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About the Author:Nikki Andrews earns a living as a picture framer, but in her real life she is an author, songwriter, and editor. She has been writing since junior high school, has recorded an album of original songs with a church choir, and has completed the National Novel Writing Month Challenge ten consecutive years. She is the author of several published and award-winning short stories, as well as three novels. Framed, her most recent novel, is a mystery set in an art gallery--a long-lost painting turns up and holds clues to a murder/suicide. Her two science fiction novels, Chicken Bones and A Windswept Star, have been called "a wild mix of genres that works." She is a member of Talespinners, a women's writing group, and the New Hampshire Writers' Project.February 2012--I feel like I'm writing a Christmas letter here. A whole year to catch up on! I'm now editing for two publishers as well as freelance, and enjoying it enormously. I had a couple of temp jobs in the second half of 2011. During the summer I acted as a receptionist/administrative assistant at Rivier College in Nashua. Other than the fact that it cut into my writing time, I liked it very much. Then I accepted an assignment at Walnut Hill Marketing, where I learned to engrave Swiss Army knives in time for Christmas. I'm certainly willing to try my hand at a variety of tasks!
Spring 2011--I had the privilege of attending the launch party and several other events for Jennifer Vaughn's thriller Last Flight Out. Jen is a reporter at WMUR-TV in Manchester, NH. It was great to work with her and I wish her the best of luck in her writing.
February 2011--The heavy snows of January created a perfect atmosphere for writing--when I wasn't shoveling. Still hard at work on A Thousand Words, but I also squeaked out a short story, "Sanctuary." You can read it on the Stories page. Enjoy.
December, 2010--A busy autumn season takes us into the even busier holiday season. I took a break from A Thousand Words to do a rough draft of Moving Pictures during November. What fun!
When I'm not writing my own work, I've been editing novels for others. Any writer will tell you that it's impossible to edit your own work; it takes a dispassionate eye to root out what doesn't work and even--gasp--to delete sections that don't advance the story. Editing is whole new discipline, and I find it very rewarding to take a good manuscript and help an author to polish it into the fine gem that it can be.
September, 2010--Ah, thank goodness for the cool weather. Autumn is my favorite time of year--warm days, crisp nights, and no bugs.The hiking and biking are great, so get out and enjoy the outdoors at its best.
Yet another possible entry in the Brush & Bevel series is taking shape in the recesses of my mind: Still Life, inspired by a visit to a wonderful local farm store. Not sure yet where this one is going, but fruits and vegetables figure prominently as the murder weapons.
Lots of new events for you to check out on the Events page (click here.) I love to talk with readers and writers. Hope to see you soon!
July, 2010--After a gorgeous spring, suddenly we're in a hot, dry summer. A good time to stay out of the heat and get some writing done. I'm hard at work on A Thousand Words, the sequel to Framed. A newspaper reporter is murdered when her investigation gets too close to the bad guy--but then he, too, turns up dead. The heat is on at Brush & Bevel to solve the mystery. But the only clue is a scrawled word added to a page ripped out of a magazine. Watch for further developments!
While I'm very busy with this book, I'm also outlining a third novel in the Brush & Bevel series:
Moving Pictures, inspired by my brief gig as a movie extra in a neighboring town. This one involves drugs slipped behind the dust cover of a picture used to decorate a movie set--but which picture? When make-believe clashes with reality, somebody gets hurt...
May, 2010--Framed is going very well indeed. Good reviews and lots of interest. Check out the Events page for the latest book signings.
April, 2010--A bunch of book signings have been arranged. Check out the Events page for more details. I'd love to meet you and talk about writing.
March, 2010--Hooray! Framed has finally hit the bookstores! My publishers, L&L Dreamspell, did a terrific job with the layout and cover, and Cindy Davis, my editor, brought out the best in my manuscript. I couldn't be happier with the results. Click on over to the events page to see where and when I'll be presenting the book. It's available at local bookstores (as always, support your independent booksellers whenever you can), some art galleries, libraries, Borders, Barnes & Noble, and online at Amazon.com. You can also download it as an e-book.
...where time is fluid and a song can change the future. Where a long-lost painting holds clues to a murder-suicide, and foxes and bears are more than they seem. This is a place where the seeds of reality take root in the soil of imagination, and anything can happen. Welcome, and enjoy the journey!
November 14, 2010. I had an opportunity to meet WMUR-TV meteorologist Josh Judge, whose book, eXtreme New England Weather, I edited for the publisher, Sci Art Media. Josh spoke at Toadstool Books in Milford, NH and signed copies of his book afterward.
UPDATE: February 4, 2011. eXtreme New Hampshire Weather became the two millionth book added to the New Hampshire State Library's Public Access Catalog. This makes it readily available through Interlibrary Loan to anyone in the state. Congratulations, Josh!
