Notes and Notebooks - with Kate Walker

I went into town yesterday. I had bills to pay, food to buy, parcels to post . . .

(I'm sending out copies of my new book, Indebted to Moreno to reviewers to read.) 

I also went into WHSmith in the precinct and of course now they are starting with the ‘Back To School’ specials and stationery promotions are everywhere.They also had a stationery sale. For me, a stationery sale is a worse temptation than the serpent in the garden of Eden.

I love notebooks. They always hold such infinite possibilities.

Just think of all the amazing words, the wonderful stories that can be written in those pristine pages. The memories and images recorded for posterity . . .

And some of them at 75% off. I was so, so tempted . . .

But . . . errr - I don't need any notebooks I have notebooks. I have a practical ring file pad that sits beside my keyboard where I scribble notes to myself as I work so that I don’t forget important ideas.

I have a handbag notebook for ideas that strike me when I'm out and about.

I have beautiful notebooks that my friends and family have given me. Notebooks so lovely that I don't dare to sully them with my scribbles. They paralyse me - but I love them.

So why do the really important notes - the ones that come in a flash of inspiration and mark points on which the plot of my book, the development of character, the intensity of emotion always turn so importantly, end up on the tattiest piece of paper, along with yesterday's shopping list?

I recently went to Wales, to teach a course at Fishguard Writers’ Holiday and there not one but two of my friends gave me the most  gorgeous notebooks – and  files . . . I am sitting at my desk looking at them now – and I have resolved not to put them away carefully  but  to use them right now. In fact I’ve actually just pulled one right next to me, marked the first page with the  working title of the new book I’m working on – and  I will be making notes.  On this new book? Er – well, no – I have lots of notes for this one – they’re all on the usual tatty pieces of paper scattered over my desk.

But the notes for the second book in the  series – I’m writing a duet of linked books about two sisters – they will go into this lovely new notebook, honest – just as soon as I can make myself use those lovely new pristine pages!

My latest Modern Romance/Harlequin Presents was Destined For The Desert King, which was published in December 2015.

A new title, Indebted to Moreno, will be published at the end of September this year - and if you missed A Throne For The Taking the first time around, that will be reprinted in the 3-in-1 By Request Collection: Claiming His Princess in August 2016.

I've just been sent a copy of my brand-new Harlequin Presents cover for Indebted for Moreno - so I can share it with you here (the UK one hasn't appeared yet).

Visit Kate Walker's website and blog for up to date news; or find her Facebook page here.

The Gift of Books by Kate Walker

I had a birthday last week. That’s why I’m a bit late writing this blog today – I lost track of time – partly because I was celebrating, there were visitors coming to the house – my DH and I went out f

or a couple of days – and then my son and his fiancée came and we all went out for a meal together. It was lovely. A real family time and just the way to celebrate a birthday.

I was going to say the perfect way  - but there was another bit that was needed to make the birthday week (it stretched into a week – aren’t I lucky?) . What made the difference? Books of course!  Lots of books – in different sizes, different types,  different reasons for them arriving. And one that was planned for the future that was one of the best of all.

I suppose it’s inevitable, that people give me birthday presents that are books. After all, I’m a writer, my husband’s a writer, my friends are writers – and we’re all readers.  We’re book addicts and proud of it as the badge that came on one parcel said.   My son knows just the sort of books to pick for me – he’s very good at selecting novels that I’ll enjoy and he doesn’t just choose the ones that he hopes I will pass on to him when I’ve finished them. His book reading habit is worse than my own.  But he chooses  great ‘women’s novels’  as well as the psychological  thrillers we both enjoy.  My husband  - obviously – loves books too but I think he also loves them because they’re easy to wrap, because wrapping is not his very best skill!

I don’t mind! I love to receive a gift that is so obviously a book – another one to add to the TBR  pile. (We won’t mention the TBR list on my kindle – it would be too embarrassing.)    I even got an adult colouring in book   as an ‘anti-stress aide!’  That a wonderful multi-coloured  pack of felt-tip pens and it’s like going  back to childhood.

So, as if I didn’t have enough  books  to read in the birthday celebrations – the next thing that arrived was  a series of packages of my books – books I’ve  written that have been translated into other languages. There was the Russian edition of A Question of Honor, the Dutch version of the same book, the Danish – Norwegian,  Swedish and Finn translations of A Throne For The Taking.  But perhaps the best ‘present’ that I had where my books were concerned was the acceptance of my newest and latest novel – the one I’d been working on the revisions for in the run up to my birthday.  So just before the ‘big day’ dawned I got the wonderful

 news that my editor  had loved the revisions – she loved the book  - and she was accepting it for publication. So my 64th title  Destined For The Desert King will be published in December.

And – do you know what made the whole set of books , books  and more books even more perfect ? That’s the fact that because  this book had been accepted – it meant  that I now have a bit of breathing time – a free space  to settle back and actually read to my heart’s content. Just for this week. I’m loving it! 

Now that’s a real gift to give a reader.   But I’m  a writer too – and  I’ve had the time to relax and read and  . . .guess what . .  there are a new hero and heroine who are  whispering in my thoughts and  demanding that I think about telling their story . . . So  that’s the end of my peace and quiet . But I suppose I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Books – I just love them, whichever way they come into my life and fill up my days!

The 63rd book of mine  Olivero's Outrageous Proposal was out in April.

And the 12 Point Guide To Writing Romance is now available on Kindle.  And I've recently revised and republished that in a brand new paperback edition that's cheaper than the original one.

You can catch up with all of Kate's news on her website  or on her blog.  You can also find her on her author page on Facebook.

Kate Walker - Advent Calendars

Happy December!

It’s the first of December – hard to believe because I’m sure that when I last blinked we were actually enjoying some sun shine in the last days of summer. But it’s  the first day of December and I’m  writing my last blog of the year – so the countdown to 2014 has started!

First there is the count down to the holiday season  - whichever one you’ll be celebrating. Here, we’re counting down to Christmas and I’ve just come back from a weekend away in York  where they have a special  St Nicholas Fayre at the weekends between now and the big day. It was packed! But I did manage to get some special gifts to wrap and put away until December 25^th.

These days I don’t have to tell my son that Santa/Father Christmas has brought everything  he finds under the Christmas tree – not do I have to get him to write a letter to Santra to say what he’d  like to find there. He’s in his own home with his partner now so they do things their way.  But one tradition I know he keeps up – as do I – is the opening of the special advent calendar one day at a time as the days of December go by.

We’ve always had an Advent Calendar . Always opened one little door each day to find out what is hidden behind the numbers 1-24 on the brightly coloured sheet. In the early days of The Offspring’s life, it was a help to show him how it was getting closer to Christmas – but we weren’t there yet.  Then it was just for fun, but we would always  have a special moment together as he opened the ‘door’  after we’d first guessed what would be hidden behind it.  We even had a special Advent Calendar for the cats  - one sent by a special friend (to me and to the cats) Anne McAllister.  Sadly there is only one cat around to see the countdown these days since we lost

 beautiful Flora to cancer last month, but Charlie will be happy to have sole access to the cat treats in the little felt pockets.

My personal Advent Calendar also comes from Anne – in the form of a lovely animated design she sends me from the Jacquie Lawson Site and I really look forward to opening it every morning and seeing what  delightful creation is there to enjoy.

Another Advent Calendar tradition  I’ve always had is  the one that I’ve opened on my blog each year. In the countdown to Christmas I ask visitors to the blog to come along and tell me about their preparations, or  their hopes, their plans for the holiday period over the next 24 days.  Every day I  ask a question – one that’s so easy to answer, and there’s no right or wrong,  you just tell me a bit more about yourselves.   And every day Charlie the  Maine coon picks and answer from one of the contributors  and the chosen person wins a signed book  from my backlist – it might be an older title. Sometimes it’s a 3 in 1 anthology where my book has been published along with a couple of others – I don’t quite  know what title I have in my backlist titles collection these days. I have to go and sort things out  before I can announce what books I’m offering.

But there will be 24 of them – and you can be in with a chance to winning one.

So because it’s  my day to blog on Tote Bags today, I’m launching my Advent Calendar here today – and today’s book is the first one I grabbed when I opened my prizes box this afternoon –

So you can win a copy of The Return of The Stranger –

Standing high on the windswept moors, the lone figure of Heath Montanha vows vengeance on the woman

who destroyed the last fragments of his heart...

Lady Katherine Charlton has never forgotten the stablehand with dangerous fists and a troubled heart from her childhood. Now the rebel is back, his powerful anger concealed under a polished and commanding veneer.

When ten years of scandal and secrets are unleashed, with a passionate, furious kiss, Heath's deepest, darkest wish crystallises...

Revenge -- and Kat -- will be his!

And all you have to do – well, seeing as I’ve been talking about Advent Calendars – why not tell me if you have an Advent Calendar of not?

Do you have an old  one that comes out year after year (like the one my Cats have shared and passed down from cat to cat for years)?  Or do you buy a new one each  year – perhaps with a little bit of chocolate behind the ‘doors’?  Or perhaps one on your computer, like the one Anne McAllister sent to me? When do you open the special door – in the morning, first thing to start that day? Or perhaps in the evening to mark the fact that the day has passed and we’re now 24 hours closer to the big day?  Or do you share the enjoyment of an advent calendar with your children/ grandchildren?

Let me know and I’ll put your name into the prize draw for Charlie to pick a  winner when I open a  new door on my Advent Calendar tomorrow.

And then perhaps you’ll come along and share in the new Advent Calendar days over on my blog for the rest of December – with a  new question – and a new prize to give away each day for a new winner each time. See you there?

Kate Walker’s new title, A Question of Honor will be published in Harlequin  Presents in June 2014. Her most recent title was A Throne for The Taking  which came out in June 2013:

Alexei Sarova, the black sheep prince who has to face up to a new and unexpected destiny with his heroine Honoria Escalona (Ria) as the woman he wants as his queen.

A kingdom's safety...

Betrayed by those she loves, Honoria Escalona must now face the only man capable of bringing stability to the

Mediterranean kingdom of Mecjoria. A cold, hard man who once called her his friend... Alexei Sarova-the true King of Mecjoria.

In exchange for her happiness

 But Alexei's tortuous past has changed him into someone she hardly knows. He blames Ria's family for his bitterness, and his help-when he offers it-comes with a price: he'll take his rightful place as King with Ria as his wife, until she produces a true-blood heir 

 A Throne For the Taking  was  published in the Royal and Ruthless miniseries in both Harlequin Presents and Mills & Boon Modern.

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

And I finally got Charlie to pick a winner - the name he's chosen is Jeanne M - Jeanne please email me kate AT kate-walker.   com and send me your postal address and I'll organise the prize.

Changing Seasons - with Kate Walker

Do you remember that poem about the months?  January brings the snow. . .  etc.  So here it is, November – the last days of autumn or perhaps the beginning of winter. Anyway, that poem

says:

Dull November brings the blast,

Then the leaves are whirling fast.

Well, OK, I admit that there bare still plenty of mufti-coloured leaves  outside.  But I have to admit that the weather has taken a turn for the wintery just lately. Freezing winds and ice-cold rain have been lashing the house and even though today has a bright clear spell of sunshine, it was along with bitter temperatures and  a real crisp edge to everything.   But you notice that I said ‘a turn for the wintry’  - not a turn for the worse. Personally,   I like all sorts of seasons, all sorts of weather. I have to, sometimes round here we get almost all four seasons in one day!

So it’s cold and a bit bleak – but there are things I love about the wintery days. The changing colours of the trees, the chance to cuddle close a fire , with a great book  - and perhaps a cat. We’re lucky enough to have a real fire and my husband has lit the coals.  I’ve been sitting on a couple of cushions close to the grate with an absorbing book (Defending Jacob by William Landay)  but just now I had to go into the garden to deal with the worms.

I'm not keen on worms. I don't have anything against them, but I prefer that they just stay nice and snug in the earth and I don't have to have actually meet them so to speak. I certainly prefer not to touch them . But just lately I've been dealing with large numbers of meal worms and have shocked several visitors to the house by have a plastic bowl full of meal worms soaking in warm water beside my sink.

The reason? I don't like worms much but I do love robins. And robins love mealworms. Perhaps I should mention that these mealworms are not live ones. They are freeze dried mealworms for feeding to robins and blue tits and other lovely birds to keep them well and happy during the winter.

My mother always said that she believed a home that had its own 'resident robin' would be a very happy home. Robins are very territorial and they defend their area ferociously. We may have two cats, but they don't usually get the robins - something for which I'm very grateful.

But the robins do have one great enemy - the magpies.

Magpies are beautiful birds - elegant in black and white but they bird assassins - those long, fierce beaks of theirs are lethal - they stab their victims with them and usually one attack is all it needs. One of the most frightening and nasty things I ever saw was a magpie fight where a pair of birds had obviously intruded into another magpie's territory - it was bloody, brutal and savage. So late last winter when I found a dead robin on the lawn, the fact that it was totally unmangled told me that the magpies had got it. A cat would have chewed, ripped, certainly it would not have left ever feather intact.

So I was saddened by the thought that our resident robin had been killed. But in the spring, in one of the flower beds, I found the two halves of the distinctive blue-green egg that robins lay. And two halves meant that a baby robin had hatched - I hoped.

I

was right. Last weekend the Babe Magnet was digging in the garden, turning over the soil around the raspberry bushes and a very bright-eyed and healthy young robin appeared. He found a huge worm that had been unearthed, tugged and tugged on it until he got it whole from the soil and then he flew off to enjoy his meal in peace. So we have a new young resident robin. And the meal worms are there to keep him happy when the ground is too hard and the worms buried too deep for him to find.

Unfortunately we also have the magpies - a pair of them who live in the big Scots Pine tree at the far end of the garden. The magpies get to enjoy the suet and nut cakes that I put out on an old tree stump that act as a bird table - and the robins who prefer to feed on the ground get soaked mealworms in a quiet corner all to themselves. After all, if the magpies are full of suet and nuts, hopefully it will keep them from attacking the robin.

Robins are said to be the souls of loved ones who have died and who had come back to visit. SO if that's the case they're even more welcome. Magpies on the other hand are said to be the most arrogant of birds - birds who got their distinctive colouring from refusing to wear  full mourning 

when Christ died. They're also remembered in the rhyme

One for sorrow, two for joy;

Three for a girl, four for a boy;

Five for silver, six for gold;

Seven for a secret, never to be told;

Eight for a wish, nine for a kiss;

Ten for a bird that's best to miss.

So we're lucky because we have a nesting pair and when we see them they are usually together - so that's for joy.

And it only one of them appears? Well, apparently you can ward off the 'sorrow' and the bad omens by saluting and greeting them. So, although I'd claim I'm not superstitious, I'll usually salute pretty smartly and say 'Good day Mr Magpie!' - just in case. The only time I didn't do that was when I was a small child and we were driving to Wales - a long way from Yorkshire. I spotted a magpie - so 'Oh look, that's one for sorrow.' Immediately there was a loud bang and the car's engine stopped dead.

Anyway, superstitions apart, one of the things that I love about this changing time of the year is that I get a chance to put out the suet cakes, the mealworms,  the peanuts. And then sit and watch the birds  swoop down to the bird table – or the  meal worm holder on the ground – and feed happily.

And of course I can watch from the warmth of my cushion by the fire.

Kate Walker’s new title, A Question of Honour will be published in Modern Romance and Harlequin  Presents in June 2014. Her most recent title was A Throne for The Taking  which came out in June 2013:

Alexei Sarova, the black sheep prince who has to face up to a new and unexpected destiny with his heroine Honoria Escalona (Ria) as the woman he wants as his queen.

A kingdom's safety...

Betrayed by those she loves, Honoria Escalona must now face the only man capable of bringing stability to the

Mediterranean kingdom of Mecjoria. A cold, hard man who once called her his friend... Alexei Sarova-the true King of Mecjoria.

In exchange for her happiness

But Alexei's tortuous past has changed him into someone she hardly knows. He blames Ria's family for his bitterness, and his help-when he offers it-comes with a price: he'll take his rightful place as King with Ria as his wife, until she produces a true-blood heir 

 A Throne For the Taking  was  published in the Royal and Ruthless miniseries in both Harlequin Presents and Mills & Boon Modern.

 

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

40 for 40 with Kate Walker

If you've visited my blog lately you'll see that I'm  running a special celebration.   If you haven't visited in a while, then you might like to get over there and join in the fun - there's a cyber party  going on, a lot of guests, and a lot of giveaways.

So what am I celebrating? Well the clue is in the title of this blog - I have 40 guests helping me  and my DH Steve (aka the Babe Magnet) celebrate a very special wedding anniversary.  Our 40th.

 (Yes, I really was a child bride – I can’t possibly be old enough to have a wedding anniversary with a Ruby in it! ) Well, yes, I admit it, we will have been married for 40 years on July 14th (and all the jokes about the storming of the Bastille were done at our wedding back then.)

Anyway  - I thought it was  something worth celebrating and I’m running a  cyber party on my blog.  So I'm asking friends – hopefully 40 of them! -  if they'll contribute a small blog post – maybe a giveaway if they want.

So that's the public celebration - but people keep asking me if we are going to have special anniversary presents. And of course, because this is our 'Ruby Wedding'  - they want to know if I'm going to be showered in rubies!

Er - well, the problem is that I'm not very fond of rubies.  We've looked at jewellery  but I haven't seen anything (rubies or not) that I like specially.  And the Babe Magnet isn't a jewellery wearing  sort of man.  So finding a special gift is really quite a task.

And a party? Apart from the one on my blog – are we going to hold a big party to celebrate? Well, we thought about it but  getting everyone together in the summer – in July when we are both really busy with the RNA conference and Writers’  Holiday at Caerleon  as going to be tricky. Besides, one big celebration and it would all be over.  So instead we’ve made a list – 40 lovely things that we both want to do , some big, some small, m– and we’ve spread that out over some months so that we have something to look forward to and enjoy through this special year.  Last week we had a weekend away in a lovely Yorkshire town. We have two  great theatre trips booked  . . . . I’m really looking forward to it.

But this made me think about writing   romance – and about my heroes and heroines. If they got to their wedding anniversary, what would they give each other as gifts? I know red roses, jewellery, gold . .. that sort of thing is traditional, but are they really special, really personal to the one they love?  What would make a gift really special? 

I had a look at some of the sites about wedding anniversary gifts and found these  sorts of ideas -

Anniversary   Traditional   Modern

    1st  Paper  Clocks, Plastic, Gold Jewellery

  2nd  Cotton  China, Cotton, Calico, Garnet

  3rd  Leather  Crystal, Glass, Pearls

  4th  Fruit, Flowers  Appliances, Linen, Silk, Nylon, Blue Topaz

 5th  Wood  Silverware, Sapphire

 6th  Sugar, Iron  Wood, Candy, Amethyst

  7th  Wool, Copper  Brass, Desk Sets, Onyx

 8th  Bronze, Pottery     Appliances, Linens, Lace, Tourmaline Jewellery

 9th  Pottery, Willow  Leather, Lapis Jewellery

 10th  Tin, Aluminum  Diamond Jewelry   

  11th  Steel  Fashion, Turquoise Jewellery

 12th  Silk, Linen  Pearls, Jade

 13th  Lace  Textiles, Furs, Citrine

 14th  Ivory  Gold Jewellery, Opal

 15th  Crystal  Glass, Watches, Ruby

 16th     Silver hollowware, Peridot

 17th     Furniture, Watch

18th     Porcelain, Cat's Eye Jewelry

  19th     Bronze, Aquamarine

20th  China  Platinum, Emerald

  21st     Brass, Nickel

  22nd     Copper

23rd     Silver plate

24th     Musical instruments

  25th  Silver  Sterling silver

There are more – right up to the 75^th wedding anniversary. 
So what do you think? What sort of really special gift could a hero give to a heroine – or vice versa? Would you like to see him /her stick to tradition or come up with something totally new?

I have a giveaway today  - a signed copy of my latest book A Throne for The Taking (or some other book from my backlist if you’ve already read that one) for the commenter who gives me a the most romantic idea. And you never know I might use it in a book sometime.

 

 

Kate’s latest hero is Alexei Sarova, that black sheep prince who has to face up to a new and unexpected destiny with his heroine Honoria Escalona (Ria) as the woman he wants as his queen.

A kingdom's safety...
Betrayed by those she loves, Honoria Escalona must now face the only man capable of bringing stability to the Mediterranean kingdom of Mecjoria. A cold, hard man who once called her his friend... Alexei Sarova-the true King of Mecjoria.
In exchange for her happiness

 

But Alexei's tortuous past has changed him into someone she hardly knows. He blames Ria's family
A Throne For the Taking will be published in the Royal and Ruthless miniseries in both Harlequin Presents and Mills & Boon Modern in June.

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

And my winner is DI  - Di please email me kate AT kate-walker dot com (or through the link on my web pages  giving me your postal address so that I can get the book  in the mail to you.

 

 

 

Royal Romances - the fascination of history with Kate Walker

In the UK today has been the 60^th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation.  On June 2^nd 1953, Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in Westminster Abbey and  began the longest  reign of any monarch of these country ever.

At the beginning of the year, on February  4^th,  the whole country – and it seemed much of the world, was fascinated by the discovery of a skeleton in a Leicester car park,  and then the announcement that this was in fact the body of Richard III, missing since the end of the Battle of Bosworth when he was killed in  1485, the last English king to die in battle.

And now  everyone is waiting and watching as the Duchess of Cambridge  enters the later stages of her pregnancy, with the birth of this, the newest heir to the throne – third in line after its father  Prince William and grandfather Prince Charles – due in July.

So it seems, that no matter what the story is, the news of the royals, their lives, their families – even their deaths, is endlessly fascinating and  absorbing.  It’s material for books – both historical fact or fiction,  for newspaper, TV reports . . .   And even fictional monarchs now seem to arouse interest in readers and authors alike.  So it seems that this could be a really good time to bring out my very first ever Royal Romance title. 

I didn’t plan it that way . When I wrote A Throne For The Taking, I was just reacting to an idea that fascinated me and a story I wanted to tell. But perhaps I was picking up on the atmosphere of the time, the interest in all things royal that  has been going on for all time, but has grown to a particular frenzy in the last few years.

Over this weekend, I’ve had a friend visiting for a couple of day. She’s come over from America to visit and the Babe Magnet and I have enjoyed taking her to  places we thought she’d like to see. We spent one lovely day in York. The sun was shining, the  city looked as beautiful as ever, and we had a wonderful time wandering about, visiting so many historical sites – Clifford’s Tower, The Shambles, York Minster.  And we talked about historical novels we had read and enjoyed.   One of the books we talked about was The White Queen by Philippa Gregory.  This has just been made into a big drma series on British Television.

So it seems the stories of the royals and their lives are still intriguing people and getting  them interested.  But is this because they were royals – or just because their lives and experiences make a really good story. Back in the days of Richard III those stories involved wars and battles, the risks of death  or execution, but the people involved also had emotional lives, love stories that had tragic endings or  the happy ever after ending that we love ion a romance novel.  Those people were royals, they were kings and queen, princes and princesses – but they were human being most of all. And it is their human stories, their emotional journeys the we really love to read about. And that’s what I want to write about.

So I created my ‘Black Sheep Prince’ because I wanted to tell his story. His story as a man as well as a king to be. That’s what fascinates me – and the emotional battles can be every bit as exciting and nerve-wrenching as those fought on any battlefield. I think those emotional journeys are stories for a ll time -  no matter who my hero and heroine are – royal or not.

What about you? Have you been fascinated by any particular figure in history?  Or is there any historical novel – romance or otherwise – that  you’ve loved reading? I love the stories of Dorothy Dunnett,  the historical romances of Nicola Cornick – and I’m about to launch  into the White Queen to see what I think. What about you?

 Kate’s royal hero is Alexei Sarova, that black sheep prince who has to face up to a new and unexpected destiny with his heroine Honoria Escalona (Ria) as the woman he wants as his queen.

A kingdom's safety...
Betrayed by those she loves, Honoria Escalona must now face the only man capable of bringing stability to the Mediterranean kingdom of Mecjoria. A cold, hard man who once called her his friend... Alexei Sarova-the true King of Mecjoria.
In exchange for her happiness

Butt Alexei's tortuous past has changed him into someone she hardly knows. He blames Ria's family
A Throne For the Taking will be published in the Royal and Ruthless miniseries in both Harlequin Presents and Mills & Boon Modern in June.

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

 

May delights with Kate Walker

I don’t know about you, but for me May has always been one of my favourite months. It’s the time

when at long last winter really does seem to have been left behind. The  cold, dark days – and here in the UK, the rain and the snow that could still linger even in April, have gone, the sun has started to shine and the leaves are turning green on the trees.  In our garden the  magnolia has beautiful blossoms on the branches, the primroses and pansies   are making a glorious display of colour in the flower beds, and the birds are singing in the trees. They still  come down to the bird table to grab some of the suet balls and seeds that I leave out which shows that they have families to feed as the eggs hatch in their nests.

For me, one of the real signs of spring arriving is the appearance of the family of hedgehogs – nicknamed ‘The Hecks’ by Anne McAllister – who live at the bottom of  my garden. The cute little creatures hibernate in compost heaps, under fallen leaves or – in our garden – in  the specially  provided little wooden houses we have put in the shady, hidden part of the garden. In spring they come out when the weather is warming up and got snuffling about the place looking for food.  They’ll eat up the old cat meat that  Flora and Charlie don’t eat – or, if we’re lucky, clear the flower beds of snails and slugs. The cats sometimes play  with them, risking getting their noses  pricked on the spikes that cover the hedgehogs’ backs. The Hecks don’t appear until it’s warm enough  - so to

see them appear in the evenings (they’re nocturnal creatures) is to know that summer’s on its way.

There’s a long weekend  this week – the May Day  Bank Holiday gives everyone and extra day off to enjoy the sunshine, and just relax. And if you don’t mind fighting your way through the heavy traffic then there is the opportunity to go away for a few days – perhaps head for the coast or the countryside. Personally I prefer just to stay at home and I’ve had a wonderful couple of days spending time with my family,  sharing special meals and reading a lot – while my husband and son watch a football match and cheer on their team.

May is also  an important month for birthdays.  My  special friend  and wonderful romance writer Michelle Reid has just had her birthday , my own birthday is coming up next week, and my eldest sister has her special day towards the end of the month.  So there’s plenty to celebrate and to help make May even nicer then.

So for me it’s a special delight to know that I also have one more thing to celebrate this particular May.  My newest title – A Throne For The Taking  - will be published this month . It’s officially a July title – but the  actual publishing  date is May 21^st so it fits perfectly into my favourite month.  After a complicated and difficult year, I’m thrilled to have a new book out on the shelves  and selling on line. And I’m even more delighted to  have seen that A Throne For The Taking is already up there in the bestseller list   for both ebooks and print copies over on eHarlequin  where it’s already available to order.  This is my first ever Royal Romance so I hope you enjoy it when you read it.

So what about you? Is May a month you love or do you have other months of the year that you think are really special? And do you have anything really nice to celebrate this month? I think everyone will be really glad to hear about good news – so do share your celebrations if you have them.

Kate’s royal hero is Alexei Sarova, the black sheep prince who has to face up to a new and unexpected destiny with his heroine Honoria Escalona (Ria), the woman he wants as his queen.

A kingdom's safety...
Betrayed by those she loves, Honoria Escalona must now face the only man capable of bringing stability to the Mediterranean kingdom of Mecjoria. A cold, hard man who once called her his friend... Alexei Sarova-the true

King of Mecjoria.

In exchange for her happiness

But Alexei's tortuous past has changed him into someone she hardly knows. He blames Ria's family for his bitterness, and his help-when he offers it-comes with a price: he'll take his rightful place as King with Ria as his wife, until she produces a true-blood heir...
A Throne For the Taking will be published in the Royal and Ruthless miniseries in both Harlequin Presents and Mills & Boon Modern in June.

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

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.