What happened to January

 January seems to have got lost  somewhere along the way.   I sort of blinked and they  realised that I hadn't posted in  this blog - and it was  no longer January  - but February!

What happened?  A damaged shoulder for  one thing - after a fall I had I thought I was mended but then it turned out that  my shoulder was still  affected  - and guess was the worst possible thing  for it?
Typing - working at the keyboard - that's what made it even worse than before.

So I have been trying to rest it and keep away from the keyboard. Not an easy matter when I need to be working on so much - like the next new book . . .and then there's the important preparations for the next course I'm teaching.

I'm about to head for Wales and Fishguard Bay Hotel where I'll be teaching the Advance Romance Writers' Holidays.  I can't wait - I always have so much fun with the wonderful people who run Writers' Holidays - and the great students who join us beside the sea in beautiful Wales.

Writing Course with

And  one good thing is that while I'm teaching then hopefully I can give this sore shoulder a rest - and just wear out my voice  instead.

Recently one of my usual blogging spots - The Pink Heart Society  Blog - has changed and it will be

appearing in a different format very soon. So my regular posts there won;t be appearing in the same way any more.

But the other regular postings I do - over on the Tote Bags N Blogs site  will still continue - on the 12th of every month.  And as it's the 12th of February today - really?! How did it get to February 12th!  -  so that's where my blog will be today.

And I'll try to post here more often  . . .though I will be in Wales for most of next week

12 Days of Christmas . . . .well, it was meant to be!!

I'm running late for  Christmas - a nasty fall and a badly sprained back has seen to that and meant that everything is  running behind right now.  Er . . .no, not really - I really mean that everything is crawling behind  s-l-o-w-ly and I'm buried under lists of Things To Do, parcels to wrap, presents to post . . .

Normally I run a sort of Advent Calendar countdown on my blog but that's not going to be possible this year  - so I'm doing a sort of   condensed 12 Days of Christmas version - crammed into  6 days! With 2 gifts each day.

And as today is the 12 th December,  you'll know that the 12th is the day I post my regular blog over on Tote Bags N Blogs -  so that's where I'm posting the news about the start of this  (mini!) celebration.

So why don't you join me over on Tote Bags N Blogs today  - and then from tomorrow on this blog here  or on my Facebook author page   and you might be able to win yourself an extra little Christmas gift - or maybe one for a friend or family member who could do with  something to brighten their day  at the moment . (I love sending giveaway books that are a surprise and come with love and thoughts

 from one of my readers.)

Charlie the Maine Coon is busy investigating  his own purrsonal Advent Calendar so that he can join in this mini-celebration and help me give away some Christmas cheer to readers.

So why not join in and give him something to do??

Tote Bags Day

Today's my regular day for  blogging over on  the Tote Bags 'n' Blogs web site.   So that's where you'll find me.

I'm blogging about the joys of Autumn  and one of those joys if the imminent publication of my new book Indebted to Moreno.

I've just found a really lovely review for this book  from Arpita over on the Mills and Boon Web site

Kate Walker has used succinct repartee, wit , sparring dialogue, engrossing and engaging plot to keep the readers guessing what will happen next? It is truly an exceptional, brilliant page turner for those who love fantasy world to the nth degree. Go for it! A must buy for all! Unmissable!

Thank you so much Arpita!

And another of the joys of autumn is that on Wednesday I shall be heading for London  and the Association of Mills and Boon Authors annual lunch followed by the Harlequin Mills and Boon author party. I'm also having lunch with my  editor.. Can't wait to meet up with so many friends and catch up with all their news.

Oh yes - and I have a special treat - tickets to see Kenneth Branagh in The Entertainer.  So it's going to be a fun - if rather hectic week.

So  if I don't find time to blog very much, I'll catch up again on Sunday when we're back. 

Tote Bags N Blogs Day

Still trying to catch up on everything since I got back home from wonderful Writers' Holiday.   And then the weekend celebrating the Babe Magnet's birthday in Harrogate  - was that really a week ago?!

I've also been trying to catch up with my latest hero and heroine (Raoul and Imogen) and their problems so that I can finish this book and send it to my editor.   I need to get that done asap so that I can work on the second book in this duet - the story of Imogen's sister Ciara  and her unexpected hero . . .

But today is the 12th of August  (if you're a grouse, please keep your head down  on this so called 'glorious' date.)
 
The 12th is a more pleasant date for me because it's the date I blog over on Tote Bags N Blogs  - so that'where you'll find me, blogging about one of my obsessions -  one that many friends know only too well because they help feed my addiction to lovely notebooks.

Tote Bags Day

Today's the 12 June which makes it my day for blogging over at Tote Bags 'N' Blogs. ( A little late as the heavy thundery weather left me with a migraine - but I made it in the end!)

As  here in the UK there have been major celebrations for the Queen's 90th birthday, I thought I'd take the opportunity to look back at the past 90 years of romance novels and some of their amazing covers.    So if you want to see some of 'The Art of Romance'  -  take a look over there.

Tote Bags Day

It's been a crazy week, and it's going to get crazier.

Tomorrow I'm heading for Winchester  where I'm going to talk to  the Hampshire Writers'  Society. Then from there I'm heading for Oxford where I'm meeting a lovely writer friend, Julie Cohen and catching up after way too long.

On Friday I'll be at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester where I'm teaching  a weekend course on Beginning, Middle and End, planning your romance novel.  (I'll have a book - or two - of my own to plan too, so this will  be really helpful for me as well!)

And today, being the 12th on the month is the day that I'm over on Tote Bags and Blogs - so that's where I am today!

I'll be away the rest of the week, so I'll catch up again when I'm back

Trying to catch up

A rather belated happy new year to you all!

Well, it's been a bit of a crazy month.   I was so glad to get back home and out of hospital - but the convalescence took much longer than I ever expected.  And then there was Christmas,  New Year, my son's birthday,  We celebrated that by going to stay with him and his fiancée and  I thoroughly enjoyed walking the brand new family member - the grand-dog -  on a freezing, windswept beach. (Yes, I know it doesn't sound like fun - but it was!)

Now I'm trying to catch up in all way - revisions on the latest story being the most important. My brooding Spanish hero  is faced with meeting Rose, the woman who turned his life upside down ten years ago - and is now doing that all over again.

Today I'm blogging over at Tote Bags N Blogs  - talking about my 'determinations' for  2016. Not resolutions but things I'm determined to do more of  in 2016.

Oh, and I'm thrilled to discover that  one of my 2015 title Olivero's Outrageous Proposal  is
now reprinted in the collection 12 Best of the Year for Modern Romance.  That's something that got my year off to a good start!


Important PS  - for my lovely Australian readers - with special thanks to Helen (see comments) whose comment reminded me that I need to say this.

The book of mine that appears in the Best of The Year collection - Olivero's Outrageous

Proposal  hadn't been published in Australia in 2015 - but it is out at last this month in the Mills And Boon Sexy line.

Helen has read it already  because she had an advanced copy  for an unbiased review - and she gave it this wonderful review - and it was posted as a Featured Book on the Australian Romance Readers Association  web site - here

Part of that review said:
This is such an emotionally powerful story of revenge, desire and a marriage of convenience as two people learn a lot of truths about family. The setting is just wonderful—a villa in Tuscany, Villa D’Oro, where many sensual nights are spent together and lots of discussions take place. Love grows stronger by the day, but there are still a few hurdles to cross until they reach their wonderful HEA. This is a story that will pull you in from the first page and keep you turning the pages until the end. I loved this one and highly recommend it.

Thank you so much Helen - and the ARRA

Tote Bags Day

Today's my day for blogging over on Tote Bags 'N' Blogs.  so maybe I'll see you over there.



I'm finally admitting that Christmas is coming . .  . so if you're looking for a stocking filler gift for someone special this might
be a chance for you while Charlie is acting  as Santa Paws.

Tote Bags Day

Today's the 12th of September  - which means that it's my day for blogging over on Tote Bags 'n' Blogs so that's where you'll find me today.

I'm talking about some of the things I'm looking forward to this autumn.

One of those things is the upcoming Focus on Writing Romantic Fiction guided retreat  coming up at Swanwick in Derbyshire,  Numbers on this retreat are strictly limited but  unexpectedly I do have a space or - ata  push two spaces - if you'd like to come along. Part of the weekend is an intensive one to one session focused on your individual writing.

'Focus on Writing Romantic Fiction' - a Retreat with Kate Walker.  This course has a limited number of places, so if you have not booked, please hurry.  Retreats are popular with those writing a novel.  They can receive feedback during the year, as Retreats are twice yearly, they will help you progress chapter by chapter!

Or you might like to look into writing stories/memoirs/articles  inspired by your family - 

 

Write About your Uncle Joe with Stephen Wade links you to not only writing short stories about the past, but putting into words the Family anecdotes that are more personal to each of us, whether for your memoirs or for fiction.

Check out the Relax and Write website for details if you're interested 

Tote Bags Day

Today's my day for blogging over on Tote Bags 'N' Blogs - so that's where you'll find me today.

Tote Bags blog

Yesterday really got away from me -  and there were the wildest storms in the evening so that I  had to switch my computer off and leave it off.

So I didn't get around to saying that, yesterday being the 12th of the month, it was my day for blogging over on the Tote Bags 'n' Blogs site.   

So that's where my latest post is. I'm talking about the books I've been reading lately - some great novels to  recommend. It's vital as an author to 'refill the well'[ of your creativity - and that's what these books have helped me do.

Tote Bags and Book Launches

Today is the 12th of June so that means it's my day for blogging over on Tote Bags N Blogs  where I'm talking about the fabulous Manga in English Harlequin Comics editions of my books.

That's because there is a new Manga comic book out next week - the Manga edition  of  Bedded By The Greek Billionaire.

It has the most amazing cover !

But this isn't the book launch I've been busy with. The reason why I've been missing on this blog for a while is because I've been helping the Babe Magnet and his publisher Priory Press with preparations for the launch of  his new book of Yorkshire short stories - Uncle Albert.

You may remember that I wrote about this book and interviewed its author back in April   Now there's the official launch in one of my favourite places   in all the world - Haworth, the village that was home to  Charlotte Emily and Anne Bronte.

The launch is being held in one of the iconic buildings in Haworth - the Black Bull Inn  where the sisters' brother Branwell Bronte just about  drank  himself to death.

The launch is there on Sunday night -

An evening with Uncle Albert and friends

                              At the Black Bull,

                                       119 Main Street, Haworth, Keighley, BD22 8DP.

                                       On Sunday the 14^th June 2015

             

The main festivities kick off at 8pm with a short introduction and Stephen Wade’s one man show.

       ‘Introducing Uncle Albert’.

           A rare Yorkie wit, raconteur extraordinaire and little known poet.

                                 There will also be

    live music from the simply fabulous Joe and Ann Gallagher Acoustic Experience

So that's where I'm going to be this weekend.  If you're passing  do drop in!   At the moment the forecast is for violent thunderstorms, lightning and torrential downpours - which seems very suitable to the place where Wuthering Heights originated.  I hope it won't be too wet and make everyone reluctant to turn out.

                             

Back to blogging

 . . . Well, sort of
That was a busy week. I knew it was going to be  but there was a lot to get through!
A lovely visit with my sister - catching up on things and taking her out to see the lovely Lincolnshire town of Beverly

Finishing the book (Yipee!) and getting it to my editor - now waiting for revisions to land but as the saying goes you can always edit a bad page you can't edit an empty one./

Then to Harrogate for an overnight stay and afternoon tea at Bettys  - followed by a trip to the theatre to watch a  spooky production - Edith In The Dark.  I have mentioned before that I do love a good spooky story - and this a good one - with great performances by the small (only 3 ) cast. Really good performances by all of them.

Back home to get sorted out  - away again this weekend, running a Focus on Writing Romantic Fiction writing retreat at Weetwood Hall.  So looking forward to this.  This one is sold out now but there will be more Relax and Write courses coming up later in the year -  next one is in June.

And today is my blogging over on the Tote Bags N Blogs site - so there's a post there as well.

Life lessons from a cat!

Today is the 12th of January (remind me again how it got to be almost halfway through the first month of 2015!)  And the 12th of the month is the day I post my regular blog over on
Tote Bags 'n'  Blogs.
If you read my blog on the Pink Heart Society, you'll have read how I just don't believe in resolutions - at least not New Year ones. So some people have wondered what do I put in their place?   The answer is one word - what word? Well you'll have to read the blog to find out.

And the cat? Well, I'm taking life lessons from my black and white kitten Ruby and resolving to live life more as she does - she certainly seems very happy on it.

Tote Bags day

Today's the 12th of the month - and as always time is rushing away with me.  I have gifts bought - some of them wrapped and the ones that need to be posted  have been taken to the Post Office and are now on their way to  be delivered to the people I chose them for.

Half the cards are done and on their way too - the rest will be in the mail tonight.  So  the Christmas preparations are  fairly well in hand,

Not so much the blog posting  -  I have a book to write as well, so that means that I have very little time left over for writing anything else like blog posts and such.

But today, as I said, is the 12th of December - so it's my day for my regular  posting over on Tote Bags 'N' Blogs, and that's where you'll find me today.

Of course, as this is the 30th anniversary of my  very first publication, that anniversary is very much in my mind . . .

See you there

Tote Bags 'n' Blogs Day

Today is the 12th of October so it's my regular day for posting over on the Tote Bags 'N' Blogs  site.

So that's where you'll find my post about writing about connected characters  - meeting up with characters from past books and seeing what's happened to them in the time since I last 'met' them.

Do you like stories where a character from a previous book reappears and gets their owns story?  Are you interested in seeing how other people from past stories have been living and getting on since the end of their own story?

That's what I'm looking at today and I'm thinking about one of the minor characters from A Question of Honor.

Tote Bags Day

Today is the 12th of the month,  so that means that it's my day to post over on the Tote Bags 'N' Blogs site.

So that's where you'll find me today.

Tote Bags Day

I'm busy with revisions  and a couple of other things that life has thrown at me - but today is  12 August, and the 12th of each month  is my day to write a post over on Tote Bags 'N' Blogs.

So that's where I am today.   And being very British, I'm talking about the weather!

After the storms and downpours of the last few days, I'm hoping it's a little calmer today. Not that it will matter too much as I have my head down and my focus on getting revisions back to my editor. But I hope that for everyone who is holidaying - specially with schoolchildren - that the day is bright and sunny for you.

I Heart Presents

Well, I was going to let you know that I have a post over on I Heart Presents on Friday (Friday 13th . . .hmmm .  .was that a good idea?)

Anyway,  that was the plan - along with a reminder that I have my regular blog on Tote Bags 'N' Blog on the 12th (tomorrow)

But then when I went over to check on the link to I Heart Presents, it seems that there is already an advance post for  A Question of Honor up there now - that was a surprise.

So - there is a long extract from A Question of Honor posted on I Heart Presents right now, my personal blog - about the story behind this book  ( from my own family history) will be there on  Friday.

And tomorrow I'll have a blog up on Tote Bags 'n' Blogs when I'll be talking about - something  . .  don't quite know what yet! Any ideas/suggestions anyone?

Tote Bags Day

I've not been blogging much because I've had my head down focusing hard on my new book. And when I'm not writing I'm preparing for the weekend course Writing Romantic Fiction  at Weetwood Hall  which is coming up this weekend. May 16-18th.

But today is my day for a regular post over on Tote Bags 'n' Blogs - so that's where I am today. I'll hope to see you there. And I'm looking forward to seeing some of you at Weetwood  on Friday.

Oh - and by the way, the two lots I've donated to Brenda Novak's on line auction for diabetes research are still available for bids - for details see the post below this one - or visit Brenda's auction web site.