Christmas time

I'm not quite sure how it got to  9th December already -  that means it's only a couple of weeks to the big day!  I'm not at all   ready and  I still have so much to do that I'm running around like crazy and trying to wrap  and post parcels, write cards, send them in the mail.

Tomorrow my dear brother in law is coming to stay for a couple of days so we are having a

n early 'mini Christmas ' to celebrate with him.

While we're doing that, I'll be posting up a little Christmas readers' giveaway  for the 12 days of Christmas - more details of that to come asap (hopefully tomorrow  before the visitor  arrives!)

So while I was planning and trying to get organised with that, I also checked out Amazon  and was delighted to find that they're running a small sale on some of my books  in the last minute Christmas deals. Not sure how long for, but if you're quick and want to grab a kindle edition of these titles, you can get one  for £0.99

 Titles available are:
Kept For Her Baby
The Sicilian's Red-Hot Revenge
Bedded by the Greek Billionaire
Constantine's Revenge
Wife for a Day
No Holding Back
Flirting with Danger

Oh, and the complete Alcolar Family trilogy (3  books in one)  is available for £1.99

Finally - if you are interested in learning about writing romance, then   Kate Walker's 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance is on sale  with 11% off the paperback   bringing the price down from  £11.99  to £10.62 - maybe you know someone who'd like to find a copy n their Christmas stocking or under the tree?

Favourite covers - For Andrea

I must apologise to one of my readers and students on my writing courses - I have been so so busy that I've only just caught up on this,. 

So -  For Andrea

When I was helping with the Tickled Pink Collection for Breast Cancer Research,   Andrea wrote and offered a generous donation   to the collection if I would let her know which of my covers are some of my personal favorites.

To start this off, she listed these  covers as her personal choices  - and I have to agree with her on them really!

So -   Andrea said -
I loved the ones with the painted covers. Some of my faves are:

'Hers for a Night' (can't beat the James Bond dinner shirt and untied bow tie look),

 'Man of Shadows' (man in a jumper and old jeans ... enough said)



'The Konstantos Marriage Demand' - incredible story and incredible cover - the way the hero is kissing the heroine


 ... and 'Kept for Her Baby' ditto



  So now I need to go and check through my covers . . . only 60+ of them  - and see which ones I'd label as my  'favourites' . 

I have to admit that, long ago title though it was, that  Man of Shadows cover was one I always loved.

Anyone else want to join in?

Bargain Books

Have you any Kate Walker titles missing from your collection on Kindle? I've just discovered that some books of mine are ON  SALE  on Amazon.co.uk - all just 0.99p right now. 

 If you want to grab some backlist titles, now's your chance:

A Proposal to Secure his Vengeance

Bedded by  The  Greek Billionaire

Constantine's Revenge

Return of The Stranger
No Holding Back
Kept for Her Baby
The Sicilian's Red-Hot Revenge
Wife For a Day
Flirting with Danger
Rafael's Love-Child

It almost makes me wish I wanted to buy copies at a bargain price!

Grab a Black Friday bargain !

Because of this chest infection I've been locked indoors - mind you there 's nothing much about the weather - freezing winds, snow, now icy rain - that has made me even want to consider   venturing outside.  Charlie (who is full of tuna and other treats  - thank you to everyone who suggested them, he says!  - has been snoozing in his cosy bed all afternoon and Ruby is lying in front of the  (as yet unlit) fi
re,  waiting for the Babe Magnet to  set a match to the kindling.

So I haven't done very much about Black Friday - or  has it been Black Monday - or just Black Week all week?   Anyway, I haven't felt  like going out and hunting for bargains, though I did find some on- line which meant I didn't  have to brave the cold and rain.   And while I was doing that I found some g

reat Black Friday/Week bargains for you.

 I was looking for the details  and UK cover of my January book - more on that  later. (As you know, Harlequin are having a complete makeover with some  new and  very different cover designs . . .)  But while I was looking for A Proposal To Secure His Vengeance, I  came across  a bundle of my backlist titles that are currently  at a reduced price on Kindle.

So if there are any of these that you don't have already - or you'd like an ebook edition for convenience - here's  your chance to catch up with some past titles at

 a bargain price.

All these books are  on sale at just £0.99 on Amazon - and on  the Mills and  Boon web site

Return of the Stranger
Kept   for Her Baby
The Sicilian's Red-Hot  Revenge
Bedded by the Greek Billionaire
No Holding Back
Rafael's Love-Child
The Unexpected Child
A Sicilian Husband
Wife for a Day
 Constantine's Revenge
The Devil and Miss Jones
Flirting With Danger

Not sure how long  they will be on offer -  but  if the weather stays like it is, you might want something to curl up inside in the warmth and read  this weekend - so grab a bargain.

And another bargain book . . .

Life has been so hectic lately that I've not had much time to breathe. And I've had my head down, mind focused, practicing BICHOK  (bum in chair, hands on keyboard) in a determined effort to
 finish  The Book That Would Not End.   What's that some people say about giving birth to a pineapple - there's a vivid (and apt) description!

Anyway, the Pineapple has finally allowed me to finish it,  it's with my editor now so I have a  moment or two to draw breath and look at the  huge To Do list, together with the mound of correspondence that has piled up.  I'm working my way thought that at the  moment  - my apologies to important people who have been waiting for me to get back to them!

Several of those are people who have been asking about any courses that I have coming up - so I'll write a post about those just as soon as I can.

In the meantime, the fact that I have raised my eyes from my computer screen has meant that I've discovered that Amazon has another of my backlist titles available at a bargain price right now. So if you don't have a kindle version of  the 2009 book Kept For Her Baby then it's up on Amazon at £0.99 right now. Not sure for how long but it's a bargain price if you want to read it.  Like The Return of the Stranger which is still at £0.99 too.
 

A little something Extra

I've had enquiries about some  of the titles of mine that are in the  great big Harlequin Sale at the moment - Until October 25th
.
These are titles that people are realising they missed  out on when they came out. They didn't see them on the shelves, they said?  Where were these books on sale?

And even more so  - what are Presents EXTRA???

Oh dear - this is something that I thought had gone away. It's an idea that was brought up  to get more Presents novels of the shelves back in 2009-2012.   That was when there were two issues of Presents titles each month - and the  4 other Presents Extra titles later in the month.

All  it did was confuse people.  Especially as some of the books were from the Riva/Modern Extra/  line  were included.  And some of the confusion went on to my titles issued then.

So it looks to me as if  some of my readers missed out on finding books they wanted to read.  These books are now in the big sale as ebooks - but they're nder the 'Presents Extra' label.

Still confusing people.

So I'm going to share the details of these titles in case you are one of the readers who want to catch up with the books I've written that they haven't read.

These are the titles I'm talking about:

KEPT FOR HER BABY

Wanted: wife and Mother...
Staring at the granite-handsome features of Italian billionaire Ricardo Emiliani, Lucy knows she's made a mistake coming back to their palatial Lake Garda home. But she'll do anything for her baby son—even return to the husband who never loved her...
Ricardo branded his wife a gold-digger, however, tiny Marco needs his mother so he will keep Lucy captive on his private island until she proves herself a worthy wife—in every sense...

 THE KONSTANTOS MARRIAGE DEMAND 

The Greek's ruthless reunion.
Sadie Carteret and Nikos Konstantos were once blissfully in love. They planned the wedding of the

year, and their union would create a powerful dynasty.
But business and pleasure should never be mixed. Nikos was accused of scheming for Sadie's money and title, and was systematically destroyed by her family. The wedding was cancelled, the relationship in tatters.
Now the ruthless billionaire has built himself back up from scratch. He will clear his name and demand what was rightfully his...
Sadie must love, honour and...obey....

The Konstantos Marriage Demand was a Romantic Times  March 2010 Top Pick  and awarded Romantic Times Best Presents Extra 2010!

THE GOOD GREEK WIFE 

The return of the proud Greek husband...
He was declared missing at sea — but now notorious Zarek Michaelis is back and ready to take control! First he'll see to his business, and then to his wayward wife...
For two years Penny has struggled to come to terms with Zarek's disappearance. But enough is enough. It's time to move on… Her proud Greek husband is still as darkly handsome as ever, and the attraction between them is just as potent. But Penny can't trust Zarek's motives — does he just want her body and the fortune he left behind…or to try again?




THE PROUD WIFE  

Her husband wants her back!
Marina thought her dreams had come true when her husband placed a wedding band on her finger. But their marriage was not the fairytale she'd hoped for, and eventually Marina walked away, her heart broken.
But two years on Pietro DInzeo no longer haunts Marina's dreams. She knows the time has come to move on, and even a summons to join him in Sicily won't deter her However, with his wife stand
ing before him, about to sign on the dotted line of their divorce papers, Pietro wonders why he ever let her go?





THE RETURN OF THE STRANGER 

Standing high on the windswept moors, the lone figure of Heath Montanha vows vengeance on the woman who destroyed the last fragments of his heart...
Lady Katherine Charlton has never forgotten the stablehand with dangerous fists and a troubled heart from her childhood. Now the rebel is back, his powerful anger concealed under a polished and commanding veneer.
When ten years of scandal and secrets are unleashed, with a passionate, furious kiss, Heath's deepest, darkest wish crystallises...
Revenge -- and Kat -- will be his!









THE DEVIL AND MISS JONES
Martha Jones has never taken a risk in her whole life. Until the day she runs out on her wedding and succumbs to the magnetism of a man she has only just met! A man she knows only as Diablo.
Lone wolf Carlos Ortega won't promise Miss Jones more than one searing-hot night. Yet Carlos is shocked by Martha's sweet innocence. This runaway bride is a virgin, and it seems the repercussions of their sizzling encounter could last forever . . .



OK - so those are the books - but as I'm celebrating my 65th title - Indebted to Moreno -   I'm going to run a flash giveaway of these 'missing' books -   I have one copy of each book to give away and when they're gone they're gone!

But you're going to have to be quick!

You have just 24 hours to enter . .. . but then if you don't win the books will still be in the $1.99 sale!

Details coming up  . . .

International giveaway

So - I  promised anyone who might read my books in a language other than English, that I'd have a special treat for them  - and here you are -
it's an International  Translations Giveaway

I've had a lot of deliveries of  foreign translations of my books and  before I send any to the language library I support, I thought I'd ask if there are any readers out there who'd like to win a giveaway of  the titles I have available.

It's quite simple - all you have to do is to email me  and let me know which book in which language you'd like to win.
A few simple conditions - 
1. One book only per person
2. Books on a first come first served basis. Once they;re gone, they're gone
3. Please  give me one title and a second choice in case I've run out of copies of the book yo

u first selected. Of course if there's just one book in one language then I'm afraid once they're gone, they're gone.

The books you can choose from are:
 1. Italian translations 
Olivero's Outrageous Proposal - Un Intrigante Proposta
The Good Greek Wife  in Scintilla Greca   -  4 in 1 with Sarah Morgan Caitlin Crews Abby Green
The Konstantos Marriage Demand   in Matrimonio Greco   4 in 1 with Diana Hamilton, Margaret Mayo, Helen Bianchin

2. Thailand:
Olivero's Outrageous Proposal

3. Poland
Bound By Blackmail (by Kate Walkerova!)  Spanelskanhra

4. Holland
Olivero's Outrageous Proposal  - Perfect Wraak?

5 German
The Temptation Game in  3 in 1 Traummanner with Julia James  and Catherine George
Cordero's Forced Bride in 3 in 1 Mittelmeertraume  - with  Susan Napier and Melanie Milburne

6. French
A Question of Honour - Pour L'honneur du Cheikh

7. Japanese - MANGA editions  of
Kept For Her Baby
Sicilian Husband, Blackmailed Wife


THIS OFFER ENDS MONDAY MARCH 14th!

Kept For Her Baby

UK  readers  - did you miss out on a copy of Kept For Her Baby?

Or would you just like a really good buy in an ebook in the M&B site's sale?

Secret Love-Child - a 3 in 1 collection  with two other books by Catherine  Spencer and Tina Duncan is currently available for .99p as an ebook on the site and on Kindle.  It's  a great deal if you grab it now.

The postman just brought a bundle of foreign translations  including two of my favourites -  one from Czechoslovakia where I'm  'Kate Walkerova'  and another new manga edition - I love getting those. The illustrations are so great. this one is  Sicilian Husband Blackmailed Bride

 with the Sicilian hero looking like a secret agent in his black trench coat arriving at his heroine's wedding! (He isn't a secret agent however!)

In the 'news'

In the coffee shop- this morning,  I  opened a newspaper today to find, unexpectedly, that there was a familiar cover staring out at me from the centre of an article.

No Holding Back  was being used to illustrate an article ‘revealing’ that apparently Harlequin Mills& Boon novels now have   a ‘racy newlook’  and that this is apparently influenced by the success of the erotic novels  50 Shades of Grey etc.

Errr . . .

Well this might be sort of relevant if they hadn’t chosen a book of mine that came out in  1995 – and was re-released as a ‘Vintage’  M&B in 2012.   And if they’d been looking for an example of a raunchy cover, I’m sure a little effort could have unearthed  something rather less restrained, even in my own output since then.

The Sicilian’s Red-Hot Revenge for example, or Kept For Her Baby.  Though the first of those is almost ten years old; the second only two years  younger  - published back in 2009.

The other  ‘recent’ covers cited  - on books by Sandra Marton and Kelly Hunter  are a good five years old  with Not For Sale and  Flirting with Intent both dating from  2011. The only actual up to date cover – from this month – is a Blaze title  by Nancy Warren  -  in which – shock horror – the heroine‘s shirt has slipped to reveal her modest  white bra.    So, according to the Daily Mail this is new and raunchy and influenced by 50 Shades . . . Oh, for heaven’s sake

It doesn’t take two minutes’ research to turn up an article  that claims, in the same stunned tones, that Mills and Boon have become  ‘Millsand Boom Boom’! – This time, apparently ‘influenced’ by the popularity of Black Lace erotic novels.  The two articles could quite easily be transposed – all that’s needed is that the names of the editors quoted and the  books that are ‘influencing’ the writers  can be swapped about and Shades of Grey becomes  Black  Lace  - and there you go!  

Not a hope in hell of considering that Harlequin  M&B authors have been influencing other popular fiction authors as we hold on to a large amount of the  novel selling market  with books that have had a wide variety of tones, voices, levels of sensuality and stories  - and continue to do so.  In today’s article,  amongst the hugely dated covers of books from the 30s, 40s, 50s (show me any novel with a cover that hasn‘t dated when it’s over 50 years old!) there is the comment by Joanne Grant, Mills & Boon executive editor:

Mills & Boon has adapted to reflect society and popular culture. You can really chart the changes because we have a history lasting over 100 years. In the past, the sex itself wasn't so obvious on the page. It was implied, and there was lots of sensuality so you could imagine what had happened behind closed doors, but it wasn't explored on the page. Now there are no worries about that – we can be very open.

But as any reader of Mills & Boon knows this isn’t something we’ve just discovered – or have been pushed into by the ‘influence’ of 50 Shades.  It’s part of the natural growth and changes in our books – and so many many others to reflect to society in which we’re writing and in which our readers are reading.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to find that the ‘news’ about the books we’re publishing might at least be contemporary and not a good five years old or more.  I’m not holding my breath.

Another reason to smile

It isn't actually published yet - not on the bookshop shelves that is - but Olivero's Outrageous Proposal is on sale over on the Mills & Boon web site.

But only just.  So I was thrilled to see over  there that it's already at #3 in the top 10 bestsellers  as of this morning!

Another reason to smile! (I just realised that the official publication date is April 1st! I hope this isn't an April Fool.)

My sister is coming to visit for a few days so I might be otherwise occupied for a while   - so in case I forget or don't get to the computer (you know what sisters are like for talking!)  I'll just remind you that tomorrow is my day for posting over on the Pink Heart Society  when I'll be talking about another important member of my family and the important legacy of books and story-telling she left me.

Oh - and if you haven't got hold of a copy of the 3 in 1 By Request Secret Love-Child and you want one - Amazon UK has reduced it  from £5.99 to just £3.85 - and it's in the 3 paperbacks for £10 deal. This is the collection that has my Kept for Her Baby in it.

Cover changes

I'm always intrigued by new covers.   I always look forward to seeing the brand new  coves for each new book. (I don;t have any cover yet for Olivero's Outrageous Proposal but I'll share just as soon as I do)  But perhaps the most interesting  look at covers is when an older book is reprinted and reissued  - perhaps in  a 3 in 1 collection and then it gets a brand new cover which is totally unlike the previous one.

I have two reissues at the moment - one out now and one coming up and so I thought I'd share the covers with you - and the original covers these books had.

So the first one is out now  The book of mine that is in this reprint  is Kept For Her Baby  which was originally published in   2009.

Then the cover looked like this  -


So now it's reprinted in a  3 in 1  - Secret Love-Child  (with other books by Catherine Spencer and Tina Duncan)   It's  on  the shelves now.  And  this new edition looks like this.

Incidentally, Kept For Her Baby isn't really a 'secret love-child' story - both the hero and the heroine know exactly who the baby is  - but that's the name of the collection.

 The second reprint coming up is a republication of The Konstantos  Marriage Demand That's a book from  2010 - and it won the Romantic Times Best Presents Extra in that year.

When this book was originally published it had a cover that looked like this:
And now that it's reprinted it has a brand new cover that you can see at the top of this post - for the 3 in 1  Collection His Revenge Seduction  (with other titles by Melanie Milburne and Elizabeth Power.)

The two covers (for each book) are very different - just shows how things have changed in  a round  4 or 5 five years.

What do you think? Do you prefer the original covers ?  (You can see the Mills & Boon editions on the books' pages on my web site if you want to.)

Do you like the 3 in 1 collections that come out regularly\- the ones that are  called 'By Request' ?
Do you find it a good way to catch up on books you've missed - or get a copy of an old favorite?

Catching Up

I made  a mistake this week - I decided to tidy up and sort out my office . . . . That will leave me ready to focus totally on the book I'm writing - once I've organised my teaching notes (and  prepared the hand-outs for the Relax and Write course on  Before You Submit Your Novel - The Practicalities  at Weetwood Hall next weekend. )  But organising my teaching notes led to organising every  last file of hand-outs, course notes, writing exercises . . .

OK, it was a great excuse to buy some new stationary and lovely coloured files   . . . but it still took up too much time and - well, do you know that time when things get worse before they get better? That's the way things look this morning! The Babe Magnet is also preparing for a course on Writing  About Your Life - so he has hand-outs to organise as well.

But there's one thing about being busy in a practical sense - it leaves my mind free to think and plan the new story (working title currently  The Wrong Bride ) so I'm also scribbling down notes and making plans as I put papers in  files and plan work on synopsis, first chapters, opening lines  . .etc for the 24th- 26th.  And the story is growing as a result.

Other book news -  I was looking on Amazon  last week and discovered this cover. It's for a 3 in 1 By Request collection of past titles reprinted in one volume. This one - Secret Love-Child  - is coming out at the end of October. The title of mine that's in it is Kept For Her Baby.  Not exactly a 'secret love-child' story.  But definitely a novel in which the love of a baby is very important!
The other two novels in this volume are by Catherine Spencer and Tina Duncan

I also spotted another 3 in 1 volume coming out in January: His Revenge Seduction -   this time my novel The Konstantos Marriage Demand (the book that was awarded Best Presents Extra by Romantic Times in 2010) is I  the collection with books by Melanie Milburne  and Elizabeth Power.  I don't have a cover to share with you yet  -0 but I'll post it when I see it.

If you haven't already noticed, there is now a brand new Facebook page for all the Harlequin  Presents Authors. Lots of news,messages, and interest for anyone who loves reading Harlequin  Presents (Mills and  Boon Modern)

. Why not come along and 'like'  it - and join in all the fun.

Now where was I . . .?

Sorry for the delay in updating this blog - one of the things about being a published author is that in order to keep that title you have  to write - and that takes time and focus. Life has been hectic anyway, and I've needed to carve out time to spend with a sexy Italian and his wife of convenience, to get their story told.  

So that's where I've been and what I've been doing  - on the writing front anyway.

On the teaching front, I've been thrilled by the response to the new Kindle edition of the 12 Point Guide To Writing Romance  - and want to send many thanks to everyone who  bought a copy  at the special promo price |(and to the wonderful friends and fellow authors who spread the word that it was available.)  The ebook is now on sale at it's proper price - but as that is only $3.99 - or  £2.45 in the UK., I still reckon this is a bargain compared to the  price of the paperback. Plus,   the Kindle edition is easily available to more countries  - copies have sold in Germany, France, Australia and Canada - all with just one click! I love ebooks.

I'll admit I never thought I'd say that but I do love ebooks. I love the ease with which I can buy them, the way that I can store hundreds on my reader and not clutter up my room. I'm never without something to read, travelling is easy - just throw the reader in my bag and I  will never run out of  reading matter or if I should do, then  it's easy to get hold of something new.

Not that I'm ever likely to need to do that  . . . the problem is that my Kindle sits on my desk beside me as I

write this - and if during the day I spot an interesting title, then  the temptation is very strong . . . and I was never good at resisting temptation - at least not where books are concerned!

And as a writer, the great thing about ebooks is the way that old titles  get a  whole new lease of life as people discover them. When I was first published , Harlequin romances were in the shops for one month and that was it.  They sold, or they didn't and there was little chance of getting  a copy once the month was over. Sometimes, a book might be reprinted as a 'Bestseller'  - but that would be years later.  I often used to get letters/emails from readers looking for a replacement copy of an old book - or to catch up on one

they'd missed  and  it was difficult to help them.

Now I have old titles out in ebook  form - and it's great to see  - as I did this morning - that older titles like  Kept For Her Baby, At The Sheikh's Command,  The Italian's Forced Bride and Cordero's Forced Bride are out there in the list of bestseller for Modern Romances on Amazon UK.

Oh - and btw -  if you buy  your ebooks from the Mills & Boon web site - they've now introduced a brand new app  which is the best way to read Adobe® Content Server protected eBooks on your iOS device.

What else? Oh yes - courses - I need to update the info on the courses coming up   including one special

retreat style event called Focus on Writing Romantic Fiction - but there's an Italian calling to me so I'll post about that tomorrow.

If you're still looking for a basic course - check out the details  on the upcoming course at Weetwood Hall -   below -  it has filled up but if you're interested I can find another space for you.  Details are also on the Events page of  my web site and on the Relax and Write website here. 

More details on the other course(s) and the Focus retreat as soon as I get some more words added to my total for Dario and Alyse! 

Advent Calendar - day 12

The people in the Post Office are getting used to see me arriving with packages of prizes for the winner  on the Advent Calendar  - or the special draw  for my Newsletter group.  (If you're not on that  and you want to be - see the link to join at the bottom of the page.)  They even recognise the shape of the parcels and when I say ' This is to go to America. . . Australia . . .Indonesia . . . ' they'll add  'and it's  a book?' The advent calendar is getting me noticed!

So today I'm getting some more prizes in the post -  and there's another winner I need to announce - that's the winner of Kept For Her Baby.

And the winner is Yvonne.

Yvonne please email me kate AT kate-walker dot com  with your postal address so that I can get your prize in the mail to you.

So far the Newsletter winners are:
Tonda H from Kentucky
Gemma W  from Norfolk
Flora L from  Baltimore
Jane S
Barbara S from Indiana
One point I need to mention - obviously at this time of year, there is a lot of mailing going on! Cards,  gifts, all over the place, flying to all  parts of the world.   I guarantee that I will put your prize in the mail just as soon as I can and I will package it securely, send it on its way.  After that, it's up to the Royal Mail  or whoever delivers to your part of the world.   I can't guarantee delivery - and I can't guarantee when it will arrive. I hope you all appreciate this.  It's a risk I take when I send parcels all over the world - but  it's one I'm prepared to take as I have friends/readers all over the world too.

Yesterday As well as the parceling the Babe Magnet and I did some major sorting out and cleaning, getting the house  ready for Christmas,. As a result, by the time the evening came we were both  worn out,  So I indulged in  a long, hot soak in the bath, with a vanilla scented candle  burning on the windowsill. I slept wonderfully after that.

So  - today's  question  for you to talk about is this - at this time of year, everyone is so busy - especially women! As mothers, wives, daughters, we all have so much to do, things to prepare, gifts to buy, meal to cook.  We all need a little me  time to help us  keep going.   What little extra treats do you have to keep yourself going -  a cup of tea, a hot bath?  A lie-in in the morning?   Watching a special TV programme?  (I love catching up with the soaps for this!)

I'm sure that for a lot of us, a quiet time with a good book is a special indulgence in the busy days.  So I have 2 copies ( because I might have missed a couple of days on the calendar!)  of  The Konstantos Marriage Demand  to give away this time.

The Greek's ruthless reunion.
Sadie Carteret and Nikos Konstantos were once blissfully in love. They planned the wedding of the year

, and their union would create a powerful dynasty.
But business and pleasure should never be mixed. Nikos was accused of scheming for Sadie's money and title, and was systematically destroyed by her family. The wedding was cancelled, the relationship in tatters.
Now the ruthless billionaire has built himself back up from scratch. He will clear his name and demand what was rightfully his...
Sadie must love, honour and...obey....


The Konstantos Marriage Demand was awarded Romantic Times Best Presents Extra 2010!

Advent Calendar - and a winner

Things got busier than I expected -  anyone would think it was coming up to Christmas! I just ventured out to  the local shopping mall  and it was hectic! But  I think I'm getting organised now. I have to write some cards though ..  . that's tonight's job.

Thank you for the good news - I was so happy to read it. Mary and Kaelee - new babies are always a wonderful joy and  congratulations to Lois and Charlotte on your successes.  And I know personally  what a wonderful result can come from the operation to remove cataracts. Eli, I'm sorry to hear about your mother. I hope the days that pass will ease your heart.

Everyone who nominated a friend to have a book sent to them - they're on the way! They may get tangled up in the Christmas posts but  hopefully they'll reach your friends soon.

Oh yes - and the winner of the good news prize is Lois - so you have won  a copy of Mediterranean Tycoons. I hope that's good news for you.  Lois please send me your postal address so that I can get the book in the mail to you.

Today's prize - appropriately enough with the news of babies etc - is a copy of the  2009 title  - Kept For Her Baby:



Wanted: wife and Mother...
Staring at the granite-handsome features of Italian billionaire Ricardo Emiliani, Lucy knows she's made a mistake coming back to their palatial Lake Garda home. But she'll do anything for her baby son—even return to the husband who never loved her...
Ricardo branded his wife a gold-digger, however, tiny Marco needs his mother so he will keep Lucy captive on his private island until she proves herself a worthy wife—in every sense...

To be in with a chance of winning a copy - well, seeing as I'm going to be writing my cards tonight  - along with the Babe Magnet, beside the fire  with maybe a glass of wine . . .- tell about the cards you send.
Have you written them yet? Or maybe even posted them already?

Go you still send all paper cards? Or have you decided to choose ecards instead?

And what designs do you choose?  Traditional ones, maybe with a Nativity scene or a Christmas Tree -  modern designs  or perhaps you like comedy cards, with  cartoons or silly photos?

We got our first card in the mail - it was a  picture of  a big fat robin. I'm going to have to show this to the robin that comes to the bird-table in my garden - he's only young and a skinny little thing so he needs encouragement  to grow"!

Advent Calendar Day 15

Today's the 15th December which means that it's the day I have my regular blog post over on We Write Romance where I have my usual Kate's Corner.

So that's where you'll find me today - and where you'll find the question for today's Advent Calendar giveaway.

Today's  book that I'm giving away is the 2009 title Kept for Her  Baby.

Wanted: wife and Mother...
Staring at the granite-handsome features of Italian billionaire Ricardo Emiliani, Lucy knows she's made a mistake coming back to their palatial Lake Garda home. But she'll do anything for her baby son—even return to the husband who never loved her...

Ricardo branded his wife a gold-digger, however, tiny Marco needs his mother so he will keep Lucy captive on his private island until she proves herself a worthy wife—in every sense...



To be in with a chance to win this book you need to go over the WWR and answer the question in the comments there. (If you have any problems, then just come back here and post an answer. I'll be checking both blogs anyway.)

Advent Calendar Day 3

I've set myself a problem with getting Charlie to pick the Advent Calendar winners - he's a much younger cat than dear Sid was so he's  out and about a lot more! I managed to get him to pick a winner for the Tote Bags 'n' Blogs prize - the winner was Martha Lawson -    and then he decided that he wanted to go out roaming while there was still some daylight and before it got too cold.  So I'll have to get him back on the job of picking a winner when he comes in for supper.

In the meantime, I want to post up today's question.

Over on Tote Bags, I was talking a bout buying and sharing ebooks - and that was on my mind because I've  been  watching how my ebooks - old and new - are selling since some were re-issued as Harlequin Treasury and M&B Vintage.  It has been interesting to see which of the older books have been bought  since they came out in this format. Amazon show a listing of the bestselling M&B books  and for the past few weeks I've been thrilled to have three books on this list  for almost a month - in spite of the fact that they were all originally published some years ago.

It's made me wonder what sparks off a new interest in an older book - word of mouth? Or some new  readers who have just found my books and want to pick up old ones?   Or readers who read these books when they originally came out  and lost their print copies so now they';re collecting ebook versions to reread. I know that's why I've been buying some of the M&B Vintage classics. 

You can see all the titles of mine that have been reissued as Vintage/Treasury titles in the great banner that Heather has made for the head of this page -  nut there are a couple of other 'oldies' that have been appearing in the Bestseller charts. The top runner for weeks now has been The Sicilian's Red-Hot Revenge, This is a really special book for me as it was my 50th title published. It came out back in 2007. 

The other books that have had a renewed interest in them have been  a mixed bunch - Kept For Her Baby (2009) has been appearing on the list for the past 4 weeks or so - and  now it's been joined by His Miracle Baby (2001). It makes me wonder if someone is wanting to read some older stories with babies in them. I know so many people have written to me to say that thnis are real heart tugging stories so perhaps that's it?

And then of the Vintage titles, the most popular is The Groom's Revenge  (1997)  and The Unexpected Child (also 1997)  - there's another 'baby book'.

So that set me wondering - what golden oldies would you want to pick up if you were buying |Treasury/Vintage titles?  What older books do you remember that you'd love to go back and reread, to see if they were as good as the way you remember them the first time?

You don't have to name any of my books - but I'd love to know if there are any  you'd like to find.

Today's Advent Calendar prize is one of those  bestselling, second time around books - that very special 50th title of mine - 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.
Part One of The Sicilian Brothers series is Sicilian Husband, Blackmailed Bride - Guido's story
Don't forget - answers in the comments section and I'll get Charlie on to picking a winner  tomorrow.

Oh yes - and if any of you are real collectors and looking for  some real golden oldies to add to your collection - I have some of those on offer in this Advent Calendar including some  that I think are now totally out of print - keep wathcing thnis space! And I hope you'll join in the rest of the contests as you do.