And another good cause to bid for

Make for Macmillan is a fab fund-raising effort, auctioning off craft type things to benefit Macmillan Cancer Support. This week they’re having a Book Week, auctioning off an amazing range of books signed by their authors. Have a look.  You might find something by an author you love - or one you'd  like to come to love. An author whose signed book you'd love to own


I have donated two books to this auction - 
The Proud Wife

and the 3 in 1 collection Claimed by The Sicilian

I'll sign them for you and I'll post them to you for free wherever you live. There are lots of other fabulous books on off - take a look.

The auction starts today, and finishes on Sunday 8pm. Have a look here:
http://www.facebook.com/makeformacmillan?sk=wall
And, for a gallery of all the books in the auction :
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.175705379147025.55498.163410227043207

Last Chance to Bid

Brenda Novak's Auction to benefit Diabetes Research comes to and end on May 31st. So you have just one more day  to get in your bids on any of the lots you want to win.
A final  reminder of the lots that I have on offer -


Critique of a partial and synopsis

Critique of a partial (first 3 chapters and a synopsis) of a manuscript aimed at Harlequin Mills & Boon Modern Romance/Harlequin Presents


A Reader and Writers' Basket containing:

12 POINT GUIDE TO WRITING ROMANCE (the 3rd edition)
THE STRAIGHTFORWARD GUIDE TO WRITING ROMANTIC FICTION (the 3rd edition)
A great selection of Kate Walker's novels:
THE PROUD WIFE (Presents Extra October 2010)
THE GOOD GREEK WIFE? (Presents Extra April 2011)

THE KONSTANTOS MARRIAGE DEMAND (winner of Best Harlequin Presents Extra 2010)
THE ALCOLAR FAMILY TRILOGY (not available in the U.S.), which includes:
The Twelve Month Mistress
The Spaniard’s Inconvenient Wife
Bound by Blackmail
The trilogy CLAIMED BY THE SICILIAN (not available in the U.S.), which includes:
The Sicilian’s Wife
Sicilian Husband, Blackmailed Bride
The Sicilian’s Red-Hot Revenge
BEDDED BY THE GREEK BILLIONAIRE (Harlequin Presents November 2008)
All books are packed into one of her fabulous Kate Walker Tote Bags.

And two separate lots of single, autographed books -

The Alcolar Family Trilogy 3 in 1 Collection

and

Claimed by The Sicilian 3 in 1 collection

All these lots are still open and you can bid until  June 1st - it's for such a great cause so why not take a look at just what's on offer and see if you'd like to make a bid.

That Daily Mail Article Again, Again - With Trish Morey

Following on from yesterday's post. I just discovered a comment from my fellow Presents author the fabulous Trish Morey.   This was such a great response and one I so agreed with that I thought I'd move it from the Comments section to this main part of the blog because I think it should be read by everyone - I'd like to say 'including the Daily Mail and their Columnist Claudia Cullen' - but I doubt very  much that  they will trouble to follow up on the real Romantic Novelists  who were so insulted and wrongly reported in the original article.

So here's Trish  -

Kate, thanks for posting the letter. I'm still shaking my head at the unprofessional attitude of the so-called "journalist". Maybe they should have sent a grown up to the event, rather than an adolescent who equates romance with sex and can't see beyond that. Although adolescent might be pushing it. The DM level of reporting actually reminded me of schoolboys who have just discovered the word "fart" in the dictionary.


I do applaud the "this is what a romance author looks like" postings, although I would like to add one rider - I don't think it matters two hoots what romance authors look like and how old they might be. No, I've never seen one with a blue rinse and in support hose, but would it actually matter?


When we write romance, it's not just about the sex, as any one of us knows. We're writing about real people and real life changing events (well, we've made them up, sure, but out of real material). And the reason our books are successful is that they touch a chord with the readers.


Why?


Because we authors have experiences these same things. We have gone through the joy of birth, the tragedy of death, the agony of a loved one fading away. We have suffered through cancers and miscarriages and road crashes and remember being told to sit down before we hear news because we will fall down if we don't. We remember the thunderclap of hearing that news, we remember the impact it had on our hearts and our minds and our lives. And heaven forbid, we've made love. Maybe still do! Shocking.


Bottom line, we've lived. We've experienced all life has to throw at us and we've survived to tell the story, in a million different ways, all with a happy ending.


And yet, because we've lived, because we got the experience of a lifetime, or a goodly portion of it, because we're on the wrong side of twenty years old, somehow that makes us less worthy to write about the things we know?


Bollocks to that, I say. We write real stories for real women because we are real women.


The feeble hearted need not apply

Thank you Trish and Here! Here!  (Or should it be Hear Hear! ? I never know)
Trish's latest - The Heir From Nowehere is out in Presents

And as  - I hope  - my last comment on that stupid article (unless they publish an apology and a whole revised report - bets anyone?)  I just need to add that another comment I wholeheartedly agree with from another great friend and fabulous Romantic Novelist - Liz Fielding:

If the DM were moved to cut off the comment thread they clearly realised they'd boobed and - hopefully - won't make the mistake of irritating several hundred literate ladies again in a hurry.
Liz's first RIVA  story - Tempted by Trouble is out in the UK right now.

That Daily Mail Article again

As it's a week since that stupid, inaccurate - fictitious - article  about the RNA Summer party  I should mention that as well as organising the brilliant 'This is What A Romantic Novelist Looks Like' campaign and page on Facebook. Kate Johnson also wrote to the Daily Mail protesting at the 'mistakes' their columnist Claudia Connell made.  Her letter and her photograph - proof if anyone needed it that  the description of  RNA members as having blue rinses and twin sets and pearls  was distinctly wide  of the mark - was published yesterday - see above.  Brilliantly done  Kate - congratulations.


My only concern is that now I'm sure the DM thinks it has rectified the problem and provided a new balance - well, no, not in my book.  Kate has her point made and her picture in the paper but  where is Ms Connell's explanation/apology for creating such a fiction in the first place?  Where is there any indication of awareness of the 158 members of the This is What A Romantic Novelist Looks Like - not to mention the hundreds of other members of the RNA /all romantic novelists slighted or ignored in the original  article. And why were the comments on that article closed at 24 replies when  people  still wanted to comment - criticising the inaccuracie ?

 I'm so tired of lazy,inaccurate, bigoted reporting  - on any subject - that resorts to using old, worn-out stereotypes without any concer as to whether they are  still - or ever were - maccurate and relevant. Why do journalists always drag out images of Barbara Cartland and Catherine Cookson to illustrate a profession in which neither lady has been active for over ten years?   What next? Illustrating an article on the present day Members of Parliament with images of  Harold Wilson or Margaret Thatcher? 

Hopefully the point has been made - to this newspaper at least. But I'll be watching with interest for the next article/comment/report on anything to do with romantic fiction or romantic novelists  and I'll not be surprised if some of the same old, same old surfaces again -  the words bodice-rippers, slushy stories, "heroines swooning with alarming frequency and heroes, with names like Troy and Cassius"  repeated ad nauseam. Probably illustrated with photos of Barbara Cartland ..  .sigh!


But at least Kate  - and everyone else who joined the This Is What A Romantic Novelist Looks Like pages - have  scored a well honed point - we can hope that it is just the start of a change in the way this wonderful, successful, bestselling form of fiction and the  fabulouswriters who create it are portrayed.

Just discovered . . .

I've been focusing on the new book, persuading Diablo to co-operate (not an easy task!)  so I've not been wandering around the internet much.  But this morning I found something I wanted to share with you.

Over on The Pink Heart Society site, every month they have a special read and review section - the Pink Heart Pick  where the editors of the PHS pick a particular romance title, Donna reviews it and anyone who had read it can come along to discuss the book.

This morning I discopvered to my surprise that, at the bottom of the discussion about this month's pick -  Texas Heir by Linda Warren  - I discovered this -

And now for the June pick.....The Proud Wife by Kate Walker! It was just out in April in the US and Canada and in March in the UK, so you should be able to find it at online retailers in print and at the Mills and Boon site, eharlequin, and any other e-book retailer in digital.

We'll be back to chat about it on June 30!

What an honour - but ooo-er - the thougth of everyone discussing my book next momth is a bit awe-inspiring.  But I know a lot of you have already read The Proud Wife so I hope you'll come along and join in the discussion.

Just one little thing -  I noted today that the UK  version of  this book is sold out on Amazon.co.uk  and on The Book Depository. So if you want to get your hands on a copy,  you'll need to visit the Mills & Boon site or download an ebook version. The American edition  is still available on Amazon.com   or eharlequin  in both print and ebook formats.

I'll hope to see some of you on the PHS site on June 30th to chat about The Proud Wife.

And if you haven't managed to get your hands on a copy yet, then as soon as I get away from Diablo, I'll run a quick suprise one-day contest when you  could win a copy in time to read and join in the discussion - to watch this space.

Back to my sexy Argentinian hero  - he's just about to learn something that will really make him mad!  I'm going to have fun writing this bit.

Brenda Novak's Auction

I am mildly stunned and really rather honoured to discover that someone has bid $325 for my offer of  critique of a partial aimed at Harlequin Presents/M&B Modern  in  Brenda Novak's on-line auction  in aid of research into diabetes.  Thank you to the bidder for your generous contribution to this great cause - I shall  hope that my critique will be worth it.
The auction has just under a week to go - it ends on May 31st   so you still have time to bid on  my lots - or any of the other great lots on offer.

Just to remind you that as well as the critique of a partial (3 chapters and a synopsis) I have also offered -

A Reader and Writers' Basket  containing:

12 POINT GUIDE TO WRITING ROMANCE (the 3rd edition)
THE STRAIGHTFORWARD GUIDE TO WRITING ROMANTIC FICTION (the 3rd edition)
A great selection of Kate Walker's novels:
THE PROUD WIFE (Presents Extra October 2010)
THE GOOD GREEK WIFE? (Presents Extra April 2011)

THE KONSTANTOS MARRIAGE DEMAND (winner of Best Harlequin Presents Extra 2010)
THE ALCOLAR FAMILY TRILOGY (not available in the U.S.), which includes:
The Twelve Month Mistress
The Spaniard’s Inconvenient Wife
Bound by Blackmail
The trilogy CLAIMED BY THE SICILIAN (not available in the U.S.), which includes:
The Sicilian’s Wife
Sicilian Husband, Blackmailed Bride
The Sicilian’s Red-Hot Revenge
BEDDED BY THE GREEK BILLIONAIRE (Harlequin Presents November 2008)
All books are packed into one of her fabulous Kate Walker Tote Bags.

And two separate lots of single, authographed books -

The Alcolar Family Trilogy 3 in 1 Collection

and

Claimed by The Sicilian  3 in 1 collection

All these lots are still open and you can bid until May 1st  - it's for such a great cause so why not take a look at just what's on offer and see if you'd like to make a bid.

Charlie's Diary - 6 months in

Hello  - Charlie here.

 My Mum  is busy with some Argentinian guy called Diablo - well, that's what she calls him when she's being polite. I've heard her call him some other names that she  says aren't suitable for this blog. After all she is a Romantic Novelist with a reputation for decorum and restraint to uphold (I can hear you all laughing!)

Anyway, I've been living here for six months now and it suits me just fine. You have to get used to some boring things - like the amount of time spent with books for one thing. But the food's good and there's plenty of it.  And these days I get to go Beyond The Door.

 

I love going beyond the Door - there is the ace thing called the Garden and it has grass and shrubs and trees to climb. I can spend all day out there.  Oh and I can chase Flora around the garden too. That's a lot of fun.  There are things called birds out there and I've caught one already  but it flapped and fluttered and I didn't quite know what to do with it so I dropped it and it flapped and fluttered off - but I'll get another one. there are plenty of these Bird things Beyond The Door.   I found where they have their food and I'm waiting!

There are also weird things that Flora calls The Prickles. They only come out at night so I haven't seen them that often. My mum says they are called Hedgehogs and you people know them as The Hecks.  I suppose that's cos every time I see one I say 'What the Heck is that!'

Flora and I are almost friends now. But she does get cross when I try  to pinch her box - she loves her box and doesn't let anyone play in it. And old man Sid is great too - sometimes we sleep on the bed together he does a lot of sleeping (because he's nearly 16)  so he doesn't come out Beyond the Door much.

So that's it - that's where I'm at after 6 months here.   I like it. I think I'll stay

Oh - a message from my Mum. She says that   the great  This Is What A Romantic Novelist Looks Like campaign now has it's own Facebook page - so you can see what Romantic Novelists really look like  - and 'like' it as well. You'll find it here.  not a blue rinse in sight!

Best Purrs

Charlie   - This is what a Romantic Novelists' Cat looks like   ->

Dear MS Connell

Remember Ms Claudia Connell's  not too accurate article?

Well, it's got some romance novelists riled. And quite rightly so, because they are far from getting their blue rinse yet! (Do hairdressers even do that any more... surely it's got to be a dying fashion?). So much so Kate Johnson aka Cat Marsters urges us to post photos on our blogs and to advertise it everywhere!

So - Ms Connell  -  This is what a romantic novelist looks like -

And this -  Kate Johnson

and this - Julie Cohen

And  Talli Roland

And  3 for the price of one Heidi Rice, Sharon Kendrick, Brigid Coady

And Jan Jones (with  Roger/Gill Sanderson)

I could go on but I have a book - sorry - an 'M&B Bodice Ripper'-  to write - so on Twitter   - and Facebook too

PS If  in amongst bthese great pics, you find a Romantic Novelist who does have a blue rinse - please let me know. I'll offer a copy of one of my books as a prize!

And here's another journalist's point of view - well worth reading

Not the end of the world. . .

So the world didn't come to an amazing and rapturous end on Saturday.  Which means that now I have to complete the novel as my editor will actually be able to read it

and

b. I shall have to find some topics to blog about.

But as I really must must must concentrate on Diablo for the next couple of day (not a lot of hardship when he actually looks like this  ----->

a  couple of little bits and pieces to occupy you till I ger back.

Over one her blog the fabulous Liz Fieldiing whose brilliant brand new RIVA story Tempted By Trouble   is out now on the M&B site  has started a great series of Q&As for writers on her blog.   Her first post is up already on the topic of when should your hero on heroine first meet.  Great advice - and great reading. As  I know Tempted By Trouble will be - guess what's sitting on my TBR pile tempting me for when this book is done.   So Liz's blog is well worth a visit.

And if you read my post on the - er  - rather inaccurate and biased account ot the RNA at the weekend (it's in the post below if you missed it) it seems that lots of people who were actually at the event  that the reporter claimed she was describing noticed it too. Their comments are well worth reading!  Or perhaps the reporter was at some other RNA event in a  parallel  universe. ;o)

Claudia Connell Journalist of the Year - NOT

The Blue Rinse and Bodice Rippers: In twin-sets and pearls meet the ladies behind Britain's steamiest novels
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1389272/The-Blue-Rinse-Bodice-Rippers-In-twin-sets-pearls-meet-ladies-Britains-steamiest-novels.html#ixzz1MzzoPlx7

I didn't go to the Romantic Novelists' Association summer party. Pressure of dreadlines, and life prevented me from that. But I have been to more RNA events than I can count.  Once, over ten years ago, I was at a RNA Awards Ceremony that was described as being  an assembly of the 'blue rinse brigade'. I was astounded then at the ignorance and pure stupidity of the reporter who described the  gathering of illustrious writers so  untruthfully.

I had always thought that time had changed - and as a women I always believed that  as we have  fought for and enjoyed an improvement in the lot of woimen in general then individual women would  respect the achievements of other women, even in fields they don't aspire to themselves. Or even if they couldn't admire  these achievements wouldn't actually slant a report on them so badly that instead of an accurate report it became at best something closer to fiction, at worst a  lazy report  of such sterotypes that it is an out and out lie.

Heroines swooning 'with alarming frequency and heroes, with names like Troy and Cassius, must have permanent bad backs from forever scooping fair maidens into their manly arms' - er?  Which planet is this woman on?  I can't recall the last time any of my heroines swooned - and I had a boat named The Troy in The Good Greek Wife? Is that what she's thinking of? Does she think 'boat' spells - er  'boy'???

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1389272/The-Blue-Rinse-Bodice-Rippers-In-twin-sets-pearls-meet-ladies-Britains-steamiest-novels.html#ixzz1N09ZcZwP

So - as I said, I wasn't at the RNA Party this time but I know plenty of people who were.  So - try this report by organiser  and author Jan Jones on her blog here  - please note the phtographs of elegant and some very youthful authors -  not a blue rinse in sight. Or even a pearl.


Then try the RNA's official blog - with more photographs  - here

Or the Minxes of Romance  blog here

I'm still looking for a blue rinse - perhaps the reporter  - determined to be accurate and truthful (? ) was a little bit colour-blind and spotted so many glamorous blondes that she thought had blue hair.

Or perhaps the photographer  who was supposed to be capturing the event for her  - see the Minxes' blog - fell asleep and she had to rely on her none to accurate memories.

Perhaps.  Or perhaps she wanted to make a 'joke' and set out determined to make the event fit into it even if it didn't.

And in order to do so, she has called up the image of the late lamented Barbara Cartland from beyond the grave - a lady who wrote her last book and breathed her last  on this earth eleven years ago.  And who was never the typical romantic novelist even when she was alive.

I can't even bring myself to waste my time going through the nonsense in this article - I have much beter  things to do with that time, like  "writing endless schmaltz that always followed the same formula: girl meets boy, boy behaves like arrogant brute, girl hates boy, boy shows soft side, girl falls for boy and they all live happily ever after."

 Oh - so that's what I'm supposed to be doing!
But apart from noting  the fact that the whole tone of this article is pretty ageist, in order to show you the total inaccuracy of  this reporters 'facts'  can I just quote this one, hopelessly unreliable comment:

Key to the success of any romance writer in the UK, steamy or otherwise, is getting the supermarkets to stock your work, as the average reader of dreamy romantic literature doesn’t tend to set foot in Waterstone’s or download to a Kindle.

Er?  Has she been in any Waterstones branch lately?  Looked at the shelves?
Or  looked at the Kindle rankings of so many, many romantic novels on Amazon?

Or read  this article - published in the very same  paper for which she has written this fiction - ahem  - report  - only  four months ago?

Sales of bodice-ripping e-books soar as women use digital readers to hide their romantic novels
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1343270/Amazon-Kindle-Sales-bodice-ripping-e-books-soar.html#ixzz1N03wDV3n

No - I thought not. But I do detect the same sneering-and-making-a-good-story-out-of-things-even-if they-don't-fit-the-facts- tone here in an article that refuses to acknowledge that many readers are young, busy, up to date with ebooks etc - and want their reading choices delivered in this way. Not because they want to hide the covers.

It seems another reporter is determined to twist the facts the way they want them to be for the article they are determined to write.

But I've wasted enough of my time on this inacurate tosh - all I can suggest Ms Connell is that you have such an amazing skill with fiction that perhaps your should try for the RNA's New Writers' Scheme. Or perhaps it's a case of - to   misquote the  comment often (equally erroneously) used about teachers - Those who can, write romantic fiction. Those who can't 'report' it.

So all I ask of my readers is that you take a look at this article in all its glory - then consider the great blogs and photos I've also linked with - and decide for yourself whether everything you read in the papers is really true!

A Date With Kate

It's the third Friday in May . (How did it get to be this date alrewady?!)
Anyway - if you're  a regular visitor to my blog then you'll know that the 3rd Friday in the month is the date when I have my regular post  A Date With Kate over on  The Pink Heart Society - so I hope I'll see you over there.

Today I'm talking about heroines - sepcifically 'jigsaw piece ' heroines. Want to know more - see you there!

Winners -and more chances to win

 The winners of the One Night in Madrid giveaway are Summer and Caroline  so please send me your postal addresses and I'll get your copies of the book in the mail to you.

  And just to remind you that there are more chances to win over on My Tote Bag   where Lee Hyat is giving away copies of books from my backlist - this month the books on offer areThe Good Greek Wife? and The Antonakos Marriage!
This contest is of course to celebrate the publication of The Proud Wife which is out in Presents Extra right now - if you can find a copy, because people are telling me it's selling so well they're having to hunt to find a copy.

Want A Personal Critique of Your Romance Writing?

I keep being asked by writers who are aiming at publication by M&B Modern or Harlequin Presents  if I can critique thier novel or comment on a partial. I almost always have to say  no - I just don't have the time, I already read for the RNA New Writers' Scheme, I work with writers on my teaching course  . . .  

But just once in a while for a really good cause I will offer a critque if I can - and here's one of those really good causes.
Brenda Novak's  Auction For the Cure of Diabetes

Critique of a Partial by Harlequin Presents Best-selling Author Kate Walker

Do you dream of becoming a published romance author? Do you want to write for Harlequin Mills & Boon Modern Romance/Harlequin Presents? If so, this is a unique opportunity to have your work critiqued by Kate Walker, one of its best-selling, award-winning and most famous authors with 26 years of publication and 60 titles to her name! Kate Walker is also the author of not one but two amazing guides how to write romantic fiction.

The winner of this bid will receive:
Critique of a partial (first 3 chapters and a synopsis) of the manuscript aimed at Harlequin Mills & Boon Modern Romance/Harlequin Presents by Kate Walker.

Do not miss this great opportunity!

I'll also chuck in a copy of the 12 Point Guide To Writing Romance   if the bidding goes well. 


I'm also offering a Writer's and Reader's Basket but right now that's earning more in bids that the critique - so   come on -  if you want your work assessed - surely it's worth putting in a bid!

You  can find the place to bid right here  You have  14 days before the auction closes.

Kate's Corner

It's May 15th so that means that it's my day to guest blog in Kate's Corner  over at We Write Romance. So that's where you'll find me today.

I've been thinking about the way that my birthday last week made me feel - and that made me thankful for all my wonderful friends and readers  who share my life through my books. 

I've said it over there but I'm going to say it here as well - Thank you to everyone who buys and reads my books so that I can keep writing and hopefully keep sharing with you all!

And I hope you'll keep posting some thoughts of what you enjoy in my blog or what you'd like to read about in my blog so that I can put more names into the draw to win a copy of One Night in Madrid.

Thank you!

Missed me?

Where  have I been?  Well, I'm not really sure -  I've been busy working for a start.  At last I've been able to really concentrate on the book and  (my editor will be so pleased about this)  and my recalcitrant hero  Carlos  who  was living up to his nickname of El Diablo - the devil - finally agreed to cooperate a bit more.   So he took  a lot of my attention
Then there was the birthday weekend - was it really a week ago! I had a lovely time with family and friends, visiting York, wandering in the sunshine, treating myself to a couple of dresses. The great thing about having a birthday on a Staurday is that you can make a weekend of it - so I did.  Thak you again to everyone who posted birthday messages on Facebook.


So now I'm back - I hope!   And I have good news.

I was sent a really great review for The Proud Wife yesterday - this is from a site that I didn't know about until now - The  Long and the  Short  Of It reviews.   As  I'd never had a review from this site before, I think it's always really valuable to see a review from a new reader.  It's great to see what they think about a book. And I was thrilled to find that this new reviewer really loved The Proud Wife. She also made some really astute comments on the book.  

She also rated it 4.5 books out of a possible 5.

Hare's part of the review:


Ms. Walker creates two attractive characters with strong personalities and strong wills and then pits them against each other. Marina is English, Pietro is Sicilian. They married shortly after they met when she found herself pregnant and that’s just the beginning of their troubles.

As anyone in a relationship knows, misunderstandings can easily arise. It’s not just what is said but what isn’t said that can cause problems. This author uses this situation to set up the stress and tension between the two. Marina walked out on Pietro and he’s too proud to go after her. They both feel shut out and unloved.

The interplay between during the divorce discussion is amusing and volatile. While these two characters think there is no love left between them, you know there wouldn’t be as much passion and anger between the two if they didn’t care. The author uses the sexual attraction between as a point of contention: Perhaps it was lust rather than love?

I enjoyed watching them trying to work past their problems without actually explaining anything to each other. You know, the old, “If you loved me, you should understand.” It takes communication to develop understanding and this author knows this well, making this an interesting read.
Many thanks to Aloe for this great write-up - and you can see the full review here on The Long and The Short of It

But there is even better news because I woke up this morning to find a message for LASR in my inbox:

We offer a weekend poll at The Long and the Short of It romance reviews—we want to know which book or story sounds like the best read based on our reviews.

The winning author gets a nifty button and the privilege of having their book or story featured at the top of that page the entire next week, as well as getting a custom made video from Goddess Fish Promotions to publicize their review and the win!

Your story "­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­The Proud Wife" was reviewed by us this week and is up for Book of the Week honor this weekend (voting runs from Saturday, May 14th through Sunday May 15th). We thought you might like to know. You can find the information here onSaturday:  http://www.longandshortreviews.com/LASR/index.htm

Thanks and good luck.

Thank YOU LASR!  I'm thrilled just to be nominated for the possible Book Of The Week.   When I checked this morning voting wasn't yet open  - those time zones again! - but I expect it will be possible to vote later. So if  you enjoyed The Proud Wife   it would be wonderful if you did go and vote - and you could explore this great site at the same time.

And now for some good news for you, my lovely blog readers - as you can see I have things to celebrate and when I celebrate I like to share with my readers. Well,l the other good news this week was that I received a delivery of the author copies of the new three in one collection that's published this month - One Night in Madrid.

This great collection has a reprint of my  2008 novel Spanish Billionaire, Innocent Wife in it together with stories by  Jennie Lucas and Chantelle Shaw.  And I have some copies to give away!
So if you want to share in my (belated) birthday celebrations , please just leave a post in the comments section over the weekend! I'd love to know what you enjoy about visiting my blog (apart from the fact that I sometimes give away books!)  What do you like to read about on an author's blog - what sort of things would you like me to blog about in the future?  I haven't done any writing/craft related posts in a while  - so maybe WTBBIF  - When the B. . . . . Book Is Finished . . . .

Let me know - I'd love to hear from you (and if you tell me you voted for The Proud Wife as Book of The Week so much the better!) - and I will give away  copies of One Night in Madrid to the posters Sid chooses on Monday.

PS The voting for Book of the Week is now open here

. . . . and talking of backlist books

Firstly I want to wish a truly Happy Birthday to my dear friend and fellow Modern/Presents author  Michelle Reid.    Have a wonderful day Michelle!

And backlist books - Each month,  with the help of lovely Lee Hyat on My Tote Bag , I'm currently running a series of contests to  mark the publication of The Proud Wife  - so that you can win copies of some of my backlist books. The prize for the April contest has just been sent out so there is a new contest running for May.
This month, the prizes are:  A copy of The Good Greek Wife? and The Antonakos Marriage.

Just answer this simple question:
Which 3 of Kate's books are reprinted in the collection Claimed by The Sicilian?

Hint: You can find the answer  on my web site!

Contest Deadline: May 31st, '11.

 
For entry details visit My Tote Bag - where Lee has lots of other great contests running every month so you might win in those too.

Good Luck!

Coming in May

It's May - a brand new month, and Spring is definitely bursting out all over,   The sun is shining (well, it is here) the fresh green leaves are on the trees, and there are flowers coming to life in the garden.

Spring is a time for revival and this May I have 'revivals'  for a couple of older titles of mine that are being reissued innew collections or new formats this month.

First here in the UK there is the One Night in Madrid collection  with three sizzling Spanish stories  one by me, by Jennie Lucas and by Chantelle Shaw.

My novel is Spanish Billionaire, Innocent Wife which was originally published in  2008

Two years ago, Alannah left Raul without one word of regret. Now chance has thrown them together once more, and the proud Spanish aristocrat will see that Alannah pays for her mistake.


He had wanted Alannah Redfern the first moment he saw her. Her unique combination of purity and passion intrigued, then intoxicated him. And Raul Marcín was a man used to getting everything he wanted.

Now, Raul knows that Alannah is no longer a naive girl. Until their one night of passion proves that she is still an innocent. Raul will do whatever it takes to keep her at his mercy.

Then over on eHarlequin.com, an even older book - Saturday's Bride is rereleased in ebook format. This is a bok that I remember writing very well. I always say that I almost had to write it backwards - I needed to get the ending right first and then make sure that every other scene fitted with that ending! Want to know why? You'll have to read the book.

And for all of you who sometimes wish we had  somne 'homegrown' heroes  rather than the Mediterranean men or sheikhs who are so popular now - here's one of my very sexy Englishmen!

Connor Harding was outraged to come back home and discover that Jenna Kenyon was getting married—to the wrong man! But he knew Jenna was determined to prove him wrong, despite the passion still smoldering between them.

Connor decided that all was fair in love and war. Only five days remained before Jenna became Saturday's bride, but it was more than long enough for him to persuade her to change her mind.

And of course, The Proud Wife is still available in Presents Extra. Thank you so much to everyone who has already bought it and given it two weeks on the Booktrack bestseller list!

Brenda Novak's Auction - and Tote Bags 'n' Blogs

It's May - so that means that  Brenda Novak's Annual Online Auction for Diabetes Research opens today. As in the past, I have donated some lots to help raise funds for this great cause  - and you can find a list of the lots  I have donated here.    Just put Kate Walker into the search box.

But for your convenience, here is a detailed list:

1. Critique of a Partial by Harlequin Presents Best-selling Author Kate Walker

Do you dream of becoming a published romance author? Do you want to write for Harlequin Mills & Boon Modern Romance/Harlequin Presents? If so, this is a unique opportunity to have your work critiqued by Kate Walker, one of its best-selling, award-winning and most famous authors with 26 years of publication and 60 titles to her name! Kate Walker is also the author of not one but two amazing guides how to write romantic fiction.
The winner of this bid will receive:

Critique of a partial (first 3 chapters and a synopsis) of the manuscript aimed at Harlequin Mills & Boon Modern Romance/Harlequin Presents by Kate Walker. Do not miss this great opportunity!


2. Readers' and Writers' Gift Basket from Award-winning U.K. Author Kate Walker

The winner of this bid will receive autographed books from award-winning and Harlequin Presents bestselling author Kate Walker:

12 POINT GUIDE TO WRITING ROMANCE (the 3rd edition)

THE STRAIGHTFORWARD GUIDE TO WRITING ROMANTIC FICTION (the 3rd edition)
A great selection of Kate Walker's novels:
THE PROUD WIFE (Presents Extra April 2011)
THE GOOD GREEK WIFE? (Presents Extra October 2010)
THE KONSTANTOS MARRIAGE DEMAND (winner of Best Harlequin Presents Extra 2010)
THE ALCOLAR FAMILY TRILOGY (not available in the U.S.), which includes:
The Twelve Month Mistress
The Spaniard’s Inconvenient Wife

Bound by Blackmail
The trilogy CLAIMED BY THE SICILIAN (not available in the U.S.), which includes:
The Sicilian’s Wife
Sicilian Husband, Blackmailed Bride
The Sicilian’s Red-Hot Revenge

BEDDED BY THE GREEK BILLIONAIRE (Harlequin Presents November 2008)

All books are packed into one of her fabulous Kate Walker Tote Bags.

3. A signed copy of Kate Walker’s Alcolar Family trilogy: This book contains The Twelve Month Mistress, The Spaniard's Inconvenient Wife and Bound By Blackmail.

4.Signed copy of Claimed By The Sicilian trilogy: This collection has in it The Sicilian's Wife, Sicilian Husband, Blackmailed Bride and The Sicilian's Red-Hot Revenge

Don't forget to bid for the lots you'd like to win - and check back often to make sure no one has outbid you!

And as it's the first Sunday of the month, I'll also be blogging over on Tote Bags 'N' Blogs - see you there!