Tanya Nellestein

Australian Romance Readers Blog

03/01/2021

Creating the Valkyrie of Birca

Last year I came across the Harlequin Warrior Blitz. For no other reason than I love a challenge, I decided to write a Viking Romance. My knowledge base in this area was… negligible. Not to be deterred, I took a deep dive into Viking culture and found myself completely smitten. Wanting to know more, I took the obvious course of bingeing Vikings on Netflix. Oh my… Then I found The Last Kingdom. Between Ragnar Lothbrook and Uhtred, son of Uhtred, there was no turning back.

Hearts Talk - Journal of the Romance Writers of Australia

06/01/2021

Catching up with the 2020 RuBY Winners

As we gear up for the Gold Coast, we are eagerly awaiting the announcement of the finalists for the 2021 RuBY Awards. In the meantime, Tanya Nellestein caught up with the class of 2020.

Hearts Talk - Journal of the Romance Writers of Australia

03/01/2021

Vale Aiki Flinthart

As the sun set on January 2021, and the new dawn welcomed February, Aiki Flinthart passed from this world to the next. One of Aiki’s great passions in life was to inspire and support other writers. Even after she discovered she had terminal cancer, she was determined to keep working, writing and providing inspiration until the end.

Hearts Talk - Journal of the Romance Writers of Australia

03/01/2021

Changing the landscape of romance

The romance writing industry has, in recent times, copped enormous criticism for the lack of diverse representation in books, associations and conferences. We are the highest selling genre, yet we still struggle to accurately represent many of the women reading romance.

Hearts Talk - Journal of the Romance Writers of Australia

12/01/2020

2020 in Review

Remember the beginning of 2020? The country was on fire, World War 3 nearly broke out… but we were still full of hope and optimism. Then came a world-wide pandemic. 2020 turned out to be the year we want to forget. Despite all the suffering, there have been quite a few shiney moments of brilliance. We asked the authors who contributed their goals for 2020 to reflect on how they went.

Hearts Talk - Journal of the Romance Writers of Australia

11/01/2020

Inspiring Desire Through Great Romance

Melbourne business duo Siobhan Fitzgerald and Carol Battle wanted to reconnect with their sexuality after the birth of their babies, only to discover the internet is full of sex devoid of imagination. So they decided to remedy the situation.

Hearts Talk - Journal of the Romance Writers of Australia

10/01/2020

When Romance Meets Halloween

Hearts Talk’s very own Queen of Fancy Dress, Tanya Nellestein A.K.A. Zombie Bride #1, LURVES Halloween. Turns out, she’s not alone.

Hearts Talk - Journal of the Romance Writers of Australia

03/01/2020

Maddison Michaels: RuBY Award Winner Works Devilishly Hard

Maddison Michaels is the poster girl for aspiring authors everywhere. She’s got the talent, the work ethic, the branding, the books and the publishing contracts…not to mention the RWA 2019 Historical RuBY Award for her debut novel, The Devilish Duke.

Hearts Talk - Journal of the Romance Writers of Australia

04/01/2020

Megan Mayfair: From Newbie to Award-winning Hybrid Author

Megan Mayfair was the first person I met in the RWA, at the Newbie’s Cocktail Party at the 2017 Conference in Brisbane. As we sipped wine, she told me about the book she’d just finished writing about two women with major family secrets, who forge a friendship in a coffee shop. That book – The Things We Leave Unsaid – was picked up and published by Crooked Cat Books in August 2018. She received her First Sale ribbon at the 2018 Conference. Fast-forward to April 2020, and Megan is about to...

Hearts Talk - Journal of the Romance Writers of Australia

05/01/2020

Aislinn Kearns: Putting the Action into Romance

Not that kind of action - we’re talking buildings being blown up, helicopters and horses being used as a weapon when you don’t have a gun handy … as well as the hero and heroine getting their emotional and physical needs met as they save the day

Hearts Talk - Journal of the Romance Writers of Australia

06/01/2021

Diane Demetre: Master Mindset

Has the Coronavirus got you down? Moved into the third stage of isolation where all hope is lost? Fear not, Diane Demetre has just the remedy. Master Mindset is Diane’s latest release aimed at helping quell some of the uncertainty and anguish that has torn a gaping hole through what we used to call normal life

Hearts Talk - Journal of the Romance Writers of Australia

06/01/2020

Keri Arthur: The Queen of Scream

Keri Arthur won the 2019 Speculative Fiction RuBY for Cursed, the second book in The Kingdoms of Earth and Air series. She picked up another Australian Romance Readers Award in March, and this month she is releasing the highly anticipated sixth instalment of her Lizzie Grace series.

Hearts Talk - Journal of the Romance Writers of Australia

07/01/2020

Aiki Flinthart: Still Fighting Like a Girl

Aiki Flinthart has a habit of inspiring people - through her books, workshops, blogs and generosity of spirit. As she puts the final flourishes on her legacy, she took a moment to share her thoughts with Hearts Talk.

Hearts Talk - Journal of the Romance Writers of Australia

07/01/2020

Feature: Penelope Janu

On the right track for adventure and romance.

Blush Magazine

12/01/2020

Scarlet Wilson: Christmas Dreams Really Do Come True

When Jingle Bell Bride premiered on the Hallmark Channel, it was 2am in Scotland. Author Scarlet Wilson waited up to see her dream come true.

Hearts Talk - Journal of the Romance Writers of Australia

12/01/2020

Falling in Love with Christmas

Is it any wonder romance and Christmas go together so well? The colour red is synonymous with love, passion and romance, and it’s all around us at this time of year. All the shopping centres, streets and houses are decorated with Christmas lighting and all the glittering trimming, making everything look gorgeously romantic

Blush Magazine

07/01/2021

Fix Your Crown

Fifteen authors have come together from around the globe to write a collection of short stories that show just how strong women can be, especially when we fix each other’s crowns.

Blush Magazine

12/01/2021

The Great Christmas Romance

Why is it that Christmas and romance go so well together?

Blush Magazine

06/01/2021

Valerie Parv: A legend of love

Paying tribute to romance author Valerie Parv

Smh

02/06/2020

I write romance because two things can save the world: love and books

I spent a year interviewing the authors who meet our literary romantic needs, and what I've learnt about love and lust has been eye-opening. Here are the top lessons I've discovered. Consider the plot for all three trilogies within the Star Wars franchise - boy from the wrong side of the moons falls for courageous and beautiful girl who has sworn to fight for the freedom of the galaxy.

SundayLife

22/04/2018