12 Point Guide 2 Launch Party 4

I'm dashing today because I'm setting off for London, literally any minute.
This afternoon I'll be at the London Book Fair for the real launch party for 12PGTWR2, but I'll leave you with some really wonderful guests who will chat with you and I'm sure you won't miss me.

My apologies to the people who have sent in questions for the Writers' Q&A which has been rather pushed to the side in the chaos that has been my life this past week or so. I have not forgotten you and I still plan on answering the questions just as soon as I get back from London and can breathe again.

So watch this space.

And when I get back I will have winners to annouce as well.
So I'll see you Thursday and in the meantime, enjoy meeting today's guests.

The first of these is Holly Jacobs who says:

Kate Walker's book is a must-have for any writer's bookshelf. It's clear, concise, informative!! Okay, so when I say things like that you might think I'm biased since I think Kate's one of the loveliest ladies around, but my copy of the book is on my reference shelf, within arm's reach of my desk! Congrats, Kate!

Holly's prize:

The winner can pick a book from my backlist (although there are a few that I'm now out of, I have copies of most.)

Holly's next book out is Same Time Next Summer, SuperRomance, in August.

I don't yet have a cover for Same Time Next Summer, but the lovely House on Briar Hill Road is still around on Amazon. And you can read more about Holly's books on her web site

My next guest is a lovely author from Australia - Ally Blake who writes for both the Modern Heat and Romance lines. Welcome Ally!

Ally says:

The second edition is here! The second edition is here! For anyone out there who does not have a copy of the 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance, run, don't walk, down to your local bookshop and buy one now. And I just ain't saying that, Kate, because you sooooo kindly asked me to be involved ;). When our published members of the Pink Heart Society get together to say which book helped them most on their journey to becoming a romance author, your wonderful book comes up trumps time and time again. And if that ain't a stamp of approval I don't know what is. A big fat humungous congrats on the release of the second edition and here's to it helping spawn a new generation of romance authors for us all to fall in love with!

Ally's next Modern Heat novel The Magnate's Indecent Proposal hits UK bookshelves in May . You can find her at her website.

Now I'd like you to say hello to Nicola Cornick who writes such fabulous historical novels.

Nicola says:
It's been great to be able to recommend The Twelve Point Guide to lots of aspiring authors who have contacted me for writing advice and I'm thrilled to know that I've been able to make a small contribution to the new book. Thank you, Kate, and I wish the book every success. When it comes to good, practical advice for would-be authors the 12 Point Guide is the best!"

Nicola's next book is The Last Rake in London - May 2008 from Mills & Boon Historicals and June 2008 from Harlequin Historicals

Nicola's Prize:

I'd love to offer a copy of The Last Rake in London as a prize

Nicola's question is:

Which historical period would you like to have been born in?

(Answer in the comments as usual please)
You can find more about Nicola on her website.

And last but not least is Presents auhtor Abby Green .

Here's what Abby has to say:

HUGE congratulations to Kate on this occasion, the launch of the second edition of her world famous 12 point guide to writing romance. It helped me along my way and then I was lucky enough to meet Kate and get her to sign my copy, and I've subsequently ordered it and also lent my own precious copy to various other aspiring authors.No doubt it's featuring right now in someone else's path to publication and the new edition will be even more fabulous than the last one. Even more encouraging. Even more inspirational and even more jam packed with helpful advice and exercises.Thanks for all the hard work you've put into it Kate...x Abby Green

Abby's next next book out is The Mediterranean Billionaire's Blackmail Bargain in July

You can read more about Abby and her books on her website

And don;t forget that all these fabulous authors are partying with me because they contributed to 12PGTWR2 by offering thier own personal tips and advice on writing romance in general and the lines they write for in particular.

Keep commenting for a chance to win - and I'll be back before you know it!

A Kate bit - dashing in and out

Later today, as promised, I'll be writing some reports of my week in Caerleon and bringing you some extra Guest Bloggers who were there with me in Wales. But first I have to go and have my hair cut so that I can look vaguely presentable for the Write Away course that starts on Friday.

But I just wanted to say two things - one is a great big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my wonderful friend Anne McAllister.

Why don't you all go and wish her a happy day on her blog. She's still asleep so it will be a great surprise for her when she wakes up.

And secondly - over on the Pink Heart Society (where very soon my first official column will appear) Ally Blake is singing the praises of Brendan Fraser in today's inspiring Male on Monday.

I have to agree with her choice - Mr Fraser was definitely inspiring to me when I was writing my Greek Tycoon Andreas for The Greek Tycoon's Unwilling Wife . The actual inspiration (for me) is a pic that hasn't appeared in Ally's post - so I'll remedy that omission and remind you that when you're reading

< - this

And you get to the swimming pool scenes, you should be imagining this . . . .->

Great Big Blog Party #51 - Winner

Another winner announcement -

This time the details come from Ally Blake who went the tried and tested routs of having a furry friend hel her pick out a winner of her prize.

Boy was this a hard pick. So many gorgeous men for me to google to make sure I was on the right track! So, as so many before me have, I had to turn to a four-legged friend for help. My miniature fox terrier, Squiffy, has an eye for good looking men ;). So.... the winner of my first ever sexy book, GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS, out now in Australia and New Zealand for those of you who missed out, goes to Lidia who was the first to suggest that George Clooney could be cast as a charming hero in my next book. Thanks Lidia!

Lidia please email Ally with your postal details so that she can organise your prize. And please cc me in on the post so I'll know that you've responded.

Now on to today's Guest Blogger who, like Ally is another Aussie

Great Big Blog Party 51 Ally Blake

I have a very special reason for posting today's Guest blogger on August 1st (who would have believed when I started this back in June that we would still be partying as August dawned?!). But we'll come to that in a minute. For now, let me introduce you to Ally Blake.

As Ally describes in her post, she and I first met at the Romance Writers of Australia Conference in Coogee Beach in Sydney. The BM and I were invited to a fabulous lunch by the management of HMB Australia and for me it was like my own personal idea of heaven with some of the most famous - and my most favourite names in romance writing in the same room. I was there with my friend Anne McAllister, I sat next to Emma Darcy, laughed with Marion Lennox, laughed some more with Trish Morey, and met Miranda Lee for the very fist time. And on the way back to the conference hotel, I shared the taxi with lovely Ally Blake.

At that stage Ally was just starting out on her career as a published author - she's come a long way since then! Now she's into double figures for published books, she's busy creating her own brand new hero or heroine and looking forward to the birth of her baby later this year - and together with Trish Wylie she's one of the founder members and editors of the fabulous Pink Heart Society.

And this is where I get to make my personal special announcement - and that is that as from today, I'm thrilled and honoured to be included amonget the newly-appointed Pink Heart Columnists. I've always thought that the PHS was a brilliant idea, and I've supported it from the start. So I'm delighted to be officially linked to it from now - and I'll be posting regularly over on the PHS site.

But let's get back to Ally Blake:

When Ally was a little girl she made a wish that when she turned twenty-six she would marry an Italian two years older than her. After it actually came true she realised she was onto something with these wish things. So, next she wished that she could make a living spending her days in her pyjamas, eating M&Ms and drinking scads of coffee while turning her formative experiences of wallowing in teenaged crushes and romantic movies into creating love stories of her own.

The fact that she is now able to spend her spare time Googling pictures of handsome guys for research purposes is merely a bonus!

Ally's Post:

Fifty books. Fifty books. I am in utter awe of such an achievement. Especially when I can’t quite believe that my current release is my tenth.

Ten! I can’t have possibly written ten books, can I? Did Kate really say fifty?

Anyhoo, moving on… I’m one of the lucky ones who has not only been able to get to know Kate through the web, through her constant encouragement of new authors at eHarlequin and doing so much for us over at the Pink Heart Society blogazine, but I shared a taxi with her once.

Her and the BM. Beat that!

It was my second ever Romance Writers of Australia conference, only a few short months after I had sold my first Harlequin Romance. Kate and her hubby were in town as special guests, and we all met up at the Harlequin Authors lunch; always a posh do at a lovely restaurant overlooking the water. Think dressing up, champagne, laughter, catching up with friends you only get to see once a year, and lots of industry gossip.

Needless to say I was a tad overwhelmed being included in such a stratospheric bunch. Anne McAllister, Marion Lennox, Helen Bianchin, Emma Darcy. All there. All clapping and whistling madly as I received a crazy huge bunch of flowers as congrats on selling my first book

.After a blur of a lunch we all headed back from the gorgeous restaurant to the conference hotel and when the time came, Kate, the BM, my flowers and I managed to squeeze into the back of a cab.

What I remember most about Kate was her generosity. She was so encouraging, so excited, so lovely, so smiley. She made the excitement factor of that sale, those flowers, and a career to come feel like something very real and very possible.

And the next day she showed a room full of us a larger than life-sized picture of Hugh Jackman in a towel… Yep, I was actually there at the unveiling.

And what a moment!Thanks Kate! For the encouragement. The creative excellence. And Hugh topless.Here’s to another fifty!Love Ally

GIVEAWAY QUESTION – Okay, now I’m looking for the perfect man on whom to base my next Harlequin Romance hero. Hugh Jackman in a towel aside, which actor, of any era, do you think is the epitome of the charming, tall, dark, handsome stranger?

GIVEAWAY PRIZE:

My fave answer wins a signed copy of Getting Down to Business, my first Modern Extra Sensual novel, not yet released in North America! And if I’m impressed enough, may even get their man a guest appearance in a Harlequin Romance novel!

PS from Kate:

- What the heck - any excuse . . . . .