Nicki Elson's Not-So-Deep Thoughts

Welcome to the 2016 edition of the Spooktacular Giveaway hop, hosted by Bookhounds . I'm so happy you stopped by. Think of yourselves as trick-or-treaters on my front porch - 'cuz I'm giving away treats to everyone who knocks on my virtual door! ~.~.~ A Freebie for Everybody Throughout the hop, I'm offering my twisted fairy tale novella, HANS & GRETA absolutely free to everyone who stops by. Throughout the entire hop, you can download a mobi, epub, or pdf of HANS & GRETA at InstaFreebie . The InstaFreebie giveaway ends when the Spooktacular hop does.  ~.~.~ Want Another FREE Book? In November, I'm gifting all subscribers to Nicki's News (my monthly author newsletter) an exclusive e-single of WHEN IT BEGAN. It's a prequel to The It Series , a sassy new collection of love stories set in Chicago. Just click below to get on the list. Subscribe to Nicki's News ** When It Holds You is only 99 cents until Octob...

Congratulations to  Jennifer Locklear on the publication of CONSTELLATION, a contemporary romance novel released today! She's intelligent, beautiful, and emotionally numb. He's older, sophisticated, and harboring secrets. Up-and-coming executive, Kathleen Brighton is ready to launch her family's firm into the next level of success. Polished and professional on the outside, Kathleen's personal life is a source of constant struggle and letdown. But after one night alone with Jack Evans, her sexy new colleague, her life takes a turn toward erotic intensity. Torn between her instinct to guard herself and her irresistible desire for Jack, Kathleen has only known heartache. And when she finds herself in the middle of a shattering personal crisis, she must trust fragile and uncertain bonds to survive. Will Kathleen conquer the demons of her past to find a future worth fighting for? Jennifer Locklear lives in the Pacific...

Welcome to the October edition of the Insecure Writer's Support Group, a time to release our fears into the world and support one another. Be sure to visit the IWSG site  for details about the current anthology contest!  This month's question is: When do you know your story is ready?  One thing every writer has to accept is that we can't wait for perfection - because that will never happen. No book is perfect. But we still want it to be as good as it can be before we put it out there. To that end, these are my rules of thumb for knowing when a book is ready:  1. After I've received feedback from unbiased critique partners and have addressed their issues. 2. After I've let the story "cool off" long enough to come back at it with a fresh critical eye. 3. When I no longer have nagging qualms about story, characters, or flow. And then what's it ready for? Not for publication. It's then ready to go through editing.  ~.~.~ ...

SPIKED is the third and final book in the BLOCKED series by Jennifer Lane. It makes a great end to a wonderful series. You can read my full 5 star review at Goodreads . Jennifer took time during her release festivities, to answer a question for me. Take it away, Jen... Nicki asked, "If you had to choose one song that best captures the essence of SPIKED, what would you choose and why?" At times, music serves as inspiration for my writing, especially for Spiked , which features a singer / songwriter hero: Mateo Ramirez. I remember hearing the song "Wounded" by Third Eye Blind years ago. I interpreted the lyrics as a loving man trying to help a woman recover from a trauma: Well I never claimed to understand what happens after dark But my fingers catch the sparks at the thought of touching you When you're wounded This song very much fits the story of Spiked (Blocked #3). Get SPIKED today! Amazon US * Amazon UK Meet t...