Pop vs. Soda

I'm went to Susan Gable's this weekend to film more Trippin' with Holly and Susan videos. They're so much fun to make because they're really just the two of us gabbing. That's something we do well and with ease. We talk about anything from our writing/books, to pop vs. soda. Yes, that's a thing. Different regions have different words for the same thing. It's not just a US thing.

I have some lovely UK friends. One of them taught me that the word knackered meant tired. It was a big conference so I was knackered a lot of the time.  I happened to mention my knackeredness to my dear friend, Kate Walker (who also blogs here) and she said I shouldn't be knackered because it meant tired, but in an "after-glow" sort of way.  Uh, Himself (my husband) was in Erie and I was not, so I definitely wasn't that kind of knackered. When I mentioned it to my other friend, she said that wasn't right. So we went to the ultimate authority, some English editors. They said I could indeed be knackered even though Himself was in Erie. LOL And then it was agreed that Kate had a dirty, dirty mind. (Said with a very English accent and a smile, so it was endearing.)

Regionalisms. They're more fun than you think. You can listen to my discussion with Susan here...

(Yes, she won the Pigs in a Blanket debate!)

We post videos (most) Mondays and Fridays. You can follow them on FB, or I park them all here on YouTube.

I will say that when I'm knackered, I do love a good pop! 

Holly

PS.

Check out 2018's releases!!
(And keep an eye out for 2019's! There are a bunch!):

Polished Off

PTA Moms: the Collection

Between the Words

Briar Hill Road

Find my books at:

Amazon

Kobo

Radish Fiction

iBooks

B&N

Google Play

BAM

Advent Calendar with Kate Walker

Do you have an Advent Calendar in your home? One that you hang on the wall and open a numbered door each day marking off the dates from the 1^st of December  up to the 24^th – and Christmas Eve – to countdown the  days until Christmas?

I always loved to choose one of these when my son was small and it really helped him wait more patiently for the big day to arrive. At  least he knew when it was getting nearer and that there were -  twenty – fifteen – ten days left before he could put out his stocking and  leave a mince pie for Father Christmas, together with a carrot for Rudolph the reindeer to eat when they visited.  (There was always just a few crumbs left on the mince pie plate and the end of the carrot – nibbled by strangely human shaped teeth!) Opening the day’s door on the calendar became a special little ceremony  just before he went off to bed  - to dream of Santa’s sleigh and the sound of reindeer hooves.

So in the past I have tried to plan a book Advent Calendar to share  with friends and readers who visit my web site, my blog page, my Facebook page.  I   had planned to do this again this year but  several things got in the way. It has been a difficult week with sad news reminding me that not everyone will be celebrating a happy and joyful occasion just because it’s Christmas.

As a result, my planned posting of the Advent Calendar giveaway got shortened into a 12 Days of Christmas giveaway instead. And I’ll be hoping to post the 12 Days giveaway  for each day (or at least every couple of days) from now on.  But  because I’m well aware of the fact that not everyone is enjoying the  lead up to Christmas  and for some it is a very difficult and even sad time, I want my first 12 Days of Christmas post to be a traditional one that I’ve posted in the past and been able to bring just a little bit of brightness into someone’s life.   So this is what I’m going to do today.

What happens is this – you can nominate someone you know and care about who needs a little treat to bring some light into their days right now. Let me know who you would like to send an extra little gift to – a giveaway of a book that I’ll donate in your name. And I’ll include an extra little Christmas gift in the parcel to hopefully bring some lightness into their day as well.

So – in the comments-  post the name of someone you’d like to treat – and add the reasons why you have chosen this person – and I will get Charlie the Maine Coon (who  has his own Advent Calendar to open with treats in the pockets ) – to pick out a winner or two to send them a book from you – and from me.

I have a selection of books that  I have sorted out from my backlist stocks to share with  readers and friends over the next 12 days.

And I hope that you are all looking forward to Christmas and will have your family round you as you prepare for the event.

You can read more about me and my books on my web site and my blog -  and catch up with me too on my Facebook page

'Dull' November? WIth Kate Walker

When I was  growing up, I remember that my mother always used to quote from a poem that she had learned  as a girl.  It started with these lines:

January brings the snow,

Makes our feet and fingers glow.

And then went through all the months, rainy February, breezy March, hot July . . .  But I’d forgotten what the poem said about November. So I looked it up:

Dull November brings the blast,

Then the leaves go whirling past.

Well, that’s certainly been the way the weather has gone the last week or so.  Dull, windy – lots of leaves falling from the trees. And when the clocks changed, being put back an hour, it seemed as if darkness had suddenly fallen so very early. The evenings closed in, the sun – such as it was – disappeared. It  was so hard to deal with at first. It reminded me of another poem- this one by Thomas Hood:

No sun - no moon!

No morn - no noon -

No dawn - no dusk - no proper time of day.

No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,

No comfortable feel in any member -

No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,

No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds! -

November!

Oh dear.  Summer was definitely over. Autumn (Fall)  seemed to have gone too.  It was cold and miserable . . . but then  we lit the first proper fire of the year. And instantly everything changed. The flames licked at the coal, burning it steadily until it glowed red and warm.  The cats came and sat in front of the flames, curling up on the rug – or stretching out to get the heat along every inch of their bodies.

And I rediscovered the joy of curling up in an armchair,  a blanket over my legs -  and sometimes a cat on top of that blanket for extra warmth – and best of all a lovely thick, absorbing book to lose myself in as I read.

I love sitting on a beach – or out in the garden with a chance to read  and the sun on my back. But really, that just doesn’t compare with the delight of settling down in front of a real, blazing fire, with a book I want to read and a long dark evening in which to read it. I don’t even notice the darkness outside, or the cold. I lose all awareness of the wind or the rain.

Perhaps it’s something like going back to my childhood when my sisters and I used  to gather round the fire and Mother would read to us – or perhaps it’s   the thought of images I’ve seen of Victorian families reading by firelight – but there’s something special about those long, cosy nights  - with a good book.

And I have such a huge TBR pile that I can’t wait to settle down in the evenings and start to make my way through it.  I have more than enough books to last me between now and Christmas and – who know – there may well be some new titles under the Christmas tree (I’m sure there will  be!!)  so that they’ll keep me happy  right through until the next Spring.

What about you? Do you prefer to read  inside , snug and warm in winter – or do you long for the long hot summer days to read outside or on the beach?

You can read more about me and my books on my web site and my blog -  and catch up with me too on my Facebook page

Out and about with Kate Walker

Sometimes the life of a writer is a quiet, solitary one.  It needs  a lot of tine sitting in silence, alone, at the keyboard.

Then there are other times when it’s all   being out and about – meeting fellow writers, editors, learning all the news and interest from  visitors from Harlequin in America.   This week  York – and now I’m heading for London for the heavy-duty stuff.

has been a bit like that – I’ve done the first half – in

First of all was last weekend -

The heatwave may have been a happy memory - replaced by low temperatures and heavy rain but nothing dampened the spirits of everyone who was at the fabulous Romantic Novelists' Association afternoon  Saturday - fantastic venue, fabulous food and service . And a wonderful opportunity to meet up with everyone and share a chat in a beautiful room - which was so warm and welcoming after the rainy trek across the city. A wonderful occasion.

tea in York on

 Many many thanks to you, Lynda Stacey for the great job you did planning and organising everything. This was the best one yet.  And saga writer Jean Fullerton was a great guest speaker - I know so many people were nodding along with the points she made.

Today I head for London, for editorial meetings and the annual Association of Mills and Boon Authors’  lunch. Ruby knows that I am  going away  - she has seen the case being packed and she does not approve. This is her silent 'I will not be moved' protest on my lap!

You can read more about me and my books on my web site and my blog -  and catch up with me too on my Facebook page

It's an ill wind . . .

Some years ago . .  .eek! It was back in 2004  - so that means those 'some years' were in fact    fourteen years ago . . .

Anyway,  fourteen years ago I wrote a  How To Write Romance  Guide  called  Kate Walker’s 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. It started out as a  small,  self-produced pamphlet of just 24 pages  - that I had printed myself and took to the courses I ran so that  students could take it home with them when we had finished.

The original 12 Point Guide  was first published in 2004 and  it seemed that everyone had been waiting for it – and they found it so helpful. In that first year it won  2 awards from the Cataromance   site  - - the Reviewers’ Choice Award and the award for the most helpful book for writers.  I was thrilled when several newly published writers  - India Grey – Natalie Rivers – Natasha Oakley – Michelle Styles – all told me  that they felt  the 12 Point Guide had helped them on their way to publication. Since then there have  been almost 20 more. 

When the book went into its second edition  I  wanted to add a special section with advice from other authors – after all, my way isn’t the only way to do things!  So I asked around amongst friends who were fellow writers and I was so thrilled to find how many of them responded. As a result of their generosity in  sharing their experiences,  the From The Authors’ Desks section was  created and added a LOT to the original Guide.

But  there were problems with the distribution of the book.  Writers in America, Australia etc were having difficulties getting their hands on copies,  and when they did the books were very expensive. It was when the publisher was reluctant to produce ebook versions  that I decided to take things into my own hands. For a while I self-published the book, but still distribution internationally was a  problem.

But one thing that did come out of that was the fabulous new cover that the wonderful  Lee Hyat (the lovely lady who runs this blog  and Author Sound Relations  and who helped me set up  the new edition, the kindle edition – and most of all designed that amazing cover – thank you Lee!

That was when my husband started working with Emerald Guides (he wrote a Crime Writers’ Handbook  for them with a friend who was a detective in the London Met) – and the publisher asked it he could take over the 12 Point Guide – and all the distribution.  I was delighted to have that responsibility taken out of my hands -  but I realised that before they could publish the book it really needed to be revised and brought up to date.

   There were a lot of romance lines that were no longer published,  lines where the names had been changed . . .

So I revised the whole thing, added more details about how to submit by email,  tried to include all the new names for the lines-  but those can change so fast that I’m not holding my breath everything will stay bang up to date for ever!

The brand new, revised, updated edition is out now  and on sale  in both paperback and ebook form. It   still has that fabulous cover (again -  thank you   Lee!)  and  I took delivery of my author copies just before the RNA Conference last month.

But . .  . and here’s where the ill wind  bit comes in.  You probably can’t see but when I received my first delivery, I looked at the cover  where there is a fantastic quote from the great Michelle Reid . . .

“ A must-have for any aspiring romantic fiction writer. Brilliant. . . A page-turner all on its own.”  She said .

  Except that on that first delivery  there was a misprint and what it actually says is:

“ A must-have for any inspiring romantic fiction writer. Brilliant. . . A page-turner all 

on its own.”

Err. . .  No!   So the new printing had to be started again.

But it left me with some not-quite-perfect copies to  find a good home for.

Would you like one/ I have  a copy to give away today. If you don’t mind that small mix up on the front cover -  everything else is just perfect inside –  honest!

 So if  you’d like to tell me what you’re writing and why  you  think the 12 Point Guide can help you with your journey to publication . . .then leave a message in the Comments section below and I’ll get Charlie the Maine Coon cat to pick a winner on Monday morning.

You can read more about me and my books on my web site and my blog -  and catch up with me too on my Facebook page

Ch-ch- changes with Kate Walker

Sometimes life just goes along as it always has – and sometimes things happen that are unexpected.  New things, different things happen, old – often loved things disappear and

for a while you can feel as if it’s never going to  settle down.

Summer – specially the month of July  - always seemed to be such a settled – and full month.  I had the Romantic Novelists’ Association Conference at the start of the month.   Then we would travel to Wales to teach at the fabulous Writers’ Holiday – add in a wedding anniversary to celebrate  and life was pretty full.     But this year, as I got to look at July,  it seemed so much quieter.

There is still the RNA Conference – I’m in the middle of packing and heading out for that as soon as I finish this post.  And (thank heaven!) there is still our wedding anniversary.  Officially it’s a ‘Sapphire’ anniversary, apparently – I know it’s a l-o-n-g time. (If you look up that ‘sapphire  anniversary it’s 45 years!! )  Sadly, the summer   Writers’  Holiday is now no  longer in existence so at first it seemed that there would be a long stretch of July that was going to be empty – calmer, but a hole in the year it seemed.

Until my DH wrote a book (with a friend who is an ex Met Detective )  called  The Crime Writers’ Casebook and he and the detective have been asked to do talks on this book in so many places. So after the conference  we’ll be heading to a couple of those talks. Not in Wales, but Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.  And  the publisher of that book asked me if   he could publish the 12 Point Guide to

Writing Romance  which I’ve been self-publishing for a while.  That has worked well, but it has been tricky for some people to get hold of it – so I’ve worked with Emerald publishing and the new edition is coming out this month. I decided that this was a really good time to look at the original – which, amazingly,  came out  over ten years ago.  There was a lot of revising and updating that needed doing – so  I wanted that done before the new edition appeared.  

It’s all been done now and the new, revised and updated edition  has just been published.  It  will be in paperback and ebook format  - I just checked on Amazon  and they finally have it up on their site.  So one of the new things this month – just yesterday in fact – was an exciting book box delivery of the new edition.  I was thrilled to hold it in my hand  - it seems to be thicker and fuller – or perhaps that’s just the better paper and the binding.

I shall be running a few celebration posts on Facebook and my blog – so if you’re a writer who hopes to be published in romance, look out for those – there should be the chance of some giveaways.

Now I’m heading off to the RNA Conference. Tonight I’m  talking at Leeds Library on  a panel discussing  the Bronte Sisters and

Romance.  This is because of a book I wrote back in 2011  called The Return of The Stranger which was  a reworking of Wuthering Heights.  This has just come out in a new republished ebook format with a brand new cover   to match with the ones that Harlequin UK has recently updated.

See -    nothing stays the same.    There are always changes to look out for.

Another change coming up will be  soon - hopefully - when I get my web site revised and brought up to date. You can find the latest news on my blog and my Facebook page too.  And if you're interested in winning a  new copy of the 12 Point Guide  keep your eyes on those places too.

Sometimes life just goes along as it always has – and sometimes things happen that are

unexpected.  New things, different things happen, old – often loved things disappear and for a while you can feel as if it’s never going to  settle down.

Summer – specially the month of July  - always seemed to be such a settled – and full month.  I had the Romantic Novelists’ Association Conference at the start of the month.   Then we would travel to Wales to teach at the fabulous Writers’ Holiday – add in a wedding anniversary to celebrate  and life was pretty full.     But this year, as I got to look at July,  it seemed so much quieter.

There is still the RNA Conference – I’m in the middle of packing and heading out for that as soon as I finish this post.  And (thank heaven!) there is still our wedding anniversary.  Officially it’s a ‘Sapphire’ anniversary, apparently – I know it’s a l-o-n-g time. (If you look up that ‘sapphire  anniversary it’s 45 years!! )  Sadly, the summer   Writers’  Holiday is now no  longer in existence so at first it seemed that there would be a long stretch of July that was going to be empty – calmer, but a hole in the year it seemed.

Until my DH wrote a book (with a friend who is an ex Met Detective )  called  The Crime Writers’ Casebook and he and the detective have been asked to do talks on this book in so many places. So after the conference  we’ll be heading to a couple of those talks. Not in Wales, but Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.  And  the publisher of that book asked me if   he could published the 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance  which I’ve been self-publishing for a while.  That has worked well, but it has been tricky for some people to get hold of it – so I’ve worked with Emerald publishing and the new edition is coming out this month. I decided that this was a really good time to look at the original – which, amazingly,  came out  over ten years ago.  There was a lot of revising and updating that needed doing – so  I wanted that done before the new edition appeared. 

It’s all been done now and the new, revised and updated edition  has just been published.  It  will be in paperback and ebook format  - I just checked on Amazon  and they finally have it up on their site.  So one of the new things thins month – just yesterday in fact – was an exciting book box delivery of the new edition.  I was thrilled to hold it in my hand  - it seems to be thicker and fuller – or perhaps that’s just the better paper and the binding.

I shall be running a few celebration posts on Facebook and my blog – so if you’re a writer who hopes to be published in romance, look out for those – there should be the chance of some giveaways.

Now I’m heading off to the RNA Conference. Tonight I’m  talking at Leeds Library on  a panel discussing  the Bronte Sisters and Romance.  This is because of a book I wrote back in 2011  which was  a reworking of Wuthering Heights.  This has just come out in a new republished ebook format with a brand new cover   to match with the ones that Harlequin UK has recently updated.

See -    nothing stays the same.    There are always changes to look out for.

Spring fever? with Kate Walker

I don’t know if it’s spring where you live – or if, on the other side of the  world you’re like my sister and heading into autumn, but here in the UK it’s supposed to be heading into – well into  - spring. I say that ‘supposed to be’ with resigned ruefulness  because  it might be April 12^th – but at the moment there is no sign of spring. 

At least not in the weather – which is as grey and wet and  miserable as it has been all April long – and before that really.  There is an old saying that March is supposed to ‘come in like a lion and go out like a lamb’ . . .well, there was plenty of the ‘lion’ about March with snow blizzards and high winds and freezing temperatures  at the beginning of the month  - and at the end.   So that month never went out like a lamb but more like and even bigger, even wilder lion. And March has been much the same, apart from one lovely weekend that I spent at Cirencester Royal Agricultural University,running a writing retreat. So the weather was fine – and  so was the company – but I spent most of the days indoors and missed the sunshine.

And now, a couple of weeks into April, I’m still missing the sun!    But one  things I’m not missing are the other  signs of spring in different ways .  Our garden is full of birds singing their hearts out on the tops of the trees (those are the blackbirds) to announce to the world that they have a beautiful nest and are looking for a lady to share it with.  Then there are the starling family who come and  gobble down the suet and seeds in the fat balls  hanging on a lower branch of another tree, or on the birdhouse.  And  Tim Robin  and his mate come down to feed on the ground, eat suet cakes with insects in them ready to feed the hatchlings from their eggs in their nest.

All these mean extra extra jobs for me to do  as I fill up the feeding trays and the hanging feeders.  And now that the days are getting a little warmer – I said ‘a little’, it’s not much – there is another job, another set of critters to feed. The hedgehogs who live at the bottom of the garden have woken up from their hibernation and they are hungry!  They wander about in the night looking for food to strengthen them after months of being curled up in the straw in their special wooden houses to sleep away the worst of the winter. They  must regret poking their noses out because as soon as they venture into the garden it’s so cold and wet and windy that they will wonder if it really is spring.

I’ve just been out to fill up all the feeder bowls and trays and I can see little paw prints in the mud so I know they’re around.

So although the weather is distinctly doubtful,  I’m still going to call it Spring – and hope that from now on the days will brighten and the sun will appear.  I think we  all need it.

But at least the book I’m working on revisions for opens in the middle of a wild and blustery rain storm  - so the weather outside is proving some sort of inspiration, if not the beauty of nature waking up in spring.  Oh well –  as the rhyme goes:

March winds and April Showers

Bring forth May flowers.

We’ve had the first two (though it’s been April downpours, not showers) so I’m hoping for plenty of those  flowers!

Raoul Cardini will have his revenge!

His preferred method? Ruthless, irresistible seduction!

Imogen O’Sullivan is horrified when charismatic tycoon Raoul breaks up her engagement and makes her his own convenient bride! She once surrendered everything to Raoul—body, heart and soul. But as he stalks back into her life it’s clear he has punishment in mind—not just passion! Can Imogen resist Raoul’s potent brand of delicious vengeance?

You can read more about me and my books on my web site and my blog -  and catch up with me too on my Facebook page

Early St Patrick's Day Greetings from Kate Walker

Happy Saint Patrick's Day to everyone.   

Yes, I know it’s not actually St Pat’s Day yet, but it’s getting near to the  17^th March, and at this time of year my thoughts always turn to the ‘Emerald Isle’  and my family’s connection with that beautiful country.   And then it was Mother's Day here in the UK yesterday so naturally I was thinking of my mother who was born in Clones,  Monaghan.

Both my parents were  born in Ireland -  and on my mother's side I’m descended from a man called Chevalier Charles Wogan whose story is something of a delight for any romantic novelist – here is a brief summary:

"The Chevalier" (Knight) Charles Wogan was born in Rathcoffey. Is it possible that his heroic actions on the night of April 29th 1719 have given rise to the romantic fairy-tale tradition that for every fair princess shut up in a castle tower there comes a knight in shining armour ready to set her free so that she can marry the handsome prince of her dreams?

Wogan was a staunch supporter of the Stuarts. He initiated the alliance which led to the marriage of James Edward Francis Stuart (the Old Pretender), son of Charles II, to Clementina Sobieski, daughter of John Sobieski, King of Poland. She was apprehended, however, on her way to marry the Prince in Bologna. She was held captive in Innsbruck in the Tyrol. Wogan arranged false passports with the Austrian Ambassador and along with a small group feigning to be a Count, Countess, the Countess’ brother (Wogan) and her maidservant, managed to gain access to the princess. Following a quick exchange of clothing between the princess and the maidservant, the party escaped in high winds and blinding snow through the Alpine passes into Austria.

The marriage to James took place and from it Charles Edward (the Young Pretender) was born in Rome in 1720. Wogan’s reputation for daring and enterprise spread throughout all Europe.

It’s rumored that in fact Charles Wogan and Clementina fell in love on their journey but that his loyalty to his king meant that he didn’t press his own claim for marriage. It’s also rumored that as a result of this, the Chevalier and his family are entitled to wear their hats in the presence of the king and to a pension of £10 a year. Unfortunately, like most of these things in English law, this was only passed down through the male side – which has now died out - and I come from the female line.

But this story has been in my mind a lot lately and I keep thinking that seeing as there's really nothing really new in romance plots, it could make a good romance story for Presents.

What do you think?

But for now, I have to  drag my mind away from the ideas that this story is sparking off and make myself focus on the revisions for my next book.   This is the trouble with the way that writing works. You write a book – send it to the editor.  The   editor wants revisions – but the revisions always seem to arrive just when you’ve thought of a new story and are itching to get on with it.

So I’m going to have to push this story from the Irish part of my family to the back of my mind while concentrating on the current book.  I may have mentioned that this is the second part of the duet of books that I started with  A Proposal to Secure His Vengeance.   I need to get this finished because it seems a lot of people are waiting impatiently  for the second half of the story – Imogen and Raoul have had their happy ever after  so now it’s the turn of Imogen’s sister  . . . and it seems that so many of you have guessed who her hero will be and can’t wait to read it .  So I’d better get back  to those revisions.   the meantime,  I’m itching to go back and reread the story of Charles Wogan and his Princess  and see where my imagination will take me.

A Proposal To Secure His Vengeance  was published in Harlequin Presents

in  February and is still available on Amazon etc.

I'm planning an revamp and a much needed update on my web site   - just as soon as I  finish these revisions!  And you can find any news and up to date information on my Facebook page

Valentine's Day means - what? by Kate Walker

What is romance?

Would it shock you if I said I didn’t know? 

I  write romance  for a living – I’m involved in ‘Romance’ almost every second of every day –   certainly every day of every year – but I don’t think I can define it for you.

On Wednesday – Valentine’s Day – I’m  giving a talk in a local library.  The title of it is The ABC of Love. In this case the ABC stands for   Authors  Bubbly and Cupcakes.  So that’s   what  the focus will be on  - for this event. For myself, I’m fine with the authors.  After all, I’m one of them. The bubbly is good too (though as the talk is at  12 noon, I’ll need to  err on the side of caution there.)  But I have a problem with cupcakes. I’ve never  gone along with the current  obsession with what seem to me to be over sweet, over coloured, over iced  little cakes .    They don’t really appeal to me. Too much of everything.

So I wouldn’t find a gift of cupcakes, no matter how pretty or sentimentally designed to send a message, something to enjoy on Valentine’s Day and my DH  would know better than ever to get them for me.

But I know that at this library   event I’m going to be asked  if I’m ‘a romantic sort of person’  - to which the answer will be ‘Yes’. And then the next question will be ‘What is romance?’.  If they ask ‘what does romance mean to you’, then I’ll  be OK  - because I know what is romantic for me.  Butu Romance in general – for everyone? That’s too big a question.

My books are sold all over the world – I just got some foreign editions from Germany, from France, from Japan. So I know that my ‘romances’ appeal to readers from so many different countries – but this doesn’t mean that romance means the same thing to every reader of every nationality. You see, for me I think that romance means thinking of someone else  and doing what pleases them most,  giving them what they’d most like if you’re into giving Valentine’s gifts. Not just giving them red rose or a cuddly toy because that’s what the advertisers try to push you into buying. Romance is knowing that every person is an individual and making them happy – each in their individual way.

I was thinking about this as I was working on the revisions for my next book.   This story is the second in a duet of stories about two sisters – my working title has been The Scandalous O’Sullivan Sisters. If you’ve read my latest publication A Proposal to Secure His Vengeance  - then you’ll already have met one of these woman. Imogen O’Sullivan is the older sister, the younger one is her sister Ciara. I’m working on Ciara’s story now.

Imogen and Ciara are two very different characters. The things that have happened to Imogen haven’t  happened to  Ciara. The things the older sister loves are not what suits her younger sister. And then of course the men that the fall madly in love with and ultimately  want to have a happy ever after ending with are not the same either. That would cause real problems for me to write!

So when I wrote Imogen’s story I wrote a very different romance from the one I’m creating now for Ciara. Two different set ups, two different men, two different romances. And it helped  me answer a question from a  not yet published author who asked how did I manage to keep my writing fresh through all the 66 novels I’ve had published. The answer?  I treat each individual couple as just that – individuals. Their stories are theirs  and theirs alone – what makes  each one happy is unique to them.

That’s what romance is for me – whether in real life or in a story. Not lumping everyone into the same pot, the ‘buy her red roses’ and you’re done images that so often appears for Valentine’s Day. That’s why I write romance – to tell each individual story for each different hero and heroine and they way they work through their conflicts and head for that Happy Ever After.

It would be so boring if all my characters were the same. After all, we’re all individuals aren’t we?  So romance means different things to everyone of us.

I hope your Valentine’s Day is filled with the romance you enjoy  - whatever that is.  And I’ll   have to remember this post to use as a reply when someone at that library talk asks me  what romance is.

What about you? What’s the most romantic thing that’s ever happened to you – or someone has done for you? I’d love to know.

Raoul Cardini will have his revenge!

His preferred method? Ruthless, irresistible seduction!

Imogen O’Sullivan is horrified when charismatic tycoon Raoul breaks up her engagement and makes her his own convenient bride! She once surrendered everything to Raoul—body, heart and soul. But as he stalks back into her life it’s clear he has punishment in mind—not just passion! Can Imogen resist Raoul’s potent brand of delicious vengeance?

You can read more about me and my books on my web site and my blog -  and catch up with me too on my Facebook page