Friday, September 30, 2011

Blogging around

Today I'm guesting over at Lucy Monroe's blog.
It's not officially part of the Big Blog Tour as I was asked  personally by Lucy to join her.

She did an interview - and of course I'm talking about The Return of The Stranger which is out in Presents Extra in October

And  as The Return of The Stranger is part of The Powerful and the Pure mini-series, over on I heart Presents  there's a poll to see which classic romance you'd like to see reworked as a Presents romance. Interestingly, one of the titles listed is  North and South by Mrs Gaskell  which was the book  I was originally asked to do.

I loved the challenge of writing a romance inspired by Wuthering Heights - but I did miss all that heavy duty research of the UK TV mini series with the inspiration of one Richard Armitage.

Oh well, I'm sure I can rope him in as  a potential new hero . . .

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Writing Tips from M&B

Are you still polishing your NV entry?
Or have you uploaded that and now you're hard at work finishing the book that goes with the the first chapter?

Or are you working on something new?  You're not just sitting back and waiting for that contratct/the prizewinning announcement to come to you  are you?

Anyway,  to encourage you to keep going - give you lots of ideas and tips to help you on your way M&B have produced a free ebooklet  with  advice in it.


The book’s here – though please note it’s in epub format, so you’ll need Adobe digital editions to open it. (Or, if you’re using an iPad, the Bluefire app will sort it for you.)

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Birthdays and Blogs


 A couple of quick  catch ups today.First, and most important  (at least that's how she would think!)  - today is Flora's birthday. It seems amazing but she is four today and now fully grown and a very beautiful, mature Maine Coon queen.

She and Charlie have just celebrated her special day with an extra delicious breakfast of chicken and ham and have gone out into the garden to enjoy the promised sunshine. It's lovely to see them chasing each other around.

And talking of the garden,  I have hardly mentioned them this year - in fact, I've hardly seen them -  but as there was a report recently that hedgehogs are dangerously close to extinction, I thought I'd keep an eye open for the Hecks, the family of hedgehogs who live at the bottom of our garden,.  We heard snuffling  at the the beginning of summer,  and have spotted lots of fresh hedgehog droppings which  told us they were out there, we just hadn't seen them. So  after watching for them specially this last week or so, I'm glad to be able to report that there was at least one very large, mature hedgehog in the middle of the lawn enjoying  the thrown away chicken cat food. He/she was obviously stoking up for the winter hibernation. I don't know if the sightings were of the same hedgehog or two different ones but  at least there is one still in residence in Hedgehog Towers.

 It's going to be a busy week so I need to mention  a  couple of blogs I'm visiting this week - these weren't included in theBig Blog Tour  which is still going on.  Today I have a post on the Harlequin Presents  Authors' Blog  where I'm talking about  the latest book -  The Return of The Stranger - of course .  I was thrilled to see that the book is already shooting up the best seller lists over on Amazon.com even though  it's still on pr-order only and not yet released. And I was stunned that the Goodreads giveaway that Lee Hyat ran for me had nearly 1200 entries - for five copies!

I've also been invited to guest blog on Lucy Monroe's blog this   week - and I just heard that my post will go live on Friday  - there will be a giveaway with this post if you come by and say hello.

And talking of giveaways - the latest winners from the blog tour are :
Desere S from South Africa - from Marlena Cassidy's blog
And
Janice  H  and Glynis S from Talli Roland's blog (Janice and Glynis please contact me with your postal addresses so I can send out your prizes. 

The Romance Book Paradise  blog hosted by Nas Dean is still open.  And you can find out the next official stop on the blog tour by checking my author page here.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Big Blog Tour Day 6 - Romance Book Paradise

I  meant to write this the minute I got up - but then  the cats needed feeding, the window cleaner appeared - at 7.30am!  - there was banking to do (the tax man needs to be paid) emails to answer . . . .
So I've been up for ages - though I'm not dressed  yet! - and I still haven't told you the important news of the day - like where you can find me today!

Today the Big Blog tour moves on from Talli Roland's blog   to another  and one that's really rather special - because this one is the blog of the lovely,  energetic lady who is helping me run this  Blog Tour and keeping me up to date, delivering blogs  on time - and believe me she had her work cut out as I'm  zooming here there and everywhere, dealing with all sorts of home situations - and meanwhile Nas goes on quietly making sure my blogs are where they should be . . . and I know where to look to chat with everyone.

A great big THANK YOU! to Nas without whom I'd be totally lost!

And today, you want to visit her fabulous blog -Romance Book Paradise - not just because I'm there today - but because Nas always has lots of interest for the romance reader - and I regularly visit her blog to see what's going  on.

So why not join me over there? - And there are extra goodies to win in the giveaway this time.
people.

Oh, and I'm still using the fabulous UK cover of The Return of the Stranger to illustrate this - but sadly the UK edition's time on the shelves here in the UK is almost up - so readers in America and Australia need to start looking for it in your shops, on eHarleuin or Amazon.   And that means that  from the end of this week, I'll need to start using the USA/Aus cover - which is fine . . .  but it's just not the handsome hunk of the UK one - I'm going to miss him!

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Friendships

One of the great things about having Sid the Cat in my life was the way that he made friendships so easily - and with so many people.  I shouldn't have been surprised (I wasn't really) to find that so many of you have enjoyed  meeting him through my blog and this was no matter whether he had ever picked you out as a prize  winner in a contest or not.

One of the really special things was the friendship between The Cat of Superior Breeding and his dear Lady Across the Pond Anne McAllister. They perhaps met half a dozen times in all, but it was a union of minds. She knew just the right place to rub him behind the ear, she  provided the  special bowl and they shared  a communication that was  unique.   Those six visits were spaced out over years - but he never forgot her, always ran to the door to greet her when she arrived,  and it will be hard to have her come and sit in my office in the future without a large black tabby insisting on joining us because - well, you can give ear rubs as well as talk/read/write . . . can't you?

Anne will miss Sid too and she's written her own commemorative blog about him.  It made me sad to read it, as well bringing back great memories - but one thing the photos she posted did was to remind me how fabulous a cat he had been  - which let me know that the poor 1/4 of a cat that the cancer reduced him to was not what he would have wanted to be. And that I did the right thing  - for him.

It's so hard to make that decision for someone you love - I've done it more times than I care to remember - but afterwards, I'm always glad that we can do this and stop the glorious creatures who have given so much to our lives from suffering any more.  To anyone who's having to make that decision right now - I totally understand - and I hope you know that what is the hardest thing for you is the most gentle, loving thing for your pet.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Big Blog Tour Day 5 - and one other

First of all a great big thank you to everyone who sent me messages of sympathy and understanding yesterday both on my blog and in private - they meant such a lot to me.. They reached out like a big warm hug and helped me through a  difficult day of loss.  I know that over the years Sid has touched a lot of people  when he has appeared on this blog - and there are plenty of you who have him to thank for your prizes in the past too. He was a force and will be so much missed.   But as so many of you said, he had a wonderful cat life from the minute he walked through our door - and we had a wonderful life with him.  A very special creature.

And  I found the perfect way to mark his memory - just as I had posted yesterday, a message came into my inbox from Born Free - a charity I've supported for a long time. They need emergency funds to rescue two adult black-maned lions  Major and General.  Kept near an army parade ground in Ethiopia, the brothers have not set foot out of their cramped 10m cage for ten long years. They each deserve a place of sanctuary, a refuge.  So  I  added up the cost of the food that I would no longer need to feed Sid for the next couple of years and sent that donation to the cause in his name. He would appreciate that. He was a lion of a cat himself.
So today there are two blogs for you to go and visit. 

I had forgotten that last week Amy from I heart Presents blog had asked me to write a post about the New Voices Workshop that I had done in Ashby on August 31st. I haven't yet got to writing about Haworth  and the workshop I did at the weekend - but as they say this was one I made earlier!  There are a a few writing tips too if you'd like them.

And today, as the next stage of the Big Blog  Tour, I'm heading South (my words are anyway) to join lovely and talented Talli Roland on her blog  for today.  I'm blogging about book covers - past and present - which of course gives me the opportunity to  have another look at - and post up again - THAT  cover!   (but also some not so good ones!)
There will also be another giveaway  - so I hope you'll join me there.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

A Cat of Superior Breeding

This one's tough to write  - but so many of you have shared in the cat charisma of  my lovely Cat of Superior Breeding  - many of you have received prizes as a result of his totally objective and  enthusiastic choosing of winners names for my contests  so I have to share.  Yesterday I lost my beautiful cat Sid.

Fourteen years ago,  we opened our back door and our then black and white cat Spiffy  walked in, followed by a large,spectacularly beautifully marked black tabby  with great big paws and a thick soft furry tail. He lived here, his attitude said - he belonged.

And yes he did. He belonged.
We tried to find previous owners  - but only at the beginning. When we realised that he had air gun pellets in his belly where he had been used for target practice, and that some of his whiskers had been pulled out, we gave up  - no one who did that deserved him. And we were amazed by how trusting and affectionate he was considering what he'd been through. He slept for the first  3 months with his eyes open, twitching in his sleep - and if he went outside and the door shut then the whole neighbourhood  new it. He would stand at the back door - his door - and YELL!  And he would continue to yell until someone turned up to let him in.

I named  him Sid - after Rambling Sid Rumpo in the Round the Horne radio programmed. That dates me but the name fitted - except it didn't stay at just Sid.  Bit were added here there and everywhere until he became Sir Sidney St John Eamonn  Willoughby Portly-Lummox.  Anne McAllister, one of his greatest fans - and a  deep friend, their meeting was a meeting of minds - added  'Bart' - Baronet - Laird of Hellion's Bumpstead and Earl of Blubberhouses (we share a love of some of the more ridiculous names of UK villages. 

Anne also shared Sid  for all the years of our friendship (mine, hers and Sid's) She became his Dear Lady Across The Pond,  her  Gunnar the Great   the d-o-g  that Sid could tolerate at this distance! And she gave Sid his starring roles in her books  The Great Montana Cowboy Auction  and his final appearence in One Night Love-Child.  So  Sir Sidney became, on the pages at least, a American cat too.

She bought him a ten gallon hat - several ten gallon hats in different colours,  perfectly happy to go into a shop and ask for a 'ten gallown hat for a cat'. And she sent him a special food bowl - one that she knew would suit him perfectly.  'Bad to The Bone' it said. And no one - no one else was ever allowed to eat from him.  No one else ever will.

He was a cat of substance - Anne had him right when she described him as A Cat of Superior Breeding. He may have come in off the streets but he made himself into a gracious host in no time, hurrying to meet visitors, to wind himself round their legs and give them his special head butts of welcome. If you picked him up, he woold immediately put his arms round your back and HUG.  He got on well with everyone - all the other cats even Flora the Floozie and  Charlie Rumpusscat were tolerated, taught respect with a well aimed paw.  The one cat who was always his arch rival was Dylan  who was an ex-street-tom like himself and they held themselves apart. each guarding his own territory. When Dylan went missing in March we already knew that Sid had a sore mouth that wasn't healing - sadly, an investigation a month or so later proved that this was mouth cancer  and totally inoperable.  We could manage on painkillers and love  until it was too much. For months that worked - his enthusiasm for food - something that never dimmed  - continued, in fact it increased as he became slightly senile and forgot that he'd just been fed  - or claimed he had.

Yesterday we knew it was too much.  That cancer was making his life unliveable. He couldn't eat, had lost too much weight  he was bleeding. The growth had spead into his head, his eye. It was time to let him leave peacefully.  My thanks go to the vets who help us help these beautiful creatures and make sure they slip away so gently, so softly that you can have  no doubt you've made the right decision - for them.

 I don't know how old Sid was when he first chose to walk into my life and my heart - 18 months? 2 years?  I just know I have an empty 14 year old space in my life. I don't have any regrets  though - for  Sid.

Flora  has been suprisingly cuddly - she's not a deeply affectionate cat - Charlie is clearly worried by the space in his life too. Over the past months he has spent long hours  lying in the hallway, just a few feet away from Sid,  just   chilling. It seems as if he was absorbing  the wisdom of the Great Cat - and communicating without words or fuss.

Charlie   will take over the responsibility of choosing my winners in the future - he's been taught  by the Master. He's not yet A Cat Of Superior  Breeding  - he has a lot of growing up to do to fill such big paws. But I know he'll remember his friend and miss him as we all do.

How can you not miss 14 years of love and purrs and head-butts, a large, furry spread of cat over half my desk when I was working  - obviously meant to inspire me (waht alpha male could compete  with that sight.)  .  - and a heavy, snoozing  weight on your back when you wake in the night.

There's a lot to miss  - he was a  great cat. A Cat of Superior Breeding.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Big Blog Tour Day 4

Going away leaves so much catching up to do -  I was so busy yesterday  that I didn't manage to get  a post done. I will put up some photos of Haworth  as soon as I catch my breath. But first - today's the day for the next stage on my blog tour  to celebrate the publication of The Return of The Stranger  . . .

Big Blog Tour Day 4 - today I'm visiting  Marlena Cassidy at her blog The Words Behind the Writer.  Marlena sent me some questions to answer  and the responses are posted up on her blog today.

I forgot to tell her too that I was giving away one of my backlist books - so if she doesn't says that yet - it will go up there soon.  So come along and join  in the chat.  Marlena hasn't been too well in the past few days so come along and make her feel better by saying hello!

And to catch up on the Blog  Tour so far -  the winners up to date have been -
Day 1 Launch on Ju Dimello's Of Dreams and Realities  - the winner of a signed copy of The Return of The Stranger was  Rishal

Day 2  One of my regular blogs- We Write Romance  - the winner of a backlist book was  Susie Medwell  (Susie please contact me with your postal address and I'll sort out your prize)

Day 3 - another regular  - The Pink Heart Society - this one had lots of comments  - seems everyone want to win a copy of the 12 Point Guide To Writing Romance  -  so Charlie was drafted in to pick the winner and he chose  Michelle Fayard

So that's up to date - and today's Day 4 when I'm over on Marlena's blog. So do come by and visit and chat.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

The Return of the Author

I'm back from Howarth after a wonderful weekend at the Bronte Festival of Women's Writing. In spite of the pouring rain - this was West Yorkshire after all! - we had a fabulous time -  exploring the fabulous little village,  going round the Bronte Parsonage itself - there is always something new to discover - or rediscover - and doing an interview with Radio Leeds,  then my workshop the my talk on writing Return of The Stranger and being inspired by  Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights.

(Incidentally, this seems to be a new vogue in publishing at the moment as Harper Collins has announced  a "major" new series, in which it will team modern authors with Austen's six novels, asking them to reimagine the books in a contemporary setting. The project is the latest addition to the current vogue for Austen remixes, which have ranged over recent years from the unexpected success of Seth Grahame-Smith's zombie mash-up Pride and Prejudice and Zombies to erotic fiction author Mitzi Szereto's X-rated Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts.)

I'll write up a full report later - and fill you in on all that happened -  but for now I have to feed and appease the cats, offload the washing - and put my feet up before catching up on missed sleep! But if you want to know more about the reworking process, how I approached it and what I found challenging,  the Laura Vivanco did a great  - and details interview with me before the weekend -and she has posted it on the Teach Me Tonight site today.  Thank you Laura!

That should keep you busy till I can report fully!

Friday, September 16, 2011

Blog Tour Day 3

Another stop on my blog tour today - one of the ones that regular visitors here will know all about.

It's the third Friday in the month so that's the date for my regular Pink Heart Society blog, with A Date With Kate.  So please come by and visit.

What am I talking about today? Well, really it seems that at the moment therre is only one topic  that is filling so many people's thoughts - the Mills &  Boon New Voices contest. So I have some thoughts on that.

And because it's part of my Big Blog Tour this time, I have a special New Voices giveaway so anyone who comments will be in with a chance to win  - and the book I'm giving away this time is a signed copy of the
12 Point Guide To Writing Romance.   If you haven't yet submitted your new voice entry - or if you're working on the next stage of your story - or just wondering where to beging - then this is a prize for you. Come along and chat with me and your name will go into the draw.

And talking of New Voices - tomorrow I'm doing a New Voices Workshop in Haworth as part of the Bronte Society Festival of Women's Fiction  - so if you're coming, I'll see you there.

And in the afternoon I'll be giving a talk about writing The Return of The Stranger and the way that this mini-series The Powerful and the Pure was thought up - and how I used  Emily Bronte's wonderful novel to inspire me and help me create  this new novel that has been described like this:


Bestselling author Kate Walker's latest Harlequin Presents release will leave you spellbound! Packed full of intense, powerful emotions, a riveting plot and a dark, brooding passionate alpha hero, this book is not to be missed!

A report on the talk will appear on the site Teach Me Tonight - Musings on Romance  Fiction from An Academic Perspective - which is always an interesting place to visit with some  fascinating discussions. Laura Vivanco will be reporting on the talk  soon -  possibly Sunday - and I'll hope to join in the discussion when I get back from Haworth.

Meanwhile, don 't forget the Good Reads giveaway of 5 copies of The Return of The Stranger  (though with  coming up to 700 entries (!) the odds are lengthening . . .

See you on the Pink Hearts  . . . .

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Big Blog Tour Day 2

My thanks to Ju Dimello and everyone on her blog for their lovely warm welcome and great start to my Big Blog Tour   to celebrate the publication of The Return of the Stranger. I had a lovely time with you.
Today I'm moving on - and my next visit is to one of my regular guest blog spots - over on the We Write Romance blog where, in  a week that has had a very emotional significance as the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 came round with all its echoes of loss, sacrifice, heroism and sadness, I'm talking about a personal memory of loss - and the deep importance of trying for your dreams.  (So of course the big lanch of New Voices has to get a mention in there.)

I hope I'll see you there - and don't forget that each visit along the Big Blog Tour route can mean you're in the line for possible prizes!

Monday, September 12, 2011

Big Blog Tour Day 1

Today the Blog Tour to celebrate the publication of The Return of The Stranger  kicks off and I start travelling - can you keep up with me?

Monday's visit it to Ju Dimello's blog  Of Dreams and Realities - Ju sent me some interesting questions to answer so here's an easy way to learn a bit more about me.  And if you're working on your New Voices entry then there's some writing advice included too.

There's also a give away for one lucky commenter.

Ju tells me that she's an 'excited fan girl' to have me visit - what a compliment. She also finds that she's been staring at the UK cover of The Return of The Stranger  ever since it arrived in the mail. - Ju - I hope the book is as good as the cover once you finally get to open it up!

See you there.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Blog Tour starts today

September 2nd was actually the official publication date of The Return of The Stranger here in the UK. But I was away in London last week,  meeting my editor for lunch, together with the Senior Editor for the Modern/Romance line.   I also had a really great time at a special lunch organised for  fabulous Australian authors and friends Trish Morey and Annie West.   About a dozen authors were there together - Trish, Annie, Sara Craven,  Sharon Kendrick, Abby Green, Sarah Morgan, Natalie Rivers, India Grey, Heidi Rice, Christina Hollis  - and me.  Here is a great photo of everyone emerging from the restaurant in Charlotte Street - with thanks to the passing gentleman who was comandeered into taking photos for everyone as he headed on his way to work.

Now I'm back jome and I'm about to celebrate the publcation of this special book in the UK , Australia, India, USA  . . . . over the next couple of months.   So to mark this occasion, I'#m launching a great big Blog Tour all over the internet for the next few weeks. There are  27 different visits between now and the end of the tour,  27 different places where I'll  be visiting and posting abo0ut different topics.
These posts will also introduce you to lots of interesting blogs all over the internet. Some you'll have seen before - The Pink Heart Society, Tote Bags 'N' Blog,  We Write Romance,  I heart Presents  - others will be new to you.  And I hope to have some sort of a give away of a book or so at each stop along the way.

The  you can 'stalk' me along my journey and end up with 4 signed books as a special prize just in  time for Christmas.  - So  tomorrow this all starts off.

You can find the full blog itinerary over on  the great Author Page that Nas Dean from Romance Paradise who has been helping me with this has set up for me. There's the list of all the blogs I'll be visiting - and there may be a few more yet along the way!   I hope you'll join me as I travel all over the blog universe! I so glad to be announcing that The Return of The Stranger is finally published and to be able to chat about it with you that I think this is really something worth celebrating.

And you can see Nas's own lovely  review of this book on that page too :
Author Kate Walker’s own unique take on the classic story of Wuthering Heights makes this into a happily ever after love story. It is a gripping tale of past secrets, scandal, and is full of sizzle and mesmerizing emotion.

A wonderfully written and richly layered love story from one of Harlequin Presents’ most popular authors, THE RETURN OF THE STRANGER is another keeper from the always fabulous Kate Walker!
I hope you'll join me on this tour and visit all these different blogs as I talk about The Return of The Stranger - and lots of other things too.
 
One other thing - if you're on GoodReads - with the help of lovely  Leena Hyat  I have organised a special Book Giveaway on Goodreads for this month only.  To mark the pre-publication of The Return of The Stranger in America,  I am offering five copies as a Giveaway on  Good Reads between now and September 24th - full details can be found here:   But be warned - it's proving  pretty popular . . .So That's the big news for today and tomorrow the Big Blog Tour starts for real  - beginning with . . . .
But no, you'll have to wait and see who 's the first to host my guest blog this time. (Unless you've already sneaked a peek on the Author Page)

Tuesday, September 06, 2011

And talking of Workshops

Remember  I talked about that fabulous residential week learning  about writing romantic fiction in glorious Tuscany  - 

Well,  I know it's a long time away - but it's getting closer all the time - and just  yesterday I got an email that  might make you think about the fact that you want to book sooner rather than later - and save yourself some money by doing so. Here's what Lois and Bill Breckon had to say:

We’re very much looking forward to you joining us at the mill in 2012 and we are already taking bookings. To further speed up the process, I wonder if you could pass on to your students one particularly important piece of information: if they book before 1 October, they will enjoy next year’s course at this year’s prices (also, they will be more likely to be able to choose their bedroom, rather than make do with what’s left!).


These are our prices for 2012 courses, as from 1 October this year: sharing a room as well as a bathroom will increase from £1,116 to £1,1149 GBP. A bedroom with en suite bathroom will increase from £1,278 to £1,316 GBP. So it’s not a huge increase, but we haven’t put up our prices in a couple of years and we need to keep up a little with inflation!


Also, as always, don’t forget that if your students book before the end of 2011 they will enjoy a £75 GBP early-bird discount. And if they bring a non-participating partner, the partner enjoys a special £200 GBP discount provided that they share a bedroom.


I know I'm looking forward to this - if you think you might like to join me, you can find details here  - and here are a few more photos to inspire you  . .. 

Tempted?

Monday, September 05, 2011

Workshop photos

I just wanted to post these photos of the workshop at Ashby Library last week  as part of the M&B  New Voices contest lead-up. As I said, the workshop was orignally fully booked but we managed to fit in another five extra people on the day.  Some of the pics are a bit dark because of the way everyone was sitting against the window but  from what I've heard, everyone had fun and learned a lot .
 Thank you to everyone for coming.

Special thanks too to Emma the librarian  who organised everything and made sure that it all ran wonderfully smoothly - so smoothly that no one left for almost an hour after the official closing date. Emma is already talking about inviting me back for another event - maybe for Valentine's Day so watch this space!

Other good news is that The Return of the Stranger is now at #1 in the Amazon  bestseller charts for Modern Romance - and, probably because of the New Voices Contest, the 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance is also selling pretty fast. Thank you to everyone who has bought a copy!

And talking of workshops - I think that there are still places available on the workshop in Haworth as part of the Bronte Society Festival of Women's Writing - details here or on my Events page.

Sunday, September 04, 2011

Tote Bags 'n' Blogs day

Today is the first Sunday in September. So,as regular readers will know, that means that it's my day for guest blogging over at Tote Bags 'n' Blogs.

So that's where I am today., And I'm talking about some books that hade stayed with me all my life.
Of course one of those has been the amazing novel Wuthering Heights which as acted as the inspiration behind The Return of the Stranger

More of that soon . .  .

Saturday, September 03, 2011

RNA Interview

If you live in the UK and are interested in writing any form of romantic fiction, then you should know about the Romantic Novelists'  Association -

A great magazine
A great conference
Great meetings

Great advice in the New Writers' Scheme -    the only one of its kind run by published authors for the unpublished. The fact that all 250 places on this are grabbed within about a month shows how wonderfully valuable it is.

And the RNA also has a great blog.

I'm not just saying that because the RNA blog currently has an interview with me on it - but well, it does - so if you want to have a read  why not head over to the RNA Blog now  and have a read.

And if you're not a member then take a look at the RNA's main site to see just what they offer to writers - published and unpublished.   Maybe you'll think about joining. I don't know anyone who's sorry that they did.

Friday, September 02, 2011

Publication day!

Today is 2nd September - so that's officially the publication date of The Return of the Stranger! Though I have to admit that I saw brand new copies on the shelves in York  when the Babe Magnet and I went there yesterday. Today I'm going into town and hope to see the books on display there  - it's a thrill that never lessens.

I had a wonderful time at the workshop in Ashby on Wednesdy - my thanks to everyone who turned up and stayed so long after the official closing  to talk and ask questions. We had originally put a number of 20  on this but  another five people tyrned up at the door and luckily we could fit them in so there was a great audience.  And special thanks to the library staff - specially Emma who made everything so easy and provided such a warm welcome.  I once used to work as a librarian in Ashby library - though not in this particular building - so it was a sort of going home experience for me.

As Charlie mentioned around his birthday - I'm marking the publication of The Return of The Stranger with a big blog tour that starts of on September 11th and ends in December - you can follow me round all sorts of different blogs, get to know the bloggers - and me  - more - and hope to win books from my backlist.  Last time I heard there were 21 blog spots - but the number keeps growing all the time  - so -
Launch date September 11th - and for more details check out this page that the lovely Nas Dean has set up for me.  You'll find all the up to date news there.

Oh yes - and although today is officially publication day in the UK  being September it does mean that The Return of The Stranger is now  available  a month early over on eHarlequin.com  either in print form  or as an ebook.

And for anyone who couldn't get to the  Ashby workshop - I have another  one planned in Haworth for the 17th September - details on my Events page.

Oh - and I just checked over on the Mills& Boon web site - The Return of The Stranger is still up there at #1 - that's all of August!  Thank you so much to everyone who has helped me achieve this by buying a copy.
 

Home Bio Books USA Readers Writers Contests Events Blog Links

Join Kate's Newsletter

Email Kate

Modified and Maintained by HR Web Concepts