Tanya Nellestein

Freelance Journalist

Australia

First and foremost, Tanya is a journalist specialising in all things romance. She loves sharing stories of love and lust, while breaking down outdated stereotypes - all while wearing a tiara and sipping champagne.
As a life long experience enthusiast, Tanya loves finding the fresh angle and bringing stories to life to share with audiences, near and far.

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Portfolio
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