Looking forward to autumn with Kate Walker

Almost every morning before I get to my desk, I go for a walk in the local park. From there,  there’s a path that leads to the woods and I walk all round the woods as well. It’s a lovely way to start off my day. I have some peace and quiet to think. I get my exercise – essential seeing as the day job usually keeps me sitting most of the day – and I get to see the changing seasons up close.  The past few weeks have been lovely and mild so that I got to see the rabbits frolicking in the sunlight, or the squirrels running up the tree trunks.  Robins, magpies, crows, sparrows, all fly about the woods and I can hear the woodpecker hammering away at a tree trunk up above my head.

But this morning it was a very different sort of day.  There was a chill wind and a lot of rain. Suddenly it was so obvious that the season was changing. Summer is over and autumn is on its way in.  There was a sort of melancholy feel about it, but at the same time there was an excitement and anticipation of the new season that’s starting.  

I’ve often talked about how I love this time of year. New Term. Back To School. New (School) Year – all these things mean that there’s the anticipation of new beginnings and all the shops have  lots of lovely stationery and pens to mark ‘Back To School’ time. But there are other reasons why I love this time of year. Reasons I’m looking forward to Autumn -  So I thought I’d share some of them with you.

I’m not really very good with a lot of heat. Sunshine, yes, but hot days really exhaust me so I’m haf bach mihangel – Michael’s Little Summer – St. Michael’s Day being on 29 September) but it is rarely as hot as the height of summer. And I love that.

happy about the cooler days. We might still have an Indian Summer (or as we used to call it when DH and I were at university in Aberystwyth in Wales 

The changing colours. I love to see the way that the trees start to change colour – to turn from green to gold to brown.  I’ve always loved the ‘autumnal’ colours so I shall wear some of those too.

Shoes – and boots – I love boots -   high boots, ankle boots, black, burgundy . . .  I just bought myself a wonderful pair of flats in metallic leather – can’t wait to wear them with opaque black tights. My sandals don’t feel right any more and I can’t wait to get into boots!

TV  - I’m in the UK  so this will be slightly different here – but  the autumn schedules start – last weekend we had Lady Chatterley’s Lover ( Richard Madden, James Norton) coming up  are the new series -  Dr Who. Downton Abbey,  Sherlock,  Strictly Come Dancing, Jekyll and Hyde. (And meanwhile  Aidan Turner is filming the second series of Poldark and James Norton is working on  Grantchester 2) These are good ways to spend darker cooler evenings. And that’s before I consider films – the live broadcasts of Benedict Cumberbatch’s Hamlet – Tom Hiddleston as Hank  Williams.

Or theatre – so far I have tickets for The Importance of Being Earnest, Mack and Mabel,  Kiss me Kate . . . I  will be spending most of Autumn watching great acting!

Real fires. We’re lucky enough to have a real fire in our living room. It hasn’t been used for five months – I can’t wait to lay the wood, add the coal, strike a match . . . and the cats just love to curl up in front of it.

And if the fire’s lit and I’m not watching TV – there’s always the bundle of new books coming out.  The fire in the hearth, a cat on my lap – a good book . . .

Autumn is also a time when I go to London to meet all my friends and fellow authors  at the Association of Mills & Boon lunch. This time it’s extra exciting as  for the first time we’ll get to see the brand new M&B offices  in the News Building in Central London .  

October I’ll be running a guided retreat  Focus on Writing Romantic Fiction. This means I get to spend the weekend at The Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick Derbyshire – and I’ll

meet up with students, some of whom are already friends – and get to spend the weekend talking about writing – what’s not to like?

Oh, and I seem to have a lovely set of books  coming pout this autumn too. There’s the Australian collection of my 3 books about the Alcolar Family  called The Notorious Alcolars. A brand new  English Manga Comic edition of The Greek Tycoon’s Unwilling Wife.  And the one I’m most looking forward to of all – the publication of my newest title Destined for The Desert King.   (I just love the Presents cover for this one!) 

All I need to make my autumn complete will be to have written – and had accepted  - a new book ready for the new year. I’m working on that one. And that’s the other great thing about autumn. Because it’s not so warm and because of that ‘new term’ feeling, I always write so much better and more  concentrated in autumn. I’m hoping to get this new book  (Rose and Nairo’s story) to my editor very soon.

So that’s why, although I’m sad to see the summer fade, I’m also excited by the prospect of this new season and I’m, really looking forward to Autumn and all the promise  that it holds.

What about you?  Do you love autumn – fall -  whatever you call  it?   Or are you dreading the darker nights and the cooler days?  I’d love to know what you’re looking forward to.  But let’s agree not to talk about the C word - Christmas -  just yet!!

My  latest romance  is Olivero's Outrageous Proposal published in April in Harlequin Presents and Mills and Boon Modern Romance . Coming next  Destined For The Desert King  which is published in December this year.
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Then there's the  12 Point Guide to Writing Romance, the newest edition of which is available on Kindle or a revised and updated paperback edition now available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

Kate Walker's web site is here   and the up-to-date news can be found on her blog or her Facebook page.