Hedgehog housing crisis

We knew we still had some of the Heck family around - the housing boxes were well used, the feeding bowls regularly emptied and there was plenty of - er - hedgie poo around once those bowls had been dealt with. 

 But then we spotted the baby Hecks and realised we might need extra Hog accommodation. When we discovered that there was at least one extra Heck trying to create a new nest further up the garden, we decided we had to take action.

 A bundle of dried grass under the rhubarb leaves was just not warm or safe enough for the winter. So we've now acquired two new hog houses and put them under a protection of leaves and branches, with lots of hay for the Hecks to pull into their new homes. 

This they did with alacrity - they have been happily nesting and settling in ever since. 

The babies are down at the bottom of the garden - presumably with mother - and the food supplies are even more appreciated.

 

The under the rhubarb leaves hog is now settled in his new den just a few feet away - if we moved it any further, he went back into the rhubarb patch which was getting less cosy by the day. Ruby is entranced by her new prickly friend and sits on the extra hay watching him eat when she can. She investigated the feeding bowls but peanuts and sunflower hearts are not to her liking

Enjoying escapism

Last trip to the post office - last bundle of prize books sent on their way to  the winners. Thank you to everyone who helped me celebrate my 65th published title.  Sharing celebrations with readers is something really special. Why do I love it so much ? Well - there's the reader who has recently lost both her sister and her brother  - and who is looking after her sister's 4 year old.  The  lady who is bed bound and loves  my books  because "reading is the only thing that takes me away." Or  the reader who is  longing for the time when her army husband comes back to her and her  sons. The lady who had just broken her wrist that afternoon.   And these are just 4 of the winners.  And people wonder why  I love to write and share 'escapism'.    It's an honour - and SUCH a compliment to think that my books can help people through difficult time and brighten a dark moment.  I know that feeling and it's wonderful to think my words have been able to  help others that way.  Here's to 'escapism'!

Now all I have to do is to tidy my desk and get back to more  writing words

And anyone who's waiting for a prize giveaway book - it's on its way! 

A little something Extra

I've had enquiries about some  of the titles of mine that are in the  great big Harlequin Sale at the moment - Until October 25th
.
These are titles that people are realising they missed  out on when they came out. They didn't see them on the shelves, they said?  Where were these books on sale?

And even more so  - what are Presents EXTRA???

Oh dear - this is something that I thought had gone away. It's an idea that was brought up  to get more Presents novels of the shelves back in 2009-2012.   That was when there were two issues of Presents titles each month - and the  4 other Presents Extra titles later in the month.

All  it did was confuse people.  Especially as some of the books were from the Riva/Modern Extra/  line  were included.  And some of the confusion went on to my titles issued then.

So it looks to me as if  some of my readers missed out on finding books they wanted to read.  These books are now in the big sale as ebooks - but they're nder the 'Presents Extra' label.

Still confusing people.

So I'm going to share the details of these titles in case you are one of the readers who want to catch up with the books I've written that they haven't read.

These are the titles I'm talking about:

KEPT FOR HER BABY

Wanted: wife and Mother...
Staring at the granite-handsome features of Italian billionaire Ricardo Emiliani, Lucy knows she's made a mistake coming back to their palatial Lake Garda home. But she'll do anything for her baby son—even return to the husband who never loved her...
Ricardo branded his wife a gold-digger, however, tiny Marco needs his mother so he will keep Lucy captive on his private island until she proves herself a worthy wife—in every sense...

 THE KONSTANTOS MARRIAGE DEMAND 

The Greek's ruthless reunion.
Sadie Carteret and Nikos Konstantos were once blissfully in love. They planned the wedding of the

year, and their union would create a powerful dynasty.
But business and pleasure should never be mixed. Nikos was accused of scheming for Sadie's money and title, and was systematically destroyed by her family. The wedding was cancelled, the relationship in tatters.
Now the ruthless billionaire has built himself back up from scratch. He will clear his name and demand what was rightfully his...
Sadie must love, honour and...obey....

The Konstantos Marriage Demand was a Romantic Times  March 2010 Top Pick  and awarded Romantic Times Best Presents Extra 2010!

THE GOOD GREEK WIFE 

The return of the proud Greek husband...
He was declared missing at sea — but now notorious Zarek Michaelis is back and ready to take control! First he'll see to his business, and then to his wayward wife...
For two years Penny has struggled to come to terms with Zarek's disappearance. But enough is enough. It's time to move on… Her proud Greek husband is still as darkly handsome as ever, and the attraction between them is just as potent. But Penny can't trust Zarek's motives — does he just want her body and the fortune he left behind…or to try again?




THE PROUD WIFE  

Her husband wants her back!
Marina thought her dreams had come true when her husband placed a wedding band on her finger. But their marriage was not the fairytale she'd hoped for, and eventually Marina walked away, her heart broken.
But two years on Pietro DInzeo no longer haunts Marina's dreams. She knows the time has come to move on, and even a summons to join him in Sicily won't deter her However, with his wife stand
ing before him, about to sign on the dotted line of their divorce papers, Pietro wonders why he ever let her go?





THE RETURN OF THE STRANGER 

Standing high on the windswept moors, the lone figure of Heath Montanha vows vengeance on the woman who destroyed the last fragments of his heart...
Lady Katherine Charlton has never forgotten the stablehand with dangerous fists and a troubled heart from her childhood. Now the rebel is back, his powerful anger concealed under a polished and commanding veneer.
When ten years of scandal and secrets are unleashed, with a passionate, furious kiss, Heath's deepest, darkest wish crystallises...
Revenge -- and Kat -- will be his!









THE DEVIL AND MISS JONES
Martha Jones has never taken a risk in her whole life. Until the day she runs out on her wedding and succumbs to the magnetism of a man she has only just met! A man she knows only as Diablo.
Lone wolf Carlos Ortega won't promise Miss Jones more than one searing-hot night. Yet Carlos is shocked by Martha's sweet innocence. This runaway bride is a virgin, and it seems the repercussions of their sizzling encounter could last forever . . .



OK - so those are the books - but as I'm celebrating my 65th title - Indebted to Moreno -   I'm going to run a flash giveaway of these 'missing' books -   I have one copy of each book to give away and when they're gone they're gone!

But you're going to have to be quick!

You have just 24 hours to enter . .. . but then if you don't win the books will still be in the $1.99 sale!

Details coming up  . . .

Huge Sale - get 42 titles in my backlist for only $1.99!!

·      

Harlequin is running a huge backlist sale - starting today.

They have 18.000 backlist ebooks on sale for $1.99 each - on Amazon.com. Kobo, Nook, Googleplay, Harlequin, ibooks

And they have - hang on . . . 42 - yes 42 of my backlist books available on this special offer.
So if you want to add to your collection - or if there are books you've missed in the past - grab a copy now, while they're still available.

The sale runs from today until October 25th - so grab them while they're still available at this great price.
I've found the full list of all my titles available so I'll  post them below  so you can see what you might be missing.

         

            DESTINED FOR THE DESERT KING

·         OLIVERO'S OUTRAGEOUS PROPOSAL

·         THE GOOD GREEK WIFE?

·         THE GREEK TYCOON'S UNWILLING WIFE

·         HIS MIRACLE BABY

·         THE UNEXPECTED CHILD

·         THE PROUD WIFE

·         CORDERO'S FORCED BRIDE

·         RAFAEL'S LOVE-CHILD

·         CONSTANTINE'S REVENGE

·         BEDDED BY THE GREEK BILLIONAIRE

·         A SICILIAN HUSBAND

·         THE MARRIED MISTRESS

·         A QUESTION OF HONOR

·         THE ITALIAN'S FORCED BRIDE

·         KEPT FOR HER BABY

·         DESERT AFFAIR

·         SICILIAN HUSBAND, BLACKMAILED BRIDE

·         THE GROOM'S REVENGE

·         THE RETURN OF THE STRANGER

·         FIANCEE BY MISTAKE

·         A THRONE FOR THE TAKING

·         THE HOSTAGE BRIDE

·         THE KONSTANTOS MARRIAGE DEMAND

·         NO HOLDING BACK

·         WIFE FOR A DAY

·         THE TWELVE-MONTH MISTRESS

·         SPANISH BILLIONAIRE, INNOCENT WIFE

·         THE SICILIAN'S RED-HOT REVENGE

·         THE SICILIAN'S WIFE

·         THE CHRISTMAS BABY'S GIFT

·         BOUND BY BLACKMAIL

·         THE DEVIL AND MISS JONES

·         THEIR SECRET BABY

·         HER SECRET BRIDEGROOM

·         THE HIRED HUSBAND

·         FLIRTING WITH DANGER

·         THE ANTONAKOS MARRIAGE

·         AT THE SHEIKH'S COMMAND

·         THE SPANIARD'S INCONVENIENT WIFE

·         SATURDAY'S BRIDE

·         HERS FOR A NIGHT

        

       Details of all these books  are available on my web site  - on the Kate's Backlist page

A special Australian By Request Collection - your chance to get your hands on some older Kate Walker titles!

So - a few days ago, I promised my lovely Australian readers that there was some special news about my books coming up - well, here it is!

This month, as well as the Sexy edition of Indebted to Moreno, there is a special 'By Request - Popular Bestsellers ' 3 in 1 collection of 3 of my past titles on sale as well. This collection is called Resisting All Temptation - and the books in this collection are: A Question of Honour, The Konstantos Marriage Demand and Saturday's Bride.


Obviously, these are all reprints - A Question of Honour (which originally had the same cover as this collection) came out in 2014, The Konstantos Marriage Demand won the Romantic Times Best  Presents Extra in 2010 and Saturday's Bride goes right back to 1999!

So it's great to see these older titles get a new edition. If there are books you missed the first time around - or if you had a copy but lost it, then now's your chance to grab a copy in this special new Australian edition! If you want any more details on these titles  here they are:

A Question Of Honour

A runaway princess...
It should have been easy. Karim al Khalifa, crown prince of Mazarkhad, had one task—retrieve rebellious princess Clementina Saveneski from her hideout in England and return her home to be wed...to another man.
His to find, or his to keep?
It is not for Karim to notice her alluring scent, those seductive curves, the enticing glances she sends his way. No, his family's honor, and his own, require Clementina to be delivered—pure and untouched—to her unwanted bridegroom. And he must resist all temptation to keep her for himself!



The Konstantos Marriage Demand


The Greek's ruthless reunion.
Sadie Carteret and Nikos Konstantos were once blissfully in love. They planned the wedding of the year, and their union would create a powerful dynasty.
But business and pleasure should never be mixed. Nikos was accused of scheming for Sadie's money and title, and was systematically destroyed by her family. The wedding was cancelled, the relationship in tatters.

Now the ruthless billionaire has built himself back up from scratch. He will clear his name and demand what was rightfully his...

Sadie must love, honour and...obey....



Saturday's Bride

A most determined seduction . . .
Connor Harding was outraged to come back home and discover that Jenna Kenyon was getting married - to the wrong man! But he knew that Jenna was determined to prove him wrong, despite the passion still smouldering between them.
Connor decided that all was fair in love and war. Only five days remained before Jenna became Saturday's bride, but that was more than long enough for him to persuade her to change her mind. . .




Oh - and these are not the only reprints! Look out for the Surrender to The Sheikh collection coming in December - with At The Sheikh's Command, Desert Affair and Destined for the Desert King (which of course is the second part of the Rhastaan Royals duo - the first being A Question of Honour.)

   I don't have a cover for this collection yet but I'll share as soon as I do. This a real collection for everyone who loves a sheikh story

Celebrating my 65th title - with a great interview

Today is the official publication date of  Indebted to Moreno . It seems to be out in a lot of places already, and the USA edition has been  on sale for a week or more.

But today is the official publication date.

So to mark today - and the fact that this is my 65th title for Harlequin Mills and Boon -  I've been sharing some posts all over the internet.  If you missed the earlier ones - try:

Revisions and Editions - a post on filling in the backstory of your characters

Kelly Steel's web site  - a special 'interview' with the hero and heroine of  Indebted to Moreno


Amended to include this other post that Nas Dean reminded me of over at  Romance Book Paradise  - thanks Nas!

And today there is a special publication day interview over

 with lovely Rachel  Dove on her blog   One Word At A Time.

  

I hope this will keep you occupied while I finish this current book (fingers crossed that the rest of the week isn't like the way it's been in the beginning -   and then I can offer some more celebrations for this  special 65th title!

The great thing about the fact that the Babe Magnet and I write different sorts of books is that the research/meetings/publicity for those books take us to very different places. So he was in London with me and then this week he had to visit parts of the Norfolk coast for his upcoming book on villages that have been 'Lost To The Sea'. It's great how sometimes research can be done unexpectedly - as in one fascinating long conversation with a crab fisherman over coffee in Sheringham. 

 We also found time to visit the wonderful animal sanctuary at Hillside near Cromer where I lost my heart to one of the tallest horses I have ever seen - Bluebell is a black shire horse mare who stands 18.2 hands high - that's about 74 inches - and with her long neck and head on top that's a lot of horse! She was just gorgeous.

It was wonderful to be able to help the sanctuary with something as simple as a donation of a bale (or 3 ) of hay - and a bag full of carrots for suppertime treats. Now if only I'd known they could also use our windfall apples - we could have loaded up the car before we went.

PS The Goodreads giveaway for Indebted to Moreno  is now closed and books are going out to the winners on Monday - but  official publication day is next week - and this is a rather special book for me - so watch this space for a chance to win one of my backlist books.

Goodreads book giveaway

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Indebted to Moreno

by Kate Walker

Giveaway ends September 30, 2016.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Happy Birthday Charlie!

Charlie the Maine Coon  has  a birthday.

Charlie  Rumpuss - aka Kyamron Rumpusscat is  6 today!  He refuses

to acknowledge the time when he was a small, cute, blue-eyed boy but he was once!

And then he grew  a bit bigger - but he could still fit on to the bird table under the birdhouse where he pretended he was waiting for his prey. (He can't manage that any more)

He's coped with the arrival of his   new baby sister Ruby, and even quite grown to like her - though he still reckons she  has no right to invade his territory on the bed!
 And tonight he has extra treats and  a big bowl full of  food to celebrate his arrival at the 'mature'  age of 6 years and a  bit . (He was actually 6 years old while we were in London but he doesn't realise that. Any day to celebrate his birthday with lots of treats is fine by him.

So happy birthday Charlie and here's to many more to come!

Here is the official 6th birthday portrait!

Charlie says that if you're interested in a special book celebration and giveaway, then check back later in the week for the day Indebted to Moreno is published  for more news and details.

A Fabulous Time In London

I'm back from London - and  have recovered from the travel, the heat, the meetings, the lunch/dinner/party  . . .

Well, that was a hectic - and fun time. Let me see - there was the trip down to london and the unexpected heatwave that of course got warmer the further south we went.

The first evening we were at the Garrick Theatre where we had seats for  The Entertainer - with Kenneth Branagh. A  great evening - I have to say that the play is not one of my favourite ever  and I have some problems with it  where at times it's rather static and wordy - but the music hall scenes were brilliant - and that's where K B came into his own.  So glad we saw it.

Andie Brock with her cover display

Thursday was spent visiting the Harlequin office in the News Building (next to the Shard) at London Bridge.  Another unexpectedly hot day   but it was great to be shown round the offices (on the 16th floor!), meet all the editors  - specially Grace who knew just how to make this author's day by telling me how much she had loved Indebted to Moreno when she read it! -   and get to know (again!)  my new editor.  Except she isn't my new editor  - we worked together in the past  (can you believe 20 years ago!)  when the first book we worked on  was The Groom's Revenge which was published in 1997!!  It was great to catch up again and renew our working relationship and friendship.  That evening  was a great time to get together with some lovely friends - Rachael Thomas (who regular readers will know is one of my ex -Fishguard Writers Weekend students who is now building a successful writing career and into double figures with her  accepted titles.)  Chantelle Shaw and Lara Temple who you met on this blog some weeks back.

My lovely friend Anna Sugden and her book cover

Friday was the AMBA lunch and  then the fabulous Harlequin party - back in the News Building  - but this time on the 17th floor!  It was  great to meet up  with some many lovely friends old and new and make some new ones amongst the   Mills and Boon Authors.   There were celebrations of some authors 'milestone' books, prosecco and other

With my sexy Spaniard cover

 celebratory drinks  and canapés - not that  I could manage any after the  AMBA lunch.

More lovely friends Rachael Thomas and Chantelle Shaw

Scarlet Wilson and Kate Hardy looking glamorous

Great goody bags for everyone 

     

 

Rachael Thomas  again with author  Louise Fuller

And finally  - my  favourite editor ever  - lovely Lesley Stonehouse. Why is she so very  special to me?
Because Lesley is the lady who picked my book out from the slush pile   over 30 years ago  -  the book the became The Chalk Line - my first ever published novel - so she started me on this wonderful career and she's  taken a great interest in what I do ever since.

Thank you Lesley!

Tote Bags Day

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

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

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

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

Thank you so much Arpita!

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

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

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

September 11th thoughts

September 11^th   

9/11

 It’s one of those dates, a combination of numbers that strikes hard as soon as you hear it, isn’t it?  15 years ago and yet I still recall so clearly  - as  I’m sure everyone does -  the moment that just turning on the news, or catching an internet reference seemed to freeze life and mark a point after which things would never be quite the same.

It doesn’t take a world horror like that September day.  My beautiful sister in law went out of the house on the way to work one day when she was 36. We  don’t know what happened exactly.

Only that she crashed the new bright yellow car  she was delighted with and she never came home. The rose we planed in her memory still flowers on her birthday and her wedding anniversary - that's on Tuesday   and the glorious blooms are there  now to mark the date.

So the thought of all those thousands who went through that terrible experience 15 years ago today still tears at my heart.  

Every time September 11^th comes around, I remember  a poem by Dawn MarieHuddlestone called If I Knew . It contains this verse:

IF I KNEW

If I knew it would be the last time

that I see you walk out the door,

I would give you a hug and kiss

and call you back for one more.

 But the trouble is, we never know, do we?

When the Babe Magnet and I were in New York, we went to Ground Zero and tried to honour those who never came home from that event.  That huge great space where two huge great buildings had once stood, each of them teeming with thousands of people brings home in the saddest, shocking way how quickly today can become the past.   And  how terrible the words ‘if only’ can be.

Which brings me to another great quote:

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.

Nobody seems quite sure who originally said this but it’s so much in my thoughts today.

On a day of remembrance, I hope you and your families can share a hug for this present. 

September 3rd is Pink Hearts Day!

Today's the 3rd September so that means it's my regular day to blog over on the Pink Hearts Society blog. 


 After yesterday's lovely card from the friends Indebted to Moreno is dedicated to, my post on the blog is all about dedications and I've been looking at some past books, past dedications and the memories they bring. And I'll admit I shed a few tears over some of the memories as well!

The joy of dedications . . .

I came home to a lovely reminder of one of the special joys of being an author. Publishing a book gives me the happy moment of sharing the publication day with a dedication to people I care a lot about. (Or, sadly, sometimes people I used to care a lot about, but thankfully there are few of them.) Today a lovely card let me know how pleased the special friends to whom Indebted to Moreno is dedicated made me smile with happiness at the thought that I have such fabulous friends in my life and that they are happy to discover that I shared the book with them. Regular readers will see that several of the dedications have resulted from the many happy times I've spent at Writers' Holiday - and I hope to share many more.

The 'Mal' half of Malison is also the major support behind the self-pubbed paperback new edition of the 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. Luckily, both these friends know I love cats - as do they - so the card (see to the side) made me smile for other reasons

Meet Lara Temple - Part 2

1  I hope you enjoyed the first part of the interview with  Harlequin Historical author Lara King.

Today she's back to  answer the  second set of my questions - and talk about her experience with the So You Think You Can Write Contest  

        Don't forget to answer Lara's question in the comments to be in with a chance of winning a copy of one of her great books.

         Once again - thanks for joining me on my blog, Lara!

          You submitted  Lord Crayle’s Secret World for the So You Think You Can Write contest 2014.  What was that experience like?

That was truly an amazing experience! It was my mother’s idea in the first place to finally dust off one of the stories I had written and do something about the unspoken dream. It was one of those what-the-hell-let’s-just-do-it moments and quite frankly I never thought anything would come of it. When I received the email saying I made it to the top 25, I was so shocked I can still remember my cheeks tingling. For a moment I just didn’t believe it. I had read many of the other submissions and I thought there were so many wonderful ideas I didn’t allow myself to hope too much. Then they called to say I had made it to the top 10 and the real shocker came when they actually said they were interested in the book. That was pure joy!

2.         Did you have to do a lot of revising on the original submission?

I did actually. The original story was way too long (almost twice the length of Harlequin Historicals) and had a lot of historic and political detail in it that just didn’t fit the genre. I also had to intensify the emotional conflict, which was much more fun than the brutal chopping I had to do on the length. So it was quite an education but luckily I have an amazing editor who often sees the trees through my forest and she really helped shine light on what worked and what didn’t. It was a difficult but an invaluable process. I wrote the second book with much of what I had learned in mind so it needed less revisions, and the third was even smoother. Like everything else, writing is both an art and a craft and I spend a lot of time honing the craft part. In that sense I’m glad I had to really slog through revisions the first time round.

3.       What was it like to receive ‘the call’?

It was already exciting to have Harlequin interested in a manuscript in the first place, but I knew at any point during the revisions they could say ‘thank you, but no thank you’ so when my editor actually called me directly I was still so ready for rejection my brain was in such serious delay that the words ‘two book contract’ sort of floated around for a few blank seconds before making a very thumping and joyous landing. I don’t quite recall what I said (other than ‘Yes!’) but I don’t think

 it showed any sign of intelligence…I remember clutching my tea mug very hard!

4.       Your second book, The Reluctant Viscount, is published this month– can you tell us something about this new novel?

The Reluctant Viscount is about the impact of betrayal, the scarring it causes, and the possibility of redemption that comes from learning to trust (and love) again. Adam is betrayed first by a spoiled beauty who uses him to capture a wealthy husband and then by his family and community. Ten years later he returns, wealthy, titled, cynical, and determined to have nothing to do with the people who rejected him. Alyssa was barely eighteen but secretly in love with Adam when the drama unfolded. In the decade that passed she has managed to shake her wild and eccentric upbringing to become a very proper young woman. But when Adam is framed for murder she has to risk everything by entering a sham engagement. Luckily they find that trusting each other has unforeseen and, in the end, quite happy consequences.

5.       Is Alyssa another unconventional heroine?

Alyssa is an unconventional heroine trying very hard to be conventional. I liked the way Adam and Alyssa start out on opposite ends of the respectability spectrum and then swing radically to the other end of it before both each finding a happier middle through their relationship. The idea that love and acceptance can help each other find emotional fulfilment and equilibrium is an important theme for me.

.

6.       Finally, what are you working on now? Can we hope to see another new Lara Temple on sale soon?

I just finished my third book and am doing revisions (though I don’t have a publication d

ate yet), and am almost done with number four (she says hopefully). They are both strong and sexy but one is set in London and is about emotional scars caused by loss and guilt (and about a Duke and a pug named Marmaduke) and the fourth is set in the peninsular wars and is about conflicting loyalties and choosing to love (soldier vs. spy). And in each case I am so happy with my hero and heroine – I always have a hard moment handing them over to be loved or (possibly) hated by others.  And in between I am still reveling in the fact that this is now my job – I still can’t quite believe it.

Lara's  Question for giveaways   - Please post your answer in the comments to be in with a chance for a giveaway of one of Lara's books.

Both Sari and Alyssa are not your run of the mill regency misses. History is full of unconventional heroines and I am always on the lookout for real life examples – do you have a favorite unconventional historical heroine?