Kate Walker

Pink Tuesday

2012-02-13T15:10:00.001Z

To celebrate Valentine's Day, the Mills and Boon web site is launching Pink Tuesday with discounts and special deals - so why not check out the site from midnight tonight?And while you're there you can see my newly released title The Devil and Miss Jones which, I'm thrilled to see, already has two five star (well - five roses!) reviews -

One simply says "I couldn't put this book down, loved it"

And here's the other -

A scintillating page-turner with the adorable Carlos one of the most appealing heroes in a long time complemented by an appealing modern day heroine in Martha and a cracking good plot and dialogue.

This is a little gem - everything a Modern M&B should be which had me wanting to cheer at the end!

Can't ask for more than that! Thank you to those two kind readers.

Oh - and tomorrow being Valentine's Day that means that
a. The workshop in Brigg Lincolnshire is on in the afternoon - 1.30 - 4.30 at The Angel Suite - and, yes, to those who have asked, you can still turn up at the door if you haven't yet booked tickets. I think we'll have space for you

and
b. The annual Here Come the Grooms contest launches once more with Liz Fielding and Anne McAllister - so call back here for details of how to enter tomorrow.

Here Come the Grooms - and Sadie Hawkins Day

2012-02-12T16:32:00.000Z

It’s Leap Year, in case you hadn’t noticed..

And that also means that Sadie Hawkins day is coming around again.

Sadie Hawkins Day? Are you familiar with it? Every self-respecting romance reader should be. Though I have to admit that I wasn't aware it had that name until Anne McAllister told me all about it - I just knew it as a Leap Year Day. But apparently . . .

Well, I'll let Anne Explain it as she does it so much better than me:
"
It’s the day that the women get to take things into their own hands and grab the man of their choice – if they can catch him.

It all began – well, it probably all began in the dark reaches of history – but for our intents and purposes, it began on November 15, 1937 when American cartoonist Al Capp began to write a story arc in his comic strip, Lil Abner, about Sadie Hawkins, the daughter of Hekzabiah Hawkins, Dogpatch resident.

Sadie, reputedly “the homeliest gal in all them hills,” was growing increasingly panicky about her chances of matrimony as the years went on. And finally, when Sadie reached 35 with nary a suitor in sight, her father (also frantic at the thought of being stuck with her for the rest of his – or her – days) took matters into his own hands.

He declared it Sadie Hawkins Day, and decreed that there would be a foot race: the holler’s bachelors would run and Sadie would take off after them. And whoever she caught would find himself at the altar with Sadie as his bride.

He took out his gun and said, “"When ah fires, all o' yo' kin start a-runnin! When ah fires agin—after givin' yo' a fair start—Sadie starts a runnin'. Th' one she ketches'll be her husband."

Well, it worked a treat.

And you’d better believe that all the other unattached women in the vicinity took note. They thought it was a fine idea and declared that there would be a “Sadie Hawkins Day” every year.

Because he got so much fan mail in favor of the idea, Capp did a variation on his Sadie Hawkins Day story every November for the next 40 or so years.

Sadie Hawkins Day got translated into once every four years when it became associated with old folk customs which claimed that on leap years women were allowed to take the initiative and propose. Combining the two seemed perfectly reasonable.

And celebrating it seems like something romance readers and writers ought to do."

In honor of Sadie – and to celebrate our 5th (I think it’s 5th! Has it really been five years?) annual Here Come The Grooms! Contest, Anne McAllister, Liz Fielding and I -- and our respective heroes (who are currently on the run with some determined heroines after them) -- are opening this year’s contest on Valentine’s Day this year and ending it on February 29th – Sadie’s day.

So please drop by each of our websites during those two weeks and answer all three of our heroes’ questions, then send us those answers. You get three chances to win three great books.

It might not get you the man of your choice, but Sadie still thinks that’s a pretty good deal.

Busy busy

2012-02-07T10:11:00.000Z

It's going to be a crazy couple of weeks so if my blogging is a bit intermittent, that's why
I have the Valentine's Day workshop in Brigg Lincolnshire on - well, obviously on Valentine's Day next week and then straight after that I'm travelling to Wales for the Fishguard Writers' Weekend to teach Writing Romance for the wonderful residential weekend there. I love this weekend and am so looking forward to it. We have a lot of fun, discuss writing, do some great writing exercises, drink a little wine . . .

And of course I have the small matter of a book to write myself. Health problems and family crises have interrupted my creative process viciously so I'm fighting to get back on track. I really think that the workshops and talking about writing and discussing the process will help with this so if I'll be seeing you there, then you'll be helping me as well as I'll be helping you!

And - a special message for Maria for her comment on my Tote Bags 'N' Blogs post on Sunday - you mentioned Girl About Town as the first M&B you found down the back of a sofa in 1975 - and said you couldn't recall the author. Could it be this one?

Don't you just love the diesmbodied heads and the 'sophisticated' hero Sean lighting up a cigarette - I mentione d that smoking was so much more common in thoese earlier books - I recall one where the hero was driving his sports car along some narrow, windy moutain road in Italy or somewhere and he lit a cigarette as he drove along. And of course no one was wearing a seat belt then!

Anyway, Maria if this is the book you remember - there is a single copy available on Amazon right now.

Oh - and the 'oldie' of mine you mentioned - Bedded By The Greek Billionaire, that came out in 2008 and sold out on the M&B site but is still available in ebook. It's also being reprinted in a Greek Affairs collection coming up in May.

Tote Bags and Blogs

2012-02-05T17:28:00.001Z

Today is the first Sunday of February and that means that it's the day for my regular blogging spot over on Tote Bags 'N' Blogs so that's where you'll find me today.

Here in the UK it's freezing cold and there's deep snowfall outside, forcing me to keep indoors. Which is really very appropriate weather to mark the special anniversary of an important book in my career - Game of Hazard.

Want to know more? Well that's what I'm blogging about.

See you there!

A Date With Kate

2012-02-03T12:21:00.001Z

I'll admit I almost forgot about this today - the change from posting A Date With Kate on the third Friday of the month to posting on the first Friday of the month caught me out. That and the non stop row of the builders drilling through a wall! But thanks to a timely reminder from one of the editors, I've managed to get my post written and up on the blog before too much of the day has gone by.

So today that's where you'll find me - over on the Pink Heart Society blog where I'm talking about a subject dear to my heart - the romantic hero. (And it 's a good excuse for another outing for a that pic of Hugh in a towel!)

Radio Interview

2012-02-01T07:19:00.000Z

I don't know how many of you can pick up Radio Humberside from Hull but if you can then I'm doing an interview with them this morning.

This of course is because of the workshop I'm doing on Valentines's Day - so just to remind you . . . .

Dates: 14th February 2012

Time: 1:30pm to 4:30pm

Location: The Ballroom The Angel
Brigg Lincolnshire
Tickets cost £7 per person and are available in advance from Ashby, Brigg and Scunthorpe libraries.
Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.
The event is for adults aged 16 and over. To book a place contact Emma Prideaux at North Lincolnshire Central Library on 01724 860161 or email library.enquiries@northlincs.gov.uk.

The interview will be at about 11.10 am on the David Burns morning show - and if you can't listen this morning, then I'm sure it will be available on their Listen Again feature

Losing track of time

2012-01-29T16:36:00.000Z

I'm sorry - I forgot about this blog I wriote earlier. I lost tack of time and forgot that MIchelel Fayard has asked me some questions about my recent Big Blog Tour,

The post actually went up on 26th January but I've had a nasty cold, and been out and about and have only just got caught up enough to remember and link to it.

Sorry Michelle! I'm doing that now - you can find the blog post here.

Things that make you smile

2012-01-27T11:53:00.000Z

It's grey and dreary and cold . . . and about to get very wet from the look of things, but to brighten the day here are 3 things that made me smile -
1. An unexpected phone call from a dear friend (Thanks Duck!)

2. Some of you may remember that I sponsor a little girl - J - in an orphanage in Central African Republic throuhg SOS Children's Villages. Two years ago when the sponsorship started, I was sent a photo of her - a wide-eyed, rather nervous looking little 7 year old. I just received this year's photo of a much taller, healthy, smiling 9 year old, proudly wearing her new pink flowered dress - lovely to see how she's grown and that smile . . .

3. As I've mentioned, we have builders here with work on the extension going on in the garden - after days of gouging out earth plus a great big hole in the ground ready for foundations there is now one huge skip filled to the brim with unearthed soil – all soft and crumbly - just perfect for one Charlie Cat, to scrape a nice neat hole - well, making his own contribution to things,

Then jumping down with a ‘Man that’s SOME litter tray!’ look on his face!

Happy weekend everyone!

Bargain Price

2012-01-25T17:43:00.000Z

Did you miss getting your hands on a copy of The Proud Wife? (this is the book that is nominated as Best Presents Extra 2011 at Romantic Times)

I just discovered that The Proud Wife is now in the Sale over on the Mills & Boon web site where you can get a print copy or an ebook for just 99 pence! So if you missed it the first time round here's a chance to grab a bargain.

Oh - and about those workshops - if you're interested in the one day workshop in Nottingham on 19th May (10 am - 4.30pm) , then the easy way to find the details and download the booking form to book your place on the course is to follow this link.
Places are limited so if you want to come along make sure you get your booking in as soon as possible.

Updated

2012-01-24T11:17:00.001Z

Thanks to lovely Heather from We Write Romance, my web site is at last updated with all my news.

You'll find the covers of both the USA and UK editions of The Devil and Miss Jones and an extract from the beginning of the book. And there are the details of the By Request Collection, His Suitable Bride which contains my book Cordero's Forced Bride (which is also oiut in a Kindle Edition if you'd rather have an ebook.)

And most importsntly for those of you who are interested in coming to any of my workshops there's now the full details you need to book the workshop in Brigg, Lincolnshire and the link to the page with the day workshop in Nottingham in May.

The Brigg workshop is on Valentine's Day

Dates: 14th February 2012

Time: 1:30pm to 4:30pm

Location: The Ballroom The Angel Brigg Lincolnshire
Tickets cost £7 per person and are available in advance from Ashby, Brigg and Scunthorpe libraries.
Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.
The event is for adults aged 16 and over. To book a place contact Emma Prideaux at North Lincolnshire Central Library on 01724 860161 or email library.enquiries@northlincs.gov.uk.

I'm busy working on the Romance Writing weekend course in Fishguard next month (February 17th - 19th). The course is well booked already but we've had a couple of cancellations from people whose circumstances have changed so they can't attend this time - so there's still time to book if you'd like to come along. Booking forms and details are on the Writers' Holiday web site.

And of course then there's a week long course in Tuscany . . . details coming up. . .

Liz's Little Book

2012-01-20T08:40:00.001Z

I will be posting more details of courses and workshops - including that very special one in Italy - soon - but if you're interested in learning to write romance then I have a new how to book to tell you about that could help you with your novel.

It's Liz Fielding's Little Book of Writing Romance

Liz has just released this book as an ebook this week. I knewshe was working on this project when we met last year, so I;ve asked her to give me a mini-interview about it to give you all the information you need.

Liz, can you tell me a little more about your Little Book of Writing Romance?

I've taken my model from the great thriller writer Elmore Leonard and I've left out the bits people skip over, kept it to bones of what a new writer needs to know. How to begin. Character. Emotion. Conflict.

What gave you the idea to write this? Did the ideas come from any workshops you've done in the past?
What will would-be authors find in this book

It all began quite a long time ago when I was approached by a publisher to produce a "little" book on writing for Mills and Boon. For various reasons it didn't happen, but I'd written the first chapter - Grabbing the Reader on the First Page - which you'll find on my website under "Writing". Then, this year, I did a talk on Humour and Emotion at the RNA Conference, talked to people interested in taking part in Mills and Boon's New Voices competition, mentored a finalist, and I realised that it was time to put together all the stuff I've learned over the years.

You say your book is a primer - will authors who have already tried submissions or read other books find things to help them in it? (Personally I'm pretty sure they will - so often it's not the advice that's being given but the way it's told that makes that light bulb moment happen and I'm sure your voice will reach so many people and help them.)

Thanks, Kate! There are some terrific how-to books out there. I always recommend your own 12-Point Guide, which is a fabulous book on the art of writing romance. Where mine differs is that I've gone with the basics, holding the hand of someone who isn't familiar with the publishing world, who is a total beginner. I've used lots of examples, broken down a scene to show what I'm doing. Can a more experienced writer benefit from this? I believe it will be useful for someone who has been submitting for a while without success. And I use the vital bullet points myself to make sure I'm getting the most out of every scene, thinking deeply enough about conflict, getting to know my characters. (Walking around a supermarket with your heroine will tell you a lot more about her than her star-sign!)

Where can readers who want to buy this book get hold of it?

My Little Book is online at Amazon (you don't have to have a Kindle, you can download it to your PC) and should be available on all other eBook platforms very shortly. It will be online everywhere an eBook (except Barnes and Noble - but will come as soon as Waterstones sign up for the Nook) by the end of the week, or so I am assured.

Thanks so much Liz! Congratulations on the publication of your 'little book' - I hope it's a great success!

As I said above I do believe that the good thing about having a variety of how to books out there is that sometimes one author's way of explaining things can work better for a writer than any others - and it's always good to have two different approaches to anything in writing so you can see what works for you best. And having been to some of Liz's workshops - and of course knowing her writing, I know how helpful this book is going to be.

A Mystery Solved

2012-01-18T15:37:00.000Z

I spotted over on Amazon that there was a 'new' title out on 17th February.

This is a 3 in 1 By Request collection - so a reprint of one of my older books. I had no idea what the actual book involved was - the title of the collection His Suitable Bride - doesn't exactly give me a lot of help with guessiing! Neither does the cover, which is rather striking, but not exactly evocative of any particular story.

But today I've just had a delivery of books - hardbacks of The Devil and Miss Jones, Paperbacks of that book too - and some copies of His Suitable Bride. So now the mystery is solved.

The book in this collection is in fact Cordero's Forced Bride. . A book that first came out in 2009

Taken in payment into his bed!
Alexa Montague is mortified. She's had to call off her sister's wedding, and now the ruthless, arrogant groom, Santos Cordero, is demanding that shy, ugly duckling Alexa, takes Natalie's place!
The Montagues have stolen his money and his convenient bride, so Santos will enjoy taking Alexa instead. For Santos does not - cannot - love. But his body burns for Alexa as it has for no other woman before. He'll keep her captive in his bed until she's begging to be his . . .

They're very different cover images, aren't they - it's no wonder I couldn't easily work out which of my titles was involved.
.

In Memoriam

2012-01-15T20:47:00.000Z

Today is the 15th of the month and as so many of you know, on the 15th I have my regular Kate's Corner post over on We Write Romance's blog.

But today is also the day before, sadly, I travel to Lancashire to attend the funeral of Penny Jordan. Penny and her books have been so much a part of my life, so closely connected with my own career from the first day, right back in 1981 that I opened her first books - Falcon's Prey and Tiger Man - and lost myself in the world she could create - a world that took you away from the problems and worries of the actual day and into a world of passion and excitement and great story-telling.

So what else could I do but dedicate my Kate's Corner post to Penny?

And tomorrow, when I come home, I'm going to open Falcon's Prey, Penny's very first book and remind myself of how it all began - and I'll raise a glass to her memory too.

Perhaps you'd like to join me in that? Pick your own favourite Penny Jordan novel and remember her that way.

Looking ahead 2

2012-01-13T07:50:00.001Z

A few more details about two more workshops I have coming up this year.

Maybe Wales isn't easy for you to reach. (Though I have had students at Fishguard who have come from London, Norwich - Spain! )

Maybe you can't spare a whole weekend to attend a course.

Maybe you haven't been on a 'basic' course so you feel the Advanced Romance Writing might be too much for you

Well how about a half day workshop? A full day one?

The first of these is, appropriately enough on Valentine's Day:

LINCOLNSHIRE

Planned for Valentine’s Day will be a workshop on writing romance with
North Lincolnshire Libraries

Date: February 14th obviously!

Location: The Ballroom The Angel, Brigg Lincolnshire

Time: 1.30 – 4.30 pm

Cost, where to apply and all other details to be announced as soon as possible.

But you can check on their page here or ring the Central Library to enquire Tel: 01724 860161

NOTTINGHAM

Saturday 19th May

10am-4pm workshop (including a one hour lunch break and a short break in both the morning and afternoon).

At The Nottingham Mechanics 3 NORTH SHERWOOD STREET NOTTINGHAM NG1 4EZ

Details and booking forms will be posted on the Nottingham Writers Club web site

I will of course post details of each event as I get them on my Events page here on my site. It's due to be updated in the next couple of days so then you’ll have as much information as I have.

Do you want to read about Hull?

2012-01-12T18:21:00.001Z

I don't know how many times I've tried to write this post - but I know that each time I've started it - or even thought about it - something has happened to interrupt me. These interruptions have tended to be linked to two things.

1. Builders - we are having the kitchen revamped and extended   and the work started last week so lots of questions, lots of noise, lots of dirt . . .the cats hate it, we can't get the car into the drive . . . .
I keep telling myself it's going to look wonderful when it's done - and it is - but right now it's chaos.

2. Interviews - it seems that someone said - in a blog about settings for books :

The precise setting matters: Edinburgh and London will work well. Leicester and Hull less so. With apologies to Leicester and Hull. (And this does NOT mean you can't set books in Leicester and Hull, just that they won't of themselves be a draw to those who don't appreciate the romantic aspects of those cities.)

And as I live near Hull and have given several workshops and talks there, the local radio - Radio Humberside - wanted to interview me to know what I thought.

What do i think? Well that it you are writing a romance then you are writing the story of the emoitonal journey of your hero and heroine - and they are what matter. Just as in real life when it isn't wher you are but who you are with the makes a romantic time, so in a romantic novel it's the people whose story you are telling who matter.
Of course there are more obviously 'romantic' settings that appeal to a large number of people and so might make a book attractive - Venice, Rome, Paris, all have that image - but it still depneds on who you are with or what the emotional story might be. Personally I spent one of the least romantic days of my life in Paris and as a city it has never appealed to me since - but my sister spent her honeymoon there - so obviously we'll disagree over that! And I have had some very romantic days/evenings . . . nights   in some totally unromantic seeming places.

The trouble with the accepted 'romantic' images are that they tend to be the easy sell - the places where it's easy(easier) to create a romantic setting   that will quickly an effortlessly be picked up on by a reader. But the 'easy sell' is that because it has been used so often that it can become a shortcut/shorthand - and unfortunately can be used so often it also become a cliché - and so not inspiring or interesting at all. And it's still matters that it's who you're with /who you are reading about. A gloriously romantic setting won't make a dull book exciting or a slow story into a pacy best seller.

Which is basically what I said on the Radio Humberside interview. It must have sounded alll right because the next thing was that I had a phone call from the local news programme - Look North - who are also covering this 'Hull won't work well as a setting' subject - asking if I would do an interview for them too.
Which wasn't quite as simple a request as it sounds - when I took the phone call I had a conditoning pack on my hair, was in the scruffiest jeans and tee shirt, no make up - and my work room was a tip!
I had an hour while the interviewer drove from Hull to here to sort that out - rinse hair, dry hair, find some makeuo, do face - change clothes . . .

The 'tidying'of the room was done by my patented method - pick up all the mess, piles of papers, assorted (and not sorted) bits and pieces and take them into another room. Dump them there and shut the door firmly. Return to office and wipe a duster hastily aroud all surfaces. . . finished just intime.

The interviewer was lovely, very relaxed and good at putting me at my ease. (Thank you Rowan!) We did all the filming and I answered all the questions. I think it went well - apart from the one moment when Flora decided to get into the action and jumped on the back of my chair, swishing her tail around and draping it across my face - we had to redo that bit!

So now I'm sirtting here knowing the result will be on Look North in a very short time - the programme is at 6.30. I expect that only a very little bit of what I said will ve shown in amongst lots of other comments but it was an experience - and I have a cleaner, tidier room to show for it!

You may be able to catch the programme on the play it again facility on the web site here.
And I'd like to know what you think. How important is the setting of a novel for you? Do you want to read about glamorous international settings - one that have the romantic 'easy sell'? Or are you interested in trying new places in books - or not bothered where the book is set so long as the characters are fascinating and the story intense and emotional?

I'd love to know - specially if you come from Hull.

Looking ahead

2012-01-09T10:39:00.001Z

I spent the weekend at my desk with diaries, calendars, notebooks etc -anything to get away from the mud and chaos at the back where the extension is being built and the kitchen knocked through and revamped . . . This will be the way things will be for a month or more now.
So I tried to impose some control over what I can deal with - the year I have coming up. And as lots of people have written to me to ask about courses/workshops etc that I have planned, I thought I'd let you know what's on offer. So - do you want to make this the year when you write that novel/ finish the romance story you started - maybe even submit it and (we can hope!) get it published ?

Well if you'd like to come on one of my courses/workshops there might be something here to help you. Looking ahead I'm going to be all over the place, with long courses, short ones, day workshops . . . Maybe one will suit you.

To start with - coming up very soon - there is the Writers and Artists' Weekend at Fishguard Bay Hotel, Fishguard Pembrokeshire:

This event is held at a hotel with every convenience - all set in sub-tropical gardens with magnificent views and walks amidst 160 miles of outstanding and unspoilt coastal and countryside which makes up the unspoilt Pembrokeshire National Park.

As always, the organisers Anne & Gerry intend bringing you the best value for money each year - the best venue (which you will grow to love as much as we do) - the best workshop leaders (all experienced professionals), the very best choice of workshops all wrapped up in a superb, small, friendly and intimate event you’ll love from the time you arrive in Fishguard until the day that you leave. You can bring your partners for a leisurely weekend where they can enjoy the unspoilt walks - or just relax and soak up the atmosphere that Pembrokeshire instils in its guests.

There’s nothing extra to pay - they’ll even collect you from Fishguard or Haverfordwest Railway stations and return you there at the close of the event on Sunday afternoon. You’ll have a choice of single, double, or twin roomed, all en-suite accommodation (even taking the trouble to guarantee that you’ll have a room next to your friends), and excellent full board plus (vegetarian choices) hospitality for the duration of your stay with us. Fully inclusive, the only extra expense will be in the bar during the weekend, or if you wish to purchase a book or souvenir from the Bookroom.

All tutors are invited to join us by recommendation only. They have been selected for their unique ability to join in the informality that represents the most important aspect of all WRITERS' HOLIDAY events. The tutors will change each year but, the standard will not.

The event opens on Friday evening with a leisurely dinner followed by a short meet the workshop leader’s session. Throughout the day on Saturday and through until lunch on Sunday the weekend is crammed with a total of six workshop sessions. Guests will be encouraged to inform the workshop leader of their weekend requirements and what they wish to achieve.

The all-in price is £219 for the weekend.

(Book on line and save £10)

My course for this weekend is the Advanced Romance Writing Course. To join these classes you need to have done a basic course either with me, or another tutor as the course is not for beginners. Designed especially for Fishguard to move you on in your writing, the whole weekend will be concentrated on this workshop - without other distractions. Guests are encouraged to complete work with me prior to the weekend commencement.

This is an intensive weekend course - Friday night to Sunday lunchtime and we cram a lot into that time! (we have a lot of fun as well – ask any past student.) If you have any doubts as to whether you can mange this course, please check with me using the email at the bottom of the page.

Here are some comments from past students at Fishguard -

A blinder of a course. I learned so much and . . . You were an inspiring teacher and brought so many useful guide posts to life for us. And made it all fun! . . . I ended the weekend with a much clearer idea of just what emotion and conflict mean in terms of novel writing. So thank you so much for laying so many riches before us. I really enjoyed every minute of the weekend. ~ Janet Laurence

Your course was fabulous: interesting, stimulating and empowering.. . . thank for your dedication to all of us. You're a marvellous teacher. ~ Susan Moody

Thank you so much for all your energy and thoughts this weekend - a truly fabulous course which left me happily exhausted and full of enthusiasm for my upcoming week away writing. ~ Sarah Jane V

Last year this sold out almost as soon as it went on the site and numbers on this course are strictly limited but I have just had two unexpected cancellations so there are a few places still available if you want to join us.

(And while you’re looking at the Fishguard web site pages, take a look at the details for Caerleon Writers’ Holiday too – a fabulous writing experience. I’ll be there in July too!)

Blogging around

2012-01-06T08:26:00.000Z

Regular visitors will know that I have several spots where I guest blog every month. The Pink Heart Society is one of them. And that's where I am today.

In the past, my regular Date With Kate post on the PHS has been on the third Friday of the month, which could be a bit tricky to remember, but this year A Date With Kate will now be on the first Friday of the month - much easier for you (and me) to keep track of.

So this being the first Friday of January I'm over on the Pink Heart Society blog talking about something appropriate to the new year - Starting again - and how that applies to the characters in our novels.

See you there!

For Love and Money

2012-01-05T12:26:00.000Z

I've often complained about books /reviewers/critics who dismiss romance novels in derogatory terms without ever opening a single copy of one. So it was a great delight - and an early Christmas present to be sent a copy of a new academic book that discusses the real nature and appeal of these novels - and is written by someone who has read and studied many romances by many different authors in her research and preparation for this book.

I first met Laura Vivanco through the Teach Me Tonight site which always has fascinating discussions about the romance genre and you may remember that she ran an interview with me when I first had The Return of The Stranger published - discussing the way that I had worked on it with Wuthering Heights as my inspiration and the changes, adaptations I had had to make in order to make that classic novel conform to the conventions of a short romance.

Now Laura has produced her own book, a study of the popular romances of Harlequin Mills and Boon - and this time the observations and comments in this study are based on sound opinions formed from extensive reading and knowledge of the romance novel form, its varying types. its history, and its many authors.

For Love and Money is a study of romance that challenges the stereotypical perception that Harlequin Mills & Boonromances are merely mass-produced commodities churned out in accordance with a strict and unchanging formula. Laura very kindly let me see a pre publication edition of this book and I found it absorbing and fascinating - with none of the teeth gritting fury that critical works on romance so often induce. The novels are actually read as individual works, not just pale copes of each other, each adding something to the development of the genre that while it may move and change slowly and not very dramatically is constantly changign and adapting to the society and times in which it is written.

And as Liz Fielding says, this is' an impressive study of the popular fiction of Harlequin Mills & Boon that is a must read for any student of popular fiction and for those who write and love the genre.'

It was a fascinating read - and an interesti8ng opportunity for me to go back to my student days and look at the books from the 'other side' so to speak - that of studying them analytically rather than writing them creatively.

You can read more about For Love and Money on on Liz Fielding's Blog where Laura has given an interview or on the Pink Heart Society site where she talks about 'Formulaic Cookie-Cutter Books' which - being Laura - she refutes that romance novels really are.

At last - a critical work on romance that I can recommend as a balanced, knowledgeable and informed read!

Penny Jordan

2012-01-02T17:10:00.002Z

This is a difficult and sad post to write.

As I said, 2011 ended with news that saddened me so much and while it wasn't unexpected, it was still the worst sort of news to get of a friend. I said I'd share when I could - but by now I think many people will have become aware of the sad news that Harlequin Mills and Boon star Penny Jordan lost her battle with terminal cancer on the last day of 2011.

I'm sure so many of you, like me, have known of, read and enjoyed her books for years. Way back, before any book of mine was ever accepted I read Falcon's Prey and Tiger Man and was blown away by them - so when my first rejection from Mills & Boon came back with 'not quite right yet - please read novels by authors like Penny Jordan to see what we are looking for' it was no hardship to follow that advice!

I have followed Penny's career for all of the 30 years she's been published - admiring her work, astounded at her output, and eventually, to my delight, honoured to be able to call her a friend. She was a non stop worker - the perfect epitome of the saying that Writers write, other people make excuses, and I've lost count of her amazing total output which included not only her Harlequin titles but single titles and more recently sagas under the name of Annie Groves.

She was generous and welcoming to new writers, several authors now published were encouraged and helped on their way by her warm advice and encouragement, I was honoured to know that she recommended my own 12 Point Guide to the writers’ group she ran in her own home town.

She knew she had cancer for some time before she even let anyone know and she continued to write while dealing with her health problems. Sadly she didn't achieve her ambition of completing her final contract, as she had to go into hospice care before Christmas and, sadly, died on the last day of 2011.

She was a powerhouse in a tiny, slender frame, always supremely elegant and perfectly groomed with a shy smile that would light up a room. She will leave a very large hole in life for her family, her many friends, admiring fellow writers and hundreds of thousands of ardent fans.

I know I'll find it hard to face a world with no Penny Jordan in it and no new Penny Jordan books on the shelves.

Rest in peace Penny.

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T17:49:00.000Z

So here it is - January 1st 2012 - so I want to take this opportunity to wish a hppy new year to all my friends and readers who hjave shared this past year with me through my books, my blogs and your kind messages - I've valued them so much. And I hope that 2012 treats you kindly with love and joy to create happy memories to take out and look again at this time next year and smile as you remember.

As it's also the first Sunday of the month, my regular blog post is over on Tote Bags 'N' Blogs so that's where you'll find me today. 2011 ended as it began, in away that made me think of everyone I love and value want them to know how I feel. (I'll share the reasons for this with you when I can.) I count each and every reader and friend amongst those valuable people. Without you I couldn't continue to write and create stories and I have my loyal readers in mind as I write - wanting to please you with the new ones I'm creating. So thank you all for being there and for sharing.

And tallking of sharing - Flora has at last condescended to pick two winners for the last Countdown prizes - and the winners are Summer and Tash NZ - ladies, you know the routine. Please email me with your postal addresses so that I can send your prizes .

To end with a little bit of personal good news . Romantic Fiction on Line asked for nominations for Books Of The Year and recently published the list of all the nominees. I was thrilled to find that two of my own titles (The Proud Wife and The Return of the Stranger) were both included. Thank you to those who nominated them

You can see the full list of Books Of The Year here.

Happy New Year everyone.

New Cover

2011-12-28T20:21:00.000Z

I'm leaving the last Countdown giveaway open for one more day - so if you want to be included in the draw for that please check out the previous post and post a comment to enter.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share with you my recent discovery - my latest cover - for The Devil and Miss Jones which of course is coming out in March (March 2nd to be precise)

So now you can compare it with the USA Presents Extra version -

Which do you prefer?

Quick catch up

2011-12-27T18:32:00.001Z

Did you have a lovely Christmas? I hope so
Ours was a quiet, fun and throughly enjoyable - so there was no reason at all for me to feel so tired on Boxing Day! I spent most of Monday curled up with one of the many books I received as welcome gifts and didn't really do very much at all.

So today I still need to pick 2 winners for rthe copies of Mediterranean Tycoons! It's been difficult to persuade Charlie to come and pick any names and he has been so stuffed full of cat treats that he has been outside running off the full tummy he's had all over Christmas.

Anyway - he's come back now and the names of the winners he has picked are :
Marlena
and
Colleen.

So please send me your postal addresses ladies and as the Post Office opens again tomorrow, I'll get these prizes out to you.

It was supposed to ber the 12 Day s of Christmas Countdown to Christmas but time ran away with me - so to make the number up to 12 and to celebrate the coming New Year, I'll have two more giveaways today to finish off.

We're also celebrating the fact that today it is 4 years since Flora came to live in this house and we had our first Maine Coon ever. So to mark this occasion it will be Flora who will pick the prizewinners of the last two books.

The prize this time is one of two copies of an Australian collection - The Greek Collection The Price of Passion. This contains a 'golden oldie' of mine - a 1999 book called Constantine's Revenge. This book has recently be rereleased as an ebook on eHarlequin

His plan was to make her his mistress. . .
When Constantine Kiriazis reappeared after two years, Grace thought that he'd finally forgiven her for her lack of trust in him - and for cancelling their wedding. Certainly, Constantine's desire for had not waned. But neither had his desire for revenge . . .
He fully intended to seduce Grace, but vowed she'd only ever be his mistress - never his wife. It was only when she melted in his arms that Constantine began to wonder just who was exacting the revenge and who was paying the price?

And the question?

Well, Christmas is behind us now so let's look forward to the New Year.
Will you be making resolutions this year or is that somethign you're going to avoid this time?
What resolutioms do you think will matter mostn to you for 2012 - even is it's just not to make any resolutions at all!

Post your comments over the next couple of days and when Flora has finished her special chicken paté to celebrate coming to live here, she'll pick some prize-winners.

Happy Christmas

2011-12-24T22:06:00.000Z

Time has got away from me again - I will have 2 more Countdown To Christmas giveaways on Boxing Day and Charlie will pick all the winners then,. (But he'd like to remind everyone to double check the winner announcements for the last few days because there are one or two who haven't claimed their prizes - Debby, Rita . . . .)
And when he's finished trying to open all the presents Charlie will be back to pick the last few winners too. Until then -

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Countdown to Christmas Days 9 & 10

2011-12-23T15:23:00.001Z

I blinked and I missed yesterday! Too much to do, too much going on - but I promised 12 Days of Christmas so today will have 2 giveaways to catch up!

First things first - the winner of Day 8's give away is Princess Fiona ( I love the honesty of admitting that you are the most difficult person to buy for!) - Fiona you win a copy of At The Sheikh's Command so please send me your postal address and I will get the book on its way to you - when there is a post!

Today's giveaway is a double chance to win - the book I'm giving this time is another 3 in 1 called Mediterranean Tycoons. This has a reprint of a book of mine from 2007 -

The Greek Tycoon's Unwilling Wife

He thought she was his mistress . . .
Recuperating on his private Greek island after a car crash, Andreas Petrakos had no memory of the previous year. The last thing he remembered was his passionate affair with beautiful Rebecca Ainsworth.
. . . when actually she was his wife!

Becca returned to the island because Andreas had asked for her. But she had to hide the truth from him. So what would happen when he recalled throwing Becca out - on their wedding day - for a reason only he knew?

And your question today is -

I don't often write Chritmas based stories - there's The Christmas Baby's Gift and Fiancée By Mistake - and the truth is that usually by this time of year I'm too busy to sit down with any holiday based books, and I'm not desperately keen on reading them at any other time of the year.

What about you?

Do you love Christmas stories - or prefer not to have such specific references in them? Are there any Christmas books you've really enjoyed - or are looking forward to reading this holiday?

You know what to do - post in the comments and I'll get Charlie to pick 2 winners before he's too stuffed with cat treats and his own Christmas dinner to be interested!

Countdown to Christmas 8

2011-12-21T18:13:00.003Z

Thank you all for your comments yesterday and for the private messages too. I know that it has been a difficult year for many people and sharing helps us feel that bit warmer and more connected. It's one of the reasons why I decided to run the Countdown to Christmas again this year - and ask you to tell me about yourselves, even though I've just done the Big Blog Tour as well.

My book stock cupboard is looking much barer than before as a result but it's lovely to know that my stories are going around the world and hopefully brightening that day for someone who needs it. That is one of the great hnours of being a writer - the way of being able to touch someone's life when they need it without even knowing it.

Yesterday's winner of a copy of The Italian's Forced Bride is Debby - so please let me know your postal address Debby

Oh and to answer Kaelee - yes, there is Cordero's Forced Bride as well as The Italian's Forced Bride but that;s it for the Forced Brides! Personally it's not a title I've ever liked - it's one of those that come from the 'buzzword' type of titles - that now thankfully seem to be behind us. Incidentally, do you like the new titles? Just wondering.

Anyway today's give away is a replay of Day 3 - This is At The Sheikh's Command. You may remember that Lois won a copy of this back then, but then she realised that she already had the book so I swapped it for another backlist title - and At The Sheikh's Command is still available for a giveaway

So to remind you about this 2006 book

Bought...
Abbie Cavanaugh's young brother is in jail. Abbie can obtain his freedom - but only if she marries the Sheikh of Barakhara.
And bedded...

The explosive passion between Prince Malik and Abbie could turn a marriage of convenience into one of Eastern promise.
By The Sheikh!
But neither Abbie nor Malik knows the other's real identity. Can their relationship survive once the truth is revealed?

And the question is -
Who in your family is the most difficult person for you to buy a present for - and who is the easiest?

My answer to that - to both questions would have to be my DH the Babe Magnet - he's easy to buy for because all he ever asks for are books - books - and more books. But that in my mind makes him the most difficult - because there is never any variety in what he wants!
Oh well, they are always easy to wrap !

PS - I'm adding an apology that I don't manage to answer all your comments everyday. I do read them - obviously because I have to get the names to allow Charlie to pick the winners - but with so much to do and the prizes to send out etc I just don't have the time to respond to every single one. I'm so glad to see everyone joining in, 'old faces' and new frieds turning up - you are so welcome. And I'm so happy that you've come to visit.

Countdown to Christmas 7

2011-12-20T21:11:00.000Z

I'm late today because it's been rather a difficult day - a time when news from several sources has brought me up against the reminder that, although so much of the world seems to be celebrating, buying and wrapping presents, enjoying parties, planning get-togethers, selecting lots of lovely food and drink, there are others who are struggling with sadness and pain, illness and the shock of loss.

So I want to take a moment to think of those of you who for whom this holiday time is not the joy and happiness it is for others - those of you whose Christmnas is touched with sadness and loss that has taken the sparkle from it. Having lost my dear Mother in law earlier in the year, it's hard to have this first Christmas when I haven't selected a special gift for her or been able to make up the stocking that she always said she was too olde for - but that her enjoyment proved you're never too old for a Christmas stocking!

To all of you who are dealing with something like this, perhaps the illness of a loved one, or a more recent loss - my heart goes out to you, and I send my sympathy and thoughts in the hope that they might help just a little.

So I think it's appropriate that the winner of today's prize giveaway - the copy of Blind-Date Brides - is Alison, whose best 'gift' touched me so much. And I also related so much to the pencils with your name on them Alison - I had some of those once and I loved them too. Charlie pounced right on the cat treat on your name so he must have agreed. Please send your postal address to me - as alway, use the email at the bottom of the page.

Today's giveaway is a copy of another earlier title of mine - The Italian's Forced Bride. (2006)

"As long as I want you, you stay — and you only leave when I give you permission to go."
Alice Howard spent six passionate months as Domenico Parrisi's mistress. But she knew he would never love her back and would soon discard her — so she left him.
But now Domenico wants her back in his bed, and his terms of possession are the same as before—until he makes a discovery that changes everything: Alice is carrying his child.

And the question? Well.seeign as I was talking about stockings - tell me - do you still have one - for yourself, for the children? And if you do, what is it like - do you have a commercially made one or is it like the one I made for my son years ago - a plain white pillowcase that I decorated with pictures and his name done in fabric paints?
And what sor of things do you put into the stocking (sorry - perhaps I should say - what does Santa put in the stocking?)

As you see, even dear old Sid the Cat always had a big stocking that he hoped Santa would fill with treats.

Countdown to Christmas 6

2011-12-19T08:08:00.002Z

I'm not sure where the weekend went - shopping, wrapping, visiting - and preparing a lot of packages for the post. Prize winners, your books will be on their way - and your gifts to your friends/sisters/mother in law . . will hopefully reach them soon too,
.
The winner of a copy of Mistresses Shackled with Rubies is Sleepysian, Sian please send me your postal addres - use the email at the bottom of the page.

Today's giveaway is again a 3 in 1 collection - but this is an older one.. Blind-Date Brides came out in 2002 but my book in there was published 1996! So this is a chance for any collector to grab a copy of a backlist book that isn't on sale anywhere - except in ebook format.

The book is Hers For A Night

For twenty-four hours only . . .
Lucas Mallory - star attraction of a celebrity auction. Tall, dark and handsome and fabulously wealthy, he is every woman's dream date.
Georgia Harding - successful businesswoman. She wants to impress her father at his sixtieth birthday party by taking along the perfect man - so she bids for Lucas.
Warned about his reputation, Georgia tells herself that Lucas isn't her type. But she hasn't bargained on his lethal sex appeal - or his determination to give her value for money . . .

The otgher authors with books in this collection are Helen Brooks and Sophie Weston

And today's question is - What was the best present you were given last year?

I think you can guess what my answer would be - he's red and white and furry and he's helping me pick out the winners of these giveaways.

And here's what he loooked like when I first saw him! Is it any wonder that he stole my heart!

Countdown to Christmas 5

2011-12-17T20:59:00.000Z

Remind me again why I do this at this time of year - when it's Christmas and I have so much else to do?. . . . Oh yes- I remember - I do it because it's Christmas!

And because it's Christmas and there is something so special about being able to give that extra touch of happiness to someone - and because Charlie is SO greedy . . .well, the truth is that Charlie is greedy and so is Flora, so she helped pick winners for the giveaway of Claimed by The Sicilian.

Yes I did say winners. Even when Charlie and Flora had had their picks, I couldn't possibly have chosen between all the special nominations for this giveaway - so because it's Christmas and as a once onlly - I'm giving a copy of the book to all the people you have nominated yesterday here and on the PHS - so
Adriana
Maria
Carol

- from the comments here
And
Marybelle
Rita
Kaelee
from the Pink Heart Society
I'd love to send yuor special mother, sister, friend . . . an extra Christmas gift from me - and you. . .

So you know the drill - please email me - see the address at the bottom of the page - and give me the address you want the book to be sent to - and please also tgell me who I should sign it for to make this extra special. I do hope your nominee will enjoy this gift -and I know it will warm their heart to know of the part you played in giving it to them.

One other prize - The Alcolar Family trilogy - picking from the people who posted over on We Write Romance - and the winner is -

Carol Woodruff

Carol please send me your postal address too and I can send the book to you.

Today's giveaway and question -
The book I'm giving away today is another 3 in 1 - this one is called Mistresses - Shackled with Rubies.
The collection has books in it by Lucy Monroe and Lee Wilkinson as well as my novel. And the novel of mine that is in this collections is quite an oldie - it's Her Secret Bridegroom that was originally published in 2000.

Bride by deception!

After a whirlwind wedding in Venice, Amy discovered that her brand-new husband had only married her to gain a priceless old ring. Fleeing Italy, Amy never told anyone of her marriage to ruthless billionaire Vincenzo Ravenelli.
Four years later, while Amy knew she'd never really love another man as she loved Vincenzo, she needed to be free of the past. The time had come to return to venice and confront her secret bridegroom . . .

And the question - well, I was going to ask this anyway but then I see that someone has already asked it over on the Pink Heart Society too so if you want yo can go and add your comment there too

What was your favourite category romance read for 2011?

And no it doesn't have to be one of mine! - And yes, if you really can't decide then you can give me your top five! But I'd love to know what you've enjoyed reading this year.

Countdown to Christmas 4

2011-12-16T07:25:00.001Z

The winner of a copy of At The Sheikh's Command is Lois. I have to admit that I love the idea of the traditional Christmas decorations along with Star Wars figures etc.

Lois please email me with your postal address - see the email at the bottom of the blog page.

The contest for a copy of The Alcolar Family is still open over on We Write Romance until Charlie comes in from the garden - this allows for tiome zone confusions! Don't forget to answer the question over there to be in with a chance to win.

Today is the third Friday of the month which means that I'm over at the Pink Heart Society for my regular Date With Kate and I'm taking the Countdown To Christmas with me.

Today's book is another 3 in 1 - with all my titles in it. it's Claimed by the Sicilian.

But this time the winning is slightly different. In the spirit of Christmas, this is your chance to win a copy of this book to give to someone who you think needs or deserves a special gift at this time. You can nominate your mother, your friend, your daughter , a nurse at the local hospital . . . And I'll send the book to you to give to her.

Claimed by The Sicilian contains these three novels

The Sicilian's Wife

He gave her marriage - but not his love!

Marriage to Cesare Santorino is all Megan has ever wanted, although never like this! She's in deep trouble and, with no other choice, agrees to Cesare's offer of a mutually beneficial. convenient marriage.
Cesare makes no secret of his desire for her. But what about love? Megan can only hope that her proud Sicilian Husband might eventually come to see his young wife with more than just passion . . .
The story of The Sicilian's Wife is linked to A Sicilian Husband which is the story of Cesare's half-brother Gio.

Sicilian Husband, Blackmailed Bride

(Guido's story)
Possessed by his passion!
Dark, proud and sinfully gorgeous, Guido Corsentino is determined to reclaim his wife. Outwardly, Amber is perfect and untouchable - but Guido knows the passionate woman inside. One kiss, and he's certain she'll give him whatever he demands . . .
But Guido is also certain of something else: Amber ran away from him once—so she won't be given the opportunity to do so again. He'll protect her from the consequences of her actions . . . in his bed!

The Sicilian's Red-Hot Revenge

(Vito's story)
They shared one night of passionate lovemaking. Then in the cold light of day, her secret tore them apart. Now Vito has come back – and he’s determined to have his revenge.
Emily Lawton never expected to see him again. But Vito Corsentino has tracked her down and he wants Emily. This time he’ll take her and he’ll be the one to leave when it’s over.
But Emily has one last secret for Vito . . . She’s having his baby and if he finds out, he’ll want more than revenge!
When only seduction will settle old scores.

This book is now sold out in paperback on the Mills & Boon site - but you can still get an ebook copy if you don't win
The Countdown continues back on this blog tomorrow

Countdown to Christmas 4

2011-12-15T09:33:00.000Z

Today's prize giveaway is another 3 in 1 book collection - but this one has three books that are all written by me.

The prize today is the complete Alcolar Family Collection.

The Alcolar Family is the story of a family of proud Spanish aristocrats - Passion is their birthright!

The three titles are:

The Twelve-Month Mistress

JOAQUIN'S STORY
Made to be his mistress...

Joaquin Alcolar has a rule—never to keep a mistress for more than twelve months. Cassie knows that her time is nearly up, and to save her pride—and her heart—she decides to jump before she’s pushed.
However, when an accident leaves Joaquin with amnesia, he cannot recall Cassie ending their relationship. And, on doctor’s orders, Cassie can’t tell him the truth.

So is she back where she started—in Joaquin’s bed—until her recovers his memory . . . and the clock starts ticking once more . . ?

The Spaniard's Inconvenient Wife

RAMON'S STORY
The convenient solution is to marry her!
Ramon Dario desperately wants the Medrano company. But the deal has a shocking condition - marriage to the notorious Estrella Medrano. Ramon won't be forced into anything, least of all into wedding a scarlet woman!

But Estrella is not what he imagined. Ramon can't get her gorgeous body out of his mind. He even starts to believe she may not deserve her reputation.
A marriage of convenience - and desire - might be a good deal after all...

Bound By Blackmail

MERCEDES'S STORY
He'll make her his mistress for revenge...

Jake Taverner has never wanted a woman as much as he wants Mercedes Alcolar. So when she rejects him in the most painful way, Jake's hurt pride demands the most pleasurable revenge...
...his mistress for a month!
Jake traps Mercedes into a fake engagement as he embarks on his skillful seduction. She'll share his bed for one passionate month. But though he can bind her by blackmail...can he keep her?

And today's question . . . well, you'll have top follow me over to my guestblog post over on We Write Romance where I'll be talking about my personal Countdown To Christmas - and asking the question for you to answer over there!

Countdown to Christmas 3

2011-12-14T13:45:00.001Z

Thank you to everyone who came by to tell me a bit more about yourself yesterday - it seems that my readers are spread far and wide, which is wonderful.

First - some lucky winners
Over on Romance Book Paradise, the winner of the 12 Point Guide To Writing Romance is Juanita Kees
and my first Countdown winner is Sunu

Please email me - see the link at the bottom of my web site hom page - with your postal address abd I'll get the prize in the post to you.

To those who didn't win - please make sure you come back every day and join in as there are still lots of prizes to win, right up until Christmas.

Today's giveaway book is an older novel - At The Sheikh's Command was published in 2006.

Bought...
Abbie Cavanaugh's young brother is in jail. Abbie can obtain his freedom - but only if she marries the Sheikh of Barakhara.
And bedded...

Countdown to Christmas 2

2011-12-13T06:51:00.002Z

Last year when I had more time and more concentration, I organised a special Advent Calendar for all my readers - every day there was a book 'behind the door' on the calendar and everyone who came to chat was entered into the prize draw for that day - and all the other days through December. This year I don't have so much time. I've also just done the Great Big Blog Tour which meant that I gave away lots of books already.

But - hey - it's Christmas - and last year I had so much fun with this because I got to ask questions and to find out more about all my readers. And I loved that. So this year I'm running a smaller shorter Countdown to Christmas - with questions and prizes and - I hope - lots of chat for the 12 days leading up to the big day.

So here's how it works - I've been cleaning out my book stock cupboard and I've found 12 different prizes to give away. Some are older some brand new, some are collections, some single novels - it all depends on what my hand falls on for the day. Every day I'll ask a question - I know there are lots of lovely readers out there and I want to know more about you . You just come and chat with me in the commenst section and at the end of the day I'll get Charlie the Maine Coon busy on picking a winner . . .

One a day for the next 12 days. Well, 11 days actually because as I explained yesterday over on Romance book Paradise Nas Dean has already started this off with the great giveaway of a signed copy of the 12 Point Guide - there still a chance to win there if you want to check it out.

And today? Well today's prize is a copy of the 3 in 1 volume One Night in Madrid - this has novels by Jennie Lucas, Chantelle Shaw and me. And the book of mine that is in this collection is
Spanish Billlionaire Innocent Wife -

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.

And for the question?

Well, let's start with something simple - I see the counters on my blog mounting up - I have had visitors from 167 different countries - 167!!

But what about you? Where are you from? What country? What city/town? What's it like where you live?

I'd love to know

And when Charlie comes down from climbing the Christmas tree, I'll get him to pick a winner for today - then you can come back tomorrow and see what book is on offer then.

The countdown to Christmas has started . . . .

Guestblogging and a chance to win

2011-12-12T10:38:00.000Z

So today, officially, I'm blogging over at Romance Book Paradise. I say officially because all the time zones have conspired against me and it's the morning of December 12th here - but evening of December 12th the other side of the world.

So I'm heading over there to catch up with everyone who has commented on my post which is about the vexed subject of sagging middles - and I'm not talking about the after effects of the Christmas feasting but the point in the middle of a book when you know it's s-l-o-w-i-n-g down and starting to sag

And as I said, today starts my Countdown To Christmas when I'm hoping to find out more about you - and chat with you and there will be some giveaways each day on the 12 Days of Christmas. Today is the special launch day and you have a chance to win a signed copy of my 12 Point Guide To Writing Romance. There will be more giveaways on my blog from now on.

But first I'm off to Fiji (I wish I was really going there and not just virtually) and Romance Book Paradise - see you there!

Gifts for Writers

2011-12-11T20:36:00.001Z

Tuesday?
My last post was on Tuesday?
Where did the week go?

Well - there was shopping, and planning, and wrapping, and writing cards, and posting . . . . You see, I suddenly realised that it's December 11th - and there's only 14 days left till Christmas. So I've been rushing around like a mad thing, trying to knock things of my To Do list.

What about you? Have you got things organised, or are you still trying hard to get everythig done? Bought all your presents - or are you still desperately looking for ideas? Well, if you're wanting to find something to give to a writer friend - or a would-be writer, I may have a few ideas for you.

A couple of weeks ago, the very lovely - and very talented (you should see all the prises she won in her exams!) Riya, daughter of Nas Dean who so efficiently organised the Big Blog Tour I've just finished, asked me to guest on her blog Romance Reader . The Blog Tour was officially over, but I was happy to contribute a guest post - and she came up with a great suggestion for the topic- Christmas (or any other time) gifts for writers. That was easy! I just had to think of all the things I'd love to find in my stocking or under the tree this Christmas . . . .
So my suggestions list is posted over on Riya's blog today - I hope it'll provide some inspiration for you if you're still wondering what to buy for a writer in your life.

Today it's Riya's blog, tomorrow I'm back visiting Nas at Romance Book Paradise - and with a post about the craft of writing. There will be a very special giveaway with this post - one that launches my special Countdown to Christmas 12 Days Of Christmas giveaways on my blog.

So if you've read the list on Romance Reader's Blog and decided that a copy of the 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance is going on your wish list for Santa - then come over to Romance Book Paradise and chat and see if you can win yourself a signed copy.

See you there!

I amost forgot . . .

2011-12-06T16:01:00.001Z

Oops, I've only just realised the date! (Yes I am that confuzzled at the moment!)

It's the 6th of December and that means that following on from the Big Blog Tour, several people asked me to come back and do an extra blog or two with them in the run up to Christmas (and beyond). The first of these was the lovely Michelle Fayard who won a copy of the 12 Point Guide way back at the beginning of the tour, then hosted me as a guest blogger a bit later. She so appreciated the 12 Point Guide that she asked me to do a special interview with her about the book and how it came to be written and the result is posted over on her blog today.

Lots of hints for writers there too.
And if you're hoping to drop a hint to Santa to put a copy of the 12 Point Guide in your stocking at Christmas, there is news of another chance to win a copy of this guide coming up soon.

See you there!

And if you're in the UK and either a member or hoping to be a member of the RNA's New Writers' Scheme - then there's a series of blogs on the scheme and how it works, what writers have got out of it on the RNA blog now.

New Cover

2011-12-06T07:29:00.002Z

Look what I found while browsing Amazon at the weekend - it's the Presents Extra cover of my next book - The Devil and Miss Jones.

It's a good cover - and it shows the Argentinian estancia setting of the second half of the book - but I was hoping for a cover with the evocative scene at the opening of the story - the one that gave me my title for this novel.
But maybe the UK cover will come closer. I don't have any copy of that cover yet to show you - but I'll post it here as soon as I do.

You may have seen all the fuss and excitement about Sweetie and Sunshine, the two giant pandas and their arrival at Edingburgh Zoo. The TV coverage has been extensive - and Charlie the Maine Coon has loved every minute of it! He sits up and takes notice when ever the panadas appear on the television, watches intently while they are on - and goes back to sleep when the next item appears.

I wonder if Sweetie and Sunshine know that they have such a great feline fan. We'll have to hope that they do mate so that he can have some baby pandas to watch in the future

Big Blog Tour - Round Up and Winner

2011-12-01T17:45:00.000Z

So - it took almost 3 months
There were about 32 posts - 33 if you count this one
It visited blogs in America, Australia, Fiji, UK, Canada . . .
There were about 337 different commentors - that's new commentors - many of you can back again and again and chatted with me - thank you!
And I gave away over 35 books!

Charlie had plenty of cat treats to snarf down as he picked the names of winners- and even Flora joined in sometimes to help
.
So I think you can count the Big Blog Tour as as great success ( But I'm pretty relieved not to have to think of extra blog posts - and replies to comments for a while now.)

And Charlie has just done his last blog tour duty - picking 4 extra winners from my Newsletter list to celebrate coming to the end of the tour - so

Judith R from Israel
Sarah H from UK
Gladys from Houston
Tessa B

Are all winners too - please email me (see bottom of Home Page) with your postal address and choice of a backlist title from this list:

The Greek Tycoon’s Unwilling Wife

Bedded By The Greek Billionaire

Sicilian Husband, Blackmailed Bride

The Sicilian’s Red-Hot Revenge

The Good Greek Wife?

Kept for Her Baby

The Konstantos Marriage Demand

Cordero’s Forced Bride

Spanish Billionaire, Innocent Wife

The Proud Wife

And finally - the big winner - picked from the special list or people who stayed with me and 'stalked' me along the blog tour, is most of the places I stopped - or at least as many as they could manage .. .
And the winner is:
SUSIE MEDWELL

Susie - you win a signed copy of The Return of The Stranger and your choice of three other backlist books from the list above. Please email me with your choices

Finally a great big thank you to Nas Dean from Romance Book Paradise whose contacts, enthusiasm and calm efficiency made this all possible. keep an eye on Nas's site for news of other authors who are running blog tours so you can join in and maybe win a book or two. And don't forget that over on my author page that Nas has set up, there will be news of other blog visits I will be making in the future so you can visit them as well.

THANK YOU Nas!

And coming up on Romance Book Paradise on December 12th is a chance to win a signed copy of the 12 Point Guide just in time for Christmas - so look out for that.

Normal service will now be resumed - except when I see you out and about!

Charlie's Diary - One Year on

2011-11-30T18:25:00.002Z

This should have been posted at the weekend, but my Mum was busy with blog tours and such and I was busy helping her pick winners. I've enjoyed doing that as I have eaten a lot of cat treats over the past few weeks - there have been so many of you entering her contests that I've had a good time eating treats and picking winners.

My Mum asked her newsletter group to let to her know what you most wanted her to blog about and it seems that LOTS of you asked to know how Charlie was getting on - well, naturally I suppose. I am a superstar -and I'm getting very good at picking winners. (Not as good as the late great Cat of Superior Breeding Sir Sid - but I'm working on it.) Anyway, seeing as lots of you asked, Mum said that I had better write a blog post to let you all know what's going on in Charlie-world. So here I am.

So - on Saturday it was a whole year since I came to live in my forever home here, And it's been great. I love it here. I have a great bed - but I prefer to sleep with Mum and the Babe Magnet - though the Magnet takes up more than his fair share of space and I have to lie on top of him to be able to stretch out. I get them up at about 5.45am to let me out - scratching on the wardrobe gets them out of bed pretty fast and then I can go and explore in the garden.

I love the garden. There are lots of trees to climb and bushes to hide in. And there's the little house thing where Mum puts food for the fluttery things she calls the birds. One day I'm going to catch myself one of those bird things - they look quite tasty, if a bit feathery.

Sadly we lost the two old gents in this year - Dylan and Sid are much missed but it was good to get to know them and Sid taught me all I know about picking winners and important stuff like that. He also taught me about lots of good stuff - like Teatime. Sid knew good stuff when he saw it (or ate it ) and Teatime is very good stuff.

So now there's just me and Big Sis Flora. Flora's OK but she can be a bit of a diva at time - she has a mouth on her sometimes- real hissy fits and bad growls. But I know she doesn't mean them - she just doesn't like me pouncing on her tail. Sometimes I chase her up and downstairs - that's a lot of fun. (And a lot of noise my Mum says) .

Tomorrow it's December and Flora says that;s when we start the Advent Calendar - it was sent to us (well it was sent to the Great Sid ) by Anne McAllister The Lady Across the Pond and we get treats every day till Christmas. That sounds good to me. I must have had an Advent Calendar last year but everything was so new that I didn't notice it - and besides I had to share all the treats with 3 other cats so it wasn't so exciting.

There are still lots of books here - there are always lots of books. Books are quite boring really, but Mum says they help to pay for Teatime - so I suppose they're OK. And she says a lot of you like these book things and that's a good thing. But they don't taste very good - and I get into trouble if I try to chew one so I'm really not that bothered - when it comes to books, I'll pass. I'd much rather have Teatime!

In fact it is Teatime now - Mum just opened the cupboard and took out the tin - so I'm off! Teatime is the best time of the day. It's one of the reasons why I love living here - so that's me caught up with everything for now. See you!

Purrs
Charlie

Big Blog Tour - the last stop

2011-11-28T08:22:00.001Z

Well it's been a l-o-n-g tour, - I started way back on September 11th and I feel as if I've been all over the internet in the time since then. I've had blogs in America, Australia, Fiji . . . I've talked of all sorts of things - reading writing, cats, school days, The Brontes .. . and of course, the book that was the reason for this major tour in the first place - the celebration of the publication of The Return of the Stranger.

I've met lots of great people - readers and writers. I've chatted with you all through your comments on the posts and I've given away books all over the place. I've sent out copies of The Return of the Stranger, backlist titles and even a couple of copies of The 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. And I've made some special friends along the way - people I know I will keep in touch with in the future, and I'll be going back to visit their blogs either as a reader or a guest blogger if they invite me. (Some of these have already been planned.)

But today is the last stop on this official big blog tour this time around. After today the tour comes to a halt, apart from the round up party and final giveaway of the main prize which will be on December 1st. So today's last stop is over on Romance University.

As the name implies, Romance University is a great site which declares as it's aim: "Dedicated to helping writers establish and advance their careers, introducing readers to a variety of authors, and delving into the ever-inscrutable male mind." So obviously my post there is with my 'teaching hat' on - I'm talking about the tight focus and word count that goes into a category romance and the need to 'Cut for Pace'. So maybe I'll see you there.

After today that will be the end of this actual tour - but don't lose sight of the Author Page that Nas Dean of Romance Book Paradise has set up. Nas has been my help and support and kept me organised - just - through the whole of this tour. And She has already listed some of the upcoming blogs where I'll be posting in the not too distant future. So if you keep an eye on her listings, you'll know where to find me.

A great big thank you to Nas for keeping me on track over the past months - without her I would never have been able to organise this tour, or to take you to so many fatastic sites.

Pink Friday

2011-11-25T07:51:00.001Z

If you haven't already noticed - today is Pink Friday over on the Mills and Boon web site. There are over 150 bargains to pick up - with Modern books at 99p and bundles of 4 or more titles from £99.99. These discounts only last until midnight - so take a look before they're all gone.

And while you're there - it isn't listed in the Pink Friday list, but right now my own Claimed by The Sicilian trilogy is currently at a sale price of £2.99 - that's reduced from the original price of £5.49 so you can grab yourself a bargain there too.

It was while I was over at the Mills & Boon site that I realised that they'd been busy and had now put several of my older books on to ebook format and these are now availble for anyone who wants to catch up - or reread an old favourite.

There are 8 of them in total -

At The Sheikh's Command

Fiancée By Mistake

His Miracle Baby

Rafael's Love-Child

The Antonakos Marriage

The Christmas Baby's Gift

The Hired Husband

The Hostage Bride

So if you have an ereader with some gaps in your Kate Walker collection on it, now's your chance to catch up on some golden oldies.

In other news, the Big Blog Tour is almost coming to an end. There will be another stop on November 28th and then there will be the wrap up party and the annoncement of the big winner on December 1st.

Blog Tour - reader or writer?

2011-11-22T11:17:00.000Z

Today, by accident, I have two posts on the Big Blog Tour. I was originally booked to post at The Book Bordello with Xandra James - so that's where my post my readers can be found - and I'm givig away a signed copy of one of my backlist books there.

But then the lovely Serena Tatti who has a special blog in her Story Editor role asked me if I would write a guest post on some aspect of the writing craft for her - and they've both ended up coming out on the same day - and - guess what - there's a backlist book giveaway there too! But if you're a writer then this is where my post on writing can be found.

So whether you're a reader or a writer, there is a post for you to read - or maybe you'll try both? If you do then please post a comment - so that Charlie will be so very happy as there will be lots of names for him to pick a winner - two winners, one from each site - from which means lots of cat treats to snarf.

More on the Blog Tour

2011-11-20T09:50:00.000Z

Another stop on the Big Blog Tour today - we getting close to the end of the tour now and I've really enjoyed meeting everyone and chatting with them. It's been a challenge to think of topics to write about along the way, though - specially when some people have wanted craft posts, others have wanted interviews . . .others have wanted just 'any post'!

And Seekerville was SO busy - it took me two days to keep up with all the posts

So today I am over at Fresh Fiction where I'm giving away a copy of my latest novel - which is of course The Return of the Stranger. My blog is about the challenge of writing this book.

And that reminds me - I have some winners to announce so that people can collect their prizes -

Seven Sassy Sisters winner was Veronica Scott
Pink Hearts Society Winner was Kaelee
We Write Romance winner was Denise
Seekerville - Jenna V won a copy of the 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance

Winners please email me with your choice from this list of backlist books:

The Greek Tycoon’s Unwilling Wife

Bedded By The Greek Billionaire

Sicilian Husband, Blackmailed Bride

The Sicilian’s Red-Hot Revenge

The Good Greek Wife?

Kept for Her Baby

The Konstantos Marriage Demand

Cordero’s Forced Bride

Spanish Billionaire, Innocent Wife

The Proud Wife

There bwill be a few more posts coming up this week and with them there will be chances to win backlist books.

2 Stops on the Blog Tour - A Date With Kate and SEEKERVILLE

2011-11-18T07:56:00.003Z

This counts as part of the Big Blog Tour but today is one of my regular guest blogs anyway -
A Date With Kate is over on the Pink Heart Society blog as it always is on the third Friday of each month,

The third Friday of November? How did it get to that? When I next do my Date With Kate post Christmas will almost be here . . . which is really what inspired today's post.

As it's part of the blog tour there is a giveaway - always supposing I can find Charlie! He owes me the pick of several prize winner names. These young apprentices, they're not quite so reliable . . . .

And today I'm double booked because there is another Big Blog Tour Stop over on a great blog site - Seekerville - this is a brand new blog to me so I'm looking forward to meeting lots of people here. And I'm looking forward to seeing what I'm blogging about! I've written so many posts in the last few days that I've forgotten which one is up there right now . . .I'm just going to see. . . and I need to sort out my time zones on this one.

PS Don't forget that the Big Blog Tour - which is organised to celebrate the publication of The Return of The Stranger - still has a few more stops, a few more giveaways . . . and you can either start to join in the fun - or continue 'stalking' me to be in with a chance of a final prize at the end.

All the details are here on the Blog Tour Author Page - and some new dates and stops have been added coming up soon! I'm not not sure how many stops there will have been in the end - but I think I've given away over 25 books!

Another extra . . .

2011-11-17T07:24:00.000Z

Last week I did an extra post when I visited Romantic Friday Writers with a guest post to encourage them in their Nano writing. I talked about why I write romance.

It must have been a popular post because L'Aussis invited me back and asked me to write aniother post with some hints about writing in it.

So that's where I am today -wth a post on Training Yourself as a Plotter. Hope to see you there.

Thanks for inviting me back Denise!

Another stop on the blog tour - 5 Reasons to be Cheerful

2011-11-15T21:05:00.000Z

I think this is . . .18? But really I've lost count!
Anyway, today I have another stop on the Blog Tour and a visit to one of my regular Guest Blog spots - over on We Write Romance where I'm at my Kate's Corner slot for the 15th of the month.

Today I'm writing about 5 reasons to be cheerful - a post inspired by something I saw this morning that really made me smile.

And I'd love to know your reasons to smile too - so why not come along and tell me - and you can make Charlie the Maine Coon really cheerful as he gets to pick out the name of someone who posts as the winner of the giveaway at this stop.

See you there?

Big Blog Tour - Stop some-number-or-other

2011-11-09T08:23:00.001Z

OK so it's official - I really can't count!

On October 26th I had Blog Tour Stop 14 - then a bit of a quiet spell - then November 6th was Stop 15 - fine
November 7th - see - Stop - err - Stop 15 again!
And then there was the extra stop - over at Romantic Friday Writers' Blog . . .
So officially I'm at stop . . .16 - 17?

It doesn't matter - it's an amazing blog tour and I'm really enjoying meeting so many new people and chatting with them. And today I have another official stop on the tour -

So today I'm over with the Seven Sassy Sisters - who I think actually have eight sassy sisters now in the group .. . so it seems I'm not the only one who can't count!

Anyway, they sent a great interview with some interesting quesions - so I hope you find the answers equally interesting!

PS I maybe didn't say when I sent the answers in - being forgetful as well as unable to count! - but I will offer a giveaway there to someone who comments and as usual Charlie will pick out the winning post - once he comes in from chasing pigeons in the rain!

Big Blog Tour - an extra stop!

2011-11-08T22:34:00.000Z

This Blog Tour is taking me all over the place - right now I seem to be spending time down under - and unexpectedly I was invited along to an extra guest post -
L'Aussie asked me along to talk on her blog while everyone is so busy with NaNoMo for November - she wanted me to talk about writing romance, how I got started and how I feel about it.

Now I've always felt that romance does not equal fluff and pink marshamallow and chocolate box images- for me romance is about real people dealin with real problems and . ..

Well, that's what I'm talking about over on Romantic Friday Writers blog - why not come over and join us . . . I'll tempt you with another giveaway.

Great Big Blog Tour Stop 15

2011-11-07T09:26:00.000Z

. . . And here's one I did earlier.

Luckily I prepared some posts for the Big Blog Tour ahead of time and this one was easy - a great interview with interesting questions - so today I'm visiting LoveCats Downunder - Charlie and Flora are coming along too.

And of course there's a giveaway - both Flora and Charlie are picking winners.
See you there!

Great Big Blog Tour, Stop 15

2011-11-06T18:22:00.001Z

I'd hoped to post today before any one got worried about my absence - but I see that Kaelee got in before me and has already asked how I'd doing - thank you for your concern Kaelee - that's so kind of you.

I've had a bit of an enforced break from writing, working on the keyboard, looking at the screen, just recently. It wasn't what I wanted but it's been necessary and I hope it will be doing me some good. A few health problems have meant that I'm having to follow doctor's orders to 'pace myself' and one of the things I'm supposed to 'pace' - or in this case 'ration' is my time at the computer screen. A series of bad headaches that have a nasty tendency to turn into flashing migraines if I over do it means that I need to restricrt the time I spend at the computer and do other things. Hopefully the new medication will work on this but if my posts are a bit hit and miss for a while - that's the reason.

Anyway, today I needed to blog because my regular post is due over and Tote Bags 'n' Blogs - so that's where you'll find me. It's another stop on my Big Blog Tour (yes that's still going on!) and there's also a giveaway again.

This time it's a special giveaway because when I could put the screen on and read emails, I got some very good news this week -

The Proud Wife is nominated for the Best Presents Extra 2011 Reviewers' Choice Award over at Romantic Times.

You may remember that The Konstantos Marriage Demand won Best Presents Extra 2010 so I was really thrilled and honoured to be nominated again this year.

And if you'd like a chance to win a copy of The Proud Wife, perhaps you'd like to join me over on Tote Bags 'N' Blogs.

There will be a few more stops on the blog tour coming up this week and a few more giveaways.

So I hope I'll see you more often!

Great Big Blog Tour Stop14

2011-10-26T06:25:00.000+01:00

Today I'm travelling again - both as a blogger and in reality.

I'm heading for London for the annual Association of Mills & Boon Authors lunch and the meeting with the Harlequin Mills & Boon editors and managers afterwards. I will also be meeting up with lots of great friends who write for all the different Mills & Boon lines. Some of them - like Jane Porter, Lynn Raye Harris, Jennie Lucas have come across from America.

We will be having afternoon tea (at the Ritz!) together, a Presents authors' get together for dinner on Thursday night, and then the main lunch of Friday when we will all cathc up and talk - and talk - and talk . . . . There will be reception organised by Mills & Boon that evening too. Phew! we'll do little but eat, drink - and talk!

And seeing as I'm afraid I can't bring you all with me, I'll try to take some photos and show them to you afterwards. And to keep you entertained while I'm away, there's another stop on my Big Blog Tour to celebrate the publication of The Return of the Stranger today - over on The Writing Playground. It's the first time I've ever visited these ladies so I hope you'll come over and visit.

And Charlie will be glad to see you too - the more visitors who comment, the more chance he'll have to have lots of cat treats to help him pick the winner's name.

And although I'll be travelling I plan on calling in to chat with everyone too - so I'll see you there!

And I'll be back home at the weekend to tell you all about it!

Learning about Writing?

2011-10-24T09:00:00.001+01:00

I don't have another Big Blog Tour Stop until 26th October, so that gives me time to pause and tell you - or remind - you about the courses I'm teaching in the near future.

I've just realised that if it's almost the end of October then this time next year I will (sadly) be back home after a week in the glorious countryside of Tuscany where I will have been running a one week course on writig romantic fiction.

Just this week I had a note from Bill Breckon one of the owners of the fabulous Watermill at Posara reminding me to let you know that they are offering a fabulous £75 Early Bird discount for everyone who books before the end of the year.

Date: October 6^th -13^th 2012

Location: The Watermill Fivizzano, Italy.

Course Description: Romantic fiction writing is big business, making up almost half the paperback fiction sold and generating billions in sales worldwide. This course is intended to provide information and advice for anyone who wants to learn how to write a popular genre novel. It gives an introduction to all the skills needed for success, from initial research to the final submission of the typescript. With advice and exercises, I'll guide you through creating realistic characters, sustaining pace and conflict, packing emotional punch, writing sex scenes and crafting a satisfying ending. If you're just starting out writing romantic fiction, or you've written a manuscript or two but are not yet published and are interested in honing your skills, this course is for you.

The course is intended to cover the main aspects of writing romantic fiction that from my experience of teaching over the years seem to create the most problems for unpublished writers. While the focus may be on romance novels, the techniques – dialogue, characters, tension, pacing, settings, hooks etc will also be relevant to all forms of popular fiction. I also hope to have plenty of time to discuss your own work with you either in one to one sessions or in an open critique forum with the rest of the group.
Would you like to learn about writing romantic Fiction in this wonderful setting?

Our beautiful and historic watermill stands beside the River Rosaro in the small village of Posara. Peaceful and secluded, yet part of the village, the mill is just a mile or so from the walled medieval town of Fivizzano with its cafés, restaurants and shops. This is the heart of Lunigiana, in the North-west of Tuscany.
Set in a gentle valley with mountain peaks in the background, the mill is a peaceful spot, yet is within easy reach of the sea and the tourist attractions of Tuscany.

Full details and booking enquiries from The Watermill site: http://watermill.net/

And just so that you're sure what's on offer - here's what Bill has to say:

We should emphasise that EVERYTHING is included in the cost of your course:

all tuition fees
accommodation in bright, well decorated bedrooms with traditional features in an elegant Tuscan house complex around a courtyard
all meals, including pre-dinner aperitifs, including meals served at several small and friendly local restaurants offering regional Italian dishes and wines. (Vegetarians can be catered for on request.)
local transportation (including transfers to Pisa airport; including our mid week excursion when everyone goes by train to Lucca or to the Cinque Terre)

All you have to do is to get to Pisa and we do the rest!

I'm so looking forward to this - apparently there are bookings already - so I'd love to see you there!

Happy Anniversary to a very special couple

2011-10-23T18:35:00.001+01:00

As many of you know, I spend a week of my summer at Writers' Holiday on Caerleon Campus at Newport Wales and then I teach a residential writing weekend at fabulous Fishguard Bay Hotel in Pembrokeshire at the Writers' And Artists' Workshop Weekend in February every year.

But this isn't about the events - though you'll hear me mention them again and again a as February and the July come closer -

This is to send out a very special greeting of Congratulations and Celebrations to the two very special, caring, generous people who run both Writers' Holiday and Fishguard Writing Weekend - and who are always ready to help, to offer a warm smile, and even warmer welcome and between them have created two fabulous writing events where regular visitors become more like family and even if it's your first visit to either event no one is without friends for very long.

I'm talking about Anne & Gerry Hobbs - and today is a truly special day for the, Because today is their 40th wedding anniversary. (It doesn't seem at all possible so Anne must have been a child bride!)

As anyone who's been to Caerleon/Fishguard knows, it's usually Anne who does the front of house stuff while Gerry works behind scenes from his place in the Bookroom - so to actually be able to grab a photo of him isn't an easy task. However once, just once I amanged to grab a photo of him and Anne after the Welsh Male Voice Choir performance on the last night of Writers' Holiday - and here's one of Anne in a suitably celebratory mood - which I hope they're both enjoying right now.

Many Congratulations and a truly Happy Anniversary my lovelies! Have a very special day. I can't wait till we all meet up again in Fishguard in February.

Great Big Blog Tour Stop 13

2011-10-22T09:01:00.000+01:00

13 may be unlucky for some but for me it's totally lucky because today my Big Blog Tour takes me to visit some of my most favourite people ever - The Romance Bandits.

I've visited their site several times before and always had a wonderful, warm and fun reception so I'm hoping that today will be no different.

Well, actually, yes it will be different - because the Bandits' blog and site is different - and brand new - you can find it here with lots of great information about the Banditas and their books and all that's happening. They've taken the Golden Rooster with them - and their favourite masseur Sven - and they nare running special launch Trick or Treat prizes - so there's lots to see.

They also have a brand new blog which you can find here - and that's where I'll be visiting today. I'll be talking about my brand new book - which is of course The Return of The Stranger - and how this story has really been brewing in my thoughts and my imagination ever since I was eleven . . . . that's. . .Oh . . . . 20 years ago! (And bit more!)

I have a copy of The Return of the Stranger to give away - and to celebrate the launch of the new site, I'm adding in a Kate Walker tote bag as an extra prize for one commentor - chose by Charlie of course (He's getting a lot of practice at this so he's getting good!)

See you there!

Great Big Blog Tour Stop 12

2011-10-21T08:28:00.002+01:00

Today's stop on the blog tour is one of my regular blogs over on the Pink Heart Society Blog this morning.

In A Date With Kate I'm talking about the New Voices contest again - and why a couple of animal stories/songs have kept me going in the past when I've felt low - and convinced I would never write again. After the publication of The Chalk Line in 1984, I was convinced I would be a one book wonder and had to keep going and trying again before Game of Hazard appeared in 1986.

And on a sort of opposite extreme, I'm giving away a copy of my award-winning bok The Konstantos Marriage Demand which won Best Presents Extra 2010.

See you over there.

And talking of my Big Blog Tour, some of you will remember that I was hosted by lovely Michelle Fayard on her Birds'Eye View Blog on October 4th. Well, since then Michelle has read her copy of The Return of The Stranger and has posted me a wonderful review over on Good Reads and Amazon - Thank you so much Michelle!

With her latest release, THE RETURN OF THE STRANGER, veteran romance author Kate Walker takes the classic tale found in Wuthering Heights and lets it inspire her to create a modern take on the powerful story.

STRANGER is part of a series, The Powerful and The Pure. In this title, Heath Montanha left England as an orphaned gypsy and made a new life for himself in Brazil. Now he's rich and powerful, but he's missing something. He thinks it's revenge on the two men who kept him poor and powerless. What he's soon to learn is it's love in the form of the one woman who always believed in him, Lady Katherine, sister to one of Heath's former tormenters, widow to the other.

STRANGER might be inspired by a classic, but rest assured that Walker has taken the characters and atmosphere and brought them into the 21st century to make the story her own with high-voltage intensity. If this book could be described in only one word, it would be "chemistry."

Oh and if you're interested in how this Big Blog Tour thing works - and you'd like to learn more, then Nas Dean from Romance Book Paradise has written a great post on Michelle's blog all about the way she plans and runs these.

I have winners

2011-10-18T08:47:00.000+01:00

Charlie took some finding yesterday! The sun was shining, he was out in the garden, I had to be out for most of the morning, and when I was in the house he wouldn't come in. Then he got rather excited at the prospect of eating treats and wanted to snarf them all down in a rush. But I finally got him to settle down to the job of picking winners. And the results are:

The Haworth souvenirs - picked up when I went to talk about The Return of The Stranger at The Bronte Society Festival of Women's Writing goes to Theresa N
- Theresa I have visited Beatrix Potter's home several times and what I love about it is that you can see places in the house and the gardens that appear in drawings in her books.

And over on the We Write Romance Blog, the winner of the 12 Point Guide to writing Romance is Erin K

Theresa and Erin will you please email me your postal addresses (there's an email at the bottom of every page of my web site) and then |I can organise getting your prizes in the mail to you.

Everyone else - thank you for joining in. It seems so many of you want to visit Jane Austen's house - and I must admit that I have never been there. I have however visited her grave in Winchester Cathedral thanks to a guided tour by Sharon Kendrick.

If you didn't win a prize this time - don't forget that the Great Big Blog Tour has plenty of places to visit yet so check out the details on the Author Page and see where I'll be next.

When I find him . . . .

2011-10-17T07:55:00.000+01:00

. . . Charlie will be picking some winners.
The contest to win the Haworth/Bronte souvenirs after my visit to Haworth to talk about The Return of The Stranger has now closed.

So has the Great Big Blog Tour Stop 11 giveaway for comments over on We Write Romance to win a copy of the 12 Point Guide To Writing Romance

And as soon as Charlie comes in he will pick winners for both .. . .er though that may be a little while yet. Charlie is a young cat, having as he would say only just got a number - that number being one. One year old. So he is always desperate for the door to be opened and to get out into the garden - and he's never too desperate to come back inside!

But at some point in the day the urge of his tummy will bring him in and then I'll set him on to winner picking and announce the results as soon as he's done his job.

Charlie is ready to become the winner picker for the future but he would just like me to mention his loving memory of The Great Sid - that Cat of Superior Breeding who taught him all he knew. Some of my gentlest memories of Sid's last days are of him and Charlie sitting in the hall - just hanging out together. And I'm sure that Sid was passing on all the wisdom of his 16 years, He will have taught the Young 'Un well, as I'm sure all the future prize-winners will know.

And so - for Julie, Desere, Rita and everyone else who have asked for 'more cats' (Julie Thank you for the pic of Vala and Teyla and my sympathies on the loss of Mia - I know exactly how you feel) I've added a few cat picures to today's post to amuse you while you wait for the winners' names to be drawn.

And the next Blog Tour Dates and stops will be coming up later this week - you can see the itinerary here. Don't forget that it you join my newsletter list - see the sidebar - you'll also get up to date news and extra chances to win!

Big Blog Tour Stop 11

2011-10-15T21:14:00.002+01:00

Today is another stop on my Great Big Blog Tour - it's one of my regular guest blogs, over on We Write Romance where on the 15th of every month I write Kate's Corner. And this month, following on the big announcement about the Top Twenty One selected in Mills & Boon New Voices, I'm talking about what those of you who weren't selected do next - where do you go from here?

And as this is part of my Great Big Blog Tour Stop 11 - with today's giveaway I hope to give you encouragement to keep on keeping on - so today I'm giving away a copy of the 12 Point Guide To Writing Romance.

All you have to do is to post a comment on today's blog - and Charlie will be practising his prizewinner picking skills to see who will win a copy of this book to encourage you not to give up - and to keep on going!

So come on over and chat and maybe you'll be in with a chance to win!

And talking of winning - the contest to win my special souvenirs from Haworth where I was talking about The Return Of The Stranger closes at midnight tomorrow. You have just one more day to comment and entere - and then Charlie will get to work to pick a winner - he can't wait!

And Repeat as Before . . .

2011-10-14T17:58:00.001+01:00

This is basically - no, just about exactly, the post I put up on this blog at this time last year. And I'm making no apologies for that because it seems to me that, sadly, what I said last year needs saying all over again - and then some. Already the kickback at the choice of the Top Twenty (one) has started) So , sadly, I need to repeat myself - Only the numbers have been changed in the cause of accuracy.

Yesterday was a big day for aspiring romance writers. The day when the next stage of the New Voices contest was announced. When the 20 (21) writers whose work was selected to go into the second stage and write another chapter of their story learn which of them will now be asked for the final entry - to write the pivotal moment between their characters.

20 entries out of 1088 - it's a very small proportion of the oringinal entries who will now be seens as winners of this stage. But does that make the other 1068 entrants 'losers' - not in my book. 1088 people put their words and their dreams on- line and on the line. And while they all did it with varying degrees of success in editorial assessment terms - they also all succeeded in doing what writers do - they wrote.

There has been a variety of responses to the announcement of the results - but one that has saddened me by prevailing is the wash of disapointment - natural disapointment - that has tended in some cases to slide over the line into negativity. If this chapter didn't succeed as it is, then it's no good. And if it's no good then I'm no good as a writer seems to be the assumption. Or - I can't see what was wrong with my chapter - everyone on the web site loved it - they must be 'moving the goalposts' or 'changing the rules'. Neither of which is true. But it can feel that way. I know - I've been there.

As you know I'm celebrating 25 + years of being published. The Chalk Line was published in December 1984 . . . but my next book wasn't out until 1986. The reason for the gap? You can call it second book blues, but the truth is that I didn't get another book right until then. I can excuse myself by saying that my mother was dying or that I was ill myself but the fact remains that the two books I wrote after The Chalk Line just did not work. Particularly not the one between The Chalk Line and Game of Hazard, which was the book I managed to revise to publication standard.

The one in the middle was called Chase The Dawn. And as I write this I have in front of me the revsion letters that my then editor sent me about this book - five different letters ! After each one I tried top do the revisions - and just couldn't get them right. The letters are also spread over four years because I ended up doing the sensible thing - and looking back - the best thing - and put the book away for about 18 months so that then I could look at it much ore clearly when I brought it out.

What was so wrong with the book? With the benefit of hindsight, I can now honestly say not that much. Or rather, not that many things but the fact that I hadn't done one basic thing that I now hear myself advising would-be authors to do all the time.

Keep it simple. Dig deep.

Or to quote one of the revision letters - probably the first - I didn't 'delve deeply enough into your central characters' motives and personalities to integrate their actions into the devlopment of the relationship.' But honestly, remembering back, I really thought I had done that. I remember staring at the revisions letters wondering just what it all meant. How could they say this? I was a failure - a one book wonder who would never be published again.

Today, looking at those letters, I see where so much of my teaching and commenting, the sort of things I put in the 12 Point Guide come from. And the important thing is that although those letters were written back in the 1980, by an editor who hasn't worked for M&B for - what - 20 years? - they show that the things editors have been looking for have always been the same.

Delve deeply into your characters' motives and personalities

Go all out for emotional identification with your heroine. If you live inside her head then your reader will too. (These days it would be identification with both hero and heroine - there wasn't scope for dual point of view then)

Make the reader understand that what she(they) thought and did were her (their) only possible reactions at the time

Get inside your characters' skin so that the developing relationship is no longer swamped by the convolutions of the plot.

It all seems so obvious to me now - but then I was too close to my book to see what they meant.

And the end of this story?

If you look on my backlist page, you'll see it there -

Chase the Dawn 1988

It took me four years but I got there.

And what has always intrigued me is that while I ended up feeling quite sick at the sight of that manuscript, and eventually that book, Chase the Dawn is one of the books I have written that I have had most personal mail about, that so many people have said is one of their favourites. Readers say 'Chase the Dawn - oh, I loved that book.' It might be 20 years old but people remember it.

And no one has ever said anything about being able to see all the blood sweat and tears (lots of them!) that went into that book.

So what am I saying? I'm saying that I and every author I know has been through the rejection of 'this doesn't work'. I know how it feels to think I'll never be a writer - I just can't get this. And I know how it feels to have your precious work sent back to you and to feel you have to start all over again.

I used to have a routine when I got rejections/rewrites/revisions. I used to go into the garage and scream, stamp my feet - and fling the rejected manuscript at the wall. Then when I'd calmed down, I'd pick it all up, put it back in order - and I'd reread the rejection letter to see what I could do about it. It was that 'what can I do about it' that got me into being a writer.

I learned so much from those rejections. And from reading and studying the books that did make it. There weren't contests then but I wish there had been - not from the winning point of view but from the value of the lessons in writing romance that the chosen chapters and the editors' comments on them can reveal if you just take note.

What is it they say - that success is picking yourself up one more time than you are knocked down. If you think you're a 'loser' then you will probably stay down - but if you look at what you can learn from all this and work with it, I'll be willing to bet that there will be way more than the 21 winners on one list - or the 45 on the 'see again' list.

But the only person who can make that happen is you.

2011-10-12T08:26:00.001+01:00

I found this review on We Read Romance this morning and after a difficult week it made my day - Thak you so much Larissa!

The Return of the Stranger by Kate Walker

“Ms. Walker delivers a powerful, emotion-invoking read….”

Reviewed by Larissa M

Rating 5 stars

Ms. Walker does a splendid job weaving a modern-day tale of Heathcliff and Lady Catherine in The Return of the Stranger. Rich with intrigue, scandal, revenge and forbidden, unleashed desire her take on the classic Wuthering Heights reminds us why some love stories are truly timeless.

When I was a bit younger I found Emily Bronte’s story to be full of emotion, making it one of my all-time ill-fated love stories. And Ms. Walker’s current story based loosely on that epic tale lives up to the bar set by Bronte.

If you aren’t familiar with the classic, you won’t miss out but if you know the story I think you’ll see the parallels and enjoy watching how each plays out just slightly different. In The Return of the Stranger, Heath Montanha is a young man, a stablehand on the estate, who is friends with the young daughter of the house (Lady Katherine). But jealousy, circumstances and family tear their friendship apart leaving Heath hard and determined to seek revenge. Revenge being the powerful motivator it is, he builds his wealth and returns to show them all.

As usual, Ms. Walker delivers a powerful, emotion-invoking read that makes you route for the hero and heroine all the way through! A must read for sure!

Don't forget that the contest to win the Bronte Gifts is still open - see below. Charlie will be picking the winners soon - he can't wait to prove he's learned his job well from dear Sid.

A Hectic week - Big Blog Day Something, Haworth and a contest

2011-10-09T21:15:00.003+01:00

It's been a hectic and dfifficult week - migraines were bad enough but a bad rection to the tablets that were supposed to help made things worse So before I forget there area couple of other posys here and there today, part of the Big Blog tour with giveaways and posts to read and such . . . so here's where you'll find some of them -

Love Cats Down Under Sunday Smooch has - as the title gives away - a red-hot smooch from The Return of the Stranger to get you in the mood for this passionate, heart wrenching romance - so visit if ypou want to read that. I had a lot of trouble postign responses to the commentators on the blog but I eventually got there !

Also in Australia is the Australian Romance Readers Association where I have a nother guest blog (did I say it's been hectic this week! ) I'm chattring over there too and talking about - guess what - The Return of The Stranger (everyone wants to know about my take on reworking Wuthering Heights!

So you can find the post, the discussion and the giveway over at ARR

Finally - finally – I have managed to collect together some pictures of my trip to Haworth , now that I’ve got them off my camera so I thought I’d share some with you. There is the big building which is the old Baptist Centre where the workshop was held - I always think it should be appearing in Jane Eyre. And outside was a big post with my name on it!

There were also posters all over the town – specially on the Bronte Parsonage Museum gates and doors – that was a real thrill. I’ve also included a photo of the Old Schoolhouse where I gave my talk about working on Wuthering Heights and turning it into a Modern/Presents Romance – this was another real thrill as, as you can see from the inscription, the school says ‘Charlotte Bronte taught here’ - and now so have I!

The Babe Magnet took some pictures of my talking to people who had attended the talk and who wanted copies of Return of The Strange signed afterwards. And one fo the saddest things In Haworth h I always think is the carved plaque on a pillar marking the spot above the crypt where all the Brontes - except Anne who is buried in Scarborough are buried.

I’ve also included a photo of some bits and pieces I picked up at the Bronte Parsonage shop – a notepad, a pen, bookmark, key ring – and I’m offering these as a special prize to mark the publication in America of The Return of the Stranger.

All you have to do is to leave a comment in the comments section telling me which famous author’s house you would love to visit and why - and you’ll be entered into the prize draw. I’ll get Charlie the Maine Coon on the job of picking a winner in a couple of days. And the winner will get the Bronte souvenirs.

I Heart Presents

2011-10-08T06:50:00.000+01:00

Today I'm heading for Nottingham where I'm speaking at the New Writers' Book Fayre and Festival - so if you're going to be there, I'll lookk forward to meeting you - do come and say hello.

In the meantime, today's blog is over on the main I heart Presents Blog today where I'm talking about that most important element of writing romance - the hero. Or, in the case of The Return of The Stranger - and most other Presents novels - the dark, brooding hero.
See you there .

Winners - but you can't win em all!

2011-10-07T16:14:00.002+01:00

I have some winners from the recent stages of the Big Blog Tour to announce.

Romance Book Paradise's winner was Kiru Taye
Lucy Monroe's Winner was Sunu
Kyle Griffin's winner is Sonali
The Minxes of Romance winner in Tash NZ

And talking of winners - I have had a couple of reviews in for The Return of The Stranger - four to be exact - and they illustrate perfectly just how really a review is one person's opinion. Some people love what you write - some don't like it . . . . So in the interests of fairness, here are all of the reviews, you can take your choice which one(s) you agree with when you read the book!

OK - so
Over on Everyday is the Same blog, Rebecca has set herself the challenge of reading 365 books in 365 days. She's currently halfway so go and cheer her on! Congratulations on getting this far Rebecca.
To encourage her in her challenge I sent her a copy of The Return of The Stranger recently - and she has reviewed it (she's also reviewed The Good Greek Wife? and A Proud Wife) and here's what she has to say:

Wow, this one intense book. In her 'Dear Reader' letter, Kate Walker mentions how she wanted her 'Heathcliff' and 'Cathy' to learn about love and have their happy ending that they could never have had in 'Wuthering Heights', she has certainly acheived that. The journey that Heath and Kat go on together is spectacular, making that HEA even more special!
This book does not have a lot of dialogue (just so you know!), it's more brooding, backward reflecting, and dark - as it should be, after all this is a rework of a VERY deep and intense book. I think Kate Walker has done a fantastic job of keeping this book flowing even with all the reflection/flashbacks. The passion and chemistry between the hero and heroine it litteraly sizzling, always bubbling away under the surface and when it explodes, boy does it explode!
The whole book is gripping and passionate from start to finish. A great read.

What can I say but Thank you Rachel! A review from a reader rather than a 'professional' is always appreciated.

Next up - The Good The Bad and The Unread . . . this is a long review by Lynne Connelly and as I said to her I think this is more of a review of a modernised version of Wuthering Heights (what she calls a re-envisioning of WH)- not a Modern Romance/Presents romance written on the themes of WH which is what The Return of The Stranger is. It's a long review - so here's just a snippet -

Kate Walker is a writer of immense experience in writing the 50,000-word romance, particularly for the Mills and Boon Modern line (reprinted in the US as Harlequin Presents). She is also academically linked with the novels of the Brontes. But she is never anything but a professional, and in her retake on the classic, she’s trimmed the characters, rejigged the story and characters, and turned Emily Bronte’s astonishing debut into a satisfactory romance.
She has also trimmed the wildness and the insanity of the original. But how do you tame that and have something left?

Hmmm - I have to say that for me personally, reducing the original Wuthering Heights to the 'wildness and insanity' cited here and saying that without it you don't 'have something left' is to do just that -reduce it. WH is much more than a story of the wild elemental love of Heathcliff and Cathy, it's a story of society, or power, possession, of the different generations, of heredity - and mmost of all it's told by a series of narrators who aren't trustwothy . . . and that's before we look at the second generation. But I wasn't asked to reproduce Wuthering Heights but create a romance using the book as inspiration - so as far as I'm concerned that's all that it should be judged on.

Romantic Times has a review that damns with faint praise:

The novel starts slowly, with more telling than showing, and although Walker incorporates emotionally charged flashbacks, they’re distracting and repetitive. But for readers who enjoy a brooding hero and a somber tone, this novel might appeal.

As I said you can't win them all. Interesting isn't it that some people love that 'brooding hero and sombre tone', some people find I haven't been brooding and sombre enough . . . . (I'd dispute that point about repetitive flashbacks though.)

Finally - to end on a high - another of those valuable reviews - from a reader - over on the Mills & Boon site - this one really makes me happy as it comes from a reader who , like me, has Wuthering Heights as one of her favourite classic novels.
Wow. I was really sceptic at first about reading a rewrite of one of my favourite classics but Kate did a brilliant job.

Firstly in the original I didnot like Katherine coz I thought she was too selfish and mean too Heathcliffe. I adored Heath and I always wanted a happy ending for him.

So thanks Kate, you gave my hero the ending he deserved. Also by changing Katherine's characther the story evolved like a true MB should.

Let's not make too much of a comparison but enjoy this book in the spirit of the two eternal star crossed lovers. It is a keeper and I have given it place next to the original Book not that I am saying it is on the same level but a gentle glimpse of what should have been.....but didnot.
Thank you Sadhana!

So there you are. It's always easy to quote some random reviews that claim this - or any other book - is absolutely wonderful - but these are four different reviews I found today so I thought I'd share them with you. Which one describes the book best? Well, that's really up to you - and in many ways it doesn't matter because it's what you think of the book and whether you enjoy it that counts!

But talking about Wuthering Heights reminds me of a special extra contest - as a result of my visit to Haworth to talk about The Return of the Stranger - that's coming up over the weekend.
Watch out for that!

Big Blog Tour Stop 10

2011-10-05T17:25:00.000+01:00

I'm struggling with migraines this week - they just don't seem to clear so it's time to be thankful for the fact that I have a 'here's one I wrote earlier' blog already prepared as part of the Big Blog Tour.

So today, you can read the Q&A that I did for The Minxes of Romance over on their blog - and I'll hope to see you over there when - well, when I can see properly myself!

Thanks to the Minxes for inviting me over - and I'm hoping to visit and chat soon!

Big Blog Tour Stop 9

2011-10-04T10:56:00.000+01:00

I'm off touring again - celebrating the publication of The Return of The Stranger which will be out in America at the end of the week.

Today I'm visiting Michelle Fayard's Bird's-Eye View. Michelle asked me to talk about marketing and creating a buzz about a book. I'm no expert, I'm still learning so much! But there is one important thing that I have learned and that I always stick to when I'm promoting my books - want to know what that is?
Read my blog.

And there is a book giveaway too - see you over there.

If you're anywhere near Nottingham . . . .

2011-10-03T17:26:00.001+01:00

I'll be speaking at this New Writers' UK Book Festival and Fayre on Saturday October 8th - I'll be talking about Writing Romance - starting at 12 noon (till 12.45)

The Babe Magnet in his role as writer of true crime, history and other factual topics will also be talking on Writing Non-Fiction

Place: County Hall West Bridgford Nottingham. For full details see the New Writers' UK page here.

Big Blog Tour 8 - Tote Bags 'n' Blogs

2011-10-02T17:51:00.000+01:00

Today is the first Sunday in October - not that you'd believe it from the bright sunshine and warm temperatures we're still enjoying - so as regular readers will know today is the day that I'm blogging over on Tote Bags 'n' Blogs.

So that'w ehere you'll find my post today - and as I'm still busy with the Big Blog Tour to celebrate the publication of The Return of the Stranger then that's what I'm chatting about - and there's a small giveaway as part of the blog tour too. So I hope I'll see you there.

We're still only at the beginning of the Blog Tour so there are lots of guest posts to come - check out all the details on the special author page here. There are some more visits coming up this week . . . and next week . . . I was so thrilled to see The Return of the Stranger at #1 on the Mills & Boon site and selling so very well on Amazon last month so I'd readlly love to see it doing every bit as well in America.

Big Blog Tour Day 7

2011-10-01T17:47:00.000+01:00

It might be the first of October, but the sun is shining gloriously - as it has been for the past couple of days. Charlie and Flora are lying in the garden, sunbathing, and the dark days of winter that we've been threatened with seem to be miles away from here for now.

And in keeping with the brighter weather and seasons, I'm heading 'downunder' on my blog tour today.

Today's blog visit is hosted by the lovely Kylie Griffin- author of futuristic and fantasy romance with a touch of the paranormal. And as we work in different time zones, when I'm awake over here she'll be asleep - and vice versa. But we'll work something out!

Thank you for the hosting Kylie - and there's a giveaway of one of my backlist book at this stop on my blog tour too.

I love the fact that being on an Australian blog today gives me a chance to post the 'Sexy' cover of The Return of The Stranger. While it's not that hunk, it is a good cover - and the Australian Sexy Romance version shows more of the great artwork that the Presents Extra cover does.

Blogging around

2011-09-30T10:21:00.001+01:00

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 . . .

Writing Tips from M&B

2011-09-29T08:05:00.000+01:00

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.)

Birthdays and Blogs

2011-09-27T08:29:00.000+01:00

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.

Big Blog Tour Day 6 - Romance Book Paradise

2011-09-26T08:51:00.001+01:00

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!

Friendships

2011-09-25T16:15:00.001+01:00

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.

Big Blog Tour Day 5 - and one other

2011-09-23T07:45:00.001+01:00

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.

A Cat of Superior Breeding

2011-09-22T07:41:00.001+01:00

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.

Big Blog Tour Day 4

2011-09-20T07:43:00.000+01:00

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.

The Return of the Author

2011-09-18T19:24:00.001+01:00

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!

Blog Tour Day 3

2011-09-16T08:11:00.000+01:00

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 . . . .

Big Blog Tour Day 2

2011-09-15T08:26:00.001+01:00

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!

Big Blog Tour Day 1

2011-09-12T07:46:00.002+01:00

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.

Blog Tour starts today

2011-09-11T20:42:00.000+01:00

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)

And talking of Workshops

2011-09-06T08:26:00.002+01:00

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?

Workshop photos

2011-09-05T16:35:00.003+01:00

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.

Tote Bags 'n' Blogs day

2011-09-04T17:25:00.002+01:00

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 . . .

RNA Interview

2011-09-03T08:10:00.002+01:00

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.

Publication day!

2011-09-02T07:24:00.001+01:00

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.

Workshop and The Return of The Stranger

2011-08-31T07:59:00.000+01:00

So looking forward to meeting everyone at my New Voices workskshop at Ashby Library today. The workshop starts at 11am and lasts two hours. The last I heard it was just about full, but if you've only just learned about this or decided you can manage to come after all, I should be able to squeeze and extra person or two in at the last minute - North Lincolnshire Central Library on 01724 860161 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 01724 860161 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or email library.enquiries@northlincs.gov.uk.
Friday 2nd October is the official publication date for the UK edition of The Return of the Stranger so I'm looking forward to seeing this on the shelves in the bookshops. This book got a great review over on the Mills & Boon site where one reader said:

"I'm not altogether sure that I agree with the premise of re-working the plot of all time classic novels.

This is the last in the Series and is based on Wuthering Heights. Moreover I never really liked Heathcliffe seeing him as rather cruel.

However Mrs Walker triumphantly produces a powerful and intense novel which involves your emotions from start to finish.

Heath is a super hero full of brooding passion and the delightful Katherine evokes your sympathy.

Not to be missed - as they say they saved the best till last.

Ten out of ten."

Thank you to the reviewer! And talking of the M&B site - it's 31st Augusr and The Return of The Stranger is still there at #1 on the web site sales list! This means that it's been up there at #1 all month. Thank you so very much to every single one of you who has bought a copy to help me achieve this amazing result - it's so appreciated. I couldn't have done it without you!

Oh - and if you're in America and want to get your hands on this book, don't forget that the books are on sale early on the Harlequin web site - the eboook is already up there and the paperback edition should go on sale as soon as August becomes September.

Right, time to pack up my workshop notes and get ready to talk about New Voices

New Voices Workshop This Week!

2011-08-28T17:26:00.002+01:00

Just to remind anyone planning on entering the Mills & Boon New Voices contest, that the workshop I'm doing is on Wednesday this week.

If you live anywhere in Lincolnshire or close enough to travel then I'd love to see you there.

To celebrate the launch of the Mills & Boon New Voices 2011 writing competition, Mills & Boon are hosting a series of writing workshops for aspiring authors to learn the secrets of writing a successful Mills & Boon story.
I will be leading this writing workshop at:

Date: Wednesday, August 31
Time: 11:00am - 1:00pm
Location:
- Ashby Library and Local Link
  Ashby High Street
  Scunthorpe
  North Lincolnshire, DN16 2RY
Cost: Tickets cost £5, including refreshments, and are available in advance from North Lincolnshire Central Library. Places are limited so booking is essential.

For more information, please contact Emma Prideaux at North Lincolnshire Central Library on 01724 860161 or email library.enquiries@northlincs.gov.uk.