Is This the Death Knell for Magazine Short Story Writing?: Inside the Take a Break AI Scandal
With a major magazine pivoting to AI-generated short stories, does this mark a new, darker chapter in the world of human creativity? Any writer who’s not worried about the grim-reaper spectre of generative AI is one who’s not been paying attention. AI-assisted books are already everywhere in the self-published realm…
7 Things You Missed At My Book Launch For The Spotlight
This week was the official book launch event for my mystery-thriller, The Spotlight. If you couldn’t make it, here are all the things you missed… 1. 35-degree heat 🫠 It was toasty-warm weather, in case you’re wondering why I’m “glowing” in all these photos. I really appreciate everyone who braved…
4 Things That Inspired The Spotlight
Inspiration comes from a kaleidoscope of different sources. Here are four things that helped to inspire my mystery-thriller The Spotlight. (Note: Don’t worry, this post is spoiler-free for the events of The Spotlight.) 1. Being a lifelong music fan I’ve always thought that the music industry provides a rich seam…
The Spotlight is out today!
The Spotlight is out today! 🎉 Check here to find out for where to buy a copy. It’s hard to believe that, two years ago, this novel was just a vague one-line idea: What if you were living your dream as a popstar on tour, but there was a killer…
Book Launch Event in Bristol for The Spotlight
Join me at Bookhaus book shop (Wapping Wharf, Central Bristol) for an event celebrating the launch of my third psychological thriller, The Spotlight. The event, which takes place on Tuesday 23 June 2026, kicks off at 6pm for a 6:30 start, and concludes at 7:30pm, with time to browse the…
3 Reasons You Should Grab an Early Review Copy of my New Thriller
The Spotlight, my newest mystery-thriller, about the terrifying rollercoaster of fame, comes out in three months, but now’s your chance to read it early. If you’re a Netgalley user, you can request a copy. But I’m also offering a limited number of ebook review copies directly – for free. You…
Grilling Thriller Authors: Q&A with Rupa Mahadevan
In this series, I carry out hard-hitting interviews with psychological thriller authors, where I ask them… just a bunch of silly questions, actually. This month, it’s Rupa Mahadevan‘s turn in the hot seat. Which emoji do you use most often? Definitely, laughing out loud. I do so many silly things…
8 Storylines to Follow in Olympic Figure Skating at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Games
I love the Olympics, for hippie-ish reasons like international cooperation, but also because it’s a big, brash soap opera of a competition. Nowhere are the stories richer (or more ridiculous) than in figure skating. Here are some of the stories you can expect to play out on the ice in…
Someone is impersonating me! Please only contact me through my websites
I received the disturbing news this week that a scammer is sending out emails using my name and identity, trying to solicit marketing work for themselves. If you receive a fraudulent email from “nicola.authorwebmarketing@gmail.com” (that’s not my email) or any other cold-approach email that looks suspiciously AI-generated, please ignore it…
Grilling Thriller Authors: Q&A with Alison Stockham
In this series, I carry out hard-hitting interviews with psychological thriller authors, where I ask them… just a bunch of silly questions, actually. This month, it’s Alison Stockham‘s turn in the hot seat. Which emoji do you use most often? It would probably be the laughing emoji, as life can…
How Heated Rivalry made me believe in art again (yes, really)
The Canadian gay ice hockey romance TV show (a.k.a. Heated Rivalry, about a pair of rivals on the ice who become ✨lovers✨ in secret) is a pop culture moment. But the story behind this juggernaut show is pure fairytale magic – and it has genuinely inspired me over the last…
Grilling Thriller Authors: Q&A with MA Hunter
In this series, I carry out hard-hitting interviews with psychological thriller authors, where I ask them… just a bunch of silly questions, actually. This month, it’s MA Hunter‘s turn in the hot seat. 1. Which emoji do you use most often? Actually, there are two emojis I seem to use…
2025 Reading Round-Up: My 6 Favourite Books of the Year
Today I’m looking back at my 2025 reading. Here are some of my absolute favourites I read this year, both fiction and non fiction. Read them and talk to me about them! Penance – Eliza Clark (fiction, crime) Penance is initially the story of a group of teenage girls in…
6 Secrets of The Spotlight, My New Mystery-Thriller
Mark your calendars, because my new novel, The Spotlight, is set to land in a whirl of confetti in just over six months. Here’s everything you need to know about it: 1. It’s about a popstar who bears a resemblance to Taylor Swift Love her or loathe her, Taylor Swift…
Grilling Thriller Authors: Q&A with Catherine Cooper
In this series, I carry out hard-hitting interviews with psychological thriller authors, where I ask them… just a bunch of silly questions, actually. This month, it’s Catherine Cooper’s turn in the hot seat. 1. Which emoji do you use most often? Eyeroll, probably by quite a long way. 2. If…
Grilling Thriller Authors: Q&A with Valerie Keogh
In this series, I carry out hard-hitting interviews with psychological thriller authors, where I ask them… just a bunch of silly questions, actually. This month, it’s Valerie Keogh’s turn in the hot seat. 1. Which emoji do you use most often? The smiling face with blushed cheeks or the one…
How to Promote Anything Without Seeming Sleazy
There comes a time when everybody has something they want to promote. Maybe it’s an event you’re running or a charity where you volunteer. Maybe you’re an author and it’s your own book you’re promoting. Maybe the thing you’re promoting is… YOU. You’re trying to get more visible in your…
8 easy tips for reading more books (and spending less time staring vacantly at a screen)
We’re all trying to cut down on our screentime, aren’t we? Most of us would like to read more books, whether to boost our depth of knowledge or as a way to unplug and relax. I’m as guilty as anyone of spending too much time on screens (I say, as…
My 10-step process for planning unputdownable mystery-thriller novels
Writing a novel is a bit like sighting Everest on the horizon and saying, “Sure, OK, I’ll climb that.” The struggle to reach the summit can be so overwhelming that I’ve learned to do a lot of preparatory work up front. Here’s what my novel planning process looks like: Step…
Grilling Thriller Authors: Q&A with Becca Day
In this series, I carry out hard-hitting interviews with psychological thriller authors, where I ask them… just a bunch of silly questions, actually. This month, it’s Becca Day’s turn in the hot seat. 1. Which emoji do you use most often? It’s the sleepy emoji… which I think just about…