Thursday??

Are you sure?

Is it really Thursday? I could have sworn that it was only another Thursday - the previous one - just . . . well, it feels like yesterday!

But no, life is what happens when you're busy doing other things and here it is Thursday again.

In the case of this past few days, the 'other things' have been preparing the weekend workshop for Fishguard Writing Weekend and sending out the preparatory work for it. I'm so looking forward to this and to meeting up with friends from past courses and of course making new ones. (Yes Caroline - this includes you!)

On Monday when I got home from the Hull workshop there was a note from my editor saying could I please 'just' write her a short article for M&B's Romance Magazine the goes out to all their Direct customer. This was to be about the next book I have coming up - the one based on a modernisation (or perhaps seeing as it's for Modern Romance that should be a Modernisation) of one of the Greek Myths - The Good Greek Wife? So I had that to write as an extra.

Oh, and I also got a confirmed USA publication date for that book - A Good Greek Wife will be out in one of the special Presents EXTRA collections in October 2010.

But of course before that, the next book The Konstantos Marriage Demand (the one that won a Romantic Times Top Pick) is now available on the eharlequin site as a print book or as an ebook publication.

Another thing that happened yesterday was that I received a fabulous review for it from Julie over on CataRomance:

For the past 25 years, international best-selling author Kate Walker has been entertaining audiences worldwide with her intensely passionate, highly dramatic and immensely absorbing romances for Harlequin Mills and Boon. In her latest release, The Konstantos Marriage Demand, this outstanding writer of romantic fiction has written a captivating and enthralling tale of forbidden passion, illicit secrets and powerful romance that is guaranteed to leave you breathless!

The Konstantos Marriage Demand is romantic storytelling at its most mesmerizing! Kate Walker peppers her highly emotional and fabulously dramatic tale with heart-wrenching intensity, searing passion, powerful tension and tempestuous seduction. No sooner will readers read the first page of her sensational new novel that they will find themselves unable to put down and unwilling to forget the latest gripping Modern Romance from the stupendous pen of this much-loved author of romantic novels: Kate Walker!

And Julie gave it another 4.5 stars. Thank you so much Julie - you made my (rather hectic) day!

Then there was the unexpected interview with the Hull Daily Mail (Waves to Joanne - please look out for this for me. It might be in for Valentine's Day - or some time later in the week). And Allison, if you've dropped by the web site looking for those extra details - welcome - and thank you for the great interview!

I've also been planning my contribution to the Brenda Novak Auction for Diabetes Research. As my own father died of problems that were the result of diabetes and I'm always being tested to make sure that I haven't developed this problem, this is a cause that I believe in very much. Last year I donated a Readers and Writers' Basket and this time I'm doing the same - details to follow. But this year I'm also donating a critique aimed at would-be Modern Romance/Harlequin Presents authors. And I know that a lot of you out there fall into that category. So I'll let you know when the details go up and you can offer a bid.

Now it's Thursday again. The Babe Magnet is heading out the door to go and teach the last of his Writing Crime course in Oxford, hoping that the snow won't cause any problems - yes it's back again! - and I'm going to stay nice and warm and hopefully get to grips with my sexy - and currently un co-operative - Sicili9an hero.

Or try to because the other thing on the agenda today is that the plumber is supposed to be coming to replace the toilet and the sink in the downstairs cloakroom - and guess where that is - right beside my office door!

The life of a romance novelist is full of these little contrasts!

PS It's Scary Kate's (Kate Hardy) birthday today so why not go and wish her a very happy day. She'll probably have written another book by the time you get there!