Brighter Days - with Kate Walker

There’s a strange thing happening today – the sky which has been grey and cloudy and miserable  for – well, for ages it seems,  is suddenly blue with just  tiny bits of wispy clouds here and there. And there is a strange golden thing shining high up there in the blue   . . . and it’s warm! I’m told it’s called the sun!  I haven’t been outside when there was any warmth  -or any sun  shining in I don’t know how long.  Last week, the clocks changed here in the UK and it seems like at last spring is finally  on its way.

After a cold, difficult few weeks,  suddenly things look so much brighter.  And there has been  a good week on the books front that have added to the brightness too.  Sometimes I can go for weeks and weeks with no  sign of any books being delivered –then suddenly there’s a whole rush of them.   Believe me, even when the days are bleak and cold that can brighten things up instantly.

And it’s even more fun  when the deliver brings a collection of foreign editions, translations into different languages,  all with different cover designs. It always intrigues me how  differently the same books can be presented all over the world.

Here’s a few of the books I’ve had this week.
There was the Norwegian edition of The Twelve Month Mistress.  The USA edition was  sexy and sensual -  the Norwegian copy (in a 3 in 1 collection)  has this pretty, spring like edition.

One of my favourite  things about the Czech editions is the way my name change – I become Kate Walkerova!  Not quite as much fun as my fellow author (Historical) who becomes Elizabeth Rollsova  but it’s still fun. And the cover of this edition of  The Konstantos Marriage  Demand has just the right atmosphere (and the suggestion of sun and heat to make me sigh even on this milder spring day.)

There was a great delivery from Japan -  the new Japanese edition of The Devil and Miss Jones     and a fabulous Manga reprint of a book that came out  12 years ago – The Hostage Bride  - that now has a great new lease of life in this specialised art form.  Don’t you think the illustrations are just great  - and the cover is wonderful.

But perhaps the best delivery was the box full of my brand new title – A Throne For The Taking,   There’s nothing to beat that  moment when you open the parcel and first hold your  printed and bound book in your hands. If I open it and read the pages, I can remember writing those words – the  moments of inspiration and the places where an editor  gave her input! But it all seems so different now  a real book rather than a work in progress.  I only have the  Presents editions right now, but the M&B Modern  one will arrive soon.  And then in a few weeks it will be publication day.  Now there’s something  to brighten the days – no mater what the sun is doing!

I hope you have some brighter  days to make  you smile now.  And  I hope to brighten someone’s days today too.  I have to apologise that life  rather exploded which meant I never managed to pick the winners of my giveaway last month. I originally had one book to give away but because of the delay, I got Charlie to pick two winners – and they are Linda Henderson and Mary Kirkland.  Mary and Linda will you please email me ( kate AT kate-walker dot com) and I’ll sort out the books for you.

Kate’s latest hero is Alexei Sarova, a black sheep prince who has to face up to a new and unexpected destiny. A Throne For the Taking will be published in the Royal and Ruthless miniseries on May 21st in Presents and in June in UK

Other up to date news and details of all Kate’s books can be found on her web site and in her blog.