Reviving Memories - Kate Walker

February has never been one of my favourite months. It's dark and damp and  - well, frankly, pretty dreary. Christmas is well behind you, the celebrations - and resolutions  - of New Year  are something of a hazy memory. And there are weeks and weeks  before Easter or anything  like that on the horizon.

But this year, February has been doing pretty well for itself. First of all, there's the fact that after the terrible snow we had through December and the danger and disappointments in trying to travel  about in it - friends had to cancel visits - we couldn't make it to visit family - even the tiny brightening of the weather, with the darkness of night  no longer descending  well before teatime,  is really welcome.

And then there are books -  for my ,money, books will always brighten a day or more! One of the very best things about being a writer is the publication of a band new title, one that has never been on the shelves before. I've got one of those coming up - The Proud Wife is my next Harlequin Presents release -  but that's not actually the one that's brightening my February.  No, the books that have been making me smile have been turning up like old memories, old friends, and I've been so happy to see them. 

For a start, there's the  special 3 in 1 Collection Mediterranean Tycoons  that  was published on February 1st.   Here's a book of mine that first came out in  2007 - The Greek Tycoon's Unwilling Wife  rereleased in a brand-new form, and in great company too - there are books by Michelle Reid and Sarah Morgan in this volume too.

Then I've been receiving bundles of foreign language books - all of these are reprints, some old, some new - and the fun is in finding out just which book of mine has been translated, reprinted and rereleased in this new format.

For a start there's  the book that was shgort-listed for  Romantic Times Best Presents Extra Award for 2010 - The Konstantos Marriage Demand - only it doesn't say that on the cover  - either of them - of the two translations - no, three - one is Dutch, one Japanese and one Korean. (For two of them,  the Japanese and the Korean,  I had to look inside to see the original English title to know just which book I had in my hand.). There's  a Lithuanian edition of The Antonakos Marriage too.    The Antonakos Marriage first appeared in 2005, so we're going even further back.   But not quitre as far down memory lane as the German translation I've been sent - that one is  Her Secret Bridegroom which was first published back in  2001! That's ten years ago.

That had to be the oldest title currently being reprinted, I thought,  but no - there was one more book in the box. Another one from Japan. And this time it was a reprint of The Unexpected Child  which was first published in 1997!  That means that it's 14 years since I wrote this  book - no - 15, because of course I wrote it some time before it  was actually published.  And still it keeps coming back, being reprinted,  hopefully being enjoyed by a brand new set of readers.

And that started me thinking about the books I have coming out this year - starting with The Proud Wife  - and another coming in September.  And  of course the one I'm writing now.  Will they still be being reprinted, still reappearing on my desk in different editions, different translations in - eeek - in  2025!   I wonder what sort of a life I'll be living then - and what sort of a world those books will be published in. Wll there only be ebook readers then? Or will the traditional paper and print volumes still exist?   And as the book I'm writing now will be my 60th title in 25 years - so how many books will I have produced 15 years from now?

One thing I think is that when that 2025 rolls around, I hope I'm still enjoying  reading and writing romances as much as I do now - and I wonder if I'll remember writing this post then!

As I know that  the 3 in 1 volume Mediterranean Tycoons isn't available outside the UK (though you can get yourself a copy  from The Book Depository if you can't live without it)  I thought I'd run a small giveaway this month  - so  I'm offering a copy of Mediterranean Tycoons to someone who posts a comment today.  Tell me what book from the past you'd love to get your hands on again - a romance   or any other novel. Post your comments  as usual and I'll get Sid the Cat on the job of picking a winner tomorrow.

Oh - and seeing as I was talking about the book that's coming out soon - The Proud Wife - that won't be available in Presents Extra until April - but if you'd like to be in with a chance of winning it, check out my blog or my web site Contest page where Anne McAllister, Liz Fielding and I are running  for the fourth time our annual Here Come the Grooms Contest with the chance to win 3 great romances , one from each author.

You can keep up to date with all my news and every new book I have  coming out over there too.

The winner of ther copy of Mediterranean Tycoons is pageturner  - please email me kate AT Kate-walker.com   with your postal address.   Thanks!

Writing a book is like preparing for Christmas by Kate Walker

Being a writer is a lot like preparing for Christmas. Well, writing a book is very similar.

You spend ages just thinking about it. Thinking and planning. If you're like me, you make a list, or rather lists, and check them more than twice.

A list of characters and their backgrounds, their families and friends. Christmas is always about familes and friends. The ones you love and want to see a lot of - like your hero and heroine. And the ones who always cause trouble and start arguments, maybe drink a little too much - the villain or the 'other woman' - but you have to invite them anyway.

A list of conflicts and problems that you are going to throw in their way. There are always problems and hitches in the run up to Christmas. The special toys that the little ones want but the shop has run out of them already. The awkward brother who you just don't know what to buy for him.

A list of settings, houses, countries, perhpas even, in Presents novels, a palace and a penthouse. You have to know who is going to be where and when so that you can get everyone together if you want to - or, alternatively, arrange for some much needed private time so that you/your characters can . ..er . . . spend a little quality time together!

A list of all the nice little things that will also happen. After all your hero and heroine are going to fall in love so there has to be some reasons why this is going to happen. Some special meals togther with really nice food and drink.And all this involves planning and scheming, organsing and thinking, to make sure it happens.

Once your lists are written, all the planning done, then you start to work through them. And this is where the fun often starts. You often find that you have to keep changing things and adjusting, altering as you go along. Your heroine has decided - without telling you - that she's going to have a different job, a new name, that she won't go here or there . . and you have to make different arrangement to make sure she does even meet up with her hero.

The plot you've decided on doesn't quite 'fit' and you have to go looking for something different to fill the empty spaces, all in good time for the deadline when you have to have everything ready.

The setting - that wonderful palace you were going to make that everyone met in, has been overbooked - everyone's been using that setting recently - so you're looking for somewhere else. Somewhere warm and lovely that can fit all the characters you want to collect together.

And all the time the Big Day ( your deadline ) is getting closer and closer. You find yourself thinking about nothing else all day long. You work on your preparations/your writing all day, every day it seems. You get up early, go to bed late, but no matter how hard you try, you still find yourself wrapping or cooking - or slamming out words - in a rush on the very last day.

But at last, finally, somehow it all gets done. You get to Christmas day/the end of your deadline and all you have to do is to cook the dinner (or press 'SEND' on the email of your manuscript) and sit back and relax. You can have a glass of wine - or two - forget about work and word coubnts etc for a while. And you can look around and think how great it is that everything turned out well in the end.

Or at least you hope you can until your editor gets back to you with her 'tweaks' and revisions - which is rather like finding that the brand new gadget you were given doesn't work right or the underwear was in the wrong size and you have to take it back to the shop . . .

But hopefully these will only be minor hitches and you'll soon be able to say when anyone asks, 'Oh yes, I had a wonderful time - it was such fun!' (You always soon forget the stress and hassle when you look back at your memories)

So with the similarities betwen writng a novel and Christmas in mind, it's not really surprising is it that I chose a Christmas giveaway this year based on the Advent Calendar as we count down to December 25th. Over on my blog I'll be giving away a book a day - some old, some newer, some single novels, some 3 in 1 collections. And all you have to do is to come on over and chat, leaving a message in the Comments section.

But today you don 't even have to visit my blog. Today, the giveaway comes here to Tote Bags. Today's giveaway is one of those 3 in 1 collections. Mistresses Shackled with Rubies is a collection that came out at the start of 2010. It has stories by Lucy Monroe and Lee Wilkinson together with my own Her Secret Bridegroom which was originally published back in 2000.

Bride by deception!
After a whirlwind wedding in Venice, Amy discovered that her brand-new husband had only married her to gain a priceless old ring. Fleeing Italy, Amy never told anyone of her marriage to ruthless billionaire Vincenzo Ravenelli.
Four years later, while Amy knew she'd never really love another man as she loved Vincenzo, she needed to be free of the past. The time had come to return to Venice and confront her secret bridegroom . . .

And today's question is- m

Are you a planner or a dasherwhen it comes to Christmas?

One of my sisters will have bought all her presents - and wrapped them - by now. My brother in law will leave everything to the last minute and then dash around like crazy trying to find what he wants. Which sort are you? Calm, collected and prepared ? Or wouldn't it be Christmas unless you went out into all the crowds and the excitement in the last week or so?

Post your answers in the comments and Sid the Cat will get to work to pick a winner - he loves this Advent Calendar idea. He gets to have extra cat crunchies every day for 25 days! As far as he's concerned his Christmas has come already.

And for me my Christmas came early when I learned that my March Presents Extra title The Konstantos Marriage Demand has been short-listed for the Best Presents Extra award by Romantic Times. That really was a special joy.


I know it's a little early but I want to wish each and every one of you all the joys and happiness of the Festive Seasons, no matter what you're celebrating. I hope you all have a wonderful time with family, friends and those you loveclose to you - and hopefully a little something extra special and beautiful like the rubies in the title of this giveaway wrapped and put under the tree for you. Have a lovely time and I'll be back at the very beginning of the New Year to see you all again.

Happy Christmas!

Kate Walker's latest Presents title - The Good Greek Wife? - was out in Presents Extra in October and is still available now on Amazon, eHarlequin etc. You can get all her news and read the latest updates over on her web site or her blog.

Sid has chosen the winner and the name he picked out is EV - so Ev please email me kate AT kate-walker.com to let me know your postal address and I'll put your prize in the mail to you.

Just to remind everyone that you can still keep entering my Advent Calendar Giveaway over on my blog every day up to Christmas,