Versatile Blogger Award

While I was away in London, Teresa Morgan awarded me the 'Versatile Blogger' Award.

Thank you so much for this Teresa - specially as it says that you will have awarded it to me as one of the bloggers you have recently discovered and think are fantastic - that's a real compliment.

Linking back to Teresa's blog, you can find her here.






So, I've done the first part of this list of how this works -



Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.


I apologise in advance because I'm only going to do part of this - the excuse is time or, rather, the lack of it. Plus the fact that the only new 'blog' I've discovered recently has been the M&B New Voices site. I am already far too tempted to read too many blogs that I've been interested in for a long time - but if I was listing 15 blogs worth reading/ that I visit regularly then they would be (in no particular order)

1. Anne McAllister

2. Liz Fielding

3. Pink Heart Society

4. I heart Presents

5. Tote bags 'n' Blogs

6. Jessica Hart

7. Julie Cohen

8. The Heroine Addicts (Now that is a new blog I've just discovered )

9. Sarah Duncan

10. The RNA (Romantic Novelists' Association)

11. Kate Hardy

12 The Harlequin Blog

13. Michelle Styles

14. Donna Alward

15. Stephen Wade (can't leave out the Babe Magnet!)

"Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award."

Pass - they aren't new to me and time is far too precious right. If they visit here and want to grab the award - they are so welcome but I'll bet that half of them have been awarded it already -
Share 7 things about yourself.

Oh dear - 7 things I haven't already shared . . . I 'm sorry Teresa, I can't guarantee these are new . . .

1. I am one of a family of five girls. The middle one to be precise

2. My writing name comes from my maternal Irish grandmother

3. The reddish tint in my hair comes from her too.

4. I'm afraid the whole Twilight thing has passed me by. I tried - read the first couple of books, watched the films . . . no - it doesn't touch my imagination

5. I am hopelessly addicted to Coronation Street

6. I am SO looking forward to going to see John Simm as Hamlet in Sheffield soon

7. I sometimes do joint talks with my husband as 'Crime and Passion'

PS Like everyone else - or, certainly all the entrants to the New Voices Contest, I'll be watching the New Voices web site to see whose first chapter has made it into the Top Ten this morning.

Once again good luck to everyone who entered.

Blogging around - 3

The thing with having a new book out (Kept for her Baby out in Presents EXTRA this week, in case you hadn't noticed ;o) ) is that lots of people want me to come and blog with them and talk about it.

So this last week I've had those posts/interviews at Finding the Write Word and Writers At Play (thanks ladies - I had a wonderful time and I'm glad you liked the shoes! )

Today it's the turn of I Heart Presents which of course is the blog where the writers, editors, and those very special people the readers all get together to celebrate the wonderful books that make up the classic Presents novels and their fabulously intense and seductive stories.

Today I'm talking about being mean to my characters, putting them through torment and imprisoning them as well!

So I hope you'll come along and join me over on I Heart Presents and maybe leave a comment letting me know which Presents novels have moved you recently - maybe even made you shed a tear or two. I know there have been plenty of those for me.

Tomorrow I'm heading for Barnsley Library where the Babe Magnet and I will be holding our day of Crime and Passion starting at 10 am tomorrow morning so if you're anywhere near the area and free to join us please come along and say hello. Places are limited but I know there are still some seats left.

You can find the details on my Events page and on the RNA Blog here.

Writing holidays and such

Sharon Martin says it's all my fault. Well, I suppose I have to take the blame seeing as I'm the one who agrees to do all the events in the first place - and then I write about them on here and people read about them and . . .

So in the comments yesterday, Sharon said:

It's all your fault Kate. Well at least I think it's your fault as it can't possibly be mine. There I was just casually browsing the internet when I chanced upon a link to a writing holiday. Sounds like fun I thought. Wonder what that's about I pondered.One completed booking form later and an Amazon order for your 12 point guide and here I am, embarking on a new career!Thank you for a wonderful blog which is clearly inspirational as I am now over £400 poorer than I was last week. Wish me luck and I'll see you in Newport.

What can I say in return? Well - first of all, thank you Sharon! For buying the 12 Point Guide and thank you from Writers' Holidays for booking a place on next year's event. You'll have fun, I know you will. I always do - and I go there to 'work' (OK I have fun too!)

And you'll enjoy the food. Only last week at the AMBA lunch, I was talking to Gill (Roger) Sanderson and when the name Caerleon came up his immediate response was 'They feed you wonderfully there!'

I don't know what the Babe Magnet and I would do in the summer if we didn't go to Caerleon. And we're already looking forward to going again next summer. This time we have some special plans to introduce a very special friend and writer to this great conference - more on that when I know the details are finalised.

But thinking about Caerleon remind me that I haven't brought you all up to date with the courses, workshops etc that I'm doing in the coming year. I know they are all listed on the Events page on my web site but they get more notice on here and I know that Carol W didn't know about the Calderdale Writers' Roadshow until I blogged about it . Now she's booked up for a session with my husband!

And the Calderdale event is the first one -

CALDERDALE WRITING DAYS
Event: One to one sessions in the morning. I',m meeting writers and talking to them about their work

Workshop: My husband Stephen Wade will be running a workshop on Writing the Past 1-3pm

Date: Saturday 10 October

Venue: Halifax Central Library Northgate Halifax HX1 1UN

E-mail: libraries@calderdale.gov.uk Telephone: 01422 392630

BARNSLEY CENTRAL LIBRARY
Event: A Day of Crime and Passion in Barnsley Library

I will be talking about writing Romance and working for Harlequin Mills & Boon. My husband Stephen Wade will be talking about his True Crime books as well — one of us in the morning and one in the afternoon.
Date: Wednesday October 14th

Times: 10-12 am and 2-4 pm.

Venue:Barnsley Central Library Shambles St Barnsley, S70 2JF

Telephone: 01226 773911

FISHGUARD WRITING WEEKEND

Event: Weekend Residential Writing Course

Course – Writing Modern Romance

Dates: 19 – 21st February 2010

Venue: Fishguard Bay Hotel Quay Road Goodwick Fishguard Pembrokeshire SA64 0BT

Cost: £209

This Writing Weekend is run by the same fabulous people who run Caerleon Writers' Holidays and you can find the details of both events here.

RESIDENTIAL TRAINING

Event: a two day residential course on Writing Romance held in the beautiful surroundings of New Place Shirrell Heath, Southampton.

Dates: 24th - 25th April 2010

Venue: New Place, Shirrell Heath Southampton Hampshire SO32 2JH

Cost: £285 – includes 10 hours of training, double room, all meals, tea and coffee, internet and use of swimming pool/gym

Further details can be found here

WRITERS’ HOLIDAY AT CAERLEON

25th July - 30th July 2010
Once again I’ll be going back to one of my favourite places and taking part in the Writers’ Holiday at Caerleon 2010.
I will be teaching a five part course on The 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance.

Further details and booking forms can be found here: http://www.writersholiday.net/

Cost: £399
Book online and save £10!

I've also had enquiries in the last week from Sheffield libraries and Walsall libraries about talks on romance or Crime and Passion events so watch for details on those.

And for the would-be writers out there, specially the ones who are planning on entering the Harlequin Presents Writing Competition 2009 - then make a note in your diearies for a very special event coming this week.

Wednesday, Sept 23rd, 11am EDT eHarlequin.com is hosting a live chat for you! The editors are coming to you to give you plenty of time to get your questions answered and your submissions in, so don't miss this chance!

You can find all the details here and if you miss the chat then a transcript will be posted later. So if you have questions, why not post them now - and log on to join in the chat on Wednesday.

And Sharon, I'll see you in Newport, Carol and Joanne in Halifax - and Rachel in Southampton!