Song for two heroes - or heroines . . . Kate Walker

I’m  on a deadline right know. OK, to be honest, I’m rather over that deadline.  I have too little ti

me left and too much book  to write – so I’m fairly pressured for time. Add into that the fact that I’d forgotten to add in the time I needed to run a writing retreat in Swanwick, Derbyshrire  (that’s pronounced Swannick Darbyshire in Brit English of course, not the way it looks on the page!)

So I’m a bit late getting back  home, unpacked, sorted out, and at the keyboard  to write my blog.  And then of course I had to think of something to write.

Now there’s a problem – I’ve been writing blogs -  my own, Tote Bags, Pink Hearts . . . for so many years that sometimes it’s really hard to think what I should talk about. What would be interesting? What would be current? What would readers Actually want to read about?

It’s a bit like the eternal ‘where do you get your ideas from’ question that  writers are asked so often.  That’s the question I usually answer ‘from life’ when I’m asked it.  Well, it’s true -  life is the  one great source of inspiration that comes at us day in and day out, bringing new events, new people, new possibilities for stories, or blogs – sometimes.

I have an idea for my current story, obviously, which is a good thing  - because of that deadline, obviously, but I’m really a bit apprehensive  about getting to the end of this book , this deadline, and starting tom look around for another brand new  exciting and interesting  idea for next time. 

Because I don’t just have to find an idea for this book, but  this one and another one as well.  Because when I was in London last month   for the annual author party, I was talking to my editor about what

might be coming up and she said ‘I’d really like to see a duet.’  And before I knew what had happened I’d opened my mouth and said ‘Fine. I can do that.’

Fine? What’s fine about it? A duet is two books. Two linked books.   I have to think of not one story that excites me and makes me want to write it. One idea  ‘with legs’ that  will have enough interest and depth to develop into  a full length book – but two s

uch stories – and they have to be linked in some way so that they create a ‘duet’.  Eeek!

I have written duets – and a trilogy before.  So I know it can be done. 

There was The Alcolar Family (just republished as   The Notorious Alcolars in Australia). That came about by accident. I was asked to write a free on-line story for the Harlequin web site  so I created Alex Alcolar  and at the end of his story his two half-brothers  Joaquin and Ramon and his half-sister Mercedes appeared and everyone wanted to  know their stories it seemed. So I set to and The 12 Month Mistress   (Joaquin’s story) , The Spaniard’s Inconvenient Wife (Ramon)  and Bound by Blackmail  (Mercedes).  The link between them was  easy – they were all from the same family.

wrote

Other connected books – duets have happened  almost by accident.

I wrote The Sicilian’s Wife in 2002 as a standalone story. But in the closing chapters of that story, the hero’s  half brother Gio appeared  and soon he was demanding his own story. I wrote it –(he didn’t give me much option – he wouldn’t go away until I did!) And so A Sicilian Husband appeared a year later.

Then there was  the Sicilian Brothers duet  which was actually planned as two linked books. Guido and  Vito Corsentino were inspired by a some emails from an American fan who told me about her brothers  with those names and the names were so great – such obvious ‘hero’ names that I had to write their stories. They appeared in Sicilian Husband, Blackmailed Bride and The Sicilian's Red-Hot Revenge in  2007.

So now I need some new ideas for a new duet. I’d better move away from any more Sicilians – they seem to have had their fair share of  linked stories for a while – do you think?  And Spaniards. The Alcolars have had four books after all.  

But how should I link them?  I’ve done several brothers or half-brothers stories.  There’s even a sister in there.  Family links obviously work well -  but should I write about heroes who are brothers or heroines who are sisters?  Then there’s the possibilities of heroines who work together  - or work for each other. Would that - er  work?  Or heroes who  are best friends – or twins – or . . .

My mind is almost spinning with possibilities but I’m having to shelve the real work on coming up with these new plots until I finish the current story and send it off to my  editor. Then I can start really planning and thinking and imagining.

What about you? Do you like linked stories that form a duet? Or do you prefer a standalone story?

And what sort of links do you like to see in a linked series of books? Family connections?   Brothers? Sisters?  Twins? Friends? Enemies?  Or is there something else entirely, something new that you’d just love to see in a pair of linked books?  Any clever ideas?

In the meantime I’ll  keep my nose to the grindstone and work on – and hopefully finish very soon – this new story. And then I’m going to be brainstorming ideas and plans to see what to write next.  

I just hope I can come up with something soon!

(And if you have any ideas or questions that would create interesting and new blogs, that would be great too!) 

 . Coming next  Destined For The Desert King  which is published in December this year.
  

Then there's the  12 Point Guide to Writing Romance, the newest edition of which is available on Kindle or a revised and updated paperback edition now available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

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

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.

 

 

 

 

 

February - the month of love? by Kate Walker

When I was a child and still at school, I learned a rhyme that was about all the months. It began with the lines

January brings the snow,

Makes out feet and fingers glow.

Well, here in the UK we certainly had that one coming true - we had snow, snow and more snow. And I (and my cats) was more than happy to see it finally melt away. But as I write this there is yet more snow outside, and more promised if the forecasters have got it right. And even if that snow doesn't arrive, then - according to this rhyme - the next thig we can expect is that:

February brings the rain,
Thaws the frozen lake again.

Oh yes. February is a cold, wet month. It was always known as 'February fill-dyke' as the rain lashed down, filling the rivers and the dykes, and often causing floods.

So this had me wondering - why then would anyne choose Febraury 14th as the date to celebrate love, passion and all things romantic? A day in a cold, wet usually pretty miserable month where beauty is hard to find, the glow and excitement of Christmas and New Year is well behind us, red roses cost a fortune, and it takes an effort to even think of trying to be romantic.

Or perhaps that's the point? Perhaps it's the fact that because it's hard to make an effort that's what makes it more romantic. It's the effort, the trying, the doing something out of routine, something a little different and a bit special that makes Valentine's Day - or indeed any day - really romantic.

Because isn't that what romance is really all about? It certainly is in the books I write. People - people who don't know the truth - tend to think of romance novels as being about soft and pretty, chocolate box, kittens and flowers sort of love. Boy meets girl, girl falls in love with boy, boy falls in love with girl, they marry and live happily ever after. It's soppy, cheesy, a 'soft'.

Not the books I write. I write about people who have real problems in their relationship. People who have reason to dislike, even to hate each other. Reason to believe the worst of someone, even as they are acknowledging that this person is really affecting them like no other person ever has in all their life. People who have to fight - with their hero or heroine, with their mistaken beliefs, and, ultimately, with themselves to reach a real, honest, deep and long-lasting love. It's an adult affair, not boy meets girl, not hearts and flowers, not pretty pink cards easily picked up in the local supermarket.

After all, St Valentine himself didn't have things easy - St. Valentine was a Priest, martyred in 269 at Rome apparently beaten with clubs and then beheaded, and was buried on the Flaminian Way. He is the Patron Saint of affianced couples, bee keepers, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travellers, young people. He is represented in pictures with birds and roses. One legend says, while awaiting his execution, Valentinus restored the sight of his jailer's blind daughter. Another legend says, on the eve of his death, he penned a farewell note to the jailer's daughter, signing it, "From your Valentine."

So perhaps that's it. Perhaps it's because February is such a dark, gloomy, apparently unromantic month that we celebrate romantic love in the middle of it. And Valentine's Day is really like love and romance itself isn't it? Just when everything is dark and gloomy and bleak, we have a day that reminds us to make an effort for the person we love. To show them, tell them how we feel. It may be cold and wet but with the one you love you can curl up safe and sheltered and let love keep you warm

And in that case February is probably the perfect month.

(Of course this idea only works right on this side of the world - my Australian and New Zealand readers and all of you in the other hemisphere will have a warm February anyway!)

So will you be celebrating Valentine's Day or do you think it's just commercial rubbish? What's the most romantic thing someone has ever done for you? Leave you answers in the comments and as always I'll get Sid the Cat on the job of picking a winner who'll receieve a signed book from my backlist.

Kate Walker's latest Presents release is The Konstantos Marriage Demand which was published in Mills & Boon Modern on January 15th and is in Mills & Boon Sexy in Australia this month. It will be out in Presents EXTRA in March and is already available for pre-sale on eHarlequin.com.

Romantic Times called this a ‘ terrifically well-paced and fiery romance’ with a ‘very rewarding conclusion,’ and chose it as one of their series romance Top Picks for March.

One of Kate’s earlier books, The Twelve Month Mistress is also featured in a brand- new ebook 'Bundle' - one of the Blogger Bundles now available on eharlequin.com. This is a special selection of favourite Presents authors chosen by We Write Romance.You can find out more about Kate and her books by visiting her web site or get the really up to date news on her blog.