I’m so fortunate to have made so many great friends online, including today’s guest blogger, Nicola Marsh! Nicola’s newest Harlequin Presents novel, The Boss’s Bedroom Agenda, is in stores now! How long has it been since you’ve read a Presents? I know it’s been too long for me…I’m downloading this one for my Kindle! Welcome, Nicola, and thank you so much for swinging into the jungle all the way from Australia!
What inspires you?
As a writer, the question I’m most commonly asked is ‘where do you get your ideas from?’
My first book? I was between patients while working full time as a physiotherapist, picked up a glossy mag from the waiting room, flicked through and there was a fabulous article on speed dating. I’d only just started writing at the time and something about that article set off a little ‘ding’ in my creative brain and off I went.
Another book? Reading the Sunday newspaper, I came across an article in the travel section on hotel concierges, all male, and thought I’d make my heroine a hotelier filling in as concierge for a week and having to deal with a prince incognito.
Many books after that? From real life experiences around my beautiful home city of Melbourne. There’s nothing like first hand research and considering how much I love my food, it comes as no surprise I’ve set many books around the ‘foodie’ areas of this restaurant-rich city.
Brunswick Street (boho central), Acland Street (home to the best cakes and pastry shops on the planet!), Lygon Street (Little Italy), the Docklands (hip new eateries)…all intriguing settings in their own right but once you throw in the food…yum!
So what inspired me to write my current release (and first Harlequin Presents!) THE BOSS’S BEDROOM AGENDA?
* A simple trip to the museum with my littlies (and no food involved!) My kinder kid loves the museum and on my umpteenth trip there, as we were strolling down the quiet, pristine corridors hand in hand, it hit me.
What would it be like to work there if you were loud and exuberant and bubbly?
My heroine Beth Walker was born at that moment, an effervescent sprite with a shoe fetish and a permanent smile on her face. I was entranced. I wanted a hero to tempt her, to challenge her, to shake her up a little (okay, a lot) and in strutted Aidan Voss, sexy archaeologist and stand-in CEO.
Well, he strutted into my imagination (I still scour those hallowed halls every time I visit the museum hoping for a glimpse of a guy like Aidan…)
Stories are born like that.
Sometimes, the characters leap straight into my head, other times it’s the magic uniqueness of a setting that will tempt me to create a story.
Isn’t this the best job in the world? (Yes, I’m thinking about all those cakes again…and if you’re wondering, Beth and Aidan do visit another Melbourne cake institution in ‘The Boss’s Bedroom Agenda’. You wouldn’t believe the cakes I had to sample at Brunetti’s, all in the name of research!)
So…what inspires you? (A person, place, book, song…)
I’m giving away a signed copy of my current release, ‘The Boss’s Bedroom Agenda’ to one commenter chosen at random. Have fun!
(A huge thank you to Julie for inviting me here. I’ve had a blast swinging on a vine in my very own patch of jungle for the day! Thanks ladies.)
Thank you, Nicola! You’re welcome here anytime! I can’t wait to see everyone’s answers! I always wanted to visit Australia, but now you really have my mouth watering at the thought of all that cake! Mmmmm….cake. 
And Plotmonkey readers…if you want to read an excerpt from Nicola’s book or purchase your own copy for 20% under the cover price–making it less than four bucks–click below!
By all reports, Julie Leto was a sweet child once, somewhat shy, preferring to play quietly in her room making up stories. However, being raised with three brothers in a loud, primarily Italian household did have its influences and Julie discovered her inner tough girl. That’s probably why most of her heroines kick serious butt. Writing sassy heroines has worked out, as she’s sold over forty books to four publishers featuring strong, confident women. Julie lives in Florida with her daughter, a spoiled dachshund, a haughty lynx-point Siamese and a wide range of relatives all within driving distance.
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Dirty Little Secrets
Once Upon A Valentine
Through The Night
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I’m sooo thrilled to be here.
And guess what?
You gals are one of the first to share my excitement…I just found out THE BOSS’S BEDROOM AGENDA has made the Waldenbooks Bestseller list! :angelbanana
My first time on it so I’m beyond thrilled (esp. as this book is a fave of mine.)
Ok, off to do more of this
(despite the fact we’re sweltering in 43 degree heat today…and tomorrow…and the next day…and the next…talk about a scorching summer!)
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Welcome Nicola! I love HP’s, though I don’t read them as often as I should. I love that they are quick reads filled with intense emotion. They sure do pack a punch.
How much fun you mus have had doing research! Lucky you. I’m sure it was a huge sacrifice making sure you gave the book authentic…flavor *g*
What inspires me? Definitely music. It can pull me out of a bad mood and make everything seem possible. Also, the selflessness and generosity of others, usually those who don’t have much to spare but end up having the biggest hearts. People inspire me. Remind me of what’s important – not the material things. Those things can’t keep you warm or give you a hug or a call to let you know they’re thinking of you.
Nicola, I hope you come back to visit the Plotmonkeys :)
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Thanks Stacy.
Guess I should say this book isn’t a straight ‘Presents’ as such. It’s part of the newer Modern Heat series (in the UK), being released as Presents in the USA.
You still get the same emotional punch but the tone is lighter, flirtier (did I just invent a word?)
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Hey congrats on being on the Walden’s bestseller list!
And I love lighter & flirtier. I’m reading Brockmann’s “Dark of Night”which is always heavily loaded with gut-wrenching emotion, so something a little less intense will be what I’m needing when I’m done. Why not pick up a Harlequin?
Oh, and it’s about 15 degrees F here in Chicago, and I hear the snowplows rumbling as I type….
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:scratch3: Will try and refrain from subbing same comment 3 times when it doesn’t work the first!
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Welcome Nicola…
I would love to have your 43 degree temperature. I spent half an hour taking ice off my car and then trying to drive up a hill to get out of my neighborhood to find out i just went backwards. And the roads in my neighborhood is all ice said my neighbor who now got his car stuck outside our house. Need to buy a 4 wheel vehicle next year. So I am back home and reading all about your new book. Sounds very interesting. I will but that on my wish list.
Leslie, how’s your part of Maryland? Icy and snowy? Southern Maryland is all ice. :freezin
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Enjoyed hearing about your inspirational (Ah Ha) moments.
Things we just take for granted you can turn into stories..what a wonderful gift!!
My S-I-L Dave, inspires me. He’s a giver. He volunteers at community homeless shelters making the dinners, serving the dinners and just talking to the peolple. He organized for a speaker to come to Madison, Wisconsin to speak about the horrendous situation in Darfur. He volunteered for the Obama campaign canvasing for votes. He recently counselled two 18 yo’s not to quit school, not to give up on their futures. He attends church services weekly. He sponsors two African children through one of his church’s programs. He’s an amazing young man!
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Elisa, brrr…wishing I could swap you some heat here for some of that lovely snow!
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Laurie,
your SIL sounds like a truly amazing man. This world needs more like him :hug2:
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11pm here and I’m wilting :zzz:
Will pop back first thing in the morning!
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Congrats, Nicola! And welcome!
Wow people are up early. I slept in because we have a snow day!
My ideas are born the same way as yours, snippets of something and then boom!
This book looks like a winner! I’l have to pick up a copy too!
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Welcome Nicola! My grandmother got me reading the Harelquin Presents line years ago. She subscribed for years and would save all of the books for me. The Boss’s Bedroom Agenda sounds like a really fun read. I’ll make sure to add it to my order with eharlequin.
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Nicola, sounds like your book would have made a great Temptation (fun and flirty!) back in the day…and you know we all LOVE Temptations!!!
I had to look it up…43=110 degrees! Yikes! Yes, that’s hot. No two ways about it. Stay cool! I’d send you cold air, but we don’t have any in Florida right now. It’s in the 70s and gorgeous…though there will be a cold front just in time for the Superbowl.
And Carly, I think Nicola was up late, not early! The time difference must be about twelve hours?
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Welcome Nicola…I miss Melbourne…haven’t been in a long, long, long time….man…
Congrats on the bestseller list AND on the book AND welcome to the jungle! Another book to check out :)
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Welcome to the Jungle, Nicola!
Back when I first started writing–1987–I would go to the bookstore and buy all of the HP they had on the shelf. I read them voraciously. I loved the characters, especially the heroes and the often exotic settings. Then I started expanding and reading other HQ lines. I must go back and start reading HP again starting with your newest book.
As far as inspiration, I can hear a snippet of conversation and get an idea. Or I can hear a line of dialogue in a movie or read it in a book and I’m off and running. I’m sometimes inspired by an internal conflict I want to explore so I sit down and start thinking about what kind of characters I could build to explore that conflict.
More often I’m inspired by a request from an editor for a blurb for a possible book. I can get very creative very quickly.
Thanks for swinging through the Jungle with us today. Enjoy!
Cher
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Congrats on the bestseller list!!! That’s awesome! And welcome to the jungle.
Julie – thanks for clarifying the temperature. :giggler In my mind I knew it was summer there, so I was having a difficult time figuring out the temp. I don’t know what the humidity is like but 110 is miserable even if it’s a dry heat (I lived in the desert, I know!).
Stay safe and warm, everyone, who’s dealing with the ice and snow. We’re having a 70 degree day today too, but that same cold front will be ushered in for the weekend. Fun, fun.
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Remember, Australia is having their summer right now…I guess it is unusually hot…yey for Global warming :)
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:freezin We’re having freezing rain and 3-6 inches of snow here in OH. I just want to curl up under the blankets and read!!!
I love Harlequin Presents and my favorite theme is Bosses – just absolutely love them. When I go to the store – those are the first ones I look for.
Congrats on the Waldenbooks best seller list!!!
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Hi Nicola, Congrats on your first Harlequin Presents release! Love the sound of your book… Look forward to finding a copy… thanks for chatting with us today! Enjoy! :flower4you:
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Congrats Nicola! I’ll be picking up your book when I head to the store this weekend. Love the wayyou get your insprations. Truly, what a gift.
Hope you get some well-deserved rest. It is freezing here, but not as cold as most places. We are just wimps here in the desert.
Enjoy your success!
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Hi Nicola – thanks for visiting with us today! I really enjoyed your post and love how you got the idea for your new book! How fun :)
As for what inspires me… oh a number of things. Images, recipes – cooking shows for “little things” – otherwise people – friends, family, stories… I currently have one friend working three jobs (she works about 70 hrs a week), and is a full time law student – and she’s supporting her parents too because her mom is disabled and her dad is now unemployed and having trouble finding another job. It’s just crazy how much she’s taken on – but she’s still excelling at everything she does. Incredible.
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Congratulations Nicola!
We just had snow, freezing rain and now rain. It’s nasty! There are so many inspiring things out there for me including family, friends, music and sometimes just a sunny day.
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Congrats on making the best seller list, Nicola! I have my fingers crossed for your book, Executive Mother-to-Be, in the NRCA. I’ll definitely have to check out your new one!
Inspiration? I wish my Muse were a bit more discerning. I heard a song on a radio station I don’t normally listen to, came home, and wrote the first page. I didn’t have time to work further on it due to current deadlines and WIP. I hope I get back to it! Snippets of conversation, a sentence in an article or book, a news story… They all trigger the “What if?” gene and my Muse rushes off to play in that sandbox.
Welcome to the Jungle! Come back to see us.
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Hi Nicola. Good to see you here. What inspires me is my family, music, and nature.
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Welcome to the jungle, Nicola, and CONGRATULATIONS on making the best seller list! Here’s to you!
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HI Nicola :wave:
And can I just add an MMMMMM CAKE!! 
Congratulations on your best seller!
As for inspiration, honestly I don’t have a clue?
But I do know that for me some of my best ideas are born early in the morning when I first wake up, but before I actually get up. That quiet time before the day starts and my focus scatters in 20 different directions….My favorite time of the day.
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Congrats on making the best seller list
Many things inspire me, my children, my friends, music….
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Welcome to the Jungle Nicola. Congratulations on making the best seller list!
A great reason to celebrate. Your book sounds like a good read and fun to research.
Julie & Plotmonkeys, can’t remember if I mentioned this before; I recently finished reading the three Invitations to Seduction books, loved them! They had a publish date of 2003 but they are still good reading. Two of the books were given to me and I was lucky enough to find the anthology to fill out the mini-series. You ladies are the best. I would love to know if Vic ever had his story. Each story, each set of characters were interesting.
Thanks, :monkey :monkey :monkey :monkey
Another thanks for inviting authors such as Nicola to blog with us. I’ve found several new to me authors from visiting the blog every day.
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Glad to hear you enjoyed the INVITATION series, Donna!
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Sexy cover!!!!
Congrats on making the bestseller list!
I’m inspired by anything! An article in the newspaper, something that happened to me, a song,…
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Good morning!
This place has been rocking while I’ve been :zzz:
I’ve just read everyone’s comments and they’re great! Thanks for such a warm welcome and the congrats.
Makes a writer want to rush to her keyboard and start writing!
Instead, I’ll be getting oldest kid ready for first day of school tomorrow…where do the years go?
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Hi Nicola,
Congratulations on being a Waldenbooks bestseller!
What inspires me is my mom. She makes me believe I can accomplish anything. It’s wonderful having her in my corner!
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Hi Nicola,
Congrats on the new release. I find inspiration everywhere. Sometimes I get inspired by my friend’s upbeat attitude and sometimes I’m inspired by ordinary people who do heroic things, like the pilot who saved everyone on the plane by bringing down on the Hudson River.
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My mum inspires me too, Susan.
And that pilot was inspirational, Jane. Truly amazing…
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Congratulations !
I enjoy your books.
My young grandsons inspire me to enjoy life the way they do.
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Hi Nicola!
There are a lot of things that inspire me in different ways. But, when it comes to writing inspiration, music and the mountains definitely top my list of inspirations. I absolutely love being able to go outside and look at the Rockies towering over the city. They’re so beautiful. But I don’t even have to go outside to enjoy music. I can’t pin down any specific song as most of what I listen to is driven by my mood, but there is plenty of inspiration to be found in a lot of song lyrics.
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So glad you enjoy my books, Estella
Karin,
a view of the Rockies sounds inspiring!
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wtg nicole. books looks hot. count me in
:jumpleaf :banana: :devilbanana :trickbatman :angelbanana
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Thank you so much for being with us here today Nicola!! We loved having you!
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And thanks Leslie! :giggler
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Hi Nicola! Congratulations on your best seller! I enjoyed reading how you get your inspirations. My inspiration comes from many different things—family, friends, nature, music. Thanks for visiting here today!
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Welcome, Nicola. My maternal grandmother, who passed away when I was in college, is a continuing inspiration to me.
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Hello, Nicola! My family is a constant source of inspiration for me.
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Congrats, my family and friends inspire me!
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My inspiration comes from many different things—family, friends, nature, music, love of my job. Doing things one loves gives one inspiration to do better and to keep on, also.
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I’ve loved reading what inspires you all.
Thanks so much for sharing :flower4you:
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It’s glad to see that other people find inspiration in odd ways too!
Hi Nicola,
Are you a basketball fan? Andrew Bogut, a fellow Aussie, is center for the Milwaukee Bucks and extremely exciting to watch.
Every time I find a new author site, my TBR pile grows exponentially!
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Carrie, I’m more a footy than basketball fan, but everyone here knows Andrew Bogut. He’s a Melbourne boy too