Kate Hardy's 50 book celebrations

My very dear friend, Kate Hardy has just published her 50th book with Harlequin. Her first was published in 2002 so that is incredible.
I have burnt dinner because of her books and every time a new book comes out, it does go to the top of the TBR pile.
Anyway, to celebrate this wonderful achievement, she has invited a number of her friends to do blogs. My blog is up today and if you leave a comment there, I am giving away a signed copy of His Unsuitable Viscountess.
Friend are very precious and friends who are writers even more so. I bless the day Kate Hardy came into my life.

Heartwarming read and an upcoming writing contest

Last evening I finished Neurosurgeon and Mum! Kate Hardy's latest. And in traditional Kate Hardy style, it grabbed me by the heart strings and refused to let go.
I loved how it wasn't a traditional medical but possibly closer to Kate's MH but the medical detail was also expertly woven in. She also created a lovely community and really brought her world to life. I love the fact that her heroine was the high flying consultant and the hero -- the locum g.p. who shows her why life is for living.


Reading it, I had loads of light bulb moments, including realising a few places in my current ms where I had skated over things and had totally forgotten the sexual tension etc.


Anyway, I stayed up a bit late to finish it.
And can recommend it to anyone who wants a feel good read.

Now when is Kate going to do a single title small town women's fiction as she would be so good at it?




In the back of the book, there was a shout out for M&B's biggest talent search ever. All will be revealled on http://www.romanceisnotdead.com/ in due course. But they are looking for a new star and readers are going to be asked to help. All exciting stuff!

AMBA and ebooks

There have been a number of good reports about AMBA -- that glamour highlight of my September -- when the authors of Mills & Boon meet to eat, drink and socialise. The Pink Heart Society, Kate Hardy and Fiona Harper have all done excellent reports. And I personally had a great time but then I was organising the thing and so had some say in the menu, wine and location... But I was very relieved to hear that everyone enjoyed themselves.

One of the more interesting bits of news to come out of AMBA are the M&B e-books. They have been promised for a long time and finally they have arrived. Waterstones.com is now offering the entire front list for Mills & Boon in e-book, -- Sony Reader book format. So for example, An Impulsive Debutante is currently available as a download along with the rest of the M&B September offerings. Plans are well advanced to have the e-books available from the M&B website by the end of the year as well as from the WH Smith website. I believe they will also be available as mobipocket on the M&B website. Amazon have yet to release Kindle in the UK.

At AMBA, I finally was able to physically hold an e-book. They are different, but I can see the attraction for some people. Apparently there are lots of features to allow you to bookmark pages, skip pages and generally move through the book. A page of text is displayed at a time and you can adjust the font size to suit your eyes.

Will e-books replace more conventional books? Who knows. I like the ease of paper. I like being able to read anywhere and not to have to worry about leaving the book behind. Occasionally I underline or make notes in margins of books. But there is also the storage problem. And I can see if some one is travelling a lot or has poor eyesight why the ebook reader might be the way to go. At the moment, I am just pleased that HM&B have decided to embrace the technology.

Currently I am still doing my revisions on the Viking but it is getting better.

RNA Romance Prize and ANC in Czech

First of all, huge congratulations to Kate Hardy for winning the RNA Romance Prize 2008. Star that she is, she has already put a detailed account on her blog, including pictures. So go over and read about the winner's journey. It is such wonderful news. Breakfast at Giovanni's (In Bed with Her Italian Boss April 08 US) is a book with a lot of heart.

I did some more trawling through various Harlequin websites and discovered that A Noble Captive is also out in Czech. I had not looked at the Czech site before, but am assuming that they also put out Gladiator's Honour last December. It has the same cover as the Polish version. This is the first time though I have seen my name changed. In Czech I am Michelle Stylesova. Anwya that makes 8 languages that I know about and as I loved Prague when I visited back in 2006, I am thoroughly pleased.

Michelle Stylesová
ŘÍMAN A KNĚŽKA
Římský tribun Tullio upadne po útoku pirátů se svými muži do zajetí. Dostává se na ostrov, který je zasvěcen bohyni Kybele a který je základnou pro piráty. Tady se setkává s Helenou, neteří a pomocnicí zdejší kněžky, a snaží se ji naklonit na stranu Říma.Helena se snaží před ostrovany zatajit, že její teta kněžka je nemocná, a pokusí se ji zastoupit. Tullio ji ale prohlédne a snaží se jí její situaci ulehčit. Třebaže je brzy jasné, že v sobě našli zalíbení, Helena se obává, zda Tulliovi jde skutečně o ni, nejen o prospěch Říma.
Kat. číslo:
207 W 02/08
Rozsah:
320 stran
Datum vydání:
15. 2. 2008
U nás v prodeji od:
1. 2. 2008
Cena:
119 Kč
Cena pro vás:
98 Kč

You can purchase it here.

London -- AMBA

Let me state at the outset that I forgot my camera. Photos are on Kate Hardy's blog and other places...

AMBA Day is one of the great occasions in any Mills and Boon author's calender. It is a lunch combined with a toast in the evening. In between times, there is coffee and afterwards supper. It is a day when I truly feel like I am an author.

The day started with a train journey down from Newcastle. It was painless and I worked on my wip. 3 hours of uninterrupted time. Funny how things go much more swiftly when one is not on the Internet...
I then met my cp --Donna Alward in the flesh for the first time. She is as every bit as lovely in person as she has been on the email. She even sounded like I imagined she would!
We then met Kate Hardy in Green Park. She had said that she would be sitting on a bench, but I didn't spot her and so telephoned. Her first question was -- are you wearing black with a red jacket. I then felt silly as she waved madly!
Lunch was lovely and all went smoothly. Hugh relief as I had helped with the planning. It was truly lovely to see old friends and make new ones. The Q&A went well. There are tons of really exciting things happening with M&B and its centenary next year. It was fantastic to hear about the marketing, PR and what is upcoming!
After the lunch, a group of us walked to Selfridge's past police tape, fireman and a broken window. Donna, Trish Wylie and Abby Green discovered that a man had jumped but had been caught. Their informant blithely said things like this were happening all the time.
Tea at Selfridges was spent laughing and talking. Trish revealed some excellent plans for the PHS -- more about these in due course, but she and the rest of the editors are really taking the PHS places.
The Oriental Club was chosen because M&B are about to launch in India in a big way. The Oriental Club was, of course, founded by members of the East India Company and others with connections to India, including the Duke of Wellington. I stayed on the orange juice, but the champagne FLOWED. Some people are blaming a certain waiter...The canapes were very good, in particular the samosas.
Pam Brooks and Mary Nichols both received their 25 book pins and Kate Walker received her 50th pin. The bracelet Kate sported was to die for.
I also saw my lovely editors. All of whom looked amazing. Julie Cohen was her usual stylish self.
After the toast, a group of us went to Brown's for dinner. It became rather silly and I think there are a variety of pictures about...My only defence is the company was excellent. And the dinner should become legendary. All I can say is that Kate Walker is certainly a Queen of Romance.
We then retired back to Biddy's flat and Donna and I talked and talked and talked. The cover for The Soldier's Homecoming is gorgeous and the back cover blurb is guaranteed to wring your heart. I am so looking forward to reading the finished version. Donna has her own news, but you will have to look to her blog.

The next morning, my voice hurt from all the talking. And I half-slept and half-worked on the way back up.
This week is going to be busy, busy, busy as my deadline looms.

Revisions Reprise

The following blog was first published in February 06. Kate Hardy contacted me yesterday to say that she had saved it and had passed it around to several of the Modern Heat writers. This was totally sweet of her. Anyway, as apparently they found it useful, I am republishing it here.
A quick note -- the ms I am talking about finishing became Sold and Seduced. During the revisions, the epilogue was cut. It was a nice epilogue but the story worked much better without it. The revisions for S&S other than cuttingthe epilogue and cutting a scene where Lydia acts out of character were light and I did them very quickly.
And I still love revisions and my editors' eyes. Quality editing is key to keeping a writer's books delivering on the promise the writer makes to the very special unique subset of readers -- hers.

Basically if I want their thoughts on my latest though, I have to finish it first. I still have several chapters to go -- including the last one.

Revisions and me
Kate Hardy recently asked what is the favourite part of writing for you. I put my hand up and said revisions. Not the usual response I know. Many writers hate revisions.I love other parts of writing. It is fun doing the first draft, but really it is only between you and the computer. You know that things will change and you are doing your best, but there are ALWAYS revisions. Some of these you will pick up, some the critque partners will pick up or have questions about. Questions are good. They force you to think why, and some the editor will spot. It is all about taking the rough lump of clay and moulding it.Doing revisions is not a sign of failure. Revisons help make a good book great.It is a sign that your editor believes in you and your book enough to give guidance on how to make it stronger. Revisions give you a chance to rethink and revisit your characters. At this point for me, my characters are old friends.They can also show up where you took a wrong turning, where you took an easy option.At their best, revisions challenge you. They give you the ability to take your book to the next level. Writers tend to like to stay in their comfort zones. A good editor inspires the writer.Sometimes, the longer and more detailed the revisons, the more the editor can see. I have heard of NYT best sellers that have had twenty five pages of closely written revisions. The editor believed in that book and wanted it to be the best book possible. Editors do not ask for revisions lightly. If they see too many problems, they will ask you to put the ms aside for awhile and write something new. Revisions mean they can see something worthwhile.Revisions are an opportunity rather than a road block.Revisions are a helping hand up, a way around stones in the road.When you are doing revisions, you know the characters and the basic situation. You also know one way it didn't work. Or in my cases, several ways it didn't work.Revisions force me to concentrate on what is the essential part of the book. How can I keep those things that I want to keep and still make those changes that the editor sees as essential? How can I learn from the revisions I am asked to do so that I make other mistakes next time?At the moment -- I keep hearing the lovely tones of my editor -- such and sch would never intentionally put the heroine in harm's way. It is something I have learnt and I have to make sure it is explained. One of the best pieces of advice an editor gave me was to make sure the turning points are active and come from the actions of the main characters. Hopefully through the process of revision, my own eye is developing and I am more able to step back and make the changes before the editor has her read through. But there are ALWAYS revisions. And sometimes there are more than one set.In the final analysis, it is about trusting the eye of your editor. And a good editor is worth her weight in gold. At the moment, I am very lucky with my editors. Their guidance has been clear, and has sparked ideas about how I can make the ms better.Now if I want to get to those revisions, those final tweaks, I have to finish the last chapter and epilogue...So in my humble opinion, revisions are not something to be feared or fought against, but are something to be embraced. They are about making the book the strongest it can possibly be.

Kate Hardy's 25th Book blog party

Kate Hardy is having a stupendous blog party to celebrate the pbulication of her 25th book for M&B. That is 25 books in five years. I think I shall sit down now because you also have to add in her nonfiction In short, I am not sure how many she has written with her various different hats. The woman gives Isaac Asminov a run for his money.

There is a prize per day to be won. It is mostly commenting to be drawn out of a hat. Very simple. My own contributuion will be up at some point and I have offered a signed copy of The Roman's Virgin Mistress.

Because of problems with Bravenet, Kate has just transferred to blogger. And you can find her posts at http://katehardy.blogspot.com/

Decisions, Decisions

It has only been a few days since I turned in my latest and already I am starting to feel the tug of not writing. I am want to be immersed in a story again. I suspect this is because I hate housework, and now have no excuses. My dh has been making noises about the dust covering and the cobwebs...
I am thinking about my next two books. They are a duet. This means that there is a slight over arching story but that the books must be able to stand alone. It is a challenge. I enjoy challenges -- this is one of the reasons that I think my editors enjoys giving them to me. they are also going to be set in the early 1820's when locomotive fever was at its peak in the North East. It was a thoroughly exciting time and many of the advances paved the way for the age of steam.
The books will appear in the schedule -- one month apart. It means my delivery time has to be spot on as well.
At the moment, I have a number of ideas floating around in my brain. The fun part is that for the first time this year, I am not working with previosuly mentioned characters or worlds, so I get to create a new one.
I also need to sketch and make up worksheets for the workshop I will bew giving on Goal,Motivation and Conflict over on e-harlequin at the beginning of next month. I want it to be a really imformative, intersting workshop that other writers can get a lot out of.

I also have to write my blog for Kate Hardy's blog party. She and her fellow guests are giving away books and I have promised a copy of The Roman's Virgin Mistress. I just have to come up with a suitable topic.

Weatherwise -- today is a day more suited to ducks. They keep finding new pools to swim and dabble in. It is just disconcerting when they start swimming around the car!

Kate Walker's party

I am back from Kate Walker's party. Lots of photos were taken, BUT I left my camera in the hotel room as my dd thought it would be best. Kate Walker has plenty of photos as will Kate Hardy. Kate Hardy did send me photos but the transfer failed. Or rather this is my excuse. Natasha Oakley will be delighted to know this as I was excused of pointing out her photo at the Savoy was on Fiona Harper's blog...
Lincoln was lovely. The trip down -- easy except for the congestion around York. This was to the World Nude Biking Riding championships. There were no nude riders on the A1 however. And I suspect that the watchers of the race had much more fun than the people stuck in the congestion...
We arrived at the White Hart Hotel, and a truly fabulous place it was too. The staff were excellent and totally exceeded my expectations.
My dd and I dumped bags and then headed for Ye Olde Tea Rooms where we met Anna Lucia and Julie Cohen. After a quick bite to eat, we did the Lincoln Cathedral area things. I knew about Steep Hill from ages past and did not bother going down to the shops.
Later I discovered the evidence that many of our party did not know about the Steep Hill as bodies were strewn around the lounge, waiting for restorative cups of tea.
Trish Wylie has a new admirer in the form of my dd. they talked horses while my dd tucked into one of the largest afternoon teas for one that I have ever seen.
The dinner was fabulous. There was a wonderful atmosphere and Kate Hardy was busy behind the scenes making sure no last minute glitiches happened to our special surprises for Kate Walker. It was very glam as editors, authors, journalists and Kate's other guests mingled. The editor I share with Kate W was looking partcularly fabulous.
After the poetry readings, Kate Walker made a lovely speech and in her very generous way, she honoured people who had been helpful to her as well as writers who she had helped in the early stages of their career when she served as coordinator for the RNA conference virgins. I was particularly delighted to see Anna Lucia receive a heart from Kate.
Then the Big Surprise from the authors and Kate Walker was totally stunned at the gifts. 50 yellow roses were among them.
My dd swore that I was a Late Night Party Duck as she was relieved from babysitting duties until gone midnight. I understand others were even later as the authors were doing what they tend to do -- talk!
Kate Walker's 50th book is fantastic. My dd read it all on Sunday morning as I slept.
In other news: my wip goes along. It is due next week.
And I should be being interviewed for a tv news features tomorrow -- so my glam author's life continues. More about that later.

Easter Monday musings

I survived Easter, and the house is now awash with chocolate. Unfortunately much of it is Green and Black's or Thornton's. I shall simply have to exercise more.

On Saturday, I went over to Anna Lucia's. She lives in the sort of wonderfully quirky house that I love. Bits are from different times and the spare bedroom has distinct ghost like feel apparently until they redecorated. Whatever ghosts that are in her house, they appear benign. Julie Cohen was there with the fecklet. She looks wonderfully happy and relaxed. All in all a good time was had. Where Anna lives is wonderfully old fashioned and rural, but my middle said as we came back along Hadrian's Wall that she thought where we lived was not bad either. The Spring sunlight highlighted the wall perfectly -- it was the sort of day that photographers love.

I have started to do my calculations for my next wip. It is getting to the point that I have to begin writing. My critique partners are going to start cracking whips...but I have been writing in my moleskine. I love and adore my moleskine notes books. They are fun to write in but I will have to put words on the computer -- starting tomorrow. It is part of being disciplined.

When I saw Julie and Anna, it was interesting to see the different ways in which writers work. I had a sneak peak of Julie's latest -- all rubber banded and clipped. On the other hand, I use a large binder to keep my manuscript in when I doing revising. I find it easier -- particularly when I come to the random page tightening stage. BTW Julie's cover for it is even better in the flesh as it were. I am sure it will be brilliant. She used David Tennant as a model for her hero. As my middle says -- David Tennant is totally hot in Dr Who. My middle kidnaps Julie's books and reads them. Her favourite thus far is Spirit Willing ,Flesh Weak. Julie very diplomatically said it was up to me if my daughter read those books. All I know is that they are in many ways tamer than the stuff I read at her age. I can well remember reading the John Jakes Bicentenial series (The Bastard, anyone?)when I was 12. So how can I complain?

Kate Hardy said lovely things about Sold and Seduced on her blog. Her comments mean a lot to me as I like her writing, and I respect her judgement. Sold and Seduced has also been reviewed on the PHS review site and I was very pleased with the review there.

I suppose this is the time to remind one and all that I am running a contest. Basically email me with the answer to the question:
Which song is playing on my myspace page?

I am drawing the winners on 14 April. 3 lucky people will receive a signed copy of Sold and Seduced as well as the book that gave me the seed -- The Antonakos Marriage.

Books and compliments

Yesterday, I had alovely package -- the hardback for The Roman's Virgin Mistress arrived. I lvoe the cover. And when it is up on Amazon, I will post it here. It is another one of my editor's specials. We had a conversation last summer where she informed that she had already done the commisioning. She had great fun looking at Baiae on the web... It really does have a glorious Italian feel to it.

I also got the large print of ANC and discovered that Sold and Seduced will be going into large print as well at some point. Hooray.

My friend Kate Hardy made my day and posted lovely things about A Noble Captive on her blog. I am not sorry at all that she didn't get anything done this morning. It is revenge for me burning supper last year when I read Seb's story -- Her Honourable Playboy.

Rioght now I have to get to work and finish writing some more of VC...Sometimes it can be difficult to work out exactly why things are happening, but I think I have done so...I think it is going to be fine when it is finished but I shall be much happier with it once I have my editor's thoughts back.