Nicole ...

When Nicole S. Rouse’s parents decided to name their firstborn after their favorite literary icon, Nikki Giovanni, they hadn’t expected their daughter to share the same birth date as the famous poet. They also had no idea their child would one day become a published author.

Developing a passion for writing at a young age, Nicole graduated from Temple University, with a Bachelor of Science in Early and Elementary Education. As a classroom teacher, Nicole took every opportunity to incorporate her appreciation of various forms of writing into the curriculum. She became a member of the Northern Virginia Writing Project, where she promoted and encouraged writing in mathematics. She was also a founding member of a literacy team that created plays for students to perform and developed workshops for parents to help their children excel. 

BookSigning

During a Career Day presentation for her students, the speaker turned to Nicole mid-speech and said, “It’s never too late to follow your dream.” Nicole took those words literally and decided to relocate to “The Windy City” in pursuit of making a mark in the publishing industry. A year later, she was offered an editorial position at a major educational publishing company. The blessings did not stop there. Two years later, while waiting to present at a writer’s workshop, Nicole was led to introduce herself to the executive editor at Urban Christian. After a brief conversation, she was encouraged to send in a few chapters of her novel. Months later, Nicole was offered a two book deal. Happily Ever Now (Urban Christian, 2007) is her debut novel and has ranked consistently on the Top 25 Christian Independent Publishers Best Sellers list.  Happily Ever Now received the EDC Creations 2008 Best Book Award.

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Nicole participates in literary events across the country where she encourages women to follow their dreams and push past their fears. She also participates in church-related events and continues to teach writing workshops. Nicole has been a guest on numerous radio and internet shows. Her sophomore novel, Someone to Love Me (Urban Christian) was picked up by the Black Expressions Book Club® before its June 2009 release date.

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Nicole resides near Chicago and is currently working on her third novel, Be Careful What You Pray For. (tentative November 2010 release date).