Saturday, June 30, 2007

and let the party begin! (aka Monday 25 June #1)

So today’s the day the blog party starts to celebrate my 25th Mills and Boon. It doesn’t seem possible that I’ve reached this milestone, because it feels more like yesterday that I had the launch party for my first book. (Is it really a little less than five years ago?) That book, A Baby of Her Own, started being written at my 6-week-old daughter’s hospital bedside, was accepted on her first birthday and published on her second, and Ottakar’s hosted a party for me with balloons and flowers and… considering what a stormy night it was and how many trains were cancelled due to bad weather, I’m surprised so many people made it to the party!

Obviously, an achievement like this isn’t made alone. I have a good support network – my husband has always championed my writing and takes over the lion’s share of parenting when I’m on the last couple of days of a deadline, my aunt and uncle have also championed me (to the point of taking a day off and coming to the Savoy with me when I was shortlisted for the RNA Romance Prize last year), my children do things that spark off lightbulbs (hence the purple hair in my third book and the ‘blutterflies’ in my twenty-fourth), and I have some very, very good friends.

So now I’m having a cyberparty to celebrate my 25th book. A global cyberparty because, over the last few years, I’ve made friends with a lot of authors who live thousands of miles away from me. I believe that all people are nice until proven otherwise, and I’m lucky in that my cyberfriends have turned out to be just as nice in real life as they are on the internet. (And kind. Even though some of them are at conferences/travelling/on screaming deadlines, they’ve still found time to do giveaways for my blog party.) Some of them I haven’t met yet, but we’re working on it… and in the meantime they’re doing guest blogs here.

Breakfast at Giovanni’s is my fifth Modern Extra. So just as an icebreaker (until this afternoon, UK time, when I’ve finished my book and have time to put up the contribution from my first guest!), I’m giving away a signed copy of Giovanni. To enter the draw, simply tell me the title of my first Modern Extra. (Clue: my backlist is on my website, and the MXs are in chronological order rather than grouped by setting.) And as it appears traditional for cat-owning authors to get their cat to choose… this is who will be picking mine in two days’ time!




1 comment:

Kate Hardy said...

Now my ex-service is letting me in again, I'm going to post the comments:

DIANE said: Have a very happy blog party. Good luck.

LIZ said: Congratulations on your terrific book -- was it the food, or was it the men...? yum, yum, either way! Have a wonderful blog party.:)

KATE HARDY SAID: Diane, Liz - thank you. Am sneaking back to work now but I'll be back to party later.

KATIE S SAID: Hi Kate! Can't wait to see who 'turns up' for the party! The name of your 1st Modern Extra was 'The Cinderella Project'. I hope it's okay to leave the answer as a comment here? :)

KATE HARDY SAID: Hi, Katie! You're up late in NZ! Yep, this is indeed where you leave the answer :)

NATALIE ANDERSON SAID: Congratulations Kate! This is such a fab achievement and in such an incredibly short time! Inspirational! (And scary) ... looking forward to the party :)

NICOLA MARSH SAID: Hi Kate,
congrats on your 25 book milestone. What a fabulous achievement :)


KATE HARDY SAID: Thanks, Nat and Nic - and why are you both up so late? (Actually, that's a stupid question. Small babies :) ) I have an Antipodean first guest... so come back soon

CHRISTINA SAID: Congratulations on your 25th title, Kate! Your first Modern Extra was 'The Cinderella Project'. BTW, my dad got a shock when he pulled 'In the Gardener's Bed' out of my bookcase, thinking it'd be full of horticultural anecdotes :o

CRYSTAL B SAID: Congratulations on your 25th title. Your first Modern Extra was The Cinderalla Project

CAROL SAID: Congratulations on the 25th, a brilliant achievement.
KATE HARDY SAID: Christina, I'm giggling now!

Hello Crystal and Carol - nice to see you here, too!

LIDIA SAID: Kate,
Congratulations!
The first Modern Extra was "The Cinderalla Project."
By the way, that's a mighty fine looking "cat." :)

JULIE SAID: Kate,
Congrats again on your 25th title! You know how much I adore your novels and I can't wait for the blog party to start!
Love,
Julie

P.S. Your dog is absolutely gorgeous!

NATURENUT/JJ SAID: What an adorable pet photo. There's lots of personality happening in that cute dog face. :)

BREN SAID: Amy directed me this way and I absolutely love your site! I was thrilled to see that you are interested in local history. I have done tons of research on local history in the areas where I've lived in Canada over the years. I've dragged my hubby thru many graveyards in an attempt to locate formers owners of our farm. He groans every step of the way. Happily, our ten yr old son sees it the way I do...an adventure in local history. :)

Bren

BREN SAID: Oops, sorry! Your interest in local history thru me off. I meant to say congrats on your 25th book!

KATE HARDY SAID: Thank you, Bren! History fascinates me - and I'm really lucky that my DH and our kids share the same love and are always up for a trip exploring...

DOMINIC GAGLIARDI SAID: WoW! It's been awhile since I've been on this blog! Congrats on the book, Kate!

Your first Xtra was The Cindrella Project

KATE HARDY SAID: Hello, Dominic! You're right, it's been ages. Nice to see you - hope the writing's going well.

LIS SAID: Hi Kate, Happy 25th Book!
Your first MX was 'The Cinderella Project' :)

DOM GAGLIARDI SAID: It's going fairly well.

KATE HARDY SAID: Hi, Lis! Nice to see you here.
Dom - glad to hear it.

KIM SAID: A cyber toast to you. Congratulations on your 25th book!