in the eyes. He hoped she knew how much he loved her. One of these days, he ought to make an honest woman out of her. He had planned to, of course. He even had a ring. But what with Carrie having fallen pregnant, she hadn’t wanted to get married before the baby was born. ‘I don’t want to waddle down the aisle,’ she had joked when they had talked about it almost a year ago now. ‘I want to float, serenely.’
Add the band’s recording deal and the UK and European tours into the mix of their crazy life, and there hadn’t been the right time. There hadn’t been any time. They had just about managed to furnish a nursery for Maya, but that had been it on the family front.
New Year’s Eve, Jude resolved silently. I’ll propose to her then, and we’ll marry in the summer.
He snapped to abruptly when he realised Carrie was still talking.
‘I think Dan was a little put out at not getting quite so much attention himself after you gave up the stage,’ she was saying.
Dan was the mentor, manager, and record label owner behind Jude’s band, The Blood Roses, and also the lead singer of his own band, Tuscq. He was now on his way to Toronto for a special Christmas Eve show.
‘Dan was fine. He’s thrilled that it’s going so well for us. And I am looking forward to a lovely quiet Christmas at home, just me and my girls.’
Jude wrapped Carrie and the now sleeping Maya into a hug. The Blood Roses weren’t opening for Tuscq for the Toronto gig and had therefore gone their separate ways. Jude and Carrie elected to go back to London straightaway, but the rest of the band had added a short trip to Las Vegas to their itinerary.
‘Home. Ha. If we ever get there,’ Carrie grumbled. She yawned widely. It was only five-thirty a.m. Their flight to London Heathrow was due to leave in a little over two hours, but the queue hadn’t advanced for at least fifteen minutes. ‘Here, can you hold Maya a minute? She’s getting rather heavy.’
Jude took the baby out of Carrie’s arms and rocked her contentedly. He hadn’t expected to become so utterly bewitched by a toothless, hairless, and demanding little being.
Quite suddenly, the distant babble of voices that had been permeating his consciousness rose to a shouted exchange. Jude turned towards the front of the queue, curious to see what the commotion might be.
‘I really, really need to get on this flight,’ a harassed-looking man in an expensive suit reiterated. He wiped his brow with a monogrammed white handkerchief and tapped his fingers on the counter impatiently. Jude couldn’t help but eavesdrop along with the rest of the terminal.
‘Look,’ the man continued, adopting a more reasonable tone. ‘I know I’m not booked on this flight. But tomorrow is too late for me. I’m willing to pay anything at all to get a seat, any class. First class, cattle class, I really don’t care. I need to get home.’
My Book Review:
With the Christmas holiday season right around the corner, author Nicky Wells gives her readers an early Christmas present with Fairy Tale in New York, the standalone sequel to last year's entertaining novella, Spirits of Christmas: A Rock'n'Roll Christmas Carol.
In true Nicky "Rock Chick" Wells style, she weaves a fun Christmas novella with a rock'n'roll twist that catches the reader up with Jude Shaw, front man for the British rock group The Blood Roses, his girlfriend Carrie, and their baby girl Maya, when a snowstorm strands them in New York over Christmas, after spending a whirlwind three week tour in the United States. So what do you do when you find yourself stranded, homeless, and celebrating Christmas in New York's JFK airport instead of at home in London? Follow along as Jude, Carrie, and baby Maya turn a disaster into a delightful adventure when they discover the magic of Christmas in New York.
Fairy Tale in New York is a festive and heartwarming Christmas novella that will get you ready for the holiday season. Author Nicky Wells sprinkles her rock'n'roll stardust and makes Christmas in snowy New York come alive in a fun and entertaining way that will put a smile on your face. Author Nicky Wells weaves a thoughtful tale that shows the reader that the true meaning of Christmas is not the presents or holiday feast, it's spending time with loved ones that matters the most. This is heartwarming Christmas novella filled with kindness and holiday cheer that will leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling.
So if you want to start the holiday season early, Fairy Tale in New York is a lighthearted quick read that will get you in the mood for all the festive hoopla that comes with the Christmas holiday season!
Rock On Nicky! :)
RATING: 5 STARS
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