Nikki Moore: Joan Hessayon award contender 2015

Today we welcome Nikki Moore another of our contenders for this year’s Joan Hessayon Award.

Welcome, Nikki. Congratulations on graduating the RNA New Writers’ Scheme. Can

you tell us when you first decided that you wished to become a romantic novelist?

Thank you - the day I became a full RNA member was a very happy one.

I’ve wanted to be a writer since I first learnt to read, at about five years old. I became addicted to getting lost in stories, being transported to different times and places, making new friends along the way in the characters and thought it’d be amazing to be able to make up stories of my own for a living. I read a lot of romance novels in my teens and simply put, love writing about love. I find it fascinating.

 

How many years were you a member of the NWS scheme and did you submit a different book each year? Which year’s book did you graduate with?

I was a member of the NWS for four years. I submitted two books, each of them twice. The book I graduated with in 2014 was my debut Crazy, Undercover, Love although it had a different title originally. I rewrote it several times, partially based on the reader’s critiques that I received, and this definitely made it a much better book. When I was published I sent my readers’ thank you cards.

 

How did you find your publisher?

I had a one to one appointment with Charlotte Ledger, editor with HarperImpulse (digital first romance imprint of HarperCollins) at the RNA Conference 2013. I’d sent her the first chapter of Crazy, Undercover, Love ahead of time. She told me she loved it and wanted to see the rest.

 

Promotion is a big part of an author’s working life. How did you promote your novel?

Promo has been one of my steepest learning curves and is much more time consuming than I imagined. For Crazy, Undercover, Love I had a blog tour with the wonderful Gosling Girls, and also had new release or guest posts on about thirty other blogs/websites I’d arranged myself. I also had a Facebook launch party, spent some time on Twitter and was in Writing Magazine. My next aim is to get into the local press.

What has happened to you as an author since that first sale?

It’s been amazing. Truly, Madly, Deeply, the RNA/Mills & Boon anthology I have a short story in, along with lots of other lovely RNA authors, became an Amazon bestseller. HarperImpulse commissioned me to write an eBook series called #LoveLondon, five stand alone short stories linked to my second novel Picnics in Hyde Park, and some of the #LoveLondon books have been in the Top 100 Short Story or Holiday charts on Amazon and Kobo.

 

How did you celebrate your first book sale?

I had a meal out with family a few weeks before Crazy,Undercover, Love was published. On release day I worked all day then caught up with the social media activity in the evening with a bottle of champagne and some nice food. My family sent me lovely flowers too.

 

About Nikki:

Nikki lives in beautiful Dorset not far from the beach with her two gorgeous children, and very happily has a lovely boyfriend too. She has a day job in Human Resources and very supportive colleagues. She loves writing romance and does it as often as possible, but can also be found reading and consuming white wine in hot baths on a regular basis. Nikki was a Novelicious Undiscovered finalist in 2013, and has also been a finalist in other writing competitions. She owes much of her success to the wonderful members of the RNA, and is very supportive of aspiring authors. Pop over for a chat about love, life, writing or reading:

 

Links:

Facebook

Amazon

Blog

Twitter @NikkiMoore_Auth

Thank you, Nikki and good luck with your writing career.