Celebrating a new author

Yesterday I was talking about the new courses I will be running this year.(I'll come back to talk about the second one - Leeds - October  later) But anyone who reads this blog regularly will know that one of my favourite places for teaching a writing course  is the one that's coming up at the end of February as it has done for the past few years.

At the very first Fishguard course I ever taught I met a lovely lady who has gone on to be one of my favourite students   and a dear friend.  Rachael Thomas started with the earliest, basic course I ran there and then she joined me on the Advanced Romance Writing Course that I organised to take the basic tuition on to another stage.

Away from the course she worked hard,  writing when she could grab time as well as  caring for her family, helping run the family farm. She  joined the RNA's  New Writers' Scheme, submitted manuscripts and learned from  the critiques - she worked and worked and she didn't give in. Like so many of us - me included - she had rejections that knocked her confidence but she picked herself up and had the courage to keep on going, keep trying.

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Last year she entered the  huge So You Think You Can Write contest   and her story - Behind The Scandalous Facade  was chosen as one of that contests Top Ten - out of the huge number of entries.  She didn't win first place  and the publishing contract  that was part of the prize - but the editor who had read her entry loved it so much that she sent revision suggestions for Rachael to work on, which she did.

And yesterday I heard the very special, wonderful news that another of my students has received The Call.

I love this moment -  sharing the success of someone who has worked so  hard, learned so much, had the courage to pick herself up from rejection and  keep on going, keep on trying -  and now has the wonderful achievement of knowing that her dream has come true. Rachael is the perfect example of how you should never give in because this story, this  manuscript, might just one day be The One.

2014 is a special year for me. In  December it will be 30 years since my own very first book was published.  I remember only too well (even after all these years) how it  felt to wake up the morning after I received  the Call (though in those days it was a letter!) - the way that Rachael is feeling this morning. So I'm delighted to share this special year  with her and her first book ever.

Last year at Fishguard I helped celebrate Rachael's birthday by giving her a cake  in the shape of a book with her name on it - in the hope that one day that cake would become a real book. I'm so happy that this year  we will be able to celebrate her wonderful success.  And I'm so happy to have been able to help just a bit in getting to this special day.

Many many  congratulations Rachael -  I'm so happy for you. Here's to your  first book - I can't wait to read it -  and let's hope it's just  number one  of many for the future in your career as a published romance writer!

Advent Calendar Day 7 - Good News Day

I have a hectic couple of days coming up - visiting family, appointments, etc  - and that's before I plan on writing the cards and getting the tree out of storage - so I won't be able to post again until Monday - but that's fine  because it gives you all time to leave comments ready for the next  Advent Calendar giveaway.

To catch up with the winners so far -
Sicilian Husband, Blackmailed Bride was won by Shropshire Lass 
The Good Greek Wife  was won by Kerstin
The Duke's Secret Wife  goes to Samantha Hodges and Laney


Yesterday I posted on the Pink Heart Society about sharing  - and giving a book in your name to people you felt deserved one.    I have  five winners from there

 Jo's Daughter, 
 Charlotte, 
Kaelee,
 bn and 
Mary  Preston

And then there were two people who nominated special people in their lives after Charlie had picked the winners -
I'd love to give a book to all of your nominees.  But I'm sure you'll appreciate that my prize stock is limited  - and the postage all over the world can be expensive! (Can be? It is!)

So what I'm going to do is to include this busy weekend in the prize sharing giveaway - which means that  Maria  Perry Mohan and Eli Yanti's friends get a book as well - and then we'll return to the main giveaway on Monday with a single book to win.

So can the givers listed above  - and Eli and Maria  please email me kate AT kate-walker .com and remind me of the book you have chosen. Give me your friend's address - or yours if you want to be the one to give the prize to her - and let me know your nominees names so I can sign it to her if you want.

Maria, and Eli please let me know the name of the book  from the list on the PHS that you would like to give to your friend.

The nominees stories and some of the other messages I've received have made it clear that a  lot of people have had a difficult year in 2013  so I'd like to make t he question  for the giveaway on Monday to hopefully change the tone a little - so here goes-


Can you share some GOOD news with  me? Let me know the nice, the kind, the lovely, joyful things that have happened to you this year. I'd love to hear.   Please post them between now and Monday  - and the winner will receive a copy of the 3 in 1  collection  Mediterranean Tycoons.

He thought she was his mistress . . .
Recuperating on his private Greek island after a car crash, Andreas Petrakos had no memory of the previous year. The last thing he remembered was his passionate affair with beautiful Rebecca Ainsworth.
. . . when actually she was his wife!
Becca returned to the island because Andreas had asked for her. But she had to hide the truth from him. So what would happen when he recalled throwing Becca out - on their wedding day - for a reason only he knew?

 This collection contains  my 2007 novel The Greek Tycoon's Unwilling Wife  as well as stories by Michelle Reid and Sarah Morgan.  So it'll be good news for whoever wins it!

So - share your good news stories.  Here's one to start you off -
Remember  this post     on  the So You Think You Can Write contest?

Well, I'm delighted to say that Tanya  won the first prize in the contest with her manuscript If Only.  Huge congratulations to Tanya and I'll be looking for her  book when it's published as a result of this contest. That's definitely good news for her!
ember

So - let's have some more good news over the weekend.  You have lots of time to post between now and Monday (probably late when  I get a chance to catch up)

And all the winners, please contact me  - use the link at the bottom of the page or the one above, omitting the spaces  etc.

And another one . . .

I really do love it when my teaching pays dividends and  results in  one of my students progressing from beginner to more knowledgeable writer - and then hopefully to published author - or at least well on the way to that status.  I have met so many (a dozen or more I think now)  people who tell me that my classes/courses/workshops - or the 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance -  have helped them learn more about writing and the success they  have had as a result.  

I just told you about Rachael, one of my Fishguard students whose  novel - Behind the Scandalous Façade  is in the Top Ten line up for So You Think You can Write   contest - and this weekend I heard from another of the ten semi -finalists. 

Tanya Wright is the author of  If Only - a novel aimed at the  Harlequin Romance line.  I've never actually met Tanya in person, but back in  March I 'met' her on line when I led a forum discussion on writing with emotion on Harlequin's community boards. Tanya joined in that and asked some interesting questions as she was just starting to write a new manuscript.  And now that manuscript  too has placed in the top ten of SYTYCW.

Tanya sent me a lovely message thanking me for my help and  advice and  I was thrilled to know that what I said had helped her so much because her editor mentor had commented on the realistic emotion in her story.

Congratulations Tanya!

Tanya's  not reminded me that the Writing With Emotion discussion can still be found on  the Harlequin web site if you want to have a read - in the Craft Courses Archives -  Delivering Emotional Punch with Kate Walker  if you want to take a look. Hopefully it will help you too.

If you live in the UK I will be posting details of all my new courses/workshops coming up on the Events Page of my website in case you want to come along.

So You Think You Can Write 2013

I haven't said much about  this year's huge So You Think You  Can Write contest  - life has kept me too occupied to think about it - and it has been huge!  What was it 650 entries?

So to be in the group that was narrowed  down to 50 was an amazing achievement .


Huge congratulations are in order to every single one of them - they have all written not just one chapter that caught the editor' eyes  but a  full book to go with that first chapter.   And I know how hard that can be.  Ideas can come and seem bright, sparkling, wonderful - but to work them into a  full story, with characters, emotions, motivations, conflict, a resolution  and a satisfactory ending - well that's another job entirely.  So many people start out on that road and  never get to the end of it. 

And now - well that group has been narrowed even more  because the final  10 contestants - the 10 finalists have been announced today. And you can find the list of these ten  on the official site today  - every single one of them worth reading.

Mega congratulations to this special ten entries - you've come a long, long way from the opening of the contest.  Each and every one of you has something special, something the editors wanted to see more of.


So I'm  going to read my way through them all and I know I'll enjoy the process.  I won 't be  voting though - not right when I have a personal interest and  I never do vote in these contests because I know only too well that if the editors have chosen them then each entry will deserve its place in this final list.  And I have to admit that  I have a personal interest in the shape of  Rachael Thomas, a student of  mine from the Fishguard course  who has got the recognition she deserves as a writer.   I am so so pleased for her.

But don't let that stop you - go to the site - read all the entries.  

And then vote for the one you enjoyed best. 

Vote every day between now and November 25th - make sure you follow the rules - vote once a day  for your favourite. It's your turn to make an impact in this contest.    They certainly deserve  your support.

Where was I?

I can’t quite believe how long it is since I blogged. But then when I look back I realised that I did cram quite a bit into  those  14 days!

What have I been up to?

Well, I went to the Crime Writers’ Association (Northern Chapter) lunch  in Boroughbridge.  I was there as  the Babe Magnet’s plus one because he’s the crime writer in this family. It was fascinating meeting a bunch of writers who all write popular fiction but in a very different  way from the romance writers I know. I ended up having an interesting discussion with  my friend Lesley Horton who wanted  to introduce a romantic relationship into her latest  book. We have very different styles and subjects – but that romance element  needs something of the same approach, no matter which sort of fiction you’re writing.

Barely back from the CWA, we were on the move again – to York  to meet with friend and fellow Presents Author Trish Morey. You’ll remember her from the 40 for 40 celebrations – but this time we got

to celebrate in person. We also got to talk and talk – and talk . . .  Books, heroes, settings, roma

nce . . .  When writers get together there’s no stopping the conversation.

What else?  Ah, yes  there was that vital thing that makes me a romance writer. Writing! It’s been a difficult year for getting words on the page so I was really thankful when I finally typed the last few words on a new book ( working title A Question of Honour)  and  sent it off to my editor with a huge sigh of relief .

I had an even huger sigh   -  of delight – when she got back to me within just  a couple of days and told me that she loved the book! ‘A truly fantastic read’ she said. And there were no revisions, just some small ‘tweaks’  - small additions just to deepen a few areas. So that was  where the rest of the week went . . . tweaking.

And the tweaking worked because  this week I heard from my editor that the book was accepted, bought  and scheduled – we were just waiting for a title. Debates followed – and the title we ended up with was my original working title. So I’m delighted to be able to say that

A Question  of  Honour will be published in Mills & Boon Modern Romance and Harlequin Presents  in June 2014.

So that's my 62nd title with Harlequin.  I don’t have a cover or anything else yet, but as soon as I know more, I’ll share with you.

Since then I’ve been offered an new contract and I am already planning the next new book – and hoping life will give me a bit more  of a peaceful time and space in which to write it.

So I have time to relax and ‘refill the well’ with reading – and next week the Babe Magnet and I are off to  enjoy another of our 40 special events for our Ruby Wedding celebrations. This one will be a trip to Oxford where we are going to the stage revival tour  of West Side Story. Why that? Well it's a really romantic story  - if tragic - but also because we had been to see the film version of West Side Story  on the day we finally decided on the date for our wedding – so naturally it has  very special memories.

 

And before  I go - I have to send Congratulations to the top 50 entrants to the SYTYCW   contest who have had their first chapters selected to go into the next round -  Good luck with the next stage of the contest!

 

And those who didn't get selected? The only way  forward is to pick yourself up, dust yourself off -  and start again.  I understand  - and I sympathise - but  it really is the only way.

Catching up again

I'm not sure where the time has gone again.

Well, no - I do know where a lot of it went.

I was travelling, and meeting up with family and friends. With fellow authors. With editors.

I was in the beautiful city of  Cambridge  where I had a lovely family get together and a picnic in the sunshine (when we had sunshine, unlike today) on Jesus Green  after a visit to the outdoor swimming  pool. I met two of my sisters, one of  my brothers in law,  my nephew, and I met my  great niece  for the first time. A memorable afternoon.
In Cambridge I also went to the book launch of a dear friend who was celebrating  the publication of her very first book. You met Anna Sugden when she came  to this blog to join in the 40 for 40 celebrations and I was so happy to be able to join her at her launch party  on the same day as the family picnic - great organising that put both events on the same day.

Home from Cambridge, I just had time to turn round, unpack, do some laundry, pack again -  and head for London.

London was where the annual Association of Mills & Boon Authors lunch was held in the Reading and Writing Room (appropriately enough) of One Whitehall Place - Part of the Royal Horseguards Hotel.  The  guest list there read like a who's who of romance writing. Liz Fielding, Sarah Morgan,  Sharon Kendrick, Fiona  Harper,  Heidi Rice, Kate Hardy, Kate Hewitt,  . . .  If I went on, I'd fill the whole blog with names. There were also the new writers, Michelle Smart, Anna Sugden, Rachel Brimble, Victoria Pembroke, Christy McKellen and brand-new, only just signed Jessica Gilmore.  I also met up with new friend CC Coburn for the first time, face to face. Again, you met her here on this blog last month.

We were given wonderful  'Books are My Bag' goodie bags (thanks to Kate Hardy for letting me borrow the photo - my gift of chocolate didn't survive the Babe Magnet on the journey home!)  Kate also has some great photos of the venue etc on her blog. I didn't take my camera, so I'm relying on her.

She also has pics of the  Meridien Hotel  where the authors'  cocktail party was held  by Harlequin Mills & Boon. Another fabulous venue with  Rossinis (strawberries and champagne) and other delights.  So many new editors to meet and only I  just had time to chat with my own lovely editor before the evening ended. You can read about this event from an editor's point of view over on I Heart Presents.
I want to thank  Fiona Harper,  Heidi Rice and Sharon Kendrick for organising such a fantastic AMBA lunch. And of course I also need to thank Harlequin Mills and Boon for the fabulous cocktail party afterwards.

But there were two other treats in London - as part of the 40th celebrations - I've forgotten how many of the  '40 Special Things' we have crossed off on our list so far  but these two were really special. Well, they were for a theatre fan like me.  The Wednesday evening was spent at the National Theatre watching Othello starring Adrian Lester and Rory Kinnear. And Thursday  evening was at the Gielgud Theatre to see Noel Coward's Private Lives  starring Toby Stephens and Anna Chancellor.
Both were totally fabulous - very different, but wonderful in their own ways.  Fabulous.

So now it's back down to earth and to work for a while. There are other events  coming up but for now I need to concentrate on writing.

Which reminds me - if you are interested in  writing and thinking about writing a romance for Harlequin Mills & Boon, don't forget that the annual writing contest - So  You Think You Can Write -  has started again  for this year. You can read all the details on the SYTYCW home page and here, again on I Heart  Presents.

And if you are interested in writing romance  and have ever thought about coming on one of my courses then I have some news for you coming up. 

Watch this space.

Do you dream of being a published romance author? If so, Harlequin and Mills & Boon has a great opportunity for you —  the  So You Think You Can Write online writing event and contest is back for the third year, and this time it’s bigger and better than ever!

This year’s So You Think You Can Write event is going worldwide. Editorial offices in Toronto, New York, the UK and even Australia are joining forces for the week-long virtual conference in September and writing contest where one lucky winner will get their series romance published! Readers can also get involved by voting for their favorite entries in the contest.

For more details about the event — including the official press release and some tips from  editors if you want to get started on your submission — can be found at soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com.

More updates and fun stuff will be posted in the coming months, too, and follow SYTYCW on Twitter at @sytycwglobal and with hashtag #sytycw2012, or on the new Facebook page for up-to-the-minute news.


 I'm planning on posting some craft posts - perhaps a craft Q&A to  offer help to those of you who want to  submit an entry to SYTYCW this time - but what do you want to know about?   Post some questions in the comments  and I'll answer them for you.

Also, next month -  July 13th - 16th, I'll be at the RNA Conference in Penrith, I'm giving a talk there on how to put  the Emotional Punch into your romance novel - so when I come back I'll post the notes from that session too.

Any questions on Emotion/Emotional Punch you want to ask?

And if you're going to the RNA Conference then I'll see you there!