Sweet and Wild - Dare You to Play with Nicola Marsh

I’m pleased and proud to say that Harlequin’s new DARE series is making a big splash in the heated pool of romance and ecstatic to have as my guest today the completely brilliant USA Today bestselling, multi-award-winning DARE author Nicola Marsh! Prepare to be wowed…

 

About Nicola...

USA TODAY bestselling author and multi-award winner Nicola Marsh writes flirty fiction with flair for adults and riveting, spooky stories for teens.
 

She has published 65 contemporary romances with Harlequin, Amazon and indie, and sold over 7 million copies worldwide. She currently writes women’s fiction for Amazon’s Lake Union imprint and contemporary romance for Harlequin’s new Dare series.

She’s also an Amazon, Waldenbooks, Bookscan and Barnes & Noble bestseller, a 2013 RBY (Romantic Book of the Year) and National Readers’ Choice Award winner, and a multi-finalist for a number of awards including the RBY, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, HOLT Medallion, Booksellers’ Best, Golden Quill, Laurel Wreath, and More than Magic. 

A physiotherapist for thirteen years, she now adores writing full time, raising her two little heroes, sharing fine food with family and friends, and her favourite, curling up with a good book! 

Connect with Nicola via her website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest

One night was supposed to ease her craving…

But after one taste, she's hooked!

Abby loves her new life working at Sydney's finest patisserie. Working alongside brooding new man–in–charge Tanner is an unexpected but delicious challenge, especially as each night their attraction only grows hotter!

But Tanner's past is as dark as the ink on his skin…he'll let her get closer than close in the bedroom, but dare Abby go deeper?

 

 

Read a little...

‘We should head back to the patisserie,’ Abby said, as we exited the hospital. ‘Makayla, one of the staff, will be run off her feet.’

‘Not so fast, Sweet Thing.’ My hand shot out, touching the small of her back, and a shock akin to electricity sizzled up my arm. ‘We need to get acquainted first.’

She stared at me like I’d suggested we get naked to do it and I grinned. The thought wasn’t totally unpalatable, considering how much fun it would be to rattle that impenetrable façade.

‘I meant let’s grab a coffee at that café down by the water, but if you had something else in mind I’m up for it.’ I threw in a wink, knowing it would rile her more than anything else I could say.

Predictably, she drew herself up to an impressive five-ten. Tall for a woman. I preferred them petite and pliable, not big and bristly.

‘Sweet thing isn’t my name,’ she said, chin tilted, haughty as hell. 

‘Would you like it to be?’ I leaned in, expecting her to jump back like a startled cat.

When she held her ground and glared at me with those big blue eyes, an unusual azure similar to a glacier I’d seen in New Zealand once, I had to admire her a little.

‘Here’s the deal. I love my job and I respect your brother. He gave me a chance when no else would and I’m not going to screw this up over some big-mouthed Romeo who can’t keep it in his pants. Got it?’

She jabbed me in the chest with a finger. She actually jabbed me. And I admired her all the more for having the balls to stand up to my in-your-face innuendos to get a rise out of her.

‘So quit the bullshit flirting and let’s talk business.’

I couldn’t resist one more. ‘Dirty business?’

‘Jeez, you’re annoying,’ she muttered under her breath as she stomped away.

Okay, so maybe I’d pushed too far but getting her so wound up had its advantages. Namely giving me an unimpeded view of her ass.

My earlier assessment had been correct. It was sweet. Taut and rounded, highlighted to perfection in the tight black pants worn by staff at the patisserie.

The patisserie…

I’d promised Remy to ensure it ran smoothly in his absence and I always kept my promises. I might be a prick who didn’t let anyone get too close but Remy was different.He was my blood.

And I owed him.

Which meant I needed to play nice with little miss sweet cheeks.

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Let's Talk...

Avril: I love the title Sweet Thing – how well does it encapsulate the story?

Nicola: Considering the bulk of the story takes place in a patisserie in Sydney, I think it’s perfect. Throw in the fact that Tanner calls Abby ‘Sweet Thing’ to rile her and I knew it had to stick. I came up with all the titles before I’d written the stories and each one—Sweet Thing, Wild Thing, Play Thing—suit the stories perfectly.

Avril: I know this is book one in a series – how do the novels connect?

Nicola: In Sweet Thing, Abby’s best friend is Makayla. Mak is a dancer trying to catch a break on stage and supplementing her income by working part-time at the patisserie. Hudson is Tanner’s best friend and works as a manager of Tanner’s nightclub. Mak and Hudson were once best friends but haven’t spoken for years after a major falling out. In Wild Thing, they reconnect…and how!

Charlotte is Mak’s flat-mate and the shy accountant meets her match in her sexy boss Alex in Play Thing. So characters from Sweet Thing are interwoven in all three books.

Avril: Category – mainstream – indie – young adult. How do you juggle all the balls?

Nicola: My juggling skills aren’t what they once were. As my kids grow older, the demands on my time are greater so a few of those balls have been dropped. While I love writing YA, I’m not doing that anymore. Similarly with indie. So these days I’m writing category romance and mainstream, mostly women’s fiction.

Avril: Do you have a ‘trademark’ – something people will recognize from one Nicola Marsh book to the next?

Nicola: Snappy dialogue. As a writer and a reader, I’m a sucker for quick-wit and flirty chatter, and readers have identified that repeatedly in my books, which I love.

Avril: Do you have a favorite trope?

Nicola: Opposites attract. I love pitting characters against each other who seemingly have nothing in common but end up discovering they mesh regardless.

Avril: What’s your pet hate as a romance reader?

Nicola: When there’s no real conflict keeping a couple apart and their disagreement can be solved with a simple conversation. 

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