Blue Remembered Heels - Nell Dixon

Please welcome my special guest this week, award winning author Nell Dixon, who is here chatting about her new release, Blue Remembered Heels, published by Little Black Dress. Book link - Book Depository

Nell, please tell us a little about yourself.

I was born and continue to live in a small area of the UK known as the Black Country. Happily married to the same man for over twenty years, we have three beautiful daughters, a tank of tropical fish and a cactus called Spike. During the day I work for a disabilities charity in my local community.

In my spare time I enjoy travelling with my family in our touring caravan and exploring the countryside. I have a passion for cathedral architecture and historic buildings. I also enjoy walking, gardening and art.

Ever since I can remember I’ve loved stories and books, both reading and writing them. My first poem was published by a local paper when I was thirteen, since then I’ve had several poems published and was first runner up a few years ago in a national short story competition. I’ve also had several articles published in professional journals.

Writing romance remains my first love and I write the kinds of stories that I love to read. My publishers to date include: Little Black Dress, Samhain Publishing, Moonlit Romance, By Grace, D C Thompson, and Linden Romance. I am also proud to say that I was the winner of the RNA’s Romance Prize 2007 with my book Marrying Max.

Can you tell us a little about your book, Blue Remembered Heels?

Blue Remembered Heels is about a family of con artists, Charlie, the older sister, Abbey, the heroine, and Kip their younger brother. Their mother disappeared without trace when they were small and they make their living by scamming people. Then Abbey gets hit by lightning and can’t tell lies any more. A bit of a snag in her career especially when there’s a very hunky detective hot on her trail. It gets even more complicated when she starts to suffer other side effects from the lightning strike – flashbacks to her mother’s disappearance – and then their latest scam victim decides he wants his money back and he’s not asking nicely.

How did the idea for the plot come about?

The idea for the book came about after I read a newspaper article about someone who was hit by lightning and as he recovered he began to speak fluent French - a language he's never learned. The more I looked into the after effects of lightning strikes the more interesting it became. So Abbey was born, a conwoman who made her living by telling lies who suddenly could only tell the truth. In the book the lightning has one other unforseen effect too but I don't want to spoil the plot!

I love sale stories (ok I am just nosy!!) so can you tell us about your road to publication - and your call story?

I was so excited when I heard about Little Black Dress. The books sounded like just the kind of stories that I loved to read and write. Fast paced with humour, quirky situations and full of life, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them. I read quite a few and I knew I had some great story ideas in my files that I thought would be perfect for my kind of writing. I went to the Romantic Novelist’s association conference shortly after I’d started writing Blue Remembered Heels and Cat Cobain, the editor for the line was taking pitches. I pitched my book even though it wasn't finished and she asked for a partial and told me to email it straight to her. A few weeks later she emailed me and asked to see the rest – I’d only completed ten chapters so I asked if she wanted to wait till it was finished or if she wanted to see the rough draft of what I’d got so far. She asked for the rough draft. I sent it on the Monday and she offered me a two book contract on the Friday based on the partial – wow! My second book is called Animal Instincts and will be out in March.

We are all about the love here, so please share your fave books, movies, TV shows or current fantasy squeeze (it's all in the line of research!)

Oh, this is so hard! I really don't watch many films or much TV.My all time favourite film that I can watch over and over again is Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - I love that film. I have dozens of favourite books, Pride and Prejudice of course, The House on the Strand by Daphne DuMaurier, Welcome to Temptation by Jenny Crusie, The Hound of Death by Agatha Christie and Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Favourite fantasy squeeze is Bryan Adams, the Canadian singer.

What are you working on now?

At the moment I'm working on two books, One is called Crystal Clear and is about Crystal Therapy, fate and a heroine who thinks she knows what she wants from life but suddenly finds she may have everything all wrong.
My other project is a really challenging story that I've been wanting to write for a while and follows four different women.

How can readers keep up with your writing and books?

Visit my website or my blog or look for me on Face book or My Space.