Author, author... Risky Return by Nicole Helm

...read all about it !!

Welcome, so great to have you here with us.  Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Thank you so much for having me! My name is Nicole and I write contemporary romance for Entangled Indulgence, Harlequin Superromance and HarlequinE, and Samhain Publishing. I live in Missouri with my husband and two young sons and love baseball, barns and blue collar heroes.

Do real life events find their way into your stories?

No, not really. Sometimes a real life event might spur an idea, but usually it's all "what if."

Do you ever mimic family members or people you know when you choose characters?

No. That would be really weird when it came time for the main characters to...kiss. Occasionally I'll use a tiny piece of a person's personality I know in real life. A small event, a silly obsession, an interesting phrase they use, but you'll never see real people gracing the pages of one of my books.

Do you find yourself going back to the same inspiration for each story or is it always something different?

It's usually different for each book, though there are threads that tend to pop up in all my books, relationship with grandparents, finding oneself, the idea of home.

When do you write?  Early morning? During the day sometime or all day?  After the kids go to bed?

I write whenever I can. While the kids are sleeping or playing with their grandparents, while they're entranced with a TV show, when I should be doing household chores. ;)

How do you feel about marketing your book?

I love telling people about my book. I could talk endlessly about the characters, the events, etc, but when it comes to telling people to buy, paying attention to ranks, and a lot of the hard sell techniques, I tend to shy away. If it's not something I'd respond to as a reader, I try not to do it as an author.

What social sites do you feel work best for marketing?

This is a great question and I have no answer. Honestly, I don't know what works. I use Twitter and Pinterest because I love them, and I'm on Facebook because for all it's flaws I find it fairly easy to use. I have no idea if any of those are really effective. I just do what I enjoy and hope something clicks.

Do you like to pitch stories to your publisher or do you wait until you have written the story and have a final manuscript to turn in?

I prefer to write on proposal, pitching synopsis/few chapters to my publisher. It helps me organize my schedule and maintain the pace I need.

Is there any other genre that you would love to try writing?  If so, what is it?

I can't imagine not writing contemporary romance. It's everything I love, but I did start off writing historical romances and if I ever got over my fear of getting an historical detail wrong, I have a few historical ideas I'd definitely try.

Do you always/ever see yourself as the heroine/hero when you write a story?

No. To me they're real people (except for the whole fictional part). If I'm deciding what the heroine had to eat for dinner, I'm thinking about what she wants to eat, not me. Same goes for what she likes/hates about the hero. It's all about her character, not mine.

Just for fun, I have a few personal questions, 

Favorite 5

1)      Favorite Male Actor  - Chris Hemsworth. The voice. The looks. Ahhh.

2)      Favorite vehicle - my dream vehicle is a tractor ;)

3)      Favorite way to relax - reading

4)      Favorite ice cream - mint chocolate chip

5)      Favorite outfit - It's hard to resist a good pair of sweatpants. ;)

And for a bonus:  If you could pick any place in the world to live, besides where you are now, where would it be?  (Of course, without the hindrance of jobs or money needed)  A farm in the middle of nowhere Iowa.

 

Where can our readers find you?? 

Email: NicoleTHelm@gmail.com

Twitter: @NicoleTHelm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorNicoleHelm

Website/blog: www.nicolehelm.wordpress.com

Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Nicole-Helm/e/B0081U1ZUU

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5832703.Nicole_Helm

 

 

Is there an upcoming or current release you would like to share with us today and where can we find it?

 

My next release will be a contemporary romance from Samhain Publishing called FLIGHT DELAY, the second book in my Antiques in Flight series. You can find more information here www.nicolehelm.wordpress.com/flight-delay, or about any of my upcoming books (I have a lot!) at my website.