Seasons Greetings

I'm switching off the computer and staying off the internet  as I plan to relax and share Christmas with family and friends. 

Wishing all my wonderful readers, students and friends the happiest of holiday seasons, whatever you're celebrating. Thank you so much for your interest in my books and writing all through the year.

 To those of you who are wishing that friends you've lost could be with you or who fear this may bving thoughts your way. Hug your loved ones and family so they know you love them and have warm memories to take with them into 2020. To quote HM the Queen, 2019 seems to have been 'a bumpy year' for many so I hope Christmas is a time to relax, revive, and revitalise so that 2020 will be a happy and loving year for you.

e the last one they will share with dear ones - I know how you feel so I'm sending loving thoughts your way. Hug your loved ones and family so they know you love them and have warm memories to take with them into 2020. To quote HM the Queen, 2019 seems to have been 'a bumpy year' for many so I hope Christmas is a time to relax, revive, and revitalise so that 2020 will be a happy and loving year for you.

Charlie has opened the last gift on his advent calendar and has now helped to decorate the tree, while Ruby is loving the fact that the fire has been lit and she can curl up in front of it to wait for Santa. They join with me in sending you love and thoughts and every wish for a truly happy Christmas!

Furry birthday boy

Charlie is celebrating his birthday. He is now 9 years old ! 

So he feels his birthday portrait should be calm, handsome and dignified

 - unlike the first pictures we ever had of him when 

he was a little ginger bundle of mischief.

Hedgehogs 2

And he (she?) is back again.


 Obviously likes an early supper and doesn't wait until dusk. 

Charlie is quite happy to share some cat meat and crunchies with him/her and they spent a long time just sitting together on the lawn.

A fine sunny day - though not as warm as tomorrow is predicted to be! - meant that we had an early evening visitor to the garden in the form of a young hedgehog who came wandering across the lawn in search of food.

 Although he was really out and about in daylight and that's usually a warning sign for a hedgehog's health, we had a good look at him and could find no signs of injury or ill health, So we offered a plate of cat meat and crunchies which he attacked with a lot of obvious enjoyment - ditto the bowl of fresh water which he slurped enthusiastically - so he was probably just hungry/thirsty and determined to get to the food before the bigger hedgies w

ho have been wandering about in the dusk most evenings this week. He didn't leave much for them !

Charlie the Maine Coon followed him on his way from the hedgehog houses and sat watching with interest as the youngster chomped his way through the meat on off. Charlie obviously thought it wasn't suitable for him as he didn't even try to share it with him!

Hedgehogs

Advent Calenda6

Do you have an Advent Calendar in your home? One that you hang on the wall and open a numbered door each day marking off the dates from the 1^st of December  up to the 24^th – and Christmas Eve – to countdown the  days until Christmas?

I always loved to choose one of these when my son was small and it really helped him wait more patiently for the big day to arrive. At  least he knew when it was getting nearer and that there were -  twenty – fifteen – ten days left before he could put out his stocking and  leave a mince pie for Father Christmas, together with a carrot for Rudolph the reindeer to eat when they visited.  (There was always just a few crumbs left on the mince pie plate and the end of the carrot – nibbled by strangely human shaped teeth!) Opening the day’s door on the calendar became a special little ceremony  just before he went off to bed  - to dream of Santa’s sleigh and the sound of reindeer hooves.

So in the past I have tried to plan a book Advent Calendar to share  with friends and readers who visit my web site, my blog page, my Facebook page.  I   had planned to do this again this year but  several things got in the way. It has been a difficult week with sad news reminding me that not everyone will be celebrating a happy and joyful occasion just because it’s Christmas.

As a result, my planned posting of the Advent Calendar giveaway got shortened into a 12 Days of Christmas giveaway instead. And I’ll be hoping to post the 12 Days giveaway  for each day (or at least every couple of days) from now on.  But  because I’m well aware of the fact that not everyone is enjoying the  lead up to Christmas  and for some it is a very difficult and even sad time, I want my first 12 Days of Christmas post to be a traditional one that I’ve posted in the past and been able to bring just a little bit of brightness into someone’s life.   So this is what I’m going to do today.

What happens is this – you can nominate someone you know and care about who needs a little treat to bring some light into their days right now. Let me know who you would like to send

an extra little gift to – a giveaway of a book that I’ll donate in your name. And I’ll include an extra little Christmas gift in the parcel to hopefully bring some lightness into their day as well.

So – in the comments-  post the name of someone you’d like to treat – and add the reasons why you have chosen this person – and I will get Charlie the Maine Coon (who has his own Advent Calendar to open with treats in the pockets)– to pick out a winner  or two to send them a book from you – and from me.

Happy Birthday Charlie

Sadly no prize for the Babe Magnet in the festival story writing contest - but in the top 10 of so many entries is no slouch at all. And he has lots of interesting things coming up in the next couple of months- of which more as soon as I get a moment to breathe. The trip to Malton was lovely and we had a fabulous time there together.


Meanwhile we are celebrating today - cue yet another photo of Charlie Rumpuss the Maine Coon - as we mark his 8th birthday. He was a real little cutie when he first arrived - and he's grown into a very fine cat indeed. 

He has just about forgiven us for abandoning him again when we went 

to Malton - and that forgiveness has been helped along with a large portion of his favourite treats. He says he's sure you'll be happy to see another photo of him - and I'm sure he's probably right. He has more fans than me!

Off again

This is a picture of Charlie the Maine Coon's face when he learned we are setting out *again* and leaving him with his beloved cat-sitter for 2 days.

But this is only a short trip - and it's one where I put on my DH supporting hat (it had better be a waterproof one

considering the storms raging at the moment!).

 We are heading for the Ryedale Book Festival where the Babe Magnet has been shortlisted in their short-story competition. It doesn't matter if he wins or not - to be in the top 10 is a win as far as I'm concerned!

 But I think even Charlie will approve of us leaving for this  - and he does love his cat-sitter!

Weekend catch up and giveaway

So yesterday Facebook,  Blogger  and I didn't coincide. That was because I was helping the Babe Magnet celebrate an important birthday and we spent the day wandering around a major antiques centre - so that he could enjoy being amongst beautiful things that were older than him!! 

 The Pink Heart Society workshop had a bit of a hiccup too but I just posted to next section for that over on the Aspiring Authors Forum,

Apparently today is National Book Reading Day - so to celebrate that I'm running a small giveaway over the weekend. I've just received author copies of this book Ruthless Revenge - Sinful Seduction so I have 2 of them 

to give away. It's a 3 in 1 with titles by Kate Hewitt and Nina Milne. Just tell me what book you'll be reading over the weekend - put your answers in the comments below - and I'll get the stars of International Cat Day ie Charlie and Ruby to pick a winner each on Sunday evening - and I'll send the books out to the winners on Monday. Have good weekend. (And check in on The Pink Heart Society Aspiring Authors forum for more of the 12 Points.)

  Happy International Cat Day from Charlie and Ruby - who say Isn't it #International Cat Dat every day?

  Join the Pink  Heart Society Aspiring Authors forum for information and discussion on writing

That's where I'm running the 12 Point Guide Workshop  to mark the publication of the revised and updated edition of the 12 Point Guide To Writing Romance    (An Emerald Guide)  - now available on Amazon   as  both a print book and ebook form.

Also on  Amazon.com

Remember to look for those words: An Emerald Guide to guarantee you have the most recent and up to date edition - other have not been brought up to date,  even if they have the same cover.

Today's topic is FOCUS - tomorrow we'll be looking at SENSUALITY

Book challenge and a change in the weather

So here's a bit of a change. Charlie the Maine Coon, after weeks and weeks of wanting to be in the garden and staying out for hours came rushing in this morning to complain that there's something

wet pouring from the sky and it has soaked through his fur, making him look like a drowned rat.

Would we please make it stop!

Day 4 of 7: I've accepted a challenge from Ali Williams who is obviously as nosey as I am about the books that people love! Each day for seven days, I will post the cover of a book I love with no explanation (well, maybe a little comment if I feel like saying something!)and no reviews. Each day I'm supposed to invite a friend to join the challenge. I'll pass on the 'tagging' bit of this because I know how sometimes it can be a bit too much to take on something else - but if any friend cares to join in (yes - I really am nosey, just dodging the issue!) the please tag me to let me know so that I can visit your Facebook page and satisfy my curiosity - and maybe collect a few new titles for my mountainous TBR pile - like that is something I really need!

I suppose these are two separate books, but really I can't separate them. The first one (Josephine Tey) led to a lifetime's obsession - which the second one (Sharon Penman) fed as a result.

As a small aside, Sharon Penman also has to get the award of the most courageous and hardworking author who, after the manuscript of this book was stolen from her car, she set to and rewrote the lot of it - all 1248 pages!!😯 It was so worth it.

Christmas Eve winners

It has been a hectic and busy time over the past few days and I lost track of most things - including what was happening with the Christmas Giveaway. So I let both Charlie and Ruby go wild on the treats and names from all past posts so that they could three winners each to celebrate Christmas eve. 

So - Christmas Eve winners are:

Henza R. Mazengo

Diane Spigonardonardo

Phyllis Perryman

Sian Cusack

Debbie Cooban

Michelle Turner.

Not all these will link to the winners' names - but I hope you see your names. Please DM and send me your postal address or send it to katewalker AT ntlworld.com

Titles I have for you to pick from (please give me your first and second choices:

The Konstantos Marriage Demand

Bedded By The Greek Billionaire

A Throne For The Taking

Kept for her Baby

Olivero's Outrageous Proposal

A Question of Honour

Destined for the Desert King

Happy Christmas to all winners - and to all my readers!

I have one last special giveaway that I love to do at Christmas - but I'll put that in a separate posting.

Catching up and Giveaways

This is one of my favourite Christmas 'gifts' each year. I buy a bale of hay  for the Hillside Sanctuary  from each of us in the family - to help these lovely creatures have their Christmas dinner. So easy to do - and I also love 'adopting' a horse and a donkey to care for in 2018. The Babe Magnet and I hope to get to Sanctuary to visit again later in the year.

Still working hard to catch up on things that need to be done - and not succeeding very well! But when some things - like sending bales of hay to Hillside Sanctuary are so easy to do at least I know that's sorted out.

Charlie was out tomcatting all night - in spite of the cold - so he's only just woken up in order to pick a few winners of some Christmas giveaway books - so starting with a post back last week for Tote Bags N Blogs - Denise Stout Holcomb - he picked your name as a winner. And from the post about favourite authors - Mindy Nace Kugler and Joanne Robinson are the names that were chosen. Please contact me on Messenger to let me know a postal address - or at katewalker at ntlworld.com and I'll get your prize in the post.

Today's giveaway comes after I've sent off the bales of hay instead of some Christmas cards - so if you want to join in the giveaway today - what is the most unusual Christmas present you've ever given - or been given? I'll get Ruby on to picking some names in a day or so.

Feline Filing

I have a slight quandary. 

I need to print out some advance information and key selling points for a new edition of the 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance - but this is the basket that contains all my printer paper . . .

 Err - Charlie . . . !

Where did the week go?

I think there was a week that just went by - but a savage attack by chest infection meant that I wasn't that aware of much of it.

 I do hate being so ill that you can't even read!

Charlie is peeved because he hasn't celebrated the fact that it's 7 years since he came to live with us so there will have to be some extra treats tonight. But to mark the occasion - here is the little blue-eyed boy who arrived here on November 28th 2010 and then there's the handsome purrson he's grown into. 

 (Specially for Anne McAllister - he has also made sure his Advent Calendar is out and ready for the big countdown. He's made a list and checked it twice . . . )

Winners . .

And the winners are : Hollie Rebecca and Gillian Emans (with special thanks for the poem!)

A poem for Charlie:

Right Yourself Charlie,

Don’t fight anymore!

Then you won’t need a cone

To go out of the door.

So listen to Daddy

Read his “Write Yourself” now

To keep yourself busy

Is that clear? Miaow

Charlie was so honoured that so many people were concerned about him and the wound to his neck. So he was happy to pose for a new photo today - without cone ...- without blood! - to show how perfectly fine he is now. Thank you to everyone who asked about him. He enjoyed picking the winners of the copies of Write Your Self - which will be going in the post today - and he's now preparing to celebrate the 7th anniversary of coming to live in his forever home with us. More treats will be expected, I think!