My First Kate Walker - Sarah Morgan

I'm a bit late with this - OK, a lot late !

As you know, I've been doing an occasional series of My First Kate Walker (or My Top Five Kate Walker books) from my writing friends and readers to mark my 25th anniversary of being published. The lovely Sarah Morgan wrote me a blog on this topic back in July and I've only just got around to posting it.

But I was in the middle of the posts on Conflict at the time - and I'm realy quite glad that I didn;t post this before now because it means that I can post it now and mark not only a special time for me (that 25th anniversary) but also a great moment for Sarah herself.

If you've been visting the I heart Presents blog recently, you'll have seen that as well as the list of Presents authors whose books have appeared on the USA Today bestseller list in the past week, two authors, have had their books hit the Top 50 on that list. Those authors are - Penny Jordan and my guest today - Sarah Morgan with her current Presents title One Night . . . Nine Month Scandal.

So Sarah, many congratulations on your brilliant achievement - and thank you for writing a post to share your first Kate Walker.

My First Kate Walker

It's surprisingly easy to list My First Kate Walker because it has stayed in my head (and on my shelf!) for years. It was called Constantine's Revenge. The heroine was called Grace and the story took place on a Greek island (I love Greece) but what I remember most of all was the intensity of the emotion and passion which sums up the essence of the classic Presents read and also classic Kate Walker, an author who knows exactly how to keep the reader reading long after she should have switched off the lights and gone to sleep. Another book that is firmly on my keeper shelf is Bedded by the Greek Billionaire (clearly I have a 'Greek' thing going on here.......) It was one of those books that makes your stomach swoop because the emotions were so up and down - fantastic.

Kate doesn't just understand her craft, she is able to pass on her skills to others, a quality I really admire because I am completely unable to unravel how I do what I do and the thought of passing on tips about my messy creative process to others makes me want to shrink with embarrassment. My writing process reminds me a bit of my children's attempts at cooking - it's a giant mess at the time and there's a lot of cleaning up required, but it all turns our fine in the end (usually). However there is no getting away from the fact that my best advice to an aspiring author would be 'whatever you do, don't write like me'. Kate, however, is a great teacher, a fact proven by the undying popularity of her book 'The 12 point Guide to Writing Romance'. If you're an aspiring writing and you don't have it, then buy it. If you're a writing who hates her process and would like to change it, you should buy it too.

Thanks for having me here, Kate, to celebrate your 25th anniversary. May you continue to pass on your wisdom and write beautiful stories for another 25 years.

Love Sarah

Sarah also writes Medicals and Dr Zinetti's Snow-Kissed Bride is released in November.

Thank you so much Sarah - and congratulations all over again.

My First/Favourite Kate Walker - Leena Hyat

Today's choice of a personal Top 5 Kate Walker novels comes from a lovely lady who has done so much to help me and my books over the years.

I first 'met' Leena Hyat through my very first web site, way back in 2000 when she wrote to tell me how much she'd enjoyed Constantine's Revenge. Since then through the various review sites etc that she's worked with, she's helped to promote my work in a way that's been totally invaluable. And now, with her own wonderful Author Sound Relations, she helps me to keep in touch with my American readers in a way that would otherwise be impossible from here in the UK.

If you've had one of my bookmarks, or my pens, entered a contest on My Tote Bag, or read a blog on Tote Bags 'N' Blogs, then Leena has been responsible for that. Right now she's working on some special pens for my 25th anniversary, and I'm looking forward to knowing what she thinks of the latest book The Konstantos Marriage Demand.

So of course I had to ask Leena when she first read a Kate Walker novel and which one it was. I'll admit that her answer surprised me. She's been reading my books a lot longer than I thought! And I think her answer shows just how international the world of writing and reading romance is. I've never been anywhere near Dubai - but my books have!

Here's Leena

I think the first Kate Walker book I read was Leap in The Dark. (1989) It was pure chance I picked it up. I was in Dubai in the back of a small little bookshop that stocked more stationery than it did books! Amidst the sci-fi and horror, I found a few romances – all M&B – and picked up this one because the blurb appealed to me. I can’t recall more than that after all these years but I do remember it was the only one I walked away with that evening


I’d say my favorite KW book is a toss between Constantine’s Revenge, Hostage Bride and Rafael’s Love-Child. I’m leaning more heavily towards the first two but I know I really liked Rafael’s book too. It’s a tough choice!

My first 5 favorite KW books would be –

Constantine’s Revenge
Hostage Bride
Rafael’s Love Child
The Twelve-Month Mistress
A Sicilian Husband

Thanks Lee. And thank you for all your help!

Lee's sites are a great place to visit - lots of information about your favourite authors, fabulous contests and great blogs - so why not take a look?

(I'm hoping that when the silver anniversary pens are done we'll be able to send them out to American readers who send in a self-addressed stamped envelope - and maybe in the UK too. So watch this space!)

My First/Favourite Kate Walker Books - Readers' Stories

I'm still collecting lists of Top 5 Favourite Kate Walker reads - or the first Kate Walker I ever read and today here are some more of the stories/lists my readers have sent in:

Mary from Kentucky says:

I have enjoyed all of your books that I have read. I didn't start reading Harlequins until the early '70s, so I cannot say that I have read all your books. Here is my list of 5:

The Greek Tycoon's Unwilling Wife
The Antonakis Marriage
The Italian's Forced Bride
Bedded by the Greek Billionaire
Kept for her Baby

The lovely Marilyn who lives in Seattle and wrote so many wonderful reviews of my books gives her list of the top five- and she was very very definite about which one was her favourite. I know she told me that when she read it, she 'cried and cried' - I'm mean you see, I love making my readers cry! (Sorry Marilyn!)

Here's her list:

The Italians Forced Bride (if you want to read Marilyn's review of her favourite book you'll find it here)
The Twelve-Month Mistress

The Spaniard's Inconvenient Wife

Bound By Blackmail
The Sicilian’s Wife

And here's a story that really made me smile. It's a perfect example of the way that romance reading (and writing) brings people together and, as Jean, the writer of this email says, creates 'friends across the age divide'.

Jean is from Colorado and she says that her first ever Kate Walker was:

The Greek Tycoon's Unwilling Wife. The first book was given to me, a woman in my seventies by a young college girl and since then we have exchanged books, friends across the age divide.

Finally, Debra from Connecticut also chose The Greek Tycoon's Unwilling Wife as her top favourite - that's 3 votes for that book today - here's what she says:

I am new to your books and started with The Alcolar Family Trilogy and the Cordero books. I have been hooked ever since.

Her 'Top Five' are:

The Greek Tycoon's Unwilling Wife
Cordero's Forced Bride
The Alcolar Trilogy (That's The 12 Month Mistress, The Spaniard's Inconvenient Wife and Boumd By Blackmail.

Thank you all for your stories and your votes. I have contacted all the winners about thier prizes.

My First Kate Walker - Kate Hardy

Today's fellow author who is talking about the first time she read one of my books is the prolific and award winning Kate Hardy

Sorry - no - amend that - she's actually talking about the first time she met Kate Walker! And her favourite five books.

Actually, Kate wrote this before Christmas as you can see but as life has been pretty hectic I've only just got round to posting it.

Kate's latest title in Harlequin Presents is her Modern Heat title Temporary Boss, Permanent Mistress which has a setting that is so appropriate to the UK's current freezing and snowy weather.

Here's what Kate has to say:

Being a Bear of Very Little Brain at the moment (Christmas + snow + children home for two weeks + deadline = distracted author), I can’t honestly remember my first Kate Walker book because I’ve read her books for so very many years… but I *do* remember the first time I met Kate herself. So I’m going to cheat and tell that story instead (if Kate doesn’t mind!).

It was at a Mills & Boon authors’ lunch, a couple of months before my very first M&B was published, back in September 2002. I was already a bit starstruck when I saw the table plan and realised that the people sitting near me were people whose books I’d known and loved. When it came to dessert and everyone moved round, I think I might’ve had that ‘wet-behind-the-ears author, in rabbit-in-headlights mode’ look about me. But then this really nice woman came to sit next to me, chatted to me and put me completely at my ease… and then, after pudding and just before I took a sip of coffee, she said, ‘I forgot to introduce myself. I’m also Kate, by the way – Kate Walker.’

O. M. G.

Someone whose books I’d read for years. A Big Name Author. And she made time to talk to a complete and utter nobody at her first authors’ lunch.

Just over seven years later, I still remember that kindness. And over those seven years I’ve celebrated her 50th book with her, and I’m so pleased now to celebrate her 25th year in a glittering career. Congratulations, Kate.

My top five Kate Walker books:

The Spaniard’s Inconvenient Wife (that wedding dress…)
Desert Affair (the dining table *almost* made this #1, but the wedding dress did it for me)

The Twelve-Month Mistress

The Hostage Bride

The Sicilian’s Red-Hot Revenge

If you want to know what Kate's talking about when she mentions the weddingg dress for The Spaniard's Inconvenient Wife (the cover does give a clue) and the dining table in Desert Affair, you'll have to read the books! The Spaniard's Inconvenient Wife is a 2005 book (but it's also available in the Alcolar Family Collection ebook bundle) and Desert Affair was published in 2003.

You can find out more about Kate H and her books - both Modern Heat and Medical - on her web site or read her blog

My First Kate Walker - Michelle Styles

Today I have another writer friend who's talking about the first time she read a Kate Walker novel.

Michelle Styles, who writes for Mills and Boon and Harlequin Historicals is an American who now lives in the UK after marrying her husband. I think Michelle's comments pretty much summarise some of the many reasons why people read romances so I've left them in with her list asI think they are so great.

I am fairly positive the first book of yours I read was Leap in the Dark (1989) and I think I read it on the train going to Sheffield when I had a job interview with a bank's graduate training programme. And I can remember the train journey going far too quickly. I am certain I read others of yours then as I was homesick and reading a lot of M&B because I had read Harlequin in the US.

My top five of yours:
1. The Italian's Forced Bride as it made me cry
2. The Antonakos Marriage as our discussion inspired me to write Sold and Seduced (one of Michelle's Roman romances) and it got me through my first cataract operation.
3. Constantine's Revenge because it is excellent
4. Cordero's Forced Bride because it helped me when I was stressed and needed to escape.
5.Sicilan Husband. Blackmailed Bride because I could not put it down.

Thank you Michelle!

Michelle's latest Harlequin Historical The Viking's Captive Princess was a December USA release and is still available on Amazon, eHarlequin etc - and her next UK book Compromising Miss Milton will be out in May,

Take a look at Michelle's web site where you can read more about her great historical romances and find her blog.

"My First Kate Walker" 1

Now we really are going back to the celebrating - and I'm going to post the first winner of a 'My First Kate Walker' prize.

This is from a long-time reader - and hopeful would-be writer Sophie Adams who lives in Norfolk. Sophie wrote to me about her first ever Kate Walker novel which was - my very first The Chalk Line. And it was also Sophie's first ever Mills & Boon read. So a triple first!
Here's what she has to say:

Hi Kate - this is just a quick note to tell you that, when looking at your website recently (I'm a great fan of your books and an even bigger fan of your '12 points...' book), I was astonished to see 'The Chalk Line!' What is the reason for my astonishment? Well, this is the FIRST ever M&B book I ever read - I remembered the title and even the storyline as soon as I saw it! I would have been 13 when this was first published. Alas, I never got to keep the copy I read as I had borrowed it from the library. Well, I've bought it (of course), and it's now sitting on my desk, waiting for me to read it. I can't bear the suspense! What if it's not as good as I remembered it? Surely not...!

Later she wrote to tell me that the book lived up to her memories

Well, my second first (if that makes sense?) impression of the Chalk Line is that I can't believe it was your first M&B book - it is so well written and polished. I can see that a lot of hard work went into it. I am really really enjoying it (I always knew I would ). I think it stands the test of time really well - the characters all seem lifelike, especially Rowena whose motivations are reactions are realistic, and Alan and Robert (I don't need to tell you what I think of them!). As for Leo, I guess nowadays we'd get more insight into his feelings, but I think they are adequately clear from his reaction to her.

Sophie touches on some of the differences in the books I was writing back in 1984 - the most obvious one was the fact that the hero's point of view was very rarely, if ever, shown. Therea re other differences too - but I'll look at those in my next post when I tell you how the rather delirious thoughts I had with the flu turned into the book that won me my first ever publishing contract.

In the meantime - thank you Sophie for your memory of your first ever Kate Walker novel.

Have you got a 'First Kate Walker' memory you'd like to share? I'd love to hear it. And please send in your votes for thre Top 5 favourite Kate Walker books over the past 25 years. I've already been collecting up votes and so far the top 20 list looks like this:

1. The Spaniard's Inconvenient Wife




2. The Greek Tycoon's Unwilling Wife




3. The Antonakos Marriage




4. His Miracle Baby




5. The Italian’s Forced Bride




6. Cordero's Forced Bride




7. The Twelve-Month Mistress




8. The Sicilian's Wife




9. The Hostage Bride




10. Desert Affair




11. Kept for her Baby




12. Sicilian Husband, Blackmailed Bride




13. Bedded by the Greek Billionaire




14. Spanish Billionaire, Innocent Wife




15. Constantine's Revenge




16. Wife for a Day




17. Hers for a Night




18. Rafael's Love-child




19. The Duke's Secret Wife




20. Bound By Blackmail

There's an interesting mixture of old and new books there with the newest - Kept for Her Baby already in at #11. Are your favourites here? Do let me know

I've also asked some of my writing friends and fellow authors to give me their lists and I'll be posting some of those in the coming days. I'm fascinated to find out their favourites too.