Celebrating

As you probably know, this year is a very important year for Mills & Boon. 2008 marks the centenary of the date when Gerald Mills & Charles Boon established their publishing company in 1908, with a capital of just £1000. All through the year there have been events and parties, exhibitions and celebrations to mark this special event. And on a personal note I've been travelling here there and everywhere in the UK to take part in as many of these special events as I could.

Last week I was in Guildford, as part of the Guildford Book Festival, to mark the 100th Birthday yet again. In the afternoon I ran a workshop on writing romance - to mark the second edition of the 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance - and then in the evening I was on a panel to talk about writing romance and Mills & Boon's 100th birthday all ove again. I shared the evening with fellow M&B author Gill Sanderson who writes Medicals, romantic novelist Katie Fforde and romantic comedy writer Matt Dunn. We had a wonderful time talking about writing, sharing our enjoyment of romantic fiction, and asking 'what's wrong with a happy ending anyway?' )Answer from the audience- nothing!)

But the event was also very special for me because I was celebrating something rather lovely of my own. For the past week or so, I've been doing the Snoopy dance of joy and smiling a lot.
Because I discovered on the Romantic Times web site that not only have they give my new novel, Bedded By The Greek Billionaire 4.5 stars but they have also made it one of their Top Picks for November.

I am so thrilled by this. In fact I've achieved a long-held ambition. A l-o-n-g held ambition.
I've had some good reviews from RT, generally pretty respectable. And The Twelve Month Mistress was short-listed for Best Presents in 2005 but I've never achieved that elusive Top Pick for the month.

Now I've finally manged it and Bedded By The Greek Billionaire had a wonderful review as well. The reviews aren't up on the RT site yet, but my lovely friend Holly Jacobs (who got 4.5 stars herself with her fabulous Same Time Next Summer in August ) subscribes to the magazine and she was able to find the review and send it on to me so I can share it with you. (Thanks Hall!)

Seven years after he left in disgrace, Angelos Rousakis is back in London. He'd been attracted to Jessica Marshall but knew she was too young. But she wouldn't leave him alone and when her stepfather found them in what seemed to be a compromising position, Jessica placed the blame on him. Now Jessica's stepfather has died and she learns Angelos is now the owner of the estate. When Angelos sees Jessica he expects to feel triumphant but now wonders if his hate isn't masking something else. Kate Walker's Bedded by the Greek Billionaire (4.5) is a delicious melodrama full of dizzying emotions as the reader goes along with the highs and lows as this couple finds each other again. —Sandra Garcia-Myers

Great isn't it? Thank you RT - and Sandra Garcia Myers.

And then to cap it all, I found that over on We Write Romance they loved this book too. On that site too they've chosen this book as the Spotlighted Review - and given it 4 stars out of a possible 4.

And another review to lift my heart and make me smile all over again:

Looking for that book that can make your heart bump up to your throat with emotion...and stay there throughout the entire book? Well, then look no farther. Kate Walker's Bedded by the Greek Billionaire is just that emotional thrill ride you've been looking for in your next read. . . .

Jessica and Angelos' story is one full of emotional twists and turns. And though Jessica is not as emotionally mature as I would have liked, Angelos more than makes up for it. The two together are wonderful. This book was truly inspiring. It shows that as a teen we often make mistakes that can hurt others, but there are second chances in life that make it possible to make up for those mistakes. I would definitely recommend this book, but I would warn you not to start it unless you can stay up all night finishing it!

Times like this, when you realise that a book you've written has really succeeded and you;ve touched the hearts of readers and reviewers are what an author lives for. It means that the long hours spent on your own, creating imaginary worlds, imaginary characters, have all been worthwhile. And achieving a long held ambtion like getting a Top Pick just makes it all the more special.

So that's why I'm celebrating this week - and when I celebrate I like to share with my readers. At the workshop, I had some special Mills & Boon Centenary goodies to give out and I still have a few of them left. So I have two sets of special Centenary Goody giveaways to share. All you have to do is to tell me what you're celebrating - let's make this Good News week - and I'll get Sid the Cat to pick two names out of the comments and they'll win the special prizes.

I'll add in a copy of my own special Centenary publication, The Duke's Secret Wife which is part of the Centenary Collection this year.

Because good news is worth celebrating.