Podcast - Playing Verbal Poker with Nalini Singh

I recently taped a podcast with Sarah Wendell from SBTB and it's now live! We talk about the genesis of Slave to Sensation, chat about the Guild Hunter series, discuss my upcoming thriller, grumpy heroes, and so much more! It was a really fun chat. I hope you enjoy it.

Fantasy Book Cafe - Women in SF&F Month

"...though I may tell stories in the context of shapeshifters and telepaths, archangels and vampires, the questions can be very much human. The nature of cruelty, and of love, the value of loyalty, and the pain of betrayal..."

I have a post up on Fantasy Book Cafe as part of their Women in SF&F Month, about what draws me to paranormal romance and other speculative fiction. I loved writing the piece!

Paying it forward

When I was a university student, my mum paid for me to go to my very first Romance Writers of New Zealand conference after we saw a little write-up about it in our local paper. I was working part time around my studies, but there was no way I could've afforded to go to the conference on my own.

Attending had a profound impact on my life - not only did I learn so much, for the first time, I'd found my tribe. Other people who understood the need to tell a story, who valued the journey of the human heart and adored romances, and who spoke to the people in their head!

I've always wanted to pay my mum's kindness forward, so this year, I'd like to send one New Zealand-based writer to the 2019 RWNZ Conference, to be held in Christchurch.

I'd like this to go to a FIRST TIMER, someone who's never had a chance to attend a national writing conference but would love to go. So if you know someone like that in New Zealand, please share the information with them. You don't have to be a romance writer, but you have to respect the romance genre and the people who work in it.

Here's what I'll cover:

- economy class flights from anywhere in New Zealand to Christchurch (if you're close to Christchurch, I'll cover your petrol/parking, or train/bus costs)
- conference registration for the "Love and Other Journeys" conference, to be held by RWNZ from the 23rd of August 2019 to the 25th of August 2019, including the awards dinner
- if you're not a member of RWNZ already, I'll throw in a year's membership
- $50/day for expenses (the conference already provides morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea)
- accommodation in the conference hotel for 4 nights from Thursday 22 August to Sunday 25th August inclusive. If the conference hotel is booked out, I'll pay for any nearby accommodation you can find in a similar price range.

(You'll be responsible for making all the bookings/registrations yourself).

If you'd like to be considered, just drop me an email with "RWNZ Conference 2019" in the subject line, telling me a little about yourself and your reasons why you'd like to attend. Since I know writers like to write, try to keep it to around 300 words or so. :) Email: nalinisinghwritesATgmail DOTcom

This isn't an official scholarship, just one writer paying it forward, so I'll read through all the replies, and choose the one that resonates most with me. I'm sure it'll be a very hard decision for me, but I do hope to do this again next year, so please try again if you miss out this year.

Dates: Emails must be in to me by Saturday March 2nd 2019 at 5pm. I'll email the recipient back by end of day March 10th 2019. If I don't hear from them within 72 hours, I'll choose someone else. Also, if you're the recipient, you can keep your name private if you wish - or you can feel free to out yourself.

Good luck.

Writing Update

Me (in an Entertainment Weekly article in June): The next Psy-Changeling book will feature bears or falcons, I’m sure of it.

Characters: *whistle nonchalantly for a few months*

Me: Book time! Wait, hey, what’s this?

Characters: *laughter* *more laughter* *even more laughter*

Me: Come on! I said bears or falcons in NATIONAL NEWS MEDIA!!!

Characters (on the floor laughing): Why do you attempt to predict us?

Me: *finds wine bottle* *drinks* *repeat*

Dear readers: it will not be bears or falcons. Clue: the changeling group starts with the letter "W".

Catch-Up Time

What are you up to? I’m working on my next contemporary (Nayna and Raj and some crazy family shenanigans). No release date yet as I want to make sure everything is set in stone before I announce it. Okay your turn! Tell me your news! 

Catchup Time

What are you up to this week? Give me all your news!!

I took some time off after the release of Silver Silence, but am now back at my desk. First up: the proofs of Archangel's Viper. :-)

Interviews

Nalini had an interview in the New Zealand Herald yesterday, as well as an interview on radio station Newstalk ZB. Click here to read/listen. :) ~ Ashwini

Good News & Writing Update

Coming out of my hermit cave for a little while (shh, don't tell Ashwini) to share a writing and good news update:

In awesome news, Allegiance of Honor, Archangel's Heart, and Rock Wedding have all been nominated for RT Reviewers' Choice Awards!  In more awesome news, Allegiance of Honor, Wild Embrace, and Archangel's Heart have been nominated for the Australian Romance Readers Association Awards!

In writing news, the copy edits for Silver Silence are done, and now I'm working on Archangel's Viper. The review copies for Silver Silence won't go out until the proofs are ready, which should be in a few weeks or so (but don't quote me on that!).

Right, off I sidle back to my cave to chain myself to the keyboard. :D

Silver Silence

PSY-CHANGELING NEWS!!

Silver Silence

...is the title of the next Psy-Changeling book. I'm sure you can all guess who the heroine is!

Silver Silence kicks off season two of the series. The books in season one all had three-word titles, but for this next arc of the series, we're switching it up to two-word titles. (Yes, we like to live dangerously :D).

The series title will also be changing slightly from the Psy-Changeling Series, to the Psy-Changeling Trinity Series.

SILVER SILENCE

A Psy-Changeling Trinity Novel

Why the series title change?

As I started to think about Silver Silence, I realized it would be a very good entry point into the series. We're going to be meeting new characters, seeing a new part of the Psy-Changeling world.

The series title change means Silver Silence will be listed as book 1 of the Psy-Changeling Trinity series rather than book 16 of the Psy-Changeling series.

This'll also make it easier for things like my website, so the book lists can be neatly separated out. Right now, the series list is in danger of falling off the page on the main menu!

If I've read the entire Psy-Changeling series, will this feel like a continuation?

Yes. While Silver Silence is a great intro into the series, if you're already familiar with the world, then you'll see deeper layers of meaning within each story. And of course, you'll come into it with a lot of knowledge about all the events that have led up to this point.

Does this mean all the books will be about the Trinity Accord?

No. In fact, the Trinity Accord plays only a minor role in Silver Silence.

The reason for choosing Psy-Changeling Trinity as the series title is that in my head, this is the Trinity arc, while season one was the Silence arc. It doesn't mean everything focuses around Trinity - it just represents this new phase in the Psy-Changeling world.

Does the new series arc mean we're leaving the previous characters totally behind?

No. We will be meeting new characters and going into new territories, but this is a living, breathing world, so people's paths do cross.

Also, we'll be circling back to some previous characters who haven't had their stories yet.

If I haven't read a single Psy-Changeling story, will I understand Silver Silence?

Absolutely. And hopefully, it'll tempt you to go back and catch up on season one!

Will my favorite characters appear?

If they're necessary to the story. Given the sprawling cast, not everyone can return. Allegiance of Honor was a soft goodbye to some characters - I say soft because if they have a natural part to play in a particular storyline in the future, you'll see them again.

How many books will be in season two?

I never know how many books it'll take to complete a story arc so I can't give you a number, but I have plans for plenty more Psy-Changeling goodness!

Who is the hero of Silver Silence?

I recently turned in the first few chapters of the book to my editor and she loved it, so we should have a blurb soonish. Until then, I'll tell you that Silver's hero is most unexpected. I certainly wasn't expecting him to knock on Silver's door at seven in the morning like he had every right to be there. Once again, I learn never to predict what my characters will do!

Tell me more!

I've almost completed the first draft of the book. This doesn't mean it's finished. I do multiple drafts - my first drafts are the skeleton, with more layers going on draft by draft. Right now, I've been focusing mostly on the romance.

Silver and her hero are unlike any other pairing in the series to date.

I hope that answers most of your burning questions! I'll release the blurb as soon as it's finalized! Until then, anyone want to guess at the identity of Silver's hero?

Wild Night & Writing

If you missed the short story "WILD NIGHT" in the newsletter, you can now find it on the Free Short Stories page of the website.

A number of other stories remain newsletter-exclusive - you can access them by joining the newsletter. Just fill in the little form on the front page of the website. Access details are in the automatic welcome newsletter.

~

I'm currently going over the copy edited manuscript of the next Rock Kiss book. Hoping to finalize it this week.

I've also chosen a cover photograph. It was shot just for this book and is gorgeous. I can't wait to share the cover with you once it's done.

No firm release date yet, but I'm hoping for July sometime. :)

It's been a busy time with Allegiance of Honor written, edited, proofed, followed by the same with Wild Embrace, then edits for Abe's book, and handing in Archangel's Heart. I'm excited about all the releases coming this year!

~

And last but not least: I shared this little video I took in Antarctica on my Facebook and Instagram, but I know not everyone checks those, so here it is for you. Hope it puts a smile on your face. (Turn up the sound to get the peaceful background noises).

Archangel's Heart

I emailed Ashwini this Lolcat last night after sending ARCHANGEL'S HEART to my agent. Yes, it's finished!! (Much intrigue is afoot in this book!)

Now my editor will read it and get back to me with any notes. It's currently 476 manuscript pages, 125,831 words.

Allegiance of Honor

ALLEGIANCE OF HONOR. 148,017 words. 524 pages.

Writing Update

I'm continuing to edit/revise the draft of ALLEGIANCE OF HONOR. Interestingly enough, many of the elements / couples you all want to see have been part of the book from the very start, some in ways you might not expect.

But as you can guess, not everything/everyone will make it into this book. Still, overall, I'm very happy with how many people we get to see! I hope you will be too!!

Now back to it I go! Fortified by the groceries I picked up this morning. :D

Writing Update

Writing update: I'm halfway through the semi-final draft of Allegiance of Honor and still adding/deleting as I go. LOTS happening in this book - there's so many connections between the characters. 

Which character would you love to see an update for??

Writing

I just deleted* 16,000 words (64 pages). Excuse me while I go sit in a corner and cry.

Update: 16,000 is now 20,000 (80 pages). On the flip side, I am much happier with this lean and mean book. Promise. Tears are past ;)

p.s. *Actually I put them in a Deleted Scenes file just in case.

Writing

A snapshot of the scene I'm currently editing for the next Psy-Changeling book. 

International Editions & Reflections

Today was an international day.

I received some German editions of one of my Silhouette Desire books - Craving Beauty. These international edition author copies appear without warning, so it's always fun to open the box and see what's inside.

Also, as an aside, while shirt dude is very nice, I still ADORE the original cover. It was an unusual cover for a Silhouette novel when it was first published, and I think it's stood the test of time.

I'd have this as a poster on my office wall if I could. (I actually do have a poster of one of my original Desire covers: Awaken the Senses. I think I purloined it from a conference when no one was looking ;-)).

So the German editions arrived before lunch, then later in the day, I instagrammed this post of the new Turkish hardcover edition of Angels' Blood. Isn't it pretty?! I can't wait to get my author copies so I can pet it and ooh and aah over it.

And, just now, I answered a question for a reader who was asking about the Italian edition of Archangel's Blade. If you're curious to see the other international covers for Dmitri and Honor's book, follow the link, then open the Other Editions tab.

I also had to find the French cover of the recent release of Heart of Obsidian, for the website.

As I was doing that last, it suddenly struck me just how incredible it is that I have readers around the world. It's a surreal, beautiful, wonderful thing that just hit me hard in the heart and brought me near to tears.

I could never have imagined this when I was a struggling writer getting rejection after rejection. Back then, the idea of seeing Nalini Singh on a book cover was just a crazy dream. The reality was letter after letter saying my manuscript wasn't what the publisher was looking for. Self-publishing wasn't even a gleam in anyone's eye, so that wasn't an option.

The rejections broke my heart, but I never considered stopping. Writing is as much a part of me as breathing. Cut me and you'll see words pouring out along with my blood. And you all know I plan to keel over the keyboard - one day far in the future, when I'm a cheerfully wizened old lady.

So to all of you who have your own crazy dreams - don't ever give up. You never know what the next day, the next door will bring. Fight for your joy.

And to my readers: thank you. Without you, none of this would be possible. I wish I could hug each and every one of you.

Catchup and Friday Book Club

Wow, it's Friday again already! How did that happen?!

I'm off to have a hot chocolate with Ashwini and a good friend this morning, then it's back into Psy-Changeling #15. If you missed this month's newsletter, Psy-Changeling #15 will feature an ensemble cast and be a book about family, whether that family is related by blood, by loyalty, or myriad other bonds.

While I was traveling, I made my way through Ramez Naam's Nexus trilogy. This is science fiction (no romance), and I found the concepts within it both fascinating and thought-provoking. Plus, it's a great action story.

My current read is an early copy of JD Robb's Devoted in Death (out Sep 15th). It's awesome as always.

Okay, your turn! What are you reading and loving this week?

Bright, Sunshiney, Wintery New Zealand

I'm back home and catching up on emails. Hoping to dive back into the next Psy-Changeling book this afternoon (woohoo!).

Also, a reminder that the next newsletter will go out August 12th (13th if you're in my timezone). Not sure what I'll be sneaking in there but you know there's always something. wink emoticon If you're not yet a member, you can join up on my website. Any issues, let Ashwini know: naliniDOTassistantATgmailDOTcom

Playlists and Songs

I was listening to some music today and I got to thinking about playlists for books. I don't have those, but every so often (not always), a song will resonate with me as I write.

For Heart of Obsidian, it was "Skyfall" by Adele. I actually first heard it while I was on the second draft and just loved the feel of it. I'm curious, what songs do you think fit my books (or any one of my books)?