July 14th sees the anniversary of the day when I married my husband, more years ago than I care to admit to. No – actually, I don’t mind telling you – it was 37 years ago. I know that, as romance readers and writers, you’ll be almost as happy as I am to know that our marriage lasted and that we’re still celebrating those anniversaries. After all, that’s what we all read and write romance for, isn’t it? To assert the value of a happy ever after for our characters. And it’s what we’d probably all dream of for ourselves.
When I married all those years ago, I never dreamed that by the time I was celebrating my 37th anniversary, I’d be where I am now. That as well as those 37 years with my DH, I’d also have 25 years of being published behind me. 25 years, 59 books (57 romances and two ‘How To’ writing rom
ance guides), it’s something even I don’t quite believe when I look at it. But it crept up on me quietly – one year at a time for my marriage, and one book at a time for my publishing career. So naturally at this time of the year, I think of that old saying about the ‘good luck charms’ you have on your wedding day. ‘Something old, something new. . .’ And that saying also applies to my writing career this month, You see I have something new in the shape of my latest book being published, and something old which is the re-issue of some books from my past – one from almost way back at the beginning of my career.
The new one first. In the UK this week there is the publication date of my newest Mills & Boon Modern Romance, The Good Greek Wife? Just this afternoon I saw it in the bookshop – that’s always so exciting even after all this time. It’s one of the real of this job, and one I never grow tired of. Just seeing my book there on the shelves, newly printed and published waiting for readers to come along and buy it, is a real joy.
But it’s also exciting when the older books come round again and are reprinted, or re-issued in different forms. This week I received some foreign editions, translations of my books, and one of them was a Korean edition of Game of Hazard, the second book I had published, way back in 1986 – and the first title that ever went to America. And then I was told that some of my older titles have been put into ebook so that they are easily available in this format all over again. It’s like seeing old friends come back into my life as I found that The Married Mistress and Their Secret Baby are on sale all over again. They brought back memories for me too – memories when those books were first on sale and what I was doing back then.
On the 14th I’ll be recalling memories too, of course. Memories of that July day when I started out on my own Happy Ever After. My husband and I will look back at our younger selves and smile at how far we’ve come – and hope that there will still be lots of ‘somethings new’ ahead of us for us to enjoy.
I hope that’s how it will be for you too – something old and something new. And a happy ever after in real life as well as in the books you read.
Have you got a special ‘something old’ that you want to remember? Or ‘something new’ that you’re really happy about? As I’m celebrating both the publication of my new book and my anniversary – and when I celebrate I love to sh
are – I have a signed copy of The Good Greek Wife? to give away to someone who comments.
When I married all those years ago, I never dreamed that by the time I was celebrating my 37th anniversary, I’d be where I am now. That as well as those 37 years with my DH, I’d also have 25 years of being published behind me. 25 years, 59 books (57 romances and two ‘How To’ writing rom
ance guides), it’s something even I don’t quite believe when I look at it. But it crept up on me quietly – one year at a time for my marriage, and one book at a time for my publishing career. So naturally at this time of the year, I think of that old saying about the ‘good luck charms’ you have on your wedding day. ‘Something old, something new. . .’ And that saying also applies to my writing career this month, You see I have something new in the shape of my latest book being published, and something old which is the re-issue of some books from my past – one from almost way back at the beginning of my career.The new one first. In the UK this week there is the publication date of my newest Mills & Boon Modern Romance, The Good Greek Wife? Just this afternoon I saw it in the bookshop – that’s always so exciting even after all this time. It’s one of the real of this job, and one I never grow tired of. Just seeing my book there on the shelves, newly printed and published waiting for readers to come along and buy it, is a real joy.
But it’s also exciting when the older books come round again and are reprinted, or re-issued in different forms. This week I received some foreign editions, translations of my books, and one of them was a Korean edition of Game of Hazard, the second book I had published, way back in 1986 – and the first title that ever went to America. And then I was told that some of my older titles have been put into ebook so that they are easily available in this format all over again. It’s like seeing old friends come back into my life as I found that The Married Mistress and Their Secret Baby are on sale all over again. They brought back memories for me too – memories when those books were first on sale and what I was doing back then.
On the 14th I’ll be recalling memories too, of course. Memories of that July day when I started out on my own Happy Ever After. My husband and I will look back at our younger selves and smile at how far we’ve come – and hope that there will still be lots of ‘somethings new’ ahead of us for us to enjoy.
I hope that’s how it will be for you too – something old and something new. And a happy ever after in real life as well as in the books you read.
Have you got a special ‘something old’ that you want to remember? Or ‘something new’ that you’re really happy about? As I’m celebrating both the publication of my new book and my anniversary – and when I celebrate I love to sh
are – I have a signed copy of The Good Greek Wife? to give away to someone who comments. Kate Walker's current release for Mills & Boon Modern Romance i
s a little bit unusual. The Good Greek Wife? is part of a four book mini-series that retells classic Greek myths updating and 'modernising' them into a romance form. The mini-series is labelled The Greek Tycoons - Legends are Made of Men like These! The Good Greek Wife? is a retelling of the story of Odysseus and is out on July 2nd.The Good Greek Wife? will not be published in The Greek Tycoons collection in Presents Extra until October but Kate's last Presents title The Konstantos Marriage Demand, with another sexy Greek hero is still available .
You can read how Kate approached this challenge of writing The Good Greek Wife? on her web site . And you'll find all her most up to date news on her blog.
WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT:
Sid the cat was up early this morning and ready to go at the cat treats and pick a name for the winner
And the winner is Practimom!
Practimom please send me your name and postal address to kate AT Kate walker.com and I'll organise your prize.
And the winner is Practimom!
Practimom please send me your name and postal address to kate AT Kate walker.com and I'll organise your prize.
23 comments:
Congratulations, Kate, to you and your so-charming husband! I wish you many more happy years together.
Your new series based on retelling in "Presents" style classic Greek myths sounds fascinating. Do readers need knowledge of Greek mythology, or is the background explained in the foreword to the book?
Congrats on #37!! Time flies! My husband and I will be celebrating our 33rd on the 16th!
New to celebrate : My 24 yo son just became engaged to a beautiful young lady. They plan on marrying next spring. We're very excited.
Also new; My 22 yo son recently graduated from college and will be going on to grad school this fall.
Old: My husband is still my best friend and only love. We're very happy. I hope that we stay healthy!
Enjoy your anniversary!
37? Holy Moly that really is a HEA!! It will be the big one zero for me in Dec. Congrats! any big plans for the anni?
Happy 37th! Alabaster- is the gift for the 37th anniversary apparently. And congrats on the latest release. I will be buying it this week as it's payday! Yipee.
Something new? Well we've been married 4 months now! Something old? My gran who is 92 this week. Have a good weekend - Caroline x
I have Greek in me, so will need to try to check these out.
Happy Anniversary Kate!! 37 years--WOW!!
I am celebrating 20 years in August. They have just flown by.
Your new book sounds great.
Congrats! We've just celebrated our fourth anniversary - only another 33 to go (my husband says he'd have a shorter sentence if he just murdered me!)
Thank you Kandy. Of course you've met my husband at RWA etc
I would have liked to see some explanation of the Greek Myths in the books but I don't think there is anything except the names of the Greek heroes in them. The other books are Achilles (The Greek Tycoon's Achilles Heel) Perseus (The Power of the Legendary Greek) My book The Good Greek Wife? is Ulysses and the final book is Powerful Greek, Housekeeper Wife (I'm afraid I don't actually know which myth this one is about). I have written a bit about how I came to write my book on my web site page for A Good Greek Wife?
Happy 37th!
I'm looking forward to 21 years in October.
Had a great-grandson born on March 9th.
Laurie - we almost share an anniversary. Congratulations to you and your husband on your special day
And congratulations to your two sons - and the lovely bride to be. You have a lot of happiness to celebrate
practimom - thank you and congratulations to you on that upcoming anniversary. Plans for the actual day? Well, we will be having a couple of nights staying in one of our favourite towns in a favourite hotel so as the rest of the month will be very busy that will be lovely.
Hi Caroline - is it an Alabaster anniversary? Really? I never heard of that. Hmm - I can't think of an alabaster gift - can you?
Congratulations on you on your 4th (month) anniversary! And Happy Birthday to your Gran from me
I do hope you like A Good Greek Wife? if you get hold of a copy
Hi Dina - I didn't know you were from Greek descent. Have you read the Greek Myths? Of course Greek heroes are very popular in Presents
Hi 'runner' - don't the years fly? It doesn't seem two minutes since we were celebrating our 20th! It's good to hear of all these wedding anniversaries. Congratulations to you for Augustr
Alison - I hope you make those 33 years and more. Husbands always seem to make that joke, don't they but I'll bet he oved celebrating your anniversary too
Estella - another lovely anniversary to celebrate. Have a great day. But you've beaten me to a great-grandson - I don't even have a grandchild yet! But that will come in its own time.
Hi, Kate!
Heartfelt congrats on the big 3-7! My DH and I will be celebrating our big 2-9 anniversary on July 11. Hard to believe that the time has flown so quickly. The kids are now grown up and our marriage has never been better.
When I think of my anniversary, I recall our wedding day and walking down the aisle to where my DH was waiting. I've often thought he looked like a penguin in his light blue tux (while the groomsmen wore dark blue), but he was MY penguin, sweating buckets waiting for me to get down the aisle so we could get outside where it was cooler.
I am a VERY low maintenance woman, and on my wedding day, my older sis decided she should curl my hair with a curling iron (even though I was wearing a veil). I hated it. Absolutely hated it, but I put up with it for my sister's sake. As soon as we were officially wed and walked down the aisle to the outside, I shook my hair of confetti and all the curls fell out! It was perfect (at least in my eyes)!
Congratulations to you and your DH on your 37th Anniversary, Kate The time goes so quickly when you're having fun!
We've got a bittersweet celebration this year. Our daughter will be off to university in October. She's worked so hard to get there, it's a real achievement and a testament to her tenacity. But we are going to miss her sooo much!
Hello again Laney - and many congratulations on your anniversary for the weekend. I love your memories - I know exactly the feeling you're talking about. Our wedding day wasn't a hot or even a very sunny one but then at least my DH wasn't sweating buckets so that was some relief. And I had my hair done in curls too - what possessed me?
Hello Christina - lovely to see one of my fellow Presents authors here.
I know exactly how you feel about your daughter - I was the same when my son went to university. So proud and so sad at the same time. But I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. I used to close his bedroom door so that I didn't notice how empty the room was. It will get easier - and congratulations to your daughter from me!
Sid the cat was up early this morning and ready to go at the cat treats and pick a name for the winner
And the winner is Practimom!
Practimom please send me your name and postal address to kate AT Kate walker.com and I'll organise your prize.
Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary. I hope you have a wonderful day.
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