Saturday 6 October 2012

Author Showcase - Nicky Wells

Nicky Wells writes fun and glamorous contemporary romance featuring a rock star and the girl next door.  She recently signed her work with U.S. publisher, Sapphire Star Publishing.  Nicky loves rock music, dancing, and eating lobsters.  When she’s not writing, Nicky is a wife, mother, and occasional teaching assistant. Originally born in Germany, Nicky moved to the United Kingdom in 1993, and currently lives in Lincoln with her husband and their two boys.  In a previous professional life, Nicky worked as a researcher and project manager for an international Human Resources research firm based in London and Washington, D.C.

 

Take it away Nicky!

 
It’s an honour and a pleasure to visit Janice’s fabulous and Scottish blog as part of my launch tour for my rock star romance, Sophie’s Turn. I’m bringing you a piece today that was inspired by a feature Janice wrote as part of her launch for Reaching for the Stars. I remember reading it and thinking ‘wow, I wish’.
 
You see, Janice wrote a fabulous piece about her love for shoes, from wellies to heels and back. Now, wellies I can do. Heels, I cannot - and neither it seems can the heroine of my novel, Sophie’s Turn!

 
This is Sophie at her engagement party to Tim, having just discovered that Rachel has been telling Tim all manner of home truths about the delectable Dan Hunter, rock star extraordinaire and Sophie’s not-quite-but-would-like-to-be boyfriend.  ‘I blundered back downstairs, racing quite unladylike in my high heels, and skidded to a halt in the lounge.’ When I was writing this scene, I was imagining Sophie clattering over polished wooden floors in her stiletto heels, ankles wobbling wildly, arms flailing, breathless, slightly red in the face, and quite unsteady. And that would be me.
See, sadly, I don’t do high heels. The first time I ever wore a pair was age thirteen, with my confirmation outfit. I was tall for my age, and I was wearing a long flouncy, formal skirt. Well, yes, it was the 1980s! Anyway, said outfit required high heels, I was informed by the women in my family, and so a pair of shiny black patent stilettos was duly acquired for me. Nobody paused to check whether I could walk in them. I couldn’t.
I reckon Sophie’s racing-and-skidding experience is partly influenced by my experience of trying to walk regally on that slippery flag-stoned church floor. It was like an ice-rink, and I had to concentrate so hard on keeping my balance that parts of the ceremony just passed me by. And the walk from the church to the restaurant… let’s not talk about that.
Of course I have been known to wear high heels of some description in my lifetime. Bless the resurgence of the block heel in the 1990s, which meant that I could wear a decent height of heel with my wedding dress! But when stylish women like Janice, or the one-and-only Carrie Bradshaw reveal glimpses into their well-heeled lifestyles - I can only hang my head in shame. Sisters, I am failing on the heel-front. But at least I’ve saved myself from broken ankles.
And Sophie…? Well, she’ll have to wear heels on a few occasions. She’s not always as clumsy as me. And the beauty of a fictional life is that I get to make her better. She’ll learn to walk tall and graciously, and maybe… just maybe… one day, I’ll give her a shoe cupboard just like Janice’s. Or Carrie’s!
 
 
Visit Nicky on her blog where you can find articles, interviews, radio interviews and, of course, an update on her work in progress, the second and third parts of the Rock Star Romance Trilogy.  You can also follow Nicky on Twitter and find her on Facebook.  Nicky is a featured author on the innovative reader/author project, loveahappyending.com and has joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Nicky also has author pages at Sapphire Star Publishing and, of course, Goodreads.