London - AMBA and the Author Party

I’ve finally managed to get home from London, sort things out, unpack and do the laundry  so that I have a chance to catch up.

With Kate Hardy aka Scary Kate

 The trip to London was great from start to finish. On the  Friday night I had dinner with Chantelle Shaw and Rachael Thomas which was so much fun. It’s always good to catch up with fellow writers and friends and have a chance to have some quality time together to really talk.   Of course Rachael was once one of my students on the Fishguard Advanced Romance Writing Course and it had been wonderful to enjoy her success as she had written more successful  books and established her position in the Harlequin Presents line-up.

This year, the newest recruit to the Presents line was Amanda Cinelli  (winner of the So You Think You Can Write contest last year) whose first book  Resisting the Sicilian Playboy is out in October.  I sat next to Amanda at the lunch and so was delighted to learn from her that she  had  a copy (OK 2 copies – the print version  and the Kindle  one) of my 12 Point Guide To Writing Romance  and she told me that it had really helped her with her writing for Harlequin. Which is great because that’s just what I wrote it for! I also had more time to chat with Andie Brock who I met briefly last year but didn’t get much of a chance to  talk to her.  And of course I had a chance to talk with my editor - and so many others of  HMB editorial .

View from the News Building

  I had a wonderful time at both the AMBA lunch and the Harlequin Author Party afterwards.   The new offices in the News Building  on London Bridge Street  are in a part of London that I don’t know well, so it was fascinating to explore a bit  and to marvel at the amazing building  that is The Shard there.

The height and expanse of The Shard makes the News Building look rather small in comparison, but by the time we had travelled up 17 floors (thankfully in an express lift!) to reach the special events area, it didn’t actually feel smaller!  The view from the windows was

Another version of that stunning view

totally stunning, with the whole of London spread out below.  Even things like the London Eye looked tiny from up there.

One of the best feelings about being at the author party was the excitement of being able to see a couple of my covers projected on to the large screens in the room. As the covers to Olivero’s Outrageous Proposal and Destined for The Desert King are two of my favourite covers it was great to be able to see them on display like that.

Cover for Olivero's Outrageous Proposal on display

At the party I was able to meet up with more friends – some  international ones too! Anna Sugden who writes for American Romance and Kandy Shepherd  (Cherish) who was over from Australia.  And I had a very special hug for lovely Nicole Locke whose newest Historical novel  Her Enemy Highlander  is out this month.   You might remember that Nicole wrote thislovely blog post to mark my 30 years of being a published author. Thanks once again Nicole!

With Anna Sugden and Kandy Shepherd

I didn’t take many photographs  during the day so I’m grateful to my friends and the official M&B photographer   Katie who took pictures so that I can show them here.

A lovely post to mark 30 years!

You might remember that some months ago,  I celebrated the publication of Nicole Locke's very first book. This was after I had met her at the Mills & Boon Author Party in London back in September.

I was delighted to share the news of her book with everyone - I so remember the excitement of the very first title to be published.

 At the time I had also asked Nicole if, as  a way to mark my 30 years of publication (that first book  The Chalk Line came out in December 1984)  she would write me a little bit about her favourite Kate Walker novel.  I know that she said she'd find it too hard to pick one title so I left that alone and said if she ever did want to write about a favourite to let me know.

Today she has done just that - and more !  Because to mark the publication of Olivero's Outrageous Proposal, Nicole has written the most lovely blog post about my writing, not here on this blog, but over on the official Mills & Boon blog on the Mills & Boon web site.  If I'm honest, I had to go away and blow my nose and blink rather hard when I read it. It is such a lovely post and  to say that I'm honoured is an understatement.   I'm so touched and complimented to think that a fellow writer has enjoyed my work like this for so long - it's the greatest compliment someone can pay to an author.

So all I can say is Thank you Nicole - thank you so much. You've made my day - week - month -year!  And I hope I'll see you again at AMBA this year so I can give you a big hug to say thank you in person.

And this has me wondering - do you have a special Kate Wallker title that you've loved and really enjoyed?  If anyone wants to write and let me know of a story that sticks in your memory, I'd love to share with every one else - after all, you don't get to celebrate 30 years of publication every day!

Meet a new author

As many  of you know, every year I go to London for the annual Association of Mills & Boon Authors lunch.  As  well as a chance to meet up with old friends (that's old as in the meaning of - we've been friends for a long time!) there is always the chance to make new ones. 

This year I was thrilled to be able to introduce new author Rachael Thomas to the M&B authors when she had just had her first Modern Romance/Presents published.   Later, I was also delighted to meet brand new Historical author Nicole Locke who was there because her first book had been accepted and scheduled. I can still remember just how it felt to have that very first acceptance - though of course my first book The Chalk Line  was published   30 years ago - way back  before the internet, AMBA or anything like that!  So I love to meet newly accepted authors and often invite them to come along on to my blog to talk about their first book when  the magical day/month comes and it's finally published.

So I  asked Nicole to join me and talk about her  new historical title - The Knight's Broken Promise. One thing Nicole and I share is a love of Medieval times and the history of that period - so I was happy to find out that this is the period in which she's set her book .  But although she's talking about historical novels, I think her declaration of what she's aiming to write is a great summary of what all romantic novelists are aiming for - 

 That one piercing cherished love. The one that cannot cease. 

And that is a great cover!

So - welcome to the blog, Nicole, it's great to see you here.


From Nicole:

It’s thrilling to be here on Kate Walker's blog! I write about the medieval times. So why am I here? I believe when writing contemporary or historical romance, love compels across all centuries. And when it comes to writing about love, Kate’s stories and generous encouragement are an inspiration.

Nicole Locke
The Knight's Broken Promise is my first book with Harlequin and releases February 2015.

Why I Love Medieval Times

I love the medieval times because of the heart of one man, and his love for his wife. When she died, he wrote a letter about his anguished wretchedness. His wife, ‘whom in life we dearly cherished, and whom in death we cannot cease to love.’

That letter was written to the abbot of Cluny in France by Edward I, who ruled England from 1272 to 1307.

Say what you like about this king. It is probably all true. He was politically savage, determined and ruthless. Was it a sign of the times, or did Edward himself forge those times? Books and arguments for centuries have been written on this. So much conniving and betrayal were heaped upon him, but he gave as good as he got. Our modern temperaments can barely comprehend it.

However, it is not the conflicts that compel me to write about this era. It is Edward’s love for his wife, Eleanor of Castile, and their thirty-six years of marriage. Married young, they were truly cherished companions and rarely apart. They shared sixteen pregnancies, travels, campaigns and crusades. Yet strife, injuries and loss were not all that bound them together; play and joy did as well. They loved chess and hunting. While she preferred a bow and dogs, he often used a sword and hawks. After Lent, it became a tradition for Edward to pay Eleanor’s ladies-in-waiting to re-join his wife in their marriage bed.

When Eleanor died in November 1290 at Harby near Lincoln, Edward orchestrated and accompanied an elaborate funeral procession that took over two weeks. For years afterward, Edward honoured his wife with three separate artistic tombs set at Lincoln, Blackfriars and Westminster. Twelve memorial crosses were built to stand where the queen’s body rested on the journey from Lincoln to Westminster. As beautiful and awe inspiring as the funeral, tombs and crosses were, I only envision Edward’s tall form crumpled as he rode behind the procession.

After that first Christmas, Edward wrote to the abbot of Cluny. He wrote that his love for Eleanor could not cease. Could not because he was incapable of stopping it. A noted warrior, and a determined ruler. A king, who began and conquered wars. He was a hammer, a foe, a force, but he loved. He was a man all the same, and he grieved.

So I’m writing a historical series regarding Edward’s reign, about the wars in Wales and Scotland, the betrayals in France and England. The conflict is intriguing and gripping to read and write, but love compels me more. I want to find it in this time, and endeavour to describe it. That one piercing cherished love. The one that cannot cease.