Nicole: I had to laugh at that, Vickie, because I'm totally ordinary! The writing life isn't at all as glamorous as some readers might imagine. Like everyone else, I do the dishes, take out the garbage, work to pay the bills ... I sit at my computer all day long, at least six days a week. The exciting stuff mostly happens in my head when I'm dreaming up characters and plotting romance. My daily work uniform is a jogging suit, although I do try to spiff myself up for my media image. For example, my press photo in the back of my books: one of my friends laughingly calls it my "Sexy B**ch" pose. I confess, that shot was designed for a purpose - to make me look like a "hot" author to match my stories.

I don't have kids (except for my horse, who's the other love of my life besides my husband), so my time is much more my own than many women's. But I try hard to stay disciplined. I treat my writing like a regular job, probably because I have this great fear that if I don't succeed, I'll have to go back to work in the real world to earn a living - maybe making Pampers diapers and Charmin toilet tissue like I did in my previous life.

Vic: So tell us more about the "other" love of your life - your beautiful Irish Outlaw.

Nicole: My wonderful horse is an Irish Thoroughbred named Irish Outlaw - after the manuscript I was working on at the time. (Can you guess which one? *grin*) He was a birthday present from my dearest hubby - best present I ever had. I've always loved horses, but as an Army brat who moved around a lot, I couldn't have one of my own except for a short period when I was a teen. And when I got older, my various careers always seemed to interfere. I was ECSTATIC to get him.

Outlaw is still adjusting to his new home in Utah. He'd never been turned out with mares before, so he thinks he's hot stuff now. And he pitches a fit when he has to leave his girlfriends in the pasture. I've had to put him on special flower essence drops to help control his acclimation and separation anxiety! Geez.

Vic: What is your "Grand Passion" - what REALLY makes your heart sing?

Nicole: Well, writing often fits that bill for me. Sometimes it's so absorbing that I can work for two hours but think only ten minutes have gone by. Other times, when the words aren't coming or a scene just isn't working, it's so frustrating I want to scream and pull my hair out - and sometimes do. And taking a big fence on my wonderful horse is close to ecstasy. There's no bigger thrill for me.

Vic: Are you an avid reader like the rest of us? If so, what do you like to read?

Nicole: I've been a VORACIOUS reader since my mom first read THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE aloud to me when I was ten. You probably won't be surprised to learn that I like spicy, emotional, grittier romances with hard-edged heroes and lots of conflict. But I don't need sizzling sex when I read as long as the sexual tension is riveting. Actually, my all-time favorites are pretty tame - NINE COACHES WAITING by Mary Stewart and MOONRAKER'S BRIDE by Madeline Brent - both gothics. And to escape from my work, I usually turn to thrillers - Dean Koontz and Nelson DeMille are two of the best writers around, IMHO.

Vic: You have been writing for quite some time, but did you have another career before romance writing?

Nicole: Boy, did I! I would have loved to major in English and minor in French in college, but since I wanted to earn a living, I got a degree in civil engineering instead. And then I spent eight years working for Proctor & Gamble as a manufacturing manager. About as far away from writing as you can get.

I started writing as the result of a goal-setting workshop (the women mangers at my plant were really big on self-development). The main theme was "do it now;" that is, don't wait until you're old and gray to explore your dreams. Even then, I never imagined writing would become my dream. At the time, I had a highly stressful job and desperately needed some creativity to my life. I remember staying up all night devouring Laurie McBain's TEARS OF GOLD and later wondering if I could ever create something that magical. Then I started putting down a story on a legal pad and absolutely loved it. Eventually that became my first published book, VELVET EMBRACE.

Vic: As a writer why did you choose this genre? It is after all a genre that takes a lot of "lumps" from the general public, and SPECIFICALLY from men. How do you feel about, or how do you handle, the negativism that is often connected with romantic fiction?

Nicole: I simply LOVE romance. The negativism doesn't bother me in the least (except for maybe the time Jay Leno spoofed one of my books on The Tonight Show!) I absolutely will NOT apologize for my tastes.

Vic: How do people react when they find out you write romance - ESPECIALLY steamy romance?

Nicole: Honestly, most people are envious. Most men I know would give their eyeteeth to be able to work at something they truly love.

Vic: Regarding "steamy" romance, you are one of THE best in the business in this area, writing what I would consider some of the most beautiful and erotic love scenes ever written. There has been a lot of talk recently about the division (or categorization) of "straight" romance and "erotic" romance - i.e., "light" ("straight" romance) versus "dark" ("erotic" romance). How do you feel about these "labels" and "categories," and where do you put your writing in these areas?

Nicole: Wow, that's one of the nicest compliments anyone could ever give my writing! I guess I don't worry about labels too much, though I'm sure publishers do because they're always trying to get an angle on the market. I just try to write hot books.

I would call my writing "highly sensual." THE SEDUCTION, however, does have a touch of eroticism in it, with a few scenes that play on women's erotic fantasies, but that I don't believe cross into true erotica.

Actually, some of the sexiest, most erotic stories I've ever read are not overly explicit. I believe that sexual tension and emotion are what make a scene sexy, not just body parts - although body parts are important, too (*grin*) - probably because good physical detail helps readers vicariously live the characters' experiences. I sweat blood to make my love scenes emotional as well as integral to the plot. They always, ALWAYS impact the hero and heroine's relationship in some definitive way. But I do make a conscious effort to make my stories hot, because that's what I like to read, and because that's what my readers have come to expect from me.

My next book, THE PASSION, is more conventional than TS but actually more sensual, if that makes sense. It's also more intimate and emotional, because that's what fit the story best.

Vic: I myself feel that erotic sex is and has always been very much a part of romance and romance writing. And as I said above, you are one of the best in this area. Many of us have noticed a trend in the past few years where authors who were noted for great sensual writing have "softened" their work and toned down their sex scenes. You, like Virginia Henley, have stayed true to your style of "hot sex" in your stories - have you ever felt pressured by publishers or editors to tone down, or even had a feeling that is what your reading public wanted? And would you change your style due to pressures like this?

Nicole: No and absolutely not! I've never, ever been asked to tone down a story. In fact, in one of my Avon books, my editor wanted one scene even hotter. And Ballantine definitely wants me to stay hot - it's one of the reasons they signed me.

Truthfully, I've had the same complaint about "sweeter" trends in past years. I'm a reader too, remember. I've heard it said that an author can reach a wider audience if her love scenes aren't so explicit that they turn off some readers. That may be true, but there are many of us who love to read hot romances, me included. I write what I like to read. And I'll always try to please my readers. As long as there's a market for what I do, I'll keep doing it.

Vic: Many of us readers have also felt that some of our best romance authors have "burned out" and are not writing up to their "standards" of quality. And many of us think that perhaps unrealistic publisher deadlines - actually money being the bottom line - to "crank out" as much as possible in a short time could be the reason. Do you think authors just have so many stories to write and then that's it? Do you think current publisher deadlines are unrealistic and affect the quality of an author's work, or do they actually help keep you on your toes?

Nicole: No, I really don't believe writers have only a limited number of stories in them, but you hit the nail when you mentioned "burn-out," at least in my case. It's incredibly difficult to keep love scenes at all fresh and original when you've literally written hundreds of them like I've done. I have to dig really deep to find the motivation to keep plugging away. And I agree wholeheartedly that many writers feel pressure to write faster (whether from publishers or self-imposed), and that the quality sometimes suffers. But sometimes life just interferes with the ability to give it your all. For example, the endless construction outside my office window at my new Utah home has been driving me nuts! It'll be a wonder if my current manuscript isn't schizoid.

Vic: You have written some wonderful Regencies as well as some of the BEST Westerns I have read. Do you really love writing about one era more than another?

Nicole: I have to say I love the Regency period, probably because of my early PRIDE AND PREJUDICE indoctrination. But the West has a wonderful allure as well. I grew up on Maverick and Bonanza and Wild, Wild West (am I showing my age?), so Westerns are actually easier for me to write. And Scotland has always seemed enchanting to me.

Vic: It seems to me that publishers are steering away from Westerns and only a few - Lorraine Heath, Maggie Osborne and a handful of others - are "making" it with Westerns. Do you feel pressured to write more Regency than Western?

Nicole: I sure do - *grin*. I had planned to write a Western right after THE SEDUCTION, but my new Ballantine editor asked me to put it on hold. The problem is that the bottom dropped out of the Western romance market several years ago and fewer readers were actually buying Westerns. Plus, while many Western readers will pick up a Regency, the reverse isn't always true. So right now I'm going with the flow.

Vic: And of course, here is the sixty-four thousand dollar question ... WHEN DO WE GET WOLF???? It was such a letdown to have that wonderful series (The McCords) stop without the inclusion of a secondary character we all knew would have an incredible story. I know, because you have said so, that you WILL write his story, but do you have any idea when that might be???

Nicole: You're so sweet, Vickie! Honestly, I have to take some of the blame for Wolf's delay. Three years ago I went through several months of the "burnout" you mentioned when I could have been writing his story. I've had it plotted since then, with a heroine who should be a great match for him. I'd hoped to start writing him when I finish this current manuscript, but once again the marketing gods rule ... my editor wants to me to keep up the momentum with my "Notorious" Series, so I'm afraid it's going to be a few more years. But I promise to try my darnedest to make Wolf's story worth your patience!

Vic: From reading your work, I know you are like a lot of us and kind of like a "roguish" man. What IS it about a rogue that steals our hearts??? The challenge he presents? The taming?

Nicole: Yes, yes, yes! Both the challenge and the taming! I love to see rogues get their comeuppance by falling deeply in love.

Vic: Is "Your One True Hero" kind of a rogue himself???? If so, did you "tame" him? *G*

Nicole: Nope - *big grin*. My husband is a wonderful beta male - sensitive, caring, sharp-witted, loving. Trouble is, he wouldn't make very good fiction because there's just not enough romantic conflict in our relationship. Most of the alpha heroes I write about deserve a hard kick in the family jewels, and no woman in her right mind would put up with them in real life. But they make for grand romance.

Vic: And, how does your hero feel about your career as a romance author?

Nicole: No one could have been more supportive of my career and my dream than he's been. He never complained during the years when I was earning far less than minimum wage. And he let me live my passions - writing and riding. That's one of the reasons I recently uprooted my entire life and moved to Utah with him, so he could finally indulge in his passion - skiing. It's his turn to follow his dream.

Nicole: Even rakes and rouges have to have basic human values like honor, integrity, decency, and caring to be hero material. I'm partial to intelligence and wit. And no matter how hard-edged, at the core he has to have a heart that turns to mush when he finally meets his match.

Vic: Your newest book, THE SEDUCTION, is an absolute Nicole Jordan treasure and the wonderful beginning of a new series called "Notorious" - and in fact was chosen for an RBL Romantica book discussion. How many books will be in the series, and can you give us a hint if any of the upcoming "heroes" are from THE SEDUCTION? (Clune, maybe???).

Nicole: I had originally planned on four total books for the Notorious Series, none of them Clune's story. Book two (THE PASSION) is about Nicholas Sabine, an American privateer who shows up at the end of TS. Book three (THE ENCHANTMENT) has Nick's English cousin, the Earl of Wycliff. And Book four has Nick's half-sister, Raven Kendrick. They will all be stand-alone romances, with minor appearances of characters from previous books.

And one element that ties them all together is the Hellfire League, an exclusive club for notorious rakes and adventurers. Clune is the primary leader of the League, so by definition he's a very bad Bad Boy. But readers tell me they like him and want him to have his own book, so I'm germinating ideas for him. I think I've come up with one that can do him justice, but meanwhile, he's going to show up in the first four books as the over-arcing character.

Vic: Your female character in THE SEDUCTION, Vanessa Wyndham, is very strong- willed and determined, yet I found a certain serenity in her. Are your female characters somewhat a reflection of yourself or women you have known and admired?

Nicole: I wish I could claim Vanessa's serenity! But I confess it's a quality I admire rather than possess myself. I'm a Scorpio and probably a lot more like my heroes than my heroines (maybe that's a result of working in such male-dominated fields as manufacturing and engineering when there were very few woman.) I can be hot-tempered and even vindictive upon occasion - *grin*. I do try to make my heroines likable, though. Plus, I make an earnest attempt to vary their characters, so my readers don't feel as if they're reading the same book over and over again.

Vic: Last but not least - how soon will we be able to read an excerpt from THE PASSION??? (Sitting on pins and needles here!)

Nicole: You're in luck! An excerpt should be going up in early September on my website, along with a contest that will run for the entire month. There are five easy questions, with the prize being advanced reading copies of THE PASSION.

I'm thrilled Ballantine has given THE PASSION a wonderful cover - maybe even better than THE SEDUCTION's. As for the book itself, you'll have to be the judge. I hope it lives up to your high expectations.

A heartfelt thanks to all you RBLers for your wonderful support of romance and of my stories. Best wishes and happy reading!

Thank you, Nicole, for taking the time to do this interview for us - and for the EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT that you have given us, too! We're all looking forward to THE PASSION!

~Vic~



Ketchup
November 2004



         

It is absolutely my great pleasure to bring you this Ketchup with the incomparible DIVA of HOT historical romance, Nicole Jordan, talking to her about so many exciting things coming our way from her now and in the near future. I hope you will enjoy this chat with a wonderful author and a good friend to RBL Romantica, Nicole Jordan ...



Cyrene, a golden Mediterranean island ...

"Silver pools rippled luminously in the night shadows, fed by a hot spring that cascaded gently down terraced stairs of granite. Beyond the cliff's eastern edge stretched the shimmering Mediterranean, calm and serene beneath the brilliant disk of the moon."

And so, our adventures began in the "Paradise" series by Nicole Jordan with MASTER OF TEMPTATION.

Lisa Kleypas calls MASTER OF TEMPTATION "an erotic and emotional experience that boldly seizes you by the heart and never lets go. A novel to keep and to cherish."

High praise from high places, and rightly so.

Vic: So, let's talk about Book Two in the Paradise Series (Ballantine, December 2004). Here's what Mary Jo Putney says about LORD OF SEDUCTION:

"Nicole Jordan pens another masterly Regency historical with LORD OF SEDUCTION. Swift and scorchingly sensual, the story matches Diana, a scandalous artist, with the Viscount Thorne, a man as captivating as he is dangerous. Together they search the dark underside of London for a murderer ... and in the process they find a passion that is as unwelcome as it is irresistible. LORD OF SEDUCTION is a feast for lovers of sensual Regency historical romance!"

More high praise from high places! And DEFINITELY well deserved.

Give us a brief overview

Nicole: LORD OF SEDUCTION is about Christopher Thorne, a duke's rebel son and charming bad boy who loves danger and excitement. Banished to Cyrene years ago for his outrageous behavior, Thorne willingly joined the secret order. Now his main goal is avoiding the marriage traps set for him by his father, who wants a grandson and heir. When a fellow Guardian is murdered in London, however, and Thorne goes undercover to investigate, he has to pretend a betrothal to a beautiful artist and unexpectedly gets ensnared by love.

Vic: What do YOU love about this book that makes you think we will too?

Nicole: Honestly? I just love Thorne, the charming rebel. And I love Diana - the vulnerable artist who proves every inch his match. And I love them together as he pursues her without intending to.

Vic: I also loved Diana. I think she is among the finest female characters I've read in a while. Truly a strong, no-nonsense woman with strength of character and loyalty to herself and her goals. A woman to very much admire and whom, I think, will be very well liked by all.

I think although you've had some of THE hottest covers in the business, this could be your SEXIEST (step-back) cover EVER! Tell us about Christopher Thorne, the duke's rebel son and charming bad boy who loves danger and excitement. Well, we all LOVE bad boys, but tell us what's going to make us fall in LOVE with him!

Nicole: Thorne is not the typical rake who eschews love and marriage. He's eager to avoid the wrong kind of marriage - either being trapped by the featherbrained social climbers who constantly pursue him for his title and fortune, or chained in a cold-blood union of convenience such as his father endured. Thorne knows that eventually he'll have to do his duty and sire an heir to the dukedom, but he's waiting for the right woman - one who can prove his match and who's worthy of being a Guardian's life-mate. He won't settle for less. But he has to earn the right woman. When Diana doesn't fall all over him the way other women do, Thorne discovers to his chagrin that he has to work hard for his happy ending!

Vic: And HoooBOY! Having had the pleasure of reading LORD OF SEDUCTION, I can guarantee I would gladly give Christopher Thorne mannnny hours of MY life! In my NSHO, he is one of THE hottest men you've written - hands down!

There was a lot of action/adventure in MASTER OF TEMPTATION. Can we expect that in the new book too?

Nicole: My future Paradise books won't have as much adventure, although there will be some action and intrigue. LORD OF SEDUCTION has a bit of a suspense plot, for example. But on the whole, the last four Paradise romances will be much more like traditional Regency historicals than adventures - closer in tone to my Notorious Series Regency historicals.

Vic: Nicole, will you briefly explain the "Guardians"?

Nicole: The Guardians are a secret league of protectors who operate as a small, elite arm of the British Foreign Office. My Paradise Series heroes are all "protectors" at heart, guys who fight evil and tyranny during the Napoleonic era. A bit like The Three Musketeers, only much sexier. I created the Guardians to add a dash of intrigue and adventure and danger to my usual spicy Regency romances.

Vic: The "paradise" setting of Cyrene is a beautiful place and a refreshing setting, away from the usual European setting. Where did your inspiration for this island come from? Have you visited tropical islands that set your imagination in motion?

Nicole: My inspiration actually came from the fabulous Greek Isles, but for my Paradise stories, I needed a setting that was closer to England and the Napoleonic wars. So I created the Isle of Cyrene in the western Mediterranean and patterned it after the Balearic Islands off the coast of Spain - Ibiza and Mallorca and Menorca. I wanted to offer avid romance readers something a little fresh and different to pique their interest. This locale provides some delicious scope for imagination and romance and gives me opportunities for intriguing plots during the Regency era that can't usually be found in a strict English/London social sphere. However, although MASTER OF TEMPTATION is set primarily on Cyrene, the rest of the Paradise books will take place mainly in England, with various series characters appearing in each.

Vic: If you could spend a month on the island of Cyrene with ONE of your (fictional) heroes, and that means any hero from ANY of your books, who would it be and why?

Nicole: Sheesh,Vic, that's an IMPOSSIBLE question to answer - like being asked to choose your favorite child! But if forced, I would probably choose whatever hero I'm currently working on, since I actually do spend months with him, at least in my imagination.

Vic: You are a woman of distinction, Nicole! Christopher Thorne would be an EXCELLENT choice! (MmmmMm!). But, well, variety IS the spice of life, right?! *G*

So far, of all your wonderful backlist, only THE LOVER has been reissued. (Yaaay! Incredible book!) Are there plans for any of your other books to be reissued in the near future?

Nicole: THE LOVER, my Scottish Highlands romance, was reissued by Ballantine in April 2004. For readers who don't know my work, I suggest that you read the reprint, since for the new version, I rewrote several scenes to bring the story more in line with my original vision of the book.

In August 2004, the first and third books of my Notorious Series, THE SEDUCTION and DESIRE, were reprinted at the discount price of $4.99. My second Notorious romance, THE PASSION, will be reprinted in November at the $4.99 price to coincide with the November 23rd release of LORD OF SEDUCTION (Paradise Series Book 2).

And my medieval romance, THE WARRIOR, will be reissued in July 2005, the month before the August release of WICKED FANTASY (Paradise Series Book 3).

For the rest of my backlist, Ballantine is still figuring out how they want to market them. But I expect TOUCH ME WITH FIRE, another Regency historical, will be out in Spring 2006, in conjunction with FEVER DREAMS (Paradise Series Book 4).

Vic: WOW! Great things to look forward to!

Ok Nicole, here comes the question I'll DOG you with till OUR dying days if necessary, and I know you know what it is. I WON'T give up! *G*

Your Rocky Mountain "Trilogy" was two (yep, that's TWO of three) of an extremely popular series (THE OUTLAW and THE HEART BREAKER), and we were left panting, wanting, LUSTING and begging for Wolf Logan's story. He was an incredible secondary character in the series who grabbed us all with the promise of maybe your most incredible character ever. We all know where the way of GREAT westerns went with publisher demands, but Wolf's story is still one that we're left wanting, and always will.

You have told us Wolf's story WILL come, but with five books in the Paradise series, where does Wolf Logan actually stand? Or does he? IS his story still truly in your heart? Or would you really rather leave him behind? Any definite plans???

Nicole: No, absolutely I wouldn't rather leave Wolf behind! He's very real to me and very much in my heart. And I'm definitely planning on finishing my Rocky Mountain Trilogy someday. But Ballantine wants me to wait until the market for Westerns is stronger. A few years ago, a large part of the reading public quit buying Western romances, so BB wants me to write Regency historicals for the time being. They're giving my Regencies a big push this year and next, and I think their rationale is that if I can become a big enough name with enough readers liking my books, then they might follow me from Regencies to Westerns, which many readers won't usually do. I'm hoping that when I finish my Paradise Series, Ballantine will reprint THE OUTLAW and THE HEART BREAKER and let me write Wolf's story. I have it all worked out, with a strong heroine who should prove his match, and I'm eager to tell it, I promise. But I'm sorry to say that will be at least a couple of years from now. I hope Wolf will be worth your patience!

Vic: Oh, he will be! I have no doubt about that! And what a GRAND idea to re-release THE OUTLAW and THE HEART BREAKER and have Wolf to follow! We surely do have great things to look forward to! THANK YOU, Nicole, for being so gracious and patient with me and my (at least) yearly hounding about this book. And (Ahhhem) ... while I would like to say that "Nicole Jordan" IS a "big enough name" that her readers will follow her ANYWHERE (and have for a lonng time!), I won't - I'll keep my trap shut (for now - *EG*). And only add ... WHAT ARE THEY THINKING?!?!?!

And of course I could never end a talk with you without asking about the magnificent "Outlaw" - Irish, that is! I know he sustained a horrible leg injury some time back but was healing well and I hope that is still the case.

Nicole: Outlaw is doing great, thank heavens! And I've worked out a system to take advantage of the climate in this part of the wild, wild west. I move him to the Park City mountains in the summer and down to the Salt Lake City valley in winter, since it's about fifteen degrees warmer in the valley on average. So he's got his "summer place" with great trails in the mountain foothills, and his "winter place" for more civilized ring and field riding. We're not doing as much showing as we used to, but he's very happy and getting mellow in his middle age. As for my riding time, I don't have nearly enough! But he has several different trainers who keep him worked and fit. And he still loves me most, since I always bring him a five-pound bag of carrots when I go out to the barn. I swear, Outlaw would sell his soul for a carrot!

I would like to say thanks so much to all you Rebels for your wonderful support over the years. Best wishes and happy reading!

And we would like to thank YOU, Nicole, for your wonderful writing that gives us so much pleasure, as well as the kindness and generosity you've shown RBL Romantica through the years.

Now, I say we start the countdown to December, then break out the Cristal and drink a toast to "THE QUEEN of sexy historical romance" and her BLOCKBUSTER new release - LORD OF SEDUCTION!

~Vic~


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