Magnificent Mangas with Kate Walker

 

Some weeks I get not deliveries of books at all. But then sometimes, I get a bumper delivery – books in boxes, padded envelopes.  Books translated into one different language, or several different editions all in different languages.

This week has been a bumper week – with two different Italian editions (of A Question Of Honor and a reprint of a second Italian translation  of  His Miracle Baby  first published in UK in 2001 and the Italian one in 2003).    Then there was the Russian  Question of Honor  and the Dutch one, Swedish and Norwegian editions of A Throne for the Taking.)   But my favourites are always the Japanese version – the usual  Japanese version  is always fun to see, but when the story is translated into the  stylised comic book  Manga version it’s not just an excitement but a work of art to see.

This week I received  both Japanese editions   - of different books.  There was the new Japanese translation  of  A Question of Honor  and along with it came a new Manga edition of that long ago published His Miracle Baby.    

These Manga editions are amazing – they  boil the story down  to the basic, central conflict and  tell the story in the briefest, but most dramatic way. The illustrations are amazing, with the heroines

looking so beautiful   with huge blue eyes and usually long golden hair. The heroes are pretty spectacular too – they have those stunning eyes and long, lean torsos that are not at all realistic- but they turn the story into a wonderful fairytale.

I’ve always loved the Manga editions even though I don’t  fully understand exactly what the translation is saying. (You don’t fully have to understand that because the drawings are so passionate and emotional it gets the message across to you.)  But now I have a new delight – the Harlequin Comics editions  of the Manga books. These  are now English translations of the Managa editions (are you keeping up with  this?) so that the wonderful Manag illustrations are still there  and the dialogue etc is all in English and I can read and understand them.  Mind you,  there isn’t a lot of ‘dialogue’   - more  single lines -  more like

  - ‘Alexa what’s going on here?’ ‘Cordero, what’s happening?’   ‘Natalie’s . . . .not coming.’   (Cordero’s Forced Bride)

Or

‘What should I call you?’  ‘Just Malik’ . . . This man is  . . .dangerous! (At The Sheikh’s  Command)

And hearts go ‘Ba thump!’ – and tears  just ’plip plop’ down the heroine’s face.   

As I said, it’s the emotions of the story distilled to its very concentrated basics!  And that’s why I love them. 

They have another, more useful  purpose though – when I’m teaching about writing and trying to show  students who want to write romance who the central emotional core of the book is what matters and how they need to focus on that to tell the important story of a romance – the rest is all extras,  shading out the colours and tones and can be taken away – as in a Manga  book – and the emotional journey of the hero and heroine  will still show through.  A Harlequin Comic book with this story told in English is just perfect to reveal this simply and easily.

So I was thrilled to discover this week that I have a new Harlequin Comic edition – of one of my books.

I already have The Hostage Bride, Cordero’s Forced Bride The Return of The Stranger, At The Sheikh’s Command, The Hired Husband, His Miracle Baby – and now there is Bedded By The Greek Billionaire coming out next week. You only have to look at the difference in the covers to see what an extra fantasy the Manga edition makes of my original story.  I can’t wait!  

My latest Harlequin Presents was Olivero's Outrageous Proposal  which was published in April.The next one coming up will be Destined For The Desert King which is coming in December this year. I can't wait to see the Managa/Harlequin Comic editions of these. 

You can find details of all my books on my web site  here     and there's all the most up to date news on my blog

You can also find me on Facebook

How do you wrap an ebook? And Advent Calendar Day 2

I’ve been writing for a long time. My very first ever short story was written way back when – when I was at school  - and I was active in the Girl  Guides. I went in for my ‘Writer’ badge’  back then – I passed the test and got to sew the badge on my uniform sleeve. (I don’t think there is such a badge any more which is a pity.) Some month’s later I wrote another story – the title was Ghosts odf The Past – and I sent that up to  Guide magazine.  It was about a girl who went into an old deserted house and thought she had seen some ghosts who haunted it but they turned out to be a group from the local amateur drama group who were practising their current production, dressed in historical costumes. To my delight they published it in the magazine  and made it my first ever published piece of work.   That was the start of a long career as a writer – 2013 will see my 61^st new title (A Throne For The Taking)  published in June, 29 years  after my very first book The Chalk Line was published by Mills & Boon.  

One of the most interesting developments in my  long career has been the arrival – and huge success  - of ebooks and the way that now so many books are sold in this form.  I have a kindle and I love it. I can carry so many books around with me, with no trouble,  and I don’t have to worry about storage. But sometimes I do miss the reality of a ‘real’ book . I think I feel this now, with Christmas  coming close  and so many  family and friends asking ‘what would you like for Christmas ‘   or me asking the same question in reverse.  There are so many books I’d love to have to read, but not all of them are likely to ne ‘keepers’   the sort I’d like to have actual copies on my bookshelves.  My husband, friends have kindles too and I would love to gift them books – but how do you wrap an ebook? (I have to admit that on Christmas day a large proportion of the books under our tree are book-shaped. That’s because they are books – and that rectangular shape is so easy to wrap!).

Then there are the books that I’ve read recently  - and  would love to share with friends I now will love them.  There was  Pushing the Limits that I talked about last month, I know my son’s fiancée will enjoy that. Or  One Breath Away  a book that I know would grip my sister as it did me – but neither of these people have ebook readers  so I’d need to buy them a print copy so they could read it.

And then there are my own ‘oldies’ – the books I wrote  that  were published  ten or more years ago  and that have now been reissued as  part of the Harlequin  Treasury or Mills & Boon Vintage – I know several  people who would love to have copies of these to add to or even complete their Kate Walker collections but again the ebook form is tricky to give as a surprise  or even to put in a Christmas stocking!  I suppose I could give them a ‘voucher’ – ‘I promise to give you a copy of The Groom’s Revenge or Hers For a Night . . .'  But it isn’t quite the same is it?

So what do you do?  Do you  buy and wrap a print edition of  a book you know someone wants – or  download it for them on Christmas morning?  And if there’s something you want to read – would you rather have the Kindle edition – or a gift-wrapped  parcel  under the tree on Christmas morning?

Or perhaps there are  books that you don’t mind having two copies of – one as an ebook for convenience and one in print form for the pleasure of owning  the ‘real’ book?  I confess that I have some of those too – a complete collection of Dorothy Dunnett (her books are so bug they weigh a ton so reading is much   easier on my kindle) or Mary Stewart  where my print copies are treasured first editions.

If you’ve  visited my personal blog recently, you’ll  have seen that  from December 1^st I’m running my annual Advent Calendar giveaway – it’s a way of getting to know my lovely readers better. Every day I ask a question,  one for you to answer  in the comments section – and each day there is a special prize book give away – and old book or a newer one, a collection   . . .

Yesterday the prize on my blog was the 3 in 1 Collection Mediterranean  Tycoons – that’s still open if you want a chance to win.   And today’s prize is the 2008 title Bedded By The Greek Billionaire –

Taken for passion. . . or ruthless retribution?

As a naïve teenager, Jessica Marshall fell achingly in love with a gorgeous Greek – Angelos Rousakis.

But her clumsy attempt at attracting his attention cost Angelos everything.

Seven years later, Angelos Rousakis is back. Hard and powerful, he intends to claim what is his – and that includes Jessica. However the once innocent girl now pretends that she feels nothing for him. . . which only inflames his passion for her further. . .

As Jessica falls for the sexy billionaire all over again, she cannot be sure - Is he back for passion . . . or retribution?

This book was a Romantic Times Top Pick.

 So just tell me how you’ll be buying/reading books this Christmas and your name will go into the prize draw for Charlie the Maine  Coon to pick a winner (that's him at the top of this post getting ready to pick some winners  - when he's opened his own Advent Calendar for today!)  and you’re in with a chance of winning an extra Christmas gift from me.

Good luck!  - And come back and visit my blog everyday until Christmas Eve to have another chance at the Advent Calendar prizes. There will be a new one on offer every day!

And the winner is  - MARTHA!  Martha please email me - kate AT kate-walker dot com with your postal address and I'll put your copy of Bedded By The Greek Billionaire in the mail to you.
Everyone who didn't win - don't forget that the Advent Calendar giveaway continues over on my personal blog  from now until December 24th, with lots of books to give away.

Living in Chaos - Kate Walker

I'm having to time everything - blogs, emails, etc  - very carefully these days. I need to make sure that I actually have  an electricity supply connected and usable so that I can use my computer and contact people. I also need to make sure that there isn't brick dust flying around, getting into everything and so much noise filling the house  that I can't think straight.

Why is  this?

Well, we're having  work done on the house. Improvements - or, they will be improvements when the work is finished. Right now it's chaos and pretty hellish.  We've had a wall between a small  kitchen and an even smaller utility room knocked down to make one big, light, dining kitchen (at least that's the plan!) . And we (or rather the builders) have  extended that  so that it opens on to the garden.  It's going to be wonderful, light and airy, when it's finished - but it isn't like that now. Right now,  it's dirty - and cold, there hasn't been any heating for ten days!  We never know when the electricity will be turned off, when we will have water to wash or cook.  It's not been a lot of fun but we've  managed so far. We've organised a system which means we're up and showered  early, before the builders arrive in the morning, I have a small heater in my office so I can work, and we're cooking everything in the microwave - and washing up in the bathroom sink!

We were doing OK last week. The weather has been kind to us. It was mild,  clear, even sunny for a couple of days, so it wasn't too uncomfortable at all. But today the weather has changed completely - goinf g from early spring back to late winter with a vengeance! The skies darkened, the rain started to fall - and grow colder  - and now there's freezing sleet swirling  outside.  If it stays like this it's going to be a  chilly and difficult week.

I'm almost tempted to wish that I'd never started this - to say no, stoip - please! I want to go back to how it was. Or I want to run away and leave it all behind me. But as my husband keeps saying to me - or I keep saying to him the rest of the time - it will be worth it when it's done! Next week they start  rebuilding the kitchen. New cupboards  and worktops,  the new cooker and hob will be delivered and installed. We'll actually be able to cook meals!  And at the same time the new boiler and radiators will be put in - and at last we'll be warm again. I can't wait.

It was just this weekend when  the cold and miserable weather made me feel  that I couldn't cope with this any longer that I realised how much like the emotional journey of a romance novel this has all been.  We started out knowing things had to change and  planning how  it would be in the future.  There were disagreements and debates,   some things didn't work out as we planned. We never expected that the old boiler would have to be taken out quite so early, making everything so much more difficult than we'd thought. We've been up and down, taking two steps forward, one step back just like in the stories of my heroes and heroines.  And then  this weekend it  felt like that notorious Black Moment when everything seemed as bad as it could get.

So now I'm ready to look forward to that Happy Ever After  Ending when it's all finished and lovely!

The trouble is  - they're starting on the bathroom after that!

Kate’s latest novel The Devil and Miss Jones is out this week  in Mills & Boon Modern Romance and will be released in Harlequin Presents Extra in April.  She also has a reprint of her  Bedded By The Greek Billionaire  in  the 3 in 1 By  Request - His Suitable Bride. You can find out all her latest news on her Web site or her blog.

And What Happened Next . .. By Kate Walker

Why do we read novels?  To relax?  To escape from the stresses and  troubles of the world? (I’ve been trying to do that with a lot of things this year!)  To learn new things?  To indulge in fantasy? 

All of those, I’m sure – but for me the most important part of reading fiction is  because my curiosity is  sparked, I get involved with the characters, I start out on a journey with them. I watch the hero and heroine of a story  meet, get to know each other – then something comes between them – a problem develops – they argue . . .and what happens next?   That’s what keeps me turning the pages. I want to know what happens next.

Of course, in  a romance novel, we already know how the story is going to end. That’s the promise that Harlequin, and the author, makes to the reader – that no matter what happens to the hero and heroine along the way, they will end up with a happy ever after ending. But we want to know  how they are going to get there – what happens next?

This is what got me fascinated by Wuthering Heights - When I was eleven, I was  at a very small junior school that was in an old building, where the wiring wasn't very reliable. The was in West Yorkshire where the weather was often wild, and storms could break over the hills with great drama and  force.  One day there was a huge thunderstorm, great flashes of lightning, and the lights in the whole building fused.  We were sitting in darkness, with  a lot of the girls getting scared and screaming when the thunder roared and the lightning flashed. (Not me - I have always loved storms and still do.)

To distract us from getting worried and while waiting for the electricity to be restored, the teacher - told us to sit quietly and he would tell us a story.  The story he told was about a man who returned home to his farm, high on the Yorkshire moors, bringing with him an orphan gipsy boy he has found in the streets of Liverpool . The farmer already had a son and daughter, Hindley and Catherine - and the gipsy boy's name was of course Heathcliff. This story was the beginning of the classic romantic novel  - Wuthering Heights.

I never got to hear the end of the story that day because the lights came back on before my teacher had got past the point where Heathcliff and Cathy fight, and Heathcliff runs away,  to go and make his fortune. I never learned what happened when he came back - because it was  obvious that he did come back - and I always wanted to know.  But of course most of the story of Heathcliff's revenge was probably not suitable for young children.

But the story stayed with me and I wanted to know so much about it.  I wanted to know what happened next.   It was some years later that I found a book on my mother's bookshelf and, opening it, saw the names I remembered so well. I started to read  - and didn't put it down until I had finished. It was an amazing story - but  it never had the happy ending that I had hoped for. 

So I was excited when editorial told me about the mini series The Powerful and the Pure  where authors were inspired by the classic stories of romantic fiction and using them as a  springboard created a whole new romance for the Presents line.  This time I could create my own ‘what happens next’ – the one that I’d been wanting to know about all that time when I was younger.

So I wrote The Return of the Stranger. It’s not Wuthering Heights – it’s a brand new story. You don’t need to know anything about the original to reader it. And, I hope enjoy it.  Lots of readers in the UK have already loved it - it was the #1 bestseller on  the Mills & Boon  website for the whole  month of August after its release here in the UK.  It also had a great five star review that said:

Mrs Walker triumphantly produces a powerful and intense novel which involves your emotions from start to finish. Heath is a super hero full of brooding passion and the delightful Katherine evokes your sympathy. Not to be missed - as they say they saved the best till last.

This blog is just one part of my great big blog tour (you can find the details here)  to celebrate the publication of The Return of the Stranger – so I hope you’ll join me as I  visit lots of different blogs all over the world.  There are  posts, writing advice – and lots of giveaways.  And talking of giveaways, I have a copy of my book Bedded By The Greek Billionaire  to give  away with this post – just tell me what is the latest  book  made you think ‘what happened next . . ‘  so that you couldn’t put it down but just had to keep turning the pages. And all the posters in the comments section will be put into a draw to win a copy of this book.

Kate Walker’s The Return of the Stranger is out now in the UK and published on October 4^th in Presents Extra in America or Sexy Romance in Australia. You can find out more details over on Kate's Web site – with all the most up to date news on her blog.

Back to the beginning

I'm a bit late writing this blog. In the UK it has already been the first Sunday of the month for most of the day, so I'm sorry that my post has been a bit delayed. I've been away, you see, and I've only just got back.

One of the interesting things about being a writer and having established my name and my publishing history, is that sometimes people find out about me - through my web sit or my blog - and they ask me to be involved in bookish things that I don't expect. And that's what I was doing this weeked. I was in Haworth, West Yorkshire, appearing on a panel that was discussing the Bronte sisters - Charlotte, Emily and Anne, and their books - Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and all the others. We were also talking about their influence on romantic fiction. Some weeks ago, the Arts Officer of the Bronte Society had seen a blog I wrote on the way that part of Wuthering Heights had influenced my book Bedded By The Greek Billionaire and as a result that was why she asked me to be on the panel this weekend.

It was a like a trip 'back home' to me as I grew up in Yorkshire, not too far from Haworth and this was the first time I'd been there for ages. It was wonderful revisiting places I'd loved - but it also made me think about the way I got into writing romances.

When I was growing up in Yorkshire, my mother had a friend who wrote for Mills & Boon as Margaret Baumann, and she gave my mother her books when they were published. I read some of those and quite enjoyed them but they seemed quite mild to me when I was interested in stronger emotions, more passionate stories. (It has always intrigued me that my mother was thrilled to see me reading Wuthering Heights with its story of passion, betrayal, death and hateful revenge but she didn't like the idea of my reading contemporary romance!) So after I left home and went to university I stopped reading Mills & Boon novels for a while. I was studying Children's Literature as part of my degree and I turned to that for my fix of good, straightforward storytelling.


But then when my son was very small, on an impulse I picked up a book that appealed to me and when I read it I remembered the old romance I had read - but this one did reach out and grab me. It was set in the North of England with a dark, saturnine hero and a young innocent heroine. I loved it and it sparked my interest in romances all over again. I read more and, recalling how Margaret Baumann had written her novels while looking after 2 young children, it spurred me on to write my own first (and pretty dreadful) attempt at a romance.(I hadn't read enough of the current output to really understand what editors were looking for so I made the classic mistake of not understanding the genre properly.)


Over the years, that first book had got lost, mislaid in several house moves, and as my career progressed I kept wishing I could remember just which book it had been. I knew the author - Anne Mather (still writing today) and I remembered that the hero and heroine had been called Jake and Ashley and that she had lived in the local small hotel of pub. And I knew that when I'd bought it it had been a Bestseller reprint, not the first published edition. I kept looking though and talked to author friends about it - but no one could recall the book I was talking about. Sadly, I have never met Anne Mather so that I could tell her of this book and ask her which one of her many novels it was.


But then I decided to have one last go at finding this title. With the help of the database over on Fantastic Fiction and a vague idea of the date, I worked through all their synopses for Anne Mather titles of that time. And eventually I found it

There were the names Ashley and Jake, and the small hotel. And it had been first published in 1974 which would mean that it could have been reprinted in about 1981.

And the title was Witchstone



When young Ashley Calder's father died she travelled north to make her home with her uncle and aunt in their small hotel. It was while helping them there that she met Jake Seton and her whole life changed yet again. For Jake Seton and her whole life yet again. For Jake was unlike any other man she had ever met, and beyond her reach in just about every way. Although a man of immense and undeniable attraction for her,- he was far too old and sophisticated for her, his social sphere was far removed from her own-and above all he shortly to be married to his fiancée the glamorous Barbara Forrest. So why did he persist in making it clear to Ashley that the attraction was by no means only on her side?


Armed with this information I found a secondhand copy of Amazon and to my delight it was the Bestseller reprint edition that I originally remember buying. That was published in December 1980. Which was four years before my own first book was published.

It’s intriguing rereading it today - for example – in the chapter one, the heroine first appears in her school uniform! (She's 17) And first her aunt lights up a cigarette when she's finished her baking, then Ashley's uncle lights his pipe and finally at Jake Seton's first appearance he hands round a pack of cheroots. Can't imagine that happening today.

But this got me wondering – what was the book that really got you involved in reading romance? Can you remember your ‘first time’? What was the title of the book and do you still have a copy? Do you still read that author? I’d love to know.

And I’ll ask Sid the cat to pick out one of the posts to win a copy of Bedded By The Greek Billionaire.


Kate has just learned that her latest novel has been accepted and scheduled as will be released as The Konstantos Marriage Demand in February 2010

Coming up is Kept For Her Baby which is to be published in August (UK) and October – in Presents Extra in America. But before that there is the reprint of At The Sheikh’s Command coming in the Sold to The Sheikh collection in June in the UK.

You can find out more about Kate and her books on her website or for the most up to date news, visit her blog.

Added 12th June

I'm so sorry for the delay in replying. My life speeded up rather too much after I posted - editorial discussions, new contracts, special projects, plans for next year - for 2010 already!! and I've been trying to catch up ever since.

Thank you all so much for your replies I've found them fascinating to read. I'm just sorry I didn't get in here to chat with you - story of my life!

Sid has picked awinner and the winner is Terry S - great choice Sid - those are two of my favourite boooks and ones that had me reading romance too.

Terry please can you email me and send me your postal address and I'll get your prize in the mail.
Kate

Looking Forward by Kate Walker

Happy New Year (just a little bit late)

I'm not a great one for making New Year resolutions. I always find that in the razmatazz leading up to the New Year everyone gets a little carried away and decides on dieting, not drinking, not smoking, detoxing etc etc just that bit too much and sets themselves a whole load of aims and achivements to reach for - most of which are way out of our reach so that the failure to reach them means that we just feel worse about ourselves rather than better.

But then I feel lazy and a real let-down when all around me everyone else is declaring their resolve to do better, try harder, become the 'New You'. So I was quite relieved to read that a psychologist had declared much the same idea.

So I’m not resolving anything. And I don’t really feel that I need a ‘New Me’. The ‘old’ one might need a bit of a shake up every now and then but I’ve managed OK so far. But I am looking forward to 2009 with a lot of anticipation and some excitement. It’s a special year for Harlequin, for one thing. Last year here in the UK we all celebrated Mills & Boon’s Centenary year and that involved a lot of excitement, a lot of interest in the press, and personally I travelled up and down the country to appear at Book Festivals and other events to give workshops on my 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. It was hectic!

2009 will be a bit quieter for the UK - but an important year for Harlequin because this is the year that they are celebrating their Diamond anniversary – 60 years of publishing romances! So watch out for all the special events and offers that will be announced over on eHarlequin. I'm looking forward to celebrating with them too.

And for me 2009 is also a year to celebrate. In December this year, it will be 25 years since my very first ever book was published. That’s right ! 25 years ! A special silver anniversary for the day my dreams came true and I became a published author. I’m not quite sure how I will mark the date but I will be doing something special.

And before that I’m looking forward to the publication of some new books that I have coming up – the very first of which will be published at the end of this month. That’s when my next Harlequin Presents Cordero’s Forced Bride will be appearing on the shelves in the American bookshops.

With my last title Bedded By The Greek Billionaire shortlisted for the Romantic Times Best Presents of 2008 I’m looking forward to the announcement of the results of that. (Though considering the great books also nominated with me, I’m honestly going to be happy, no matter who wins.) There’s another new title coming in September too and I’m looking forward to that as well.

But sometimes it seems that when you work in publishing you’re always looking forward – always planning ahead. Right now, I’m busy with the plans for my next book, the deadline is already set for when I need to have this on my editor’s desk and I’m working towards that right now. The trouble is that I know that as soon as I get involved in the story and get my head down, then the time of writing it will just pass in a flash. It always does. I’ll look up and realise that it’s March or April and this ‘New Year’ is way behind me and already we’re partway through it. And if I’m not careful I’ll be too busy looking ahead to take the time and space to enjoy the present.

So that’s my resolve – not necessarily a ‘resolution’ but definitely a determination – for 2009. I’m going to take a couple of steps back and actually experience – and enjoy – everything that comes along in this new year that stretches ahead right now. I know from experience that if I don’t then I’ll get to this time in 2010 with a sort of ‘blink and you missed it’ feeling. Instead I want to actually live fully in this year, experiencing everything that happens in it so that I will remember it all as clearly as possible. After all, these past 24 years of being published seem to have passed in a lash already. I want to enjoy the 25th!

What are you looking forward to specially in 2009? What do you hope will bring you some really great memories to recall as 2010 dawns (or is that looking too far ahead again?) Let me know what you hope this new year will bring for you and I’ll get Sid the Cat to pick out one name to win a signed copy of that award nominated book Bedded By The Greek Billionaire.

Oh – and just to let you know that this will be my regular blogging spot on Tote Bags from now on – the first Sunday of the month, So I’ll be back on February 1st when I will be talking about Cordero’s Forced Bride. See you then!

My apologies - I posted, meant to come back and read all the comments and chat with you - and life caught up with me and I've only just managed to snatch a moment to breathe and come back here.

Sid the Cat has picked me a winner - he doesn't have so much to do and he was just sitting about by the fire so he got the job done straight away! And he has picked:

Michele L

Michele please email me kate AT kate-walker.com so that I can organise your prize for you.

Thanks to everyone else who posted.

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.

Where do you get your ideas ? - Kate Walker

How did it get to September? That means that nine of the 12 Points on the 12th blogs are almost done.

I hope they've been interesting and some help to those of you who are trying to write your own books and aiming to get them published. If you're enjoying them, don't forget that there are a whole lot more details on how to write romance in the book from whihc the title of this mini-series is taken - Kate Walker's 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. Just be sure to get the second edition which is revised, updated and expanded from the first one.

Today I'm taking a brief look at one of those questions - the one that every writer gets asked (often more than once) at every stage of their careers. And the question is:

Where do you get your ideas?

The honest answer is 'Life' - I have often tried to persuade my accountant that life is a claimable expense for a novelist but sadly I haven't yet managed it.

So here are some of the tips and techniques I use when trying to come up with a new idea. Because, believe me, after 55 books, it can be dificult to think of something fresh and interesting - and something I want to write.

TRAINING YOURSELF AS A PLOTTER

Read Read Read – learn the plots that make successful romances in the past and in the present – and the ones that have failed

Think about them – which ones can you still use?
Which ones will need changing to make them work today?
How?

How could you turn a plot on its head?
Have him kidnap her?
She wants the marriage of convenience?

Watch soaps/dramas/films – stop it halfway – or at the end of the episode – ask yourself:
Where is it going?
Who will end up with whom?
Why?
What conflict/problem/sudden revelation/black moment is the writer going to bring in?

How could you do it differently?
What twists could you bring in?
Who could they end up with instead?
What if . . .?

Read newspapers/magazines/watch people stories on TV – use them as your characters - see if you can see what will happen – check it against reality

How could you rework a fairy story – Cinderella? Beauty and the Beast? Or a classic ? Jane Eyre? Pride and Prejudice?

With every story you read, watch, hear - think about what was behind it, who is involved, why it happend - and consider what will happen next. Very soon just a phrase or even a name can spark you off.

I know. I once wrote a book (long ago) simply because I was determined to get into the story the line 'I don't know who the hell you are, but you're certainly not my wife!'

And if anyone can tell me which book that was I'll send them a special prize.

(c) Kate Walker

Kate's latest novel Bedded By The Greek Billionaire is out now in Mills & Boon Modern and will be published next month in Australia's Sexy Romance and in Harlequin Presents in November.