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!
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 faƧade.
‘I meant
let’s grab a coffee at that cafĆ© 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.
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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