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Sunday, January 02, 2011

Old and New by Kate Walker

First things first - Happy New Year to all of you. I hope that 2011 brings you lots of love and joy and some wonderful moments that will leave you with some truly happy memories when January 2012 comes around.

New Year's Day always brings with it ideas of 'out with the old and in with the new' but I've always felt that was a bit too extreme - it seems to be saying that only the new (and young?) has good things going for it and the old can be discarded because it no longer matters.


I can't agree. I love old things - I have lots of things that have been handed down through my family and I collect antique embroideries, some of which are over 200 years old. I love keeping the old things close - and I love looking foward to the new things coming up.



This works particularly in publishing, when new books are planned well ahead of their publication date, but thankfully old books are still around and are being republished. So when it comes to the start of 2011, I've just discovered the new cover for my next book - The Proud Wife - which will be published in March 2011 (UK ) and in April in America. The covers for these two editions are very different, because in the UK the covers have recently been revamped while in America the Presents Extra covers stay with the same design. I wonder which of these you like best?




At the same time as I found this new cover, I have discovered that some of my older books are being brough out again in ebook editions so that they available easily once again. The Hired Husband and The Duke's Secret Wife are now available as ebooks from eHarlequin.com or on Kindle from Amazon.




Another reason why I was thinking about the old and the new was because of my very special Christmas gift. As those of you who read my personal blog regularly will know, I was given a gorgeous red and white Maine Coon kitten called Charlie who is now just 16 weeks old. He's purred his way into my hart and I love him dearly - but that doesn't mean that I love the older cats, Sid, Flora and the old gentleman, 17 year old Dylan any the less.



So as I go into the new year of 2011, I'm making plans of course for new things - new book to write (and read), new places to visit, new people to meet, new things to learn - but at the same time I'm taking with me lots of 'old' things - friends, family, cats! I think it'd the mixture of all these things that makes life so wonderful and brings so much joy.


What about you? What new things are you looking forward to? And what older things will you be happy to take with you?

Whatever they are - I hope you have a wonderful year in 2011!

18 comments:

desere_steenberg said...

Stunning post thanks Kate !

Happy new year to you and yours and all the amazing kitties!

All the best
Your Fan
Desere

Ruchita said...

Hi Kate, Happy New Year. Agree so much with you on your old and new take. Old things and the memories that go with them are sometimes priceless.
I liked the presents extra cover and would like to put in that the cover should be relevant...like the red hair of the heroine. It could be echoeing the colour of a dress at some special point in the story or a pose but a relevant cover makes the book more special.
Keep writing more wonderful books, Kate!
Summer

ev said...

Happy New Year too!!

I'm with you, I like having the old stuff around as much as the new. Which mean I gotta keep the hubby too I guess!! :)

Living as we do in a house filled with antique furniture, I appreciate the old as much as the new in many things.

BiteMeAsh said...

Hi Kate.

I'm looking for new beginnings in 2011 in both relationship and career, both of which had drastic results in the past years. So here's to a new me charging out in 2011 *lol*

We are also in the process of obtaining a new kitten and new puppy into our family. My niece is so excited and can not wait always asking when is the baby kitten and puppy arriving!

Best wishes to all for a wonderful 2011. May 2011 bring gifts of unconditional love sprinkle of joy wherever you are the peace of Christ in your hearts always.

If blessings is a raindrop I’ll send you a shower,
If hope is a minute I’ll send you an hour,
If happiness is a leaf I’ll give you a tree.

Warm wishes, Rita from South Africa

p.s. I love the cover, its grand

Linda Henderson said...

I'm looking forward to spending more time with my grandkids this year. They grow up so fast, I just want to enjoy them while it's still cool to be around grandma. I also want to read more this year, I don't think I read enough this year. I always look forward to your books coming out and I can't wait to read your latest. Happy New Year to you and your family, including the furry ones.

Anna Adams said...

I love the new cover, Kate! Really--it would draw me right across the store to buy it. And I have a confession--I'm drawn to the covers when I buy a book, but I rarely look at them after I start reading. So, to me, the only relevance is whether it makes me pick up the book.

I completely agree with you about old-and-new. I feel most comfortable with a mix of both. These days, I keep what has the most meaning for me.

And isn't your new Christmas baby gorgeous? Gentle pats to all his older siblings! And the best new year wishes to you and yours!

I'm pretty excited about The Proud Wife in both its iterations!

Kate Walker said...

Thank you Desere - and a Happy New Year to you too (from those amazing kitties too!)

Kate Walker said...

Hello Summer - I so agree with you that the cover of a book should echo a special moment - or at least a moment! The USA cover does this but the UK cover - well, that dress never appears in the book at all! But it is quite a stunning 'look'. Just not my Marina1

Kate Walker said...

I'm with you ev - I've got to keep the 'old man' around too! But then he's got to keep the 'old lady' - me! I love antiques and I have soem olod furniture too so I'll bet yours is lovely.

Kate Walker said...

Rita - thank you so much for that beautiful new year wish - I think it's lovely! I also think you are ery brave getting both a puppy and a kittne.But they bring so much joy in our lives - we have had so much fun since Charlie arrived ( not us, say the older gentlemen cats!)

Kate Walker said...

Linda, I'm still waiting for grandchildren but I'd agree with you that it's so important yto enjoy them while they still want to be with grandma. Like our children they soon get grown up.

And yes - I totally agree about reading more. I so want to do that this year

Kate Walker said...

Anna I'm glad you like the cover - it is rather beautiful, I agree - just makes me go - Hmmm? Is it really appropriate to my book? I think I'd probably pick it up if it was someone else's bok! But then like you it's nt the cover that matters to me but who wrote it and what it's about.

I do hope you enjoy The Proud Wife - whatever cover it has when you read it.

And the Christmas kitten is truly gorgeous - and wicked! He has climbed the Christmas tree and knocked all the decorations off more time than I can count.

Michele L. said...

Hi Kate,

Such a cute kitty! They are so precious aren't they? I just love them!

Yes, I agree with you on your take of "Out with the old, in with the new" year blog. Things I will definitely take with me into the new year are my love of author's blogs! Love reading about all my favorite authors.

I will definitely be shedding some old weight that I don't want anymore, like on me! Ha,ha! Exercise, here I come!

Also, laughter is the best medicine so I am adopting a laugh and a half a day program! Ha,ha! Hey, I am getting into the act already! Come on hubby, ticle me silly!

Love, love, love your new cover and book Kate! It is so grand! Definitely a must for my To-Buy list.

Have a fabulous, blessed New Year, Kate! Always a pleasure to have you here!

Nas said...

Hi Kate, I love the cover as I don't yet know Marina is a redhead unless I start reading, but the elegant lady represents "A Proud Wife" and it would make me pick up the book from the shelf!

Kaelee said...

As I said on your blog Kate I am partial to the white book with the circle on the cover. I do like it when the cover matches the story. I like to use my imagination a bit but not to the extent of a different hair color.

Anne McAllister said...

Glad to see Charlie is making his debut on Tote Bags! He's a handsome lad. I'm glad he's a newbie in your life, but the Old Guard is pretty wonderful, too. Particularly The Honourable Sir Sidney.

The cover? Hmmmm. Yes, that's my reaction, too. She's beautiful, but she looks cold. It wouldn't be the cover that would have me picking up the book. The name "Kate Walker" would be doing that. It will be interesting to see how the new covers work out. The trouble is, we never know until it's too late!

Happy new year!
Anne

Pat Cochran said...

Hi, Kate, Of the two covers, I like
the UK version best.

As to the question of old vs new,
we will always have that riddle
around us. LOL. For me,it's all
my new printed friends and my old reading self. We seem to meld
together quite well!!!

Pat Cochran

BiteMeAsh said...

You're so welcome Kate!

Very brave NOT but I am looking forward to them.

Take care,
Rita from South Africa