Caerleon thoughts . . .

I've been so busy with the 40 for 40 celebrations that I haven't had a moment to pause and reflect on the fact that this Writers' Holiday was the last one at its usual venue on the Caerleon Campus at Newport.  Naturally, it was a sad and nostalgic occasion - but at the same time  the thoughts of everyone - students, tutors, speakers  and of course the organisers Anne and Gerry Hobbs have now to turn to Writers' Holiday 2014 in Fishguard   which I'm sure will take the same special Writers' Holiday spirit to a new and very relaxed situation.


But there are some great reminiscences about this wonderful writers' event  all over the internet right now - starting with this one by tutor Simon Whaley which you can find on his blog   Simon Says.   Some great writing advice  there.

And if you want to know more about the new venue and the dates of next year's writers holiday - then check out their web site here.   But if you're interested - you should know that the holiday is already booking up fast!

And today's very special guest on the 40 for 40 blog is another tutor from the Writers' Holiday week.

Pink Hearts Day

Sadly, today is my last day here at Writers' Holiday. Even more sadly, this will be the last one here at Caerleon. But I'll be creating and running a whole new course  at Writers Holiday in Fishguard  for July 2014.


As it's the first Friday of the month, I'm blogging over at The Pink Hearts Society today. I'm talking about the benefits of residential courses like the one I've been teaching on this week.

And of course there will be a new guest in the 40 for 40 celebrations, coming up soon.

40 for 40 winners!

I have two more winners to announce -

Liz Fenwick's winner is Just another Bloke!

And
Susan Stephens'  winner is Mary Preston!

Can winners contact me- current ones and ones I've announced already  - perhaps ask for a read receipt to make sure you message has gone through - at kate AT kate-walker.com -and I will forward your details/postal address etc to the donor of your prize.

Please also remember that while I'm having so much fun . . . ahem . . .working hard at teaching Writing Romance at Writers' Holiday that I might not get to you response immediately  but I will deal with it as soon as I'm home.

And for those of you who have asked about Charlie - thank you. His wound has healed up really well and he is  currently being looked after by the Offspring and his lovely Fiancée. He goes for a check up tomorrow and hopefully will be able to have the collar taken off then. Fingers crossed!

The Glamorous Life of The Lady Novelist - Part 2

So, as you know, I'm heading for Writers' Holiday this weekend.
I'm teaching the course The Complete Introduction to Writing Romance in the second half of the week.

Luckily.

I say luckily - that it's the second half of the week - because my travel plans aren't quite going as expected. Usually I break the journey on the way to stay overnight  so that I arrive fresh and ready to teach.  I should be heading out today - but I'm not.

What happened?  
Charlie the Maine Coon  happened.

He arrived home after a long time in the garden, with blood dripping from his neck. So I spent time in the vets' emergency  room instead of ironing and packing.

And then I spent lots of money on anaesthetics, antibiotics  - and stitches.

Oh and the collar - the protective collar. 

So now I'm still at home, watching to make sure he doesn't pull his stitches out -  keeping him indoors  and bathing his wound  twice a day. (It looks like he caught it on a nail or something - too deep for a scratch even from an aggressive cat.)

And Charlie hates the collar, hates being indoors - and he's bored.
 He should be fine in a couple of days but right now,  instead of being on a leisurely trip to Wales, I'm still here.

Oh well, it gives me time to finish the ironing . . .

Next post will be back to 40 for 40 and today's special guest.

Want to learn to write romance?

I've had some enquiries about courses on writing romance that I'm teaching this year - and what is happening to Writers' Holiday after this year's event. So I thought I'd  give some details of what I have coming up.

I've rather cut back on the teaching this year so  really there are just the two main courses I'm doing - both in Wales. Well, that's currently the situation - things can always change and often do. But it depends on me being asked to teach or run a workshop. If I do  decide to do anything new, then I will  of course let everyone know. The details will be posted here and on my events page if anything crops up.

But for now, I will be heading for Wales and for Writers' Holiday at Caerleon in the last week of July.  The exact dates are July 28th - August 2nd  and as you'll see from the details on the Writers' Holiday site, this is the course I'll be teaching:

A  complete introduction to writing contemporary romance

 This course is intended to provide information and advice for anyone who wants to learn how to write  a popular  romance genre novel.  It gives an introduction to all the skills needed for success, from creating realistic characters, sustaining pace and conflict, packing emotional punch, writing sex scenes and crafting a satisfying ending.  While the focus may be on romance novels, the techniques – dialogue, characters, tension, pacing, settings,  hooks etc will also be relevant to all forms of  popular fiction.

 

At Writers' Holiday in  Caerleon  - as it's now run - the course is   made up of 5 lessons in the mornings. My course is in the second part of the week so it runs from the Wednesday to the Friday .

Students who sign up for this course, can also do one of the other courses from the beginning of the week - and of course go to all the main talks they're interested in - and attend the 'after tea sessions' if they want - Phew! You'd cram in a lot if you do it all.

Or you can just relax in the sun (if we get any!) or even settle down and write!

And then of course there is the Wednesday afternoon excursion to explore more of Wales - the 'Book Town' of Hay on Wye, Welsh capital, Cardiff,  St Fagan's National History Museum have all been included in the past.

And then of course there is the traditional last evening concert with the Cwmbach Male Voice Choir.

All this - plus 3 cooked meals a day (or free choice at the salad bar) - plentiful tea and coffee for the breaks - secure parking -  and all for  under £500. If I wasn't teaching, I'd be paying to attend myself. (The Babe Magnet and I have done just that in the past.)

As it says on the site, this is the last Writer's Holiday at Caerleon  - but it won't be the last Writer's Holiday.  WH is being reborn and it's relocating to a new site - one of my favourite places in Wales, Fishguard Bay.

 

Fishguard Bay Hotel is where my other course is based. That's where I teach at the  Writers' And Artists'  Workshop Weekend every February.

And by popular demand I’ll be back in Fishguard  again in 2014 to run the Advanced Romance Writing Course  again -

• Date:  Friday 28^th  February – Sunday 2^nd March  2014
• Location: Fishguard Bay Hotel, Fishguard Pembrokeshire
• Course: ADVANCED Contemporary Romance Workshop

A series of six advanced novel workshop sessions. This course is open to previous Fishguard workshop or Caerleon Romance course participants or those who have been on Kate’s basic Romance courses or Kate's workshops elsewhere. It is not for beginners. Designed especially for Fishguard to move you on, the whole weekend will be concentrated on this workshop - without other distractions. Guests are encouraged to complete work with Kate prior to the weekend commencement.

Strictly Limited to first 15 bookings

The Advanced  Course runs from Friday night to Sunday lunchtime. 6 workshop sessions, and one- to- one  discussions on the work you've submitted plus an open discussion and critique session. (and a little wine!)
Cost -  £229 all in
This course sells out very fast so please enquire about bookings as soon as possible. If the course is already booked up, we will run a waiting list on a first come first served basis.

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

 

  Unfortunately, even as I'm talking about this course, I suspect that it is already sold out. Or there may be just one available place still open on it. But all enquiries will be noted and if spaces become available, then people will be offered them on a first come first served basis.

But then from 2014 things will change anyway - as I said, Writers' Holiday will move to Fishguard and the Fishguard Bay Hotel - and the format will be rather different. The course will be longer, with classes on each day instead of half the week . I'm still planning that out, but as there is so much demand for the Advanced Course, I'm planning on putting in some extras so that this course has more scope than the current basic one can manage.

Details are still being worked out -  but here's the basic facts:

WRITERS’ HOLIDAY  AT FISHGUARD
Monday 21st-Saturday 26th JULY 2014
  
SIX COURSES, during mornings throughout the week,
each now EIGHT HOURS LONG,
a range of MAIN LECTURES,
After-Tea Sessions,
& final WELSH NIGHT CONCERT with
CWMBACH MALE VOICE CHOIR.

 

I'll let you know more about the course  as I get to know it!

Maybe I'll see you at one event or another.

 

PS If you live in Ireland - the Fishguard venue is right at the arrival point for the ferry from Rosslare  - literally just down the road (OK  - up the road, as  the hotel is above the ferry terminus!)

 

 

 

Changes coming up

I've been busy, working with the lovely Heather from HR Web Concepts who designs and maintains my web site.   We've updated it recently, with the details of my new book A Throne For The Taking  ready for  publication day in June  (or May 21st in America).   And, as I'm sure you've noticed,  there's a brand new banner at the top of the pages to advertise that.  When it gets closer to the date, I'll be running a contest (with Lee over at Author Sound Relations) to celebrate having this book out.

We've also been planning to refresh the look of the site, with a new colour scheme. The red and bronze colours have been on the site ever since Heather took over - and I'm scared to think how many years ago that was! So we're looking into 'tweaking' it with a new look.

I've also updated the Events page which now shows the dates for the courses I'm running in Wales - Caerleon in the summer (28th July - 2nd August)  and the Advanced Course in Fishguard in February 2014.  And then . . . more changes.

If you look at the Writers' Holiday web site, you'll see that this will be the last ever Writers' Holiday at Caerleon. Yes, I know I said that was a possibility last year but this time it's definite. The whole format of Writers' Holiday  is changing - and we're moving. From July 2014  all the Writers' Holiday events will be at the Fishguard Bay Hotel  and the summer event will have a  different format. So  although we're going to be sad at leaving  the Caerleon university campus whihc has been 'home'  for  this event for so many years, we're also looking forwars to the new style event in the  venue that has welcomed us every February over the past years.

And I'll still be teaching  the Writing Romance course - but  that will have a diferent format too, with more hours of workshops (8 hours instead of 5) and  people will just sign up for the one course each summer.

I'm still working on the exact design of the course right now  - I've been looking at the Advanced Course  (the February one) and the prospect of the summer course and trying to see what I can do

that helps most people.  It's all to be finalised yet  but as soon as it is, I'll let you know. 

 But I do know the dates -   so for now - here's what's coming up -

Writers' Holiday at Caerleon -  Sunday 28th July - Friday 2nd August 2013 - where I'm teaching the Complete Introduction to Writing Contemporary Romance.( For details of the other courses and accommodation etc check out the Writers' Holiday web site)

Writers' and Artists' Workshop Weekend at Fishguard Friday 28th February - Sunday 2nd March 2014  - where I'm teaching the Advanced Contemporary Romance Workshops  (NB I think there is just one space left on this course already. Otherwise it's booked up!)

Writers' Holiday at Fishguard Monday 21st-Saturday 26th JULY 2014 - at the moment this will be the longer, fuller  Introduction to Writing Romance but I'll let you know more details when I have them.

Back in routine - I hope!

I love being  in Fishguard, love having the view of the sea right outside my window.  The hotel is comfortable and friendly, and I love exploring the village. And it’s wonderful to meet up again with special friends  Anne and Gerry who run Caerleon  Writers’ Holidays, fellow tutors Alison Chisolm and Della Galton,  and all the students, some of whom I’ve known for a few years, other I only just met this time.

  The teaching I do is  such fun too. And this year, the course was a particularly great one to run.  Everyone in the group  jelled together so well – we  had lots of  fascinating discussions,  great writing exercises  and a lot of laughter. I’ve rarely known  a  weekend fly by as fast as this one did.

And you know what they say about time flying when you’re having fun. I barely seemed to have arrived at the Fishguard Bay Hotel before it was  time to say goodbye and  think about coming home.  But already I know that so many people have booked for next year.  ( I need to check on this because  the last I heard the 2014 course was already filling up fast – if not already sold out!)

So to the class of Fishguard 2013 – Rachael, Marie, Jo , Johanna, Melanie, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarahjane, Daphne, Fiona, Jenni,  Karen, Kate, and Sallyann – thank you all for being such a great group and for making the teaching so much fun. I really believe that  on a writing course like this, the feedback from the group adds to the teaching experience as a whole and  you get the course you deserve. I can’t wait for next  year.

I  was so involved and having so much fun   that I forgot to take photos but there is one record of a special event  - it was  Rachael’s birthday on Valentine’s Day  so we provided a cake for her (special thanks to Anne & Gerry’s daughter in law who did the baking and the icing). It was a rather special cake – Rachael herself has blogged about it here.  And there is one photo of Rachael with me.

Going away for a few days is wonderful. And we had a couple of extra days at the end of the course – staying in Fishguard and then on to Malvern where the Babe Magnet was thrilled to find that his favourite second-hand bookshop had a half price sale! There were several ‘vital’ volumes that added to our luggage on the way back.  But I’m sure  that things multiply and mount up whenever you’re not in the house so  I’ve been chasing  my tail dealing with things since I got back.  I now hope  to get back into some sort of routine before I even think about my next course – at Caerleon . (There’s news on that too but I’ll save that for another post.)

So where did I put that list of Things to Do . . .?

PS Today is the day that the RNA announces the winners of their RONA awards and the  RONA Rose for short romances.  I can't be there but I will be with everyone in spirit - and so, looking forward to seeing the winners announced so I can share the news with you here.

Writing Courses and Buried Kings

Was it really  Sunday the 3rd  when I last blogged ?  It's been a severe case of the disappearing week - it's always like this when I'm heading for Fishguard and the wonderful Writers' And Artists' Workshop Weekend.  There is so much to  do in preparation for the Advanced Romance Writing Course.  This course has been sold out for months and there is an interesting mix of  people who have been before and brand students. So I plan things that will interest and help (I hope!) both.

Then there's organising cat-sitters, washing, packing, all the things that travelling involves.  I'm so looking forward to being back in Wales  - as many of you know, I met the Babe Magnet there  all those  . . . .years ago.  (Considering we are coming up to a significant anniversary this year, it was a long time ago!) 

And talking of meeting the Magnet, one of the things  that connected us way back then was a fascination with Richard III.  The Magnet was even a member of the Richard III Society. So we've both been fascinated by and absorbed in all the reports of the dig in  that Leicester car park. We were thrilled by the news that the DNA testing had shown it really was Richard and not  some other skeleton they'd found - and it was amazing to see the recreation of his face from the skull. Now of course the debate is where he will be re-interred.  Personally I'd love to see him in York but what really matters is that after lying so long in an unmarked grave,  and important figure in history shou'd now  be given dignity and honour.  I'll hope to visit his grave - wherever it is.

 The discovery was all so distracting too  as it sent me back to reread some of the factual books I have on the subject - I daren't start on the fiction as I know that will just absorb me as it used to do in the past.   But I have downloaded Josephine Tey's Daughter of Time on to my Kindle to reread while in Wales.  If I get any time to read, that is - once the course starts, the weekend just seems to fly by and if I'm not teaching, I'm  doing one-to-ones or talking about writing in the bar, in the restaurant, in the bookrooom . . .   Can't wait!  So if you're one of my students who  will be there this time - see you soon!

And if you'd like to think about booking on one of my courses - the full details can be found on the Events page. I never leave Fishguard without knowing that some of the students have already booked for next year!   (There's   also the basic, Complete Introduction to Writing Romance coming up in July at Writers' Holiday at Caerleon   with lots of other great courses on offer too.)
So as I'll be travelling, teaching, talking, the blog might be a bit sporadic - again - for the next week or so.  I'm so looking forward to this weekend - and to waking up with this view outside my window  for the next few days.

Busy week

'Oh the weather outside is frightful . . . '

There is snow on the ground, piled up by inches, and more comuing down all the time. The cats are refusing to go outside at all unless they absolutely have to.  But apart from my walk this morning, that I got in before the snow started coming down I  have so much to do that I’m  not worried about being inside.  

I’ve just spent a busy week organising my Advanced Romance Writing course for the Fishguard Writers and Artists’ Weekend.  One person had  dropped out of this so  I had thought that I was going to be able to announce that there was one place left if anyone wanted it, but as soon as  a space appeared, someone else booked – so the weekend is fully booked again.  Hopefully it will be back  on again next year . . . or there’s always  the Writers’ Holiday  at Caerleon in July. (So pleased that the concerns that Caerleon might not run this year have proved to be unfounded.  I’m already looking forward to being there in the summer.  And if you want to join the Advanced course, my basic Complete Introduction to Writing Romance is the perfect foundation for the Fishguard weekend.)

I also had a fabulous trip to the theatre on Saturday - luckily before the snow started.  With the Babe Magnet, the Offspring and his fiancée went  to the Sheffield Crucible to see a brilliant production of My Fair Lady, starring Dominic West (The Wire, The Hour) as Professor Higgins and Carly Bawden  as Eliza Dolittle. But it wasn’t just the stars of this show who made it such a great night (though they were both brilliant)  - the whole cast, the staging, the singing, dancing and production were fantastic.  No wonder the production got  so many 5 star reviews.  And no wonder it’s now sold out.  It’s moving to the West End  after Sheffield so hopefully a lot more people will get to enjoy this treat.

And of course it’s great inspiration and research for a romance writer as  the alpha Professor Higgins meets his match in the feisty and  brave Eliza.

Thank you and a bit of news

You are all so lovely. Thank you so much for the wonderful compliments on my new publicity photo. I was blushing as I read them - still am, thinking of them.  I'm so glad you approves.

The Babe Magnet says he's not surprised. He picked out that photo from the set of contact prints - some of the others weren't too bad but that was his favourite.  So I'm happy.

This brand new 'official' photo is pretty important to me as it marks a new stage in my writing - I hope. Certainly it marks the acceptance and scheduling of my 61st Modern Romance. Some of you will have spotted that this has been a long time coming, and I was going to blog a  bit about that   but I think I'll leave it for a my next post because I have some other news that  needs to be posted first.

I have been getting organised and planning my next few weeks  and one of the things I really must do - with some urgency  - is to update my web site and reorganise that.

Which means that I need to bring up to date the details of the events  coming up in 2013.  And as the first of these will be the Writers' Weekend at Fishguard in February,  I thought I'd check just what the situation is with booking for this weekend.

The Advanced Romance Writing Course has a strict upper  limit of 15 places  available. It has always been very popular, in fact has usually sold out almost every time - but there are more than three months still before the actual date of the event. (It runs from 15th - 17th February) So I was suprised to find that it is already just about sold out.

There are in fact only two places left on this course  for February 2013.  (And I've already had some interest in one of those places.) So if you are interested in joining us in beautiful Wales next year,  now is the time to thinking about booking so as not to miss out.

I am so looking forward to going back to Fishguard - I love the place, the hotel staff are always so very helpful,  I get to be back with the wonderful Anne and Gerry Hobbs who  as most of you know also run the fabulous Writers' Holiday in Caerleon in July.  The weekend is great value for money - only £219 all in, and if you book online,  you save an extra £10 of that.

There’s nothing extra to pay -  you can even  be collected from Fishguard or Haverfordwest Railway stations and return you there at the close of the event on Sunday afternoon. You’ll have a choice of single, double, or twin roomed, all en-suite accommodation (even taking the trouble to guarantee that you’ll have a room next to your friends), and excellent full board plus (vegetarian choices) hospitality for the duration of your stay. Fully inclusive, the only extra expense will be in the bar during the weekend, or if you wish to purchase a book or souvenir from the Bookroom.

There are courses and places that are much more expensive  - but believe me, we cram a lot into one weekend at Fishguard. I always come home inspired and buzzing with ideas - even if I have no voice left after all the teaching.

Oh yes  - the teaching -   This course is open to previous Fishguard workshop or Caerleon Romance course participants or  those who have been on one of my basic Romance courses or workshops elsewhere. It is not for beginners. Designed especially for Fishguard to move you on, the whole weekend will be concentrated on this workshop - without other distractions. Guests are encouraged to complete work with me prior to the weekend commencement, and everyone will have a short one to one session with me to discuss your writing.  This is in addition to a series of six advanced novel workshop sessions.

So if you’re interested – check out the full details on the Writers’ Holiday website  and get your booking in now , and I’ll hope to see you in February.

For those of you who have already booked, I’m so looking forward to seeing you (again  - for some of you) and I’ll be contacting you all very soon about the  course.

Can’t wait!

Advanced Writing Romance Course

Just to let you know that if you were thinking of booking for my Advanced Contemporary Romance Workshop in February 2013 -  There are now only EIGHT places left for the whole set of  Winter Workshops at Fishguard.

And that's between all the courses - and there are five of them!  So if you want to be assured of a place on my course  - book now!

Book online now and save £10 at www.writersholiday.net

Good News and Bad News

I had a wonderful time on Friday  when I visited Bridlington Library and spoke to their Writers’ Group.  The turnout was great – the librarian told me that they had the most people attending than at any other meeting in the past. So thank you to everyone who came. I hope you enjoyed the afternoon as much as I did.

As an added benefit, the sun shone and the day was warm so the Babe Magnet and I enjoyed a day beside the sea, strolling along the seafront and relaxing. We even found time to visit Bempton Cliffs to see the huge gannets whirling in the air high above the sea as they feed their chicks which were perched in nests in what seemed like tiny cracks in the cliff.

This will be my last Writing Talk/Workshop for some time – that is, unless any events are planned for the So You Think You Can Write. But that reminds me that I need to bring you up to date on the news about some of my other planned events – which is why the good news/bad news scenario.

Bad news first – Sadly, the week-long writing course at The Watermill in Posara has been cancelled. I’m really disappointed about this, but the decision was out of my hands.  It seems that they didn’t feel they would get enough bookings even though there are still two months before the course actually starts (and they actually cancelled some weeks earlier than that.) So I’m sorry if you were hoping to attend . I’m really sorry too, as I had a great course planned out and I was very much looking forward it.

But the good- the great news is . . . Remember this post back in June?

That was when I feared- dreaded  - the possibility that the wonderful Caerleon Writers’ Holiday might be coming to an end. When the Babe Magnet and I – and the organisers Anne and Gerry Hobbs thought that this fantastic week might not happen ever again – ort if it did it wouldn’t be on  the campus of the University of Wales Caerleon and in  the lovely surroundings of  Caerleon village and its fantastic  Roman remains.  

But the good – the great news will be that Caerleon Writers’ Holiday will be back again next year. Everyone involved was so relieved and so thrilled that we’ve been smiling ever since we heard the news.  The details of next years’ event will be posted  here just as soon as Anita gets the details, but one thing I can assure you of and that is that I will be there, running my COMPLETE INTRODUCTION TO WRITING ROMANCE course in July 2013.  Which reminds me that I must just send a special wave to everyone   who was on my course this year. They were a great group, we had a lot of fun as  well as learning a lot (well, I  always learn a bit more each time I teach.)  We had a wonderful week with blue skies and warm sunshine – the temperatures went up to 26 on two days  - with all the usual great Writers’ Holiday events, the courses, the speakers, the poetry reading, the Male Voice Choir. And  I’m looking forward to seeing so many of my students  back again at Fishguard for the Advanced Contemporary Romance  Workshop in February 2013.

Because of course these two workshops are linked and students need to have attended the Introduction course in order to be able to apply for the Advanced. In Fishguard. Numbers for the Advanced course are strictly limited to 15 and I know that at least half of those places are already booked up. So if you’d like to attend, the sooner you get  your booking in the better.

For me, it’s great news that I will be able to be back in Wales, with my dear friends , and enjoying the warmth of their hospitality, in both February and July next year – and hopefully for many more years to  come.  Not for nothing are  Caerleon and Fishguard two red-letter dates in my calendar. 

Oh yes – and if you’ve visited Caerleon this year or before, we now have a special Writers’ Holiday page on Facebook. There are lots of great photos of this years’ event up there.

This and That

Busy  week - when are they anything else?   

So -  what's coming up?  Let me see . . .

On Monday I'm being interviewed by Radio Nottingham - it's all about that book. You know, the one everyone  is talking about /reading/buying - 50 Shades of Grey. So I'm interested in what you think. Have you bought it? Read it? Enjoyed it? Hated it?  Any opinions?  I'm interested in the  50 Shades phenomenon as part of my job of  being aware of what is popular in publishing these days -  and I'd love to know what you think.

The interview will be on Monday but as it's The Breakfast Show, apparently I'll be on at about 7.50 am.  I'll need to have a stiff coffee to make sure I'm awake and functioning.

Tomorrow is the first Sunday of the month so that means I'll be over on Tote Bags 'N' Blogs  . . . when I can think of something I can post about! 


I'm still open for any questions you have about  writing romance  for those of you who are planning to enter the So You  Think You Can Write Contest. So far  I've only had one question (thank you  Tora)  - so I won't get many craft posts out of that!

Oh and talking of teaching Writing Romance. I heard from the organisers of the wonderful Caerleon  Writers' Holidays yesterday.  There are still one or two places available on my  Complete Introduction To Writing Romance course this year.   They are still working on trying to ensure that Writers' Holiday continues in some form next year. Hopefully a way can be found to hold it at Caerleon again - but  there are other possibilities in the pipeline. 

Whatever happens, the Babe Magnet and I are SO looking forward to being at Caerleon again in July.  I can't wait.

But before that there's the RNA Conference . . . .

Caerleon summers

In 1997 the Babe Magnet wrote a book for a series called How To. His title was Writing and Publishing Poetry.  As a result of that, he was invited to run a course at Caerleon Writers’ Holiday.  When he was contacted by Gerry Hobbs who,  with his wife Anne ran Writers’ Holiday, he asked if they  would like a Mills & Boon author to come along too – ie me.  That offer was accepted enthusiastically, we both went the Caerleon  - and it was the start of a long love affair with the place and the event.

 We fell in love with the setting – a tiny Welsh town with the best preserved Roman amphitheatre in the country - the atmosphere - the  good food  (there is always huge amounts of food, with so much choice ) But most of all with Anne and Gerry who ran a wonderful event with friendliness, informality and made sure that it was exactly as they described it a Writers Holiday. None of the other general  Writers' conferences come anywhere near to Caerleon on these points.

Since then we have gone back to Caeleon every year but one -  and that was only because it clashed with the RWA conference in America and I just couldn’t manage both., Caerleon in July has been so  much a part of our lives that we start to look forward to the next one even as we are driving home from the most recent event,  We have done talks, run courses, organised poetry readings, made friends, each year meeting up again with old friends and making new ones. We helped to celebrate Caerleon’s 25 anniversary and  we have been proud  to be part of the very special writing event.

We’ll be there again In July this year – but sadly probably not after that,

2012 is likely to be the last year that Writers' Holiday takes place in the form it has taken for the last 26 or so years, at the university campus in Caerleon, South Wales. The change is as a result of economic necessities but also other  difficulties so that Writers’ Holidays is unlikely ro continue as it has done in the future.

There's a possibility of Writers' Holiday evolving, next year, at a smaller and different venue, with a correspondingly smaller number of places available, but if anybody has always meant to go to the present Writers' Holiday Caerleon, or thought they might go this year but haven't got around to booking, this is your last opportunity. You can find out more at the web site

The Babe Magnet and I will be there this summer – I will be running the  course  A COMPLETE INTRODUCTION TO WRITING ROMANCE  . The Magnet is giving a Main Talk on something or other.  We will enjoy every bit of the week as we always do  – the courses, the conversations, that food – the Wednesday afternoon trip out – the final evening with the performance by the Male Voice Choir  and we’ll be desperately sad when it’s  over and at the thought  that it will never be the same again.

I’ll let you all know just what plans Anne and Gerry come up with to carry on their wonderful tradition of friendly and helpful writers events – and I’ll hope to see some of you at Caerleon in  July.

And don’t forget that Anne and Gerry also run the fabulous Fishguard Writing Weekend in February  where I   follow up my Introductory course  from Caerleon  with  Advanced Romance. I hope I’ll be able to run the basic course somewhere else next year with Anne and Gerry’s warm  welcome to look forward to.

A special guest

One of the great things about my writing  career is the number of interesting and delightful peope I've met as a result of going to conferences, fesrtivals, or teaching,  

As many of you know, I teach every year at Caerleon Writers' Holiday in July and this is where I met the lovely Janet Laurence who writes crime fiction.    We've also met up at also at Fishguard Writing Weekends  where once she even joined my course and became a student for the weekend.

Janet has written crime for years - and always with an interesting twist - a cook  or  a long ago artist as an investigator.  Now she has  a brand new  - and intriguing  - book  out this week. It's a historical  crime called   Deadly Inheritance  and to celebrate the publication date of this book, Janet kindly agreed to do a small interview with me to tell you more about herself and her writing.

She's also offering a give away of a signed copy of her brand new book  - all you have to do is to talk about your favourite  crime novel character in the comments section and your name will go into the prize draw.    The contest for the prize draw will stay open till Friday when Janet will pick a winner.

Welcome Janet!

Can you tell us a bit about yourself – when did you start writing and what made you choose crime as your genre?

I began writing as a child. I could think of nothing more fun than making up stories. As I grew older, I started on novels.  But I never seemed to get beyond chapter three, before I had a better idea for a story. After failing too many times, I decided to master the short story before writing a full length novel. Bad decision! I am not a natural short story writer. I think most writers have a natural length that they enjoy working with. Also, the short story is a very demanding and difficult form. Mastering it? How ridiculous is that? Meanwhile I had a job writing press releases and then I landed a cookery column in the Daily Telegraph. I’d been running  courses in a too-large house we’d bought in Somerset and writing about food seemed a natural development. When Conrad Black bought the Telegraph, there was an almost clean sweep of the feature writers and I lost my column.

This, I thought, was the time to give my fiction ambitions a kick start so I enrolled on a creative writing course. I arrived intending to be a romantic novelist, I finished it with the first page and several passages for my first crime novel, A DEEPE COFFYN. In it I tied together my love of detective fiction with my foodie knowledge and created a cook as my protagonist. 

Who are your favourite authors to read – in the crime genre and in other genres you enjoy?

My mother was a great reader of crime fiction and used to get me to choose books for her from our local library. I read and loved the Golden Age authors: Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh  and Margery Allingham, who could all ally devilishly clever plots with characters I really cared about in stories I devoured and went back to time and again. Then there was Raymond Chandler for the magic of his language and the power of his characters (his plots didn’t always make a great deal of sense). I read today’s crime writers widely, often as a judge for one of the Dagger Awards. It would be invidious to pick out individual writers but the ones I enjoy the most are those whose books have all the assets of good novels but with the added attraction of a well crafted crime plot, red herrings, clues and all. I have to confess I didn’t enjoy Agatha Christie until I’d become a crime writer myself, then I started to appreciate her incredible cunning with red herrings and ability to bury clues.  

I also, of course, read outside the crime genre.

Growing up I loved Jane Austen and Elizabeth Gaskell, particularly for their insights into human nature and their irony; Trollope for his sheer story telling; Evelyn Waugh for his biting wit; Wodehouse for his much gentler humour and way with words (I heard David Cannadine on the radio not so long ago describing how Wodehouse and Chandler - who both went to Dulwich College public school -  share the same wordsmith ability. He ended his talk with a sample paragraph and challenged the audience to guess which author had written it. Quite impossible unless you could remember which book it came from) .

I also loved romance and historical novels. Georgette Heyer has been a constant favourite, I reread most of her historicals every few years or so, though I have never been able to connect with her crime novels.  Elizabeth Gouge was another favourite and Margaret Irwin. It would be lovely to see their books resurrected – perhaps as e-books. Elizabeth Gouge knows how to inject enchantment and Margaret Irwin to bring the past alive. There are  many more authors who have brought me so much pleasure. I don’t suppose Iris Murdoch would have been pleased to have her novels classed as romance, but I enjoyed the emotional journeys of her characters. And I learned so much about emotion as a driving force in one’s writing from you, Kate. 

What I need from a novel, any novel, is a good story and characters who grab me emotionally.

My reading is always diverse and voracious. I love settling down with a book that hooks me, be it romance, crime, chic-lit, or any other genre or sub-genre. The essentials are  genuine characters I can believe in, a good plot and a satisfying ending. I just wish I knew why it is so difficult to write such books! You have that gift, Kate,  and I learned so much from your wonderful course. I still want to be a romantic novelist. I love Mills & Boon books and the first novel I ever finished was to have been the start of my M & B career. It was also the end of it! But you have inspired me to continue with the romantic novel I started for your Fishguard course. For the moment it’s had to go on the back burner while I write the second in my new historical mystery series but it’s not forgotten.

You are the author of the Darina Lisle series of books – can you tell us a bit about your cookery writer sleuth. How did you come up with the idea? And will there be any more Darina Lisle books?

I’ve already mentioned the creative writing course I attended where I came up with the idea of a cookery sleuth, thus marrying my love of crime novels with my interest in food. I saw the books as a series from the start, each one to be set in a different area of the food world. That first book in the Darina Lisle series was set in the annual conference of the Society of Historical Gastronomes (and I still don’t understand why there isn’t such an association). Other have been set in a  restaurant, a health farm, a  specialist food company, a television food programme plus others. The last book was set on a cruise going up the Norwegian coast and ended with Darina pregnant. That baby would be ten years old by now! Will there be any more? I’m working at getting the back list into e-book format. Maybe if they sell, I’ll think about another one. I am still very fond of Darina and her policeman husband.

Your other series features the Italian  artist Canaletto – what made you choose him to feature in a set of mystery stories?

I wanted to write an historical mystery. The middle of the eighteenth century attracted me, it was so vital, with London emerging into the capitalist age.  At first I thought Boswell might be a suitable protagonist. As a lawyer from Scotland, he belonged to the middle classes but had the entrée to aristocratic circles and was perfectly happy to mix with low life. But I reread his LONDON JOURNAL, and realised he had laid himself bare there, leaving me with nothing to add. Then my husband and I went to an exhibition in Birmingham on Canaletto and his influence on English painters. As we went into the lecture hall for a talk, there, on a large screen, was Canaletto’s painting of London seen through an arch of scaffolding,  Westminster Bridge was in the process of being built. Hanging down from the scaffolding was a bucket. As the lecture progressed, I realised I had found my protagonist, a perfect observer of all levels of society and someone who was almost a blank canvas. And whilst I listened, I couldn’t help wondering what was in that bucket! So I wrote CANALETTO AND THE CASE OF WESTMINSTER BRIDGE, which was followed by two more.

We first met at Caerleon Writers’ Holiday, where you have run courses on Writing Crime Fiction – and again at Fishguard Writing Weekends – what do you think is the value of events like these (apart from the opportunity to drink wine and talk!)? I suppose I’m really asking can creative writing actually be taught.

I’ve already admitted that my first published novel was conceived at a creative writing course. And at Fishguard Weekend I attended your marvellous course on romantic writing, so obviously I think they can have a great deal to offer. However, I think attendees have to have a certain talent to start with.  I think creative writing courses can hone technique, open doors into previously unexplored ways of telling stories, offer guidance on particular genres, and make writers realise they have undeveloped gifts.

Finally, can you tell us more about your new historical crime novel DEADLY INHERITANCE. I’d love to know more about your heroine Ursula Grandison – and do you plan to create a whole new series of mysteries with her at their centre?

My first agent, now retired and a very good friend, read DEADLY INHERITANCE as soon as I had finished it and said, ‘It’s Midsomer Murders comes to Downton Abbey’!  And it’s true that the background is very similar: 1903 with an American heiress married to an English Earl, a stately home and family difficulties. After that, the similarities are not many. My protagonist, Ursula Grandison is American but she is not the Countess. She arrives at Mountstanton as companion to Belle Seldon, the Countess’s young sister. Fabulously wealthy Chauncey Seldon has hired Ursula to discover what has happened to his daughter’s dowry and the exact state of her marriage.  But Ursula discovers the body of a nursemaid and finds herself investigating what lead to her death – which isn’t the last in the book!  

I loved writing the story and do hope readers will enjoy discovering the secrets that lie beneath Mountstanton’s aristocratic surface. And, yes, I do intend there shall be an Ursula Grandison series. I’m currently writing the second novel featuring both her and the London detective who eventually joins her at Mountstanton. But the action in  A FATAL FREEDOM moves to the metropolis.

I’d love to give a copy of DEADLY INHERITANCE to the blogger who gives the most interesting answer to a very simple question: Who is your favourite crime novel protagonist and why?  

I don’t have a website yet – watch this space – but www.fantasticfiction.co.uk  has details on me. Follow the link and enter Janet Laurence in the space for author’s name.

And thank you for asking me to join you in your blog today.

Happy Saint David's Day!

The Here Come the Grooms Contest has closed now -  Charlie has picked my winner, but I need to wait until Liz Fielding and Anne McAllister have  selected their winners too. Just as soon as they give me the details, I'll announce them here and the books will be on their way to the lucky winners of these three books:

The Devil and Miss Jones by Kate Walker
Flirting With Italian by Liz Fielding
Savas's Wildcat by Anne McAllister

It's March 1st - St David's Day - and of course St David is the patron saint of Wales.  So what  better way to celebrate his day with the details that I promised of my return to Wales and the wonderful Caerleon Writers' Holiday in July.

There was a  bit of a mix up with the arrangements this year - and the courses have been changing as so often happens, as speakers find they can't  be at the event etc.  But after talking to Anne and Gerry at Fishguard, we've planned for me to teach at this years' Writers' Holiday - and link this course again to the Advanced Romance Writing in Fishguard next year.  So for everyone who's asked about it - here are the details . . .

Caerleon Writers' Holiday -

I will be taking course 2...replacing  what is currently listed  as Mitzi Sereto's erotica. 

Title: A COMPLETE INTRODUCTION TO WRITING ROMANCE

As with all courses at Caerleon this will be a 5 session course working through the basics of writing romance  and giving students a grounding in all the skills needed to  create characters, build plots, create pace . . .

My course will only be one of 14 courses on offer - you can choose to do Writing Romance  and one other in the week. And of course there wil be lots of special guest, main speakers, after tea sessions. Oh, and the trip out on the  Wednesday afternoon when you can visit Cardiff,  the 'book town' of Hay on Wye, or even go down a Welsh coal mine. And then of course the whole event is rounded off  by a wonderful evening of music with the Cwmbach Male Choir. 

Fishguard Writers' and Artists' Weekend

And of course this will prepare anyone who's interested for the  the advanced followup at Fishguard next year.  I don't have the dates for the Writers and Artists' Weekend  confirmed - though I expect it will be 15th/16th/17th February 2013. The venue will, as usual, be at the  Fishguard Bay Hotel, Fishguard, Wales  Pembrokeshire

If you book online for either of these events you will save £10 off the cost.

Maybe I'll see you there.  Or at one of the other courses that I'll be posting details  soon.

Where was I?

Or perhaps that should be where am I?  All I know is that I'm trying to catch up - again!
I had a great time at the workshop in Brigg - many thanks to everyone who came  there. It was a fun afternoon.

Then I had a long journey to Wales - made even longer by a 2 hour delay as a result of some road works that meant we crawled through the later stage of our journey at Monmouth.   But it was worth it when we finally reached Fishguard, and had some time to enjoy being by the sea  - and in the sunshine!  - as we settled in.  The sunshine didn't last but the enjoyment did - as it always does  - with great friends Anne and Gerry at the Fishguard Bay hotel.

We were also joined by  the other tutosr  - Alison Chisolm (Poetry) Della Galton (short stories) and Elizabtehr Hawksley (novels)

I had a wonderful time in the workshop sessions for my course.  I've always enjoyed the intense and focussed way that the Writing Weekend runs and this time  there was a really great group who all gelled together so well that we shared  a lot of learning, had a lot of fun, drank a little wine . . . and I hope everyone learned a lot too. I know   I found that some of the discussions  and topics revitalised my own thinking,   made me look at things afresh and sparked off new ideas - so it was great for me too!

Thank you to Rachael, Marie, Jo , Jenny, Judy, Susan, Karen, Ann  for making it all so much fun.

Oh  - and for those of you who have asked about my treaching in Wales in the summer - , I also had a talk with Gerry about the upcoming Caerleon  in July - the programme on the web site hasn't included Writing Romance  as yet, but  we've discussed it and  by popular demand I will be running a  course in July.

Details to follow.

And I'll be back in Fishguard in February 2013

Since we got home, life has been - well, chaotic -  I think I mentioned that we've been having some  building work done  on the house - improvements - well, they will be improvements when they're finished. Right now, they're a mess.  

We came back to no heating,  no water at one point . . .muddle, confusion, dirt . . . It's been hard to get to my computer because of a. the obstacle course to reach it, b. the lack of electricity at times, c. the mess . ..

Well, they say  a picture is better than a thousand words - so  try these. . . .

Charlie has been  busy inspecting everything and making sure it all works to his satisfaction .  

Hopefully I'll manage to get back and chat with you  at some point next week!

But don't forget the Here Come The Grooms contest is still running - you have until February 29th to get your entries in and be in with a chance of winning 3 great books.  So don't forget to send in your answers.

Looking ahead

I spent the weekend at my desk with diaries, calendars, notebooks etc -anything to get away from the mud and chaos at the back where the extension is being built and the kitchen knocked through and revamped . . . This will be the way things will  be for a  month or more  now.
So I tried to impose some control over what I can deal with - the year I have coming up. And as lots of people have written to me to ask about courses/workshops etc that I have planned, I thought I'd let you know what's on offer. So - do you want to make this the year when you write that novel/ finish the romance story you started - maybe even submit it  and (we can hope!) get it published ?

Well if you'd like to come on one of my courses/workshops  there might be something here to help you. Looking ahead I'm going to be all over the place, with long courses, short ones, day workshops . . . Maybe one will suit you.

To start with - coming up  very soon  - there is the  Writers and Artists' Weekend at Fishguard Bay Hotel, Fishguard Pembrokeshire:

  

This event is held at a hotel with every convenience - all set in sub-tropical gardens with magnificent views and walks amidst 160 miles of outstanding and unspoilt coastal  and countryside which makes up the unspoilt Pembrokeshire National Park.

As always, the organisers Anne & Gerry  intend bringing you the best value for money each year - the best venue (which you will grow to love as much as we do) - the best workshop leaders (all experienced professionals), the very best choice of workshops all wrapped up in a superb, small, friendly and intimate event you’ll love from the time you arrive in Fishguard until the day that you leave. You can bring your partners for a leisurely weekend where they can enjoy the unspoilt walks - or just relax and soak up  the  atmosphere that Pembrokeshire instils in its guests.

There’s nothing extra to pay - they’ll even collect you from Fishguard or Haverfordwest Railway stations and return you there at the close of the event on Sunday afternoon.  You’ll have  a choice of single, double, or twin roomed, all en-suite accommodation (even taking the trouble to guarantee that you’ll have a room next to your friends), and excellent full board plus (vegetarian choices) hospitality for the duration of your stay with us. Fully inclusive, the only extra expense will be in the bar during the weekend, or if you wish to purchase a book or souvenir from the Bookroom.

All tutors are invited to join us by recommendation only. They have been selected for their unique ability to join in the informality that represents the most important aspect of all WRITERS' HOLIDAY events. The tutors will change each year but, the standard will not.

The event opens on Friday evening with a leisurely dinner followed by a short meet the workshop leader’s session. Throughout the day on Saturday and through until lunch on Sunday the weekend is crammed with a total of six workshop sessions. Guests will be encouraged to inform the workshop leader of their weekend requirements and what they wish to achieve.

    The all-in  price is £219  for the weekend.

(Book on line and save £10)

My course for this weekend is the Advanced Romance Writing Course. To  join these classes you need to have done a basic course either with me, or another tutor  as the course  is not for beginners. Designed especially for Fishguard to move you on in your writing, the whole weekend will be concentrated on this workshop - without other distractions. Guests are encouraged to complete work with me prior to the weekend commencement.   

This is an intensive weekend course - Friday night to Sunday lunchtime and we cram a lot into that time! (we have a lot of fun as well – ask any past student.) If you have any doubts as to whether you can mange this course, please check with me  using the email at the bottom of the page.

Here are some comments from past students at Fishguard -

A blinder of a course. I learned so much and . . . You were an inspiring teacher and brought so many useful guide posts to life for us. And made it all fun! . . . I ended the weekend with a much clearer idea of just what emotion and conflict mean in terms of novel writing. So thank you so much for laying so many riches before us. I really enjoyed every minute of the weekend.  ~ Janet Laurence

Your course was fabulous: interesting, stimulating and empowering.. . . thank for your dedication to all of us. You're a marvellous teacher. ~ Susan Moody

Thank you so much for all your energy and thoughts this weekend - a truly fabulous course which left me happily exhausted and full of enthusiasm for my upcoming week away writing. ~ Sarah Jane V

Last year this sold out almost as soon as it went on the site and numbers on this course are strictly limited but I have just had two unexpected cancellations so there are a few places still available if you  want to join us.

(And while you’re looking at the  Fishguard web site pages, take a look at the details for Caerleon Writers’ Holiday too – a fabulous writing experience.  I’ll be there in July too!)