Congrats to India/RNA report (long post)

Current work: (taking a day off, as it’s my birthday)

Listening to: Joe Lynn Turner
Reading: Druin Burch, Digging up the Dead (bio of surgeon Astley Cooper – thoroughly enjoyed it, and learned some v interesting new things)

First off, congratulations to my mate India Grey on winning the RNA Romance Prize 2009 for her lovely book ‘Mistress: Hired for the Billionaire’s Pleasure’ – I’m so pleased for her! She’s a great writer AND she’s also a lovely, lovely person, so it’s well deserved.

Monday opened with freezing fog, so it was an unpleasant school run. It had all burned off by the time my taxi arrived; picked up a copy of the EDP (and lovely Emma had done me a fabulous piece) and a latte. Easy journey in (with Astley Cooper's biography - v enjoyable read); and I was pleasantly surprised when a man gave me his seat on the tube. (Either manners are improving, or I looked tired... And, as he looked to be in his early 20s, it rather chastened me to think I could technically be his mother's age. Am probably officially middle-aged now, anyway.) To M&S in Marble Arch to get some boots and then a salmon salad in their café. I always forget that the arch was built on the site of Tyburn. (Lightbulbs flickering.) And then I dodged the rain to visit the Wellcome Museum. (Medical history fascinates me. It's an area I intend to work in more in the future.) Except... Clearly I misread their website, as it turned out that the exhibitions were closed on Mondays. Spent a while enjoying their Virtal library, then headed for the café and a chance to do some work on the current synopsis. (It was pouring with rain, or I would've gone exploring.) Met Fi and Liz - dinner at Strada was scrummy, particularly the panna cotta. Much talking...

And then it was Tuesday.

So how does it feel, being on the shortlist at an awards do?

It's a real mixture of emotions. Pride (and a fair sprinkle of 'I'd better pinch myself and wake up now') that someone rates your work so highly. Delight, because you know you'll get the chance to catch up with friends you haven't seen for a while. Worry that you're going to make a fool of yourself - that you're going to spill something down yourself or fall over, while everyone's watching you. (That one’s probably personal paranoia as I’m a tad – all right, a lot – on the clumsy side.)

And then there's the moment when the chief of judges steps up to the podium and reads through the shortlist, saying what the judges thought of each. That's when your heart starts beating so hard that you're sure people will hear it. (That is humanly possible - according to Druin Burch, in Georgian London, a man once crossed the street to ask politician John Thelwall what the noise was, and his wife once woke him to say that someone was hammering on the door.)

Anyway, on Tuesday morning I was very relieved to see that the threatened snow hadn't materialised. Fi took my case, but at King's Cross I discovered that the Circle line was out of action. Caught the District line to Edgeware Rd, then luckily there was a train to High Street Kensington - and, hooray, no rain, so it was a pleasant walk to the Royal Garden Hotel.

Went to change my boots and raincoat to my shoes and posh jacket; met up with lovely Fiona Harper, Beth Elliott and Jessica Hart. (LTR - Beth, Fiona, Me, Jessica)

Poor India Grey was stuck on a train at this point - but finally made it. (Note how cool and beautiful and dignified she looks in the pic below. I'd be a gibbering wreck if my train was delayed by 90 minutes and I was on the shortlist of an awards do...)

Phil, our very witty photographer, took photos of the shortlistees; then we went through to the main area, where I had a chance to talk to my lovely editor and wonderful agent, and catch up with mates including Jan Jones,

Milly Johnson, Sara Craven, Joanna Maitland, Heidi Rice, Gill Sanderson, Julie Cohen, Ray-Anne Lutener (yeah yeah, so am namedropping) etc etc. Also lovely to meet up with new friends (waves to Jo Brown) and my lovely former editor Emma. It was a fab, fab day and many thanks to the organisers – that kind of event means a LOT of hard work beforehand, and I really appreciated it.

Lunch was utterly fab - from the table setting (and thank you to the RNA for the lovely rose they gave all the shortlisted authors)

to the food itself: Scottish salmon parfait with tuna tartar and crème fraiche caviar

followed by fillet of chicken filled with a Paris mushroom mousse, marsala cream sauce, marquis potates and sugar snap peas

and then bitter lemon tart with crème fraiche sorbet and raspberry jelly. (All beautifully presented, and beautifully cooked.)

And then it was the moment - Margaret James, chair of the judges, took the stage and our book covers all came up on the screens behind her.

Margaret has a quiet voice, so I didn't quite catch what the judges said about my book (other than the bit about my hero was even nice to the heroine's dog - so if anyone can quietly tell me, it would be appreciated) - but I was so thrilled for my mate India Grey when her name was read out as the winner of the RNA Romance Prize 2009. Congrats, India!

Judy Piatkus was given the inaugural lifetime achievement award and made a lovely speech. (Pic is Catherine Jones, RNA chair, on the left, and Judy on the right.)

Then the main award was won by Julia Gregson, who also made a moving speech.

Walked back to the Tube with my mate Carol Townsend, quick coffee, then faced tube delays back to Bloomsbury. Dinner with Fi at Liverpool Street station, and then home. And, yup, the train was delayed… But my cabbie was lovely – a book-lover with a very eclectic taste, so we had a great chat all the way home.

Today, I’m knackered! But I need to print out my manuscript for my agent, check I’ve transferred all my files, drop my PC in to my lovely tecchies, mosey into town to the Pandora shop (thank you, luvverly family and friends, who’ve clubbed together to buy the bead I really want but know is disgracefully expensive), and… well, see what I feel like and what the weather’s doing.

life in coffee spoons (aka Bad Kate)

Current work: Modern Heat
Listening to: Sibelius/Justin Currie
Reading: Bedded By the Greek Billionaire, Kate Walker – another of Kate’s trademark emotional rollercoasters, perfect for a frosty Saturday morning read – really liked the hero.

Very busy weekend. Friday afternoon, news from my wonderful ed that she loved the revisions, so my Penhally book is done and dusted and I can settle down to this one. I know this is unprofessional of me – I should be able to switch to the next book straight away, but it never flows properly until the previous one is completely put to bed.

Friday, needed to go to the post office and the bank, so went into town with DH and the kids after school/work. Huge queues into the city, so he let me out of the car at the bottom of Exchange Street… and en route to the bank I had to pass Sonkai. Well. I say ‘pass’. Of course I didn’t. And I was slightly naughty (murano glass, clear with a turquoise stripe, which DH says doesn't go with my bracelet. Hmm. Maybe I should have a selection of glass ones that I can swap round to change the colour scheme...).

Then was slightly naughtier, as Madam helped me choose a lapis lazuli pendant to go with my outfit for the awards do. (I’ve always, always wanted a lapis lazuli pendant. This is my early birthday pressie to me.) And then we went out to dinner. I could not BELIEVE how much son ate. However, I remember what DH was like when he was 20. Think son is going to be the same. Hollow legs.

DH then wanted to know where I’d like to go for dinner on my birthday. Hmm. I fancy Greek, but it has to be somewhere that does food that the kids like, too – Madam’s willing to try stuff, but son is very conservative. Seems that the second week of Feb is going to be a seriously bad week in terms of diet. Family birthday party on Sunday (is actually a joint party for Dad and me, but I’m catering it to his preferences rather than mine); dinner out with two of my oldest friends in London on Monday; the RNA awards lunch on Tuesday; birthday dinner out on Wednesday; possibly taking Dad out to lunch on Thursday; dinner out on Saturday; and it’s half term, the week after…

Prufrock may have measured out his life in coffee spoons. I think that in February mine might be measured out in, um, puddings. (Which I did not have on Friday, in case any of my diet buddies happen to be lurking here and saying in tones of horror, ‘Baaaad Kate!’ And yes, that did deserve a screamer.)

Saturday: a frosty start, and I’ve had Kate Walker’s latest on my TBR shelf for too long (this is the one that’s been shortlisted for Best Presents of 2008 by Romantic Times – congrats to Kate W). So I was a bit self-indulgent. Should’ve been working but decided to refill the well a bit first. Enjoyed it thoroughly.

Then it was a matter of settling down to work. I’m back on deadline, so the idea is that DH and the kids leave me to work unless it’s really important (i.e. not squabbles – anything that’s inspiring or interesting is fine, but ‘she poked me’ and ‘because he said I was stupid’ is not fine).

Then DH marched in to my office, brandishing the local paper. ‘You’re in the bestseller charts again.’ Huh? But I only posted the book to my editor yesterday, and it’s not out until April. How? ‘No, it’s Norwich: Street by Street.’

Wow. I’m back in the local bestseller charts with a book that’s been out for THREE YEARS. Am pinching myself slightly. I’m really proud of that book. I did a lot of research.

Wrote a chunk of the book (oh good, heroine has decided she has extra conflict); had hair cut; answered call from M-I-L and said yes, I could do a talk for her local school, but have lots of deadlines coming up so it’ll have to be end of April; and did the Big Garden Birdwatch for the RSPB with the kids. In our hour slot, we saw 3 blackbirds, 3 bluetits, 4 chaffinches, 6 collared doves, 2 great tits, 4 long-tailed tits, a robin and a great spotted woodpecker. Unfortunately, we also had another visitor to the mesh tray on the bird table – not squirrel, this time, but Rattus norvegicus (again), who appears to have a burrow under Madam’s playhouse. Sigh. Will be ringing the council this morning to sort it out. To avoid recurrent problems, we may have to change from the mesh feeder tray to a seed feeder on a hook, which is a shame. As DH said, he’s a nice-looking little fellow, and he sat there washing himself so he’s also a clean little chap. BUT. He’s a rat. (Not a water vole, because he has obvious ears, a long pink tail and a pointed nose – as opposed to ears hidden by fur, a short furry tail and a blunt nose – and he’s bigger than a vole.) We have children and a dog. So… much as I feel guilty, he has to go.

Sunday, interview with lovely Maggie Secker at BBC Radio Norfolk. Lovely chat, as always. And on the way back, I was a bit naughty… I parked at Chapelfield, which meant going through House of Fraser to get to the car park. Bearing in mind I have this awards do in a fortnight and my make-up is out of date (in both senses of the phrase), I needed some foundation. I asked which colour would suit me, and this lovely, lovely make-up artist in the Bobbi Brown concession did me a makeover. DH and kids reacted very positively when I came home. However, I didn’t buy all the make-up – I know I’m far too lazy to do it properly (eyeliner, rouge etc), so I stuck with just lippy, new eyeshadow and foundation.

Plan for today (in between school runs) : ring council about Ratty, pay bills, work, post office run.

The glamorous life of an author

Current work: revisions to Penhally book
Listening to: Crowded House, Together Alone
Reading: Next on TBR pile

Picture the scene yesterday: one short, scruffy, overweight mum-of-two at her desk, dog snoring gently behind her. Have had busy morning already with school run, polishing rosebowl, and putting Sainsbury’s grocery delivery away/asking lovely driver to sort out fact that they’ve accidentally charged me for eleven punnets of raspberries. (Eleven?? We like raspberries, sure, but there are only four of us. Hmm. Might be that greedy with chocolate, but have banned it from the grocery shop.)

Open file to sort out revisions.

Then the emails start coming in. RNA’s lovely PR officer needs a pic of me for the shortlisting stuff. Hmm. I have two: the one my son took three years ago (when I was a bit thinner and my hair was shorter), or the one of me clutching the Betty Neels Rosebowl (which I had to give back yesterday, sniff). Go for the older one (last year’s pic is unsuitable, in the circumstances) and remind self that I need to lose 5 lbs before Feb 10. (Luckily it usually goes off my face first, and I have the Pandora bracelet and Radley bag to distract people from the spare tyres.)

Email from lovely ed: can you do a blog for IHP? Yep, sure. When? ‘After you give me the revisions tomorrow.’ (OK. Hint taken.)

Email from PR agency. When are you free for interviews? Can you do them over the phone? (Yes, have a loud phone and a hearing aid, can cope fine with phone as long as they don’t have handsfree the other end.)

Email from PR agency (again). Local paper wants you to do a feature – up for it? They’ll talk about your new books and the RNA shortlisting. (Yep, let me know wordcount and deadline.)

Email from PR agency (yet again). Interviews set up. Ditto feature.

Email from lovely ed: next year’s books. We’ll firm that up next week. (But in principle it was a yes. I did not mention the florist or the Venetian glass. Dear ed, if you’re reading this, please don’t worry. Is going to be verrry topical. And none of them are going to be bankers!)

Email from agent: excellent news that we can talk about the shortlisting now. How are the revisions going? (!!!)

Blimey. And that doesn’t include lovely emails from nice people saying congrats (and it would be rude of me not to reply). Or the mad emails I’ve been exchanging with some of my M&B author mates. (Especially one of my fellow shortlisters. Who has issued me a challenge. Lightbulbs are already flickering.)

Call from Dad: have I seen my interview in a local magazine? No-o-o. (He’s keeping it for me.)

Sort emails; add in the scene I was thinking about this morning before all the emails started. Decide am allowed ONE cup of coffee. Get carried away with scene and am nearly late for school run.

Do post office run on way home. Lovely Sue from post office grins, beckons kids over and leafs through local paper. ‘Recognise anyone on this page, do you?’ Groans from kids. ‘Mum, you’re in the paper AGAIN. Hang on, what’s this about helicopters?’ Helicopter parenting. ‘Eh?’ Never mind. Does not mean am taking you on helicopter. Is a Contentious Modern Issue.

While waiting for lasagne to cook (home made, ultra low fat), check Harlequin sites in case need to update PLR/ALCS records (know I need to do this from foreign copies received this week). Discover that seem to be doing what looks like world domination:

• Germany: In The Gardener’s Bed (December. Love the cover, though they still don’t look like the buttoned-up city girl and sexy gardener that were in my head. I’d like a dress like that, if I were thin.) (In the Garden of Sin… Wow, what a title.)
• France – wow, am on front page as one of their bestsellers (thank you, France), with The Greek Doctor’s New-Year Baby (January).
• UK – also The Greek Doctor’s New-Year Baby (Jan).
• Italy - One Night, One Baby (in a duet with my mate Heidi Rice).
• Holland - The Doctor’s Very Special Christmas (Nov) and One Night, One Baby (Dec. Am looking forward to seeing my copy of that – they must surely have changed my hero’s surname…).
• Denmark and Sweden: The Firefighter’s Fiancé. (Jan.) (Hmm. That probably means Finland and Norway as well – just haven’t had my copies yet.)
• US - The Greek Doctor’s New-Year Baby and One Night, One Baby (and that’s on the Waldies list for the second week running – thanks to wonderful readers who put it there), including enriched ebook edition of One Night, One Baby. Very exciting.
• Aus/NZ – Harlequin site has my Feb release available now: The Greek Doctor’s New-Year Baby.

And add to that, in the post last week I got my first ever Hebrew edition (Breakfast at Giovanni’s). Talk about thrilling.

And then next month M&B’s website will have Modern Heat’s very first Sheikh (i.e. mine) available (and what a fantastic cover – I think that’s probably my all-time fave cover now).

And of course there’s still the fact that am overexcited about being shortlisted for the RNA Romance Prize (for the third time in four years).

Blimey. Not bad for a short, scruffy, overweight mum-of-two.

The question is: how, just how, am I going to make myself glam enough to live up to this – even if it’s only for one day, next month?

I dunno. So I’m going to avoid the issue. Instead I’m going to vote for eHarlequin as the best online community in the 2008 Weblog Awards. (If you want to vote, too, hop over to http://2008.weblogawards.org/polls/best-online-community/ - and remember, you can vote once every 24 hours until 12 Jan.)

Brrrr!

Current work: revisions to Penhally book
Listening to: John Garth, cello concerti
Reading: Paul Doherty, The Field of Blood (part of his Brother Athelstan series, which I’ve enjoyed over the years and thought he’d stopped, but then discovered the two new ones and my lovely best mate bought them for me for Christmas – thank you, Fi, enjoyed this one)

Currently we’re having one of the coldest snaps in the UK for more than ten years; it’s certainly the coldest winter my children have ever known. Minus six degrees C, yesterday, on the way to school at ten past eight. Stayed at that level all the way home and didn’t get above freezing all day. However, the Met Office has pointed out that back in 1982 it was minus 27.2 degrees C in part of the UK. (Though not Norfolk – our coldest temperature recorded was minus 18.9 degrees C in 1963, before I was born; and I don’t actually remember it being that cold back in 1982. The years I remember being cold were when we had deep snow in 1978/9 and 1986/7 – the latter made worse by BT engineers being on strike, in the years before we had mobile phones, so I had to walk miles in the snow to find a working phone box to check that Dad was OK. I remember that January very well, as that was the winter my mum died.) Madam didn’t have swimming last night as the boiler broke and the pool was too cold for the littlies to go swimming.

Apparently the cold snap is going to last all week, and in London the fountains in Trafalgar Square have frozen. Though this is NOTHING compared to the weather our ancestors faced. In 1827 it was cold enough freeze the mere (lake) at Diss to the point where they actually played a cricket match on the ice. Then we have the winters of 1683-4 and 1739-40, which were the coldest on record. And the Thames frost fairs… I still can’t get my head around the fact that a tidal river would freeze so deeply that people could put up stalls on the ice. (Ooh, lightbulb… No. Bad me. I’m on deadline.)

It’s been a very pretty drive through the back roads to school, with spiky white verges, zebra-striped ridge-and-furrowed fields and a huge primrose-yellow sun; though the roads haven’t been nice. Lots of black ice. Visiting Dad (which I should have done this morning) means driving three miles down ungritted, single-track roads. As I’m still feeling a bit wiped by the virus, I’m not up to facing what would be a vile drive. I feel horrible about disappointing him by not visiting, but he’s been very understanding about it. I’ve sent him a couple of surprises in the post, so hopefully that will cheer him up. (Better ring the home to tell them what I’ve done, so one of the carers can point out the message for him and he doesn’t panic that he’s been sent stuff and doesn’t know why!)

Oh, and some excellent news: my floor is going to be fixed, at last, on Monday and Tuesday. Have shifted guitar to accommodate it – but not cancelled, mind. This year, I want to improve my playing, which took a bit of a backslide last year. Great lesson, yesterday. I suggested that I went back to basics, as I haven’t practised for ages, and while Jim was making me a coffee I started messing about and playing variations on the melody of the simple piece I was supposed to be doing. So then he made me look at the bass and see how and why I’d change that. I really enjoy lessons where we do tecchy stuff, because it helps me lift my game.

Thanks to everyone who’s left me a message here or emailed me privately about the RNA Romance Prize shortlisting. I’m still chuffed to bits about it.

Righty. Time to brave my revisions...

Exciting news!

Current work: revisions to Penhally book
Listening to: various classical
Reading: Paul Doherty, The Field of Blood

I’ve been teasing everyone for weeks about having a secret. Finally, I can share. In fact, I’ll let the press release do it for me:

Romance Prize celebrates shorter fiction alongside the Romantic Novel Of The Year

The Romantic Novelists’ Association, who will announce the shortlist for the Romantic Novel of the Year award on 13th January, is also honouring writers of shorter romances such as those published by Harlequin Mills and Boon.

“Although both awards celebrate novels with a high romantic content,” explains Catherine Jones, Chairman of the RNA, “the Romance Prize honours the most memorable stories set around a single theme that concentrates on the developing love affair.”

The Romance Prize will be presented at the RNA’s Awards Lunch on 10th February 2009 at the Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington. The winner will be selected from the following books:

What's Love Got to Do With It? - Lucy Broadbent (Little Black Dress, Headline)
The Wild Card - Beth Elliott (Robert Hale)
Mistress: Hired for the Billionaire's Pleasure - India Grey (Harlequin Mills & Boon)
Sold to the Highest Bidder - Kate Hardy (Harlequin Mills & Boon)
Saying Yes to the Millionaire - Fiona Harper (Harlequin Mills & Boon)
Promoted to Wife and Mother - Jessica Hart (Harlequin Mills & Boon)

Fiona Harper has been short-listed before, and both Jessica Hart and Kate Hardy are past winners. Kate Hardy, who won in 2008 with Breakfast at Giovanni’s, had this to say: "Winning the Romance Prize has been the highlight of my career to date, and it's certainly opened up opportunities. I'm very proud to have won the award and to be part of the RNA - and have been delighted by messages of support over the year. I even had a personal letter of congratulations from the chancellor of the University of Leicester!"

The shortlist will be judged by Margaret James, creative writing teacher for the London School of Journalism and regular columnist with Writing Magazine; Paul Reizin, writer, producer and journalist; and Linda Leatherbarrow, prize-winning short story writer, reviewer and MA lecturer at Middlesex.

________________________

So now, finally, I can say congrats to my fellow shortlistees!

I’m especially pleased about being shortlisted with this book, because Sold to the Highest Bidder is set in my favourite part of the world, i.e. where I live. And now I can confess why the third bead on my Pandora bracelet is a pointsettia that looks like an iris: it’s one of my heroine’s favourite flowers, and Lissy is a horticultural lecturer who wants to restore the lost gardens of her family home. Jack, the hero, buys her some gorgeous jewellery based on an iris, and how he proposes to her… Well. You’ll have to read it. But let’s just say that the heroine shares my taste in flowers, and that particular bead suited the book very well.

I’m not expecting to win. (I mean, two years in a row? That’d be greedy.) But I’m really looking forward to being in London, the day before my birthday, drinking champagne with my agent and my editor and having a lovely lunch at a wonderful hotel. Especially as I’m staying in London the night before; I’m planning a trip to the Hunterian museum and then meeting up with my best friend.

Definitely a nice start to the new year.

Ring out the old

Today’s a day for looking back. What kind of a year has 2008 been?

Workwise

It’s been great.

• For Modern Heat, I wrote Surrender to the Playboy Sheikh and Playboy Boss, Pregnancy of Passion, plus a little bit of my current one (aka the reindeer/Norway book)
• For Medicals, I wrote The Greek Doctor’s New Year Baby, The Children’s Doctor’s Special Proposal and The Heart Surgeon’s Proposal (in the Penhally series)
• On the nonfiction front, I wrote Scandals, Sieges and Spooks: Norfolk Ghosts and Legends, plus about two-thirds of The Little Book of Norfolk, and am working on two others (the Suffolk follow-up to Norfolk Ghosts, plus How To Explore a Medieval Church for How To Books).

I was also Norfolk’s ‘writer in residence’ for the National Year of Reading 2008, which was a real honour. I had a ball talking in schools and at libraries, and achieved a personal ambition because I actually cut the ribbon and opened the new school library at Wicklewood. (How cool is that? I still haven’t quite got over it.)

But best of all were the two career highlights. The big one was winning the RNA Romance Prize 2008 with Breakfast at Giovanni’s (US title: In Bed With Her Italian Boss). I wasn’t expecting it and it was just wonderful. I was also shortlisted for the inaugural East Anglian Book Awards with Heroes, Villains and Victims of Norwich. That kind of accolade from the publishing world, together with the lovely reader letters I’ve had this year telling me how much people enjoyed my books, nice reviews, and the emails and letters I had over the year from people congratulating me on the award/shortlisting, and the way everyone cheered spontaneously at the M&B party in September when Karin Stoecker listed the year’s highlights and mentioned Gio… that’s really made my year. The fact that I’ve achieved something, and people have been genuinely pleased for me.

Personally

2008 vies with 1986-7 for being the worst year of my life. Not going into details, but I’m very glad to see the back of this year. I managed to smile my way through it, most of the time, pretending that everything was hunky-dory when it really wasn’t at all because one crisis hit after another. This summer, when we had a lot of major things happen in the space of two weeks, was spectacularly horrible. So I’d like to say a special thank you to the people who were so kind and supportive in the darkest bits of the year – those who sent me cards and emails and pictures just to make me smile, those who gave me real and cyber hugs, those who sent me books and chocolate and music to distract me, and those who were careful not to lean on me because they realised I was completely out of emotional resources and just couldn’t give anything more/be a listening ear the way I normally am. I appreciated every single one of you: I truly am blessed with my family and friends. (And I hope the people concerned know I would do the same for them, if the situation were reversed.)

So how did I do with my goals?

The first one was exercise. It was fine for the couple of days until Dad went into hospital – and then, as my life for the next month became “school run, hospital, school run, help with homework and sort dinner, try frantically to keep work ticking over so I don’t end up in a financial mess, rely on husband to do much more than his far share to keep house ticking over”… I really didn’t have the time. And it didn’t get much better after Dad was out of hospital. I spent the whole year running to stand still, metaphorically. (Sadly, metaphors and worrying don’t burn calories. Or I would be fit and substantially thinner.)

Second was weight management. See above.

Third was writing. This was a three-pronged one. Firstly, I wanted to merge my ‘Modern Heat voice’ and ‘Medical Romance voice’ and grow my ‘brand’ (aka hot weepies with a real-world, warm feel to them). I think I’ve managed it, but the reason I hope so is embargoed at the moment. (I will spill the beans, the minute I’m allowed to!) Secondly, the project I really wanted to work on: it fell between the cracks because Real Life got severely in the way, and it was just too much to cope with, even for me in Superwoman mode. (I had to shift deadlines, as it was; my publishers were all very kind and understanding, but I still hated having to be in that position. It felt like failure.) Thirdly, I wanted to sell another local history book by the end of the year – actually, I sold three, and the next three or four years’ books are pencilled in with Breedon. So I think that goal can count as pretty much achieved.

Three goals. Two flops, one achieved. Yup, about the same as last year. Need to set smarter goals, methinks.

nostalgia

Current work: nonfic
Listening to: Kathryn Williams
Reading: Sharon Penman, The Sunne in Splendour

Yesterday was one of those days where I was busy all day but didn’t have words on the page to show for it. Mainly admin – but then lots of PR stuff. As in calls from the press to discuss the new book. (And lots of apologies from me for coughing down the phone. At least my head’s clear today. Please, please, let the cough go by Friday. Or I’m going to be apologising to a roomful of romantic novelists as well.)

Actually, I love chatting to journalists, especially freelancers. I do miss my old freelancing days, particularly interviewing experts. I used to talk to such interesting people. And although this is my dream job, it can get lonely from time to time. Ha. Says the woman who’s been desperate for five minutes’ peace and quiet to work. ‘Be careful what you wish for’, indeed. I did consider trying to get a hot date for lunch, but DH is too busy this week. Most of the conversation I get during the day consists of ‘woof’ – admittedly, I then have to interpret that as ‘oi, the postman’s just knocked, answer the door’ or ‘there’s a sparrow on my lawn’ or ‘there’s a C-A-T on the other side of the street’, but at the end of the day it’s still ‘woof’. So I am really looking forward to the RNA conference this weekend, despite the fact I’m getting butterflies about my talk.

I’d also been catching up with various bits when it also occurred to me that maybe I ought to tell the University of Leicester about the RNA Romance Prize, just in case they wanted to mention it in the annual alumni magazine.

This is the difficulty of PR for the novelist – particularly for an English one. The natural English reserve means that telling people about something you’ve done feels pushy and as if you’re boasting. But if you don’t tell people, you don’t get the publicity and it doesn’t give your career the boost said achievement is supposed to give. Maybe I need some lessons in How To Do Chutzpah. (Offers, anyone?)

Anyway, the staff in the alumni office were really delighted for me and sent me some lovely emails. They also mentioned it to their colleagues in the library and the press office, and then suddenly it went from being a fairly quiet little off-the-cuff email to a fully blown press release. Kate Hardy, Meeja Tart.

But I’m really chuffed that my old uni feels proud enough of me to do a press release about me. I loved my time at Leicester. Best decision I ever made, to go there – even though my school was cross with me for putting Leicester above Cambridge on my UCCA form. ‘It’s not done.’ Ha. I did it for a reason: I wanted to go there. The staff and the course were fantastic. My only regret is that when it came to the specialist subject in the third year, Dialect wasn’t one of the options (it had been, the previous year), and the one I chose originally didn’t run because not enough people signed up for it. (It was on the ubi sunt motif – well, yeah, you knew I’d pick something obscure, didn’t you? Something that involved, um, history?) But hey, I got to spend a year studying Thomas Hardy in depth. And yes, that is indeed why I am Kate Hardy, romance novelist.

This summer, it’s half my lifetime ago since I graduated. Scary. Doesn’t feel like five minutes. Also doesn’t feel like five minutes since the children were babies (note I didn’t say tiny – neither of them were), and my eldest has recently discovered that if he stands on tiptoe he’s an inch taller than I am. Ha. Now that’s cut me down to size :o)

Winning Romance Prize icing on the cake for Mills & Boon’s centenary celebration

This is a press release I just have to share...

In the week of celebrating 100 years of publishing romance, Mills & Boon also took the Romance Prize 2008, awarded to author Kate Hardy by the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

All six shortlisted books were published by Mills & Boon, to the delight of executives Randall Toye, Karin Stoecker and Linda Fildew, who attended the Awards Lunch on 4th February at the Royal Garden Hotel.

In the winning novel, Breakfast at Giovanni’s, recently-fired Fran takes on a new job, but also finds herself pretending to be her boss's adoring girlfriend in order to get his matchmaking family off his back. But when the kisses start happening in private, Fran discovers that breakfast at Giovanni’s has a whole new meaning.

Winner Kate Hardy was thrilled. “It's such a huge accolade - it's a real high point in my career. It's the only award for category romantic fiction in the UK, and I can’t believe my name is engraved on the Betty Neels Rosebowl along with authors such as Liz Fielding, a writer whose books I've enjoyed so much over the years. I haven't stopped smiling for a week!”

Breakfast at Giovanni’s is Kate’s 25th novel for Mills & Boon and she was ‘over the moon’ to win in the Centenary year. Kate lives in Norwich with her husband, two children, a very soppy spaniel and too many books to count. She's been writing for Mills & Boon since 2001, having known her career choice from a very early age - her first typewriter was a present for her sixth birthday. Following an English degree, Kate worked in marketing communications for ten years before going freelance. She also writes bestselling local history books.

Judge Trisha Ashley, who presented the award, said of the winning book: “Because myself and my fellow judges are all novelists, we tend to read other people's work with an inner critic pointing out weaknesses. But we were all in agreement that this book was so warm, believable and engaging, that not only did we entirely forget our inner critics, we couldn't put it down until we got to the very end.”

[Words like that, said about my book, put me straight back into dog-with-six-tails mode. Whoops, nearly forgot the important bit – if you want to interview me, contact Katrina Power at Midas Public Relations on 020 7590 0802 or katrina.power@midaspr.co.uk]

[And especially for US readers: this book will be available in shops in April as 'In Bed with Her Italian Boss', and from eHarlequin in March.]

still in dog-with-six-tails mode

Current work: TCVB (honestly, I really will do some writing today – I’ve nearly calmed down enough to work) and proofs of Norwich HVV
Listening to: various cello pieces
Reading: next on my TBR pile

… though life is getting back to normal. (Sort of.) We haven’t yet had the family celebratory dinner – Tuesday evening was parent-teacher consultation (and it seems my daughter is bright but lazy. How? How? HOW can she be lazy, when her mother is a workaholic?); last night I think my lack of sleep was finally catching up on me; and tonight we have a meeting about son’s residential trip (three days away at one of these activity centres that does abseiling and wet, muddy, tough-guy stuff) and need to move furniture ready for the new stuff that’s being delivered tomorrow. If it arrives early enough we’ll go out tomorrow night; and if not it’ll be Saturday.

I did, however, have lunch out yesterday with my lovely ex-PTA friends. (Waves to Jo – thank you for the champagne!) And I have major puppy envy as my friend Sarah has this gorgeous, gorgeous Westie puppy and I met him today…

Ahem. And I did some PR stuff. Here is the official photo, thanks to the RNA. And I love what they put as a trailer in the local paper: ‘Our heroine gets her fairytale ending’. That’s just so lovely!



And I had some GORGEOUS flowers from my agent – the same shade of pink as I was wearing on Monday! (Roses and gerberas and freesias and lilies. Just lovely.)

I’ve been thinking about buying myself something to keep to commemorate the RNA Romance Prize. Most of my friends are convinced that I’m going to buy yet another Radley signature handbag… Well, I thought about it. But actually, I’d like something a little more visual.

I’d like a painting.

A special one.

Something that reminds me of Breakfast at Giovanni’s: so it’ll be compact (as in a 50,000-word book is compact) - and warm and realistic. (I am still really, really pleased about that description.)

And it needs to be made in Norfolk. Just like my book was.

Which means I’ll be moseying round local galleries for a while. I think I know what I want, but the exact painting will choose me. It’s likely to be a seascape (aka North Norfolk, my favourite place in the world). 0r poppy fields, or maybe a windmill and/or sunrise/sunset over the Broads. Whatever: it definitely needs a proper Norfolk sky.

I like David Dane’s work but, apart from the fact his paintings are snapped up the second they go on exhibition, I have a feeling he’s out of my price range. I really like the one at the bottom of this page and lots on this page. I also REALLY like Gerard Stamp – check out the Marshscape exhibition, which has utterly fabulous use of the light - but he’s *definitely* out of my price range, and anyway those paintings are bigger than what I have in mind.

So. Something special. About ten inches by twelve. Quite traditional (my main love is Victorian art). And something that will make me smile every time I look up from my computer screen. Watch this space…

It’s also the M&B party in London tonight to celebrate the centenary. Unfortunately, I can’t make it (DH is busy at work and short-staffed so it’s not fair to ask for another two days, i.e. today and tomorrow because I wouldn’t be able to get a train home). So I’ll be raising a cup of coffee to them all at home, and look forward to a full report from my friends. Am sure they are going to have a BRILLIANT time.

And I'll reiterate that I am very proud to write for a publisher that's been going for 100 years and brought so much pleasure to so many people over those 100 years. Congratulations to Mills & Boon. Here’s to the next 100 years.

humbling and very, very heartwarming

Am I down from cloud nine yet?

Er… no!

I’ve been stunned by the amount of texts, phone calls, blog messages and emails I’ve received from people wishing me well and congratulating me. Thank you. Thank you all SO much. And to hear from people that they liked my book – and detailing why, so even the crows accept people mean it and are not just being kind – I’m really humbled. And heartwarmed. (That isn’t a proper word, I know. I’m, um, still in ‘dog with six tails’ mode so my vocabulary has deserted me). And I’m so very, very happy right now.

I have to keep looking at the rosebowl and just checking that it IS my name engraved there and I’m not dreaming it all.

But it’s there. (And in such company, too. It doesn’t seem possible, but my name is on the same trophy as my all-time favourite romance author – the person who’s written four out of my five favourite M&Bs. The person whose books I read when life is horrible and I want some sunshine. And she’s one of the loveliest people I know, too. I don't have to spell out that her first initial is L, do I?)

On the top of the bowl is engraved the name of the most popular Medical Romance author ever, Betty Neels, after whom the award is named. (That’s my other line - Medical romance. And I’ve been privileged to be paired with Betty Neels in French editions. And the reflection of the sheet of paper on the rosebowl? Yup, unprofessional, but I discovered that a light background shows the engraving better than a dark one.)

Just… wow.

(I’m not taking the pics to boast, by the way. The kids want to show their friends in class during ‘show and tell’ and they know they can’t take the actual rosebowl to school, so they’ve both asked for a pic. I took said pic today because a) it was quiet and b) I have the concentration span of a gnat right now and I’m too excited to write.)

And more pics from yesterday: me with lovely, lovely Jan Jones;


Me with Anna, Janet and Julie.

And (with thanks to my mate Fiona Harper, whose husband took this shot) the authors and eds on the stairs during the photoshoot before the do (the photographer was lovely and made us all laugh - superb at his job). Left to right: Fiona Harper, Lucy Gordon, Jo Carr, Maddie (oh rats, forgotten her surname, but she's lovely and one of her former authors will remind me, yes, Kate W or Michelle?); middle, Kim Young, Liz Fielding, Bryony Green, Julie Cohen (check out the glam silver shoes); me; Sheila Hodgson

The RNA Awards Lunch (long post!)

It's late, I'm not long home from London (the train was late) and I'm a bit wired, so I've made myself a cup of tea... and as I know a few people are dying to hear what happened...

What an amazing weekend.

The journey to London was fine (especially as I got to read Julia Williams’ lovely debut, Pastures New) and had a lovely meal out that evening with my best friend and another of our oldest friends from university.

Monday dawned bright and sunny, and I headed in to town. Met up with my fellow Modern Heat author Heidi Rice for coffee at St Pancras (waves to Heidi - thank you for the coffee), then off to Kensington to find the hotel. Met lovely Roger Sanderson on the high street and then Ray-Anne; and the second we walked in (on the red carpet)... Wow! As one of the shortlisted authors I was suddenly very busy doing photo calls and interviews. Met up with loads of people I knew - lovely in particular to see Jan again - and all the hugs and congrats on the shortlisting were so very much appreciated.

It was lovely to see my fellow shortlisters too - Liz Fielding, Fiona Harper and Julie Cohen (I'll post Julie's pic a little further down the page ... well, you'll see why when you get there). Lucy Gordon somehow managed to escape my camera lens!

Saw my lovely editor Sheila and my wonderful agent Dot. Then in for lunch - and all the shortlisted authors had the most beautiful deep red single rose with a very sweet message from Catherine Jones, the RNA chair. That was such a lovely, thoughtful touch.

The staff all had very smart uniforms and white gloves, and the way they came into the dining room was sheer pageantry.

Lunch was scrummy. Now, I thought either Lucy Gordon or Liz Fielding would win... But just in case there were more photos afterwards (and because I am very clumsy and prone to spilling things) I decided to pass on the tomato and cumin soup. The guinea fowl was lovely, as was the mulled wine soufflé with plum ice cream.

And then it was time for the winners of the Romance Prize to be announced. Trisha Ashley was the chair of judges and told us what they thought of the shortlisted books. They described Breakfast at Giovanni’s as ‘warm and engaging’, which pleased me hugely. The judges said their decision was unanimous and I was getting ready to applaud the winner... and then Trisha mentioned the word ‘warm’ again. Followed by ‘realistic ending’.

Now, this is what my editor and agent always say about my books. Warm with a 'real life' feel.

And even as I was thinking, ‘no, it can’t be,’ Trisha announced that the winner of the Romance Prize 2008 was...

Kate Hardy.

It took a few moments to sink in. (As you can see from the pic below… - me saying to my lovely ed Sheila, did they really say me? , Karin Stoecker and Liz Fielding)


I remember welling up. I don’t remember getting on the stage and Trisha handing me the Betty Neels rosebowl.



But then it was me and the microphone. Making a speech.



I did manage to thank my wonderful editor and agent and my husband and the judges. I wasn’t expecting to win so I hadn’t prepared a speech. I really should also have thanked the RNA, certain authors who took me under their wing when I was a newly published M&B author (Liz Fielding, Jenny Haddon and Kate Walker), my mum (who always said I’d make it and I wish I could share this with her in person as well as spirit), my fellow shortlisted authors and my readers (without whom I wouldn't be here). So I’m saying thank you now and apologising for my poor manners.

I was just so proud and so thrilled that the words wouldn’t come out properly - they did come straight from the heart, though. I remember people clapping, and people came up to me afterwards to say they had a lump in their throat or I’d reduced them to tears (ha, Kate Hardy’s trademark weepie strikes again).

Helen Lederer made a fabulous speech (she was witty and sweet and judged the length perfectly rather than rambling – judging by this standard, her book will be v enjoyable), and the Romantic Novel of the Year Award went to Freya North, who made a gorgeous speech.

And then it was more photographs and interviews, and when the journalists realised I hadn’t had a chance to tell Gerry and the kids, they persuaded me to ring him. Gerry was driving the kids home from school, so I spoke to son, who relayed the message and there were all these screams and cheers from husband and kids... Just fantastic.

I got a chance to share a hug with my wonderful, supportive agent. (Apparently my speech made her cry. But she deserves her share of the glory and I was jolly well going to make sure she got it.)



And with my fellow shortlisted author Julie Cohen (now you can see why I didn't post this one earlier - would've given the game away a bit).


Thank you to everyone who came up to me and congratulated me. And to the RNA. (And to all the nice people in the pub afterwards who bought me drinks, and the guy with the guitar who came up and shook my hand - very appropriate, given what my lovely Giovanni does for a living.)

Then I met Fi, had something to eat at Liverpool Street, then caught the train home. In London, people tend to avoid your eye on the tube. But I think they saw the rose and the helium balloons and the wide smile on my face and judged correctly that I was celebrating - and they all smiled back at me.

It's been such a very special day. Up there with my wedding and the days my children were born and the day my first M&B was accepted. And it's my proudest career achievement to date.

Thank you.

win lots of stuff

Current work: website coding, book outlines
Listening to: Corelli
Reading: Sarah Morgan, The Sheikh’s Virgin Princess (I really enjoyed this and it isn’t just because she’s one of my mates – fast pace, good plot, gorgeous hero, and I thoroughly enjoyed the heroine)
Steps yesterday: 14,214 (and apparently I walk fast… so how how HOW is the flab not melting? oh, yeah, the biscuits that made me buy them in M&S yesterday)

Dog is very pleased that I’m home and life is back to normal (ish). He is currently lying on his back in my office, snoring, in a state of doggy bliss. He’s going to be disappointed at lunch, though, as I’m having ravioli and salad rather than chicken…

I have two books in my head at the moment – the one I’m supposed to be writing and the one I was originally going to write this month (given that the former should have been written by now). The latter is currently winning – especially as I’d like the heroine’s job and I like even more what she really wanted to do as a career but couldn’t due to circumstances… I might have to give in and scribble down the bits in my head (would be a shame to forget them and waste the time). However, I need to get back to my lovely Welsh doctor as I want Med Duo #2 (working title TCVB) in a state where I can work on it on the PDA on Sunday/Monday morning before the lunch.

Blimey. I’m sounding like me again. (And it’s so lovely not to wake up every day worried sick, going to hospital after the school run, and then being too drained to work in the evening and getting miserable about it.) (The worries are still there, but not quite the same, and I’m not blogging about it because it’s not fixable stuff and moaning about it will achieve nothing – I’d rather stick to making lemonade and being my usual Pollyanna self.)

Anyway. The point of this was to talk about all the exciting things coming up in February.

Apart from the RNA awards lunch on Monday (where, just in case you didn’t know, I’ve been shortlisted for the Romance Prize 2008 with Breakfast at Giovanni’s, which will be released as In Bed With Her Italian Boss in the US in April), there are some exciting competitions where you can win stuff – including books by me.

First off, there’s the Modern Heat Authors’ Treasure Hunt.

Follow the trail, answer ALL the questions, and send in your answer at the end of the month and you’ll be in with the chance of winning a stack of fabulous books! Mine include an advance copy of my March UK release, Sold To the Highest Bidder, and a copy of my US April release, In Bed With Her Italian Boss (though you’ll be getting the UK version, Breakfast at Giovanni’s – everything’s the same except the cover!). Want a sneak preview? Nip over here…

Secondly, Nicola Marsh is running a ‘Be My Valentine’ competition from February 1 to February 14.

And again you have a chance to win books by lots of authors (including mine) as well as a grand prize on February 14. Go over to Nic's blog to find out more about the rules and how to enter.

I will be reminding you about these exciting events throughout February...

another week

Current work: Med duo
Listening to: not decided yet – probably Corelli as I need comfort music (superstar DH cleaned my car yesterday; I think he may have taken all the CDs out and put them back in the rack).
Reading: Bittersweet Deception by Liz Fielding. Another fabulous read, especially as it was set in my part of the world and I recognised bits in the book. Bits which, in fact, I’ve used in Sold to the Highest Bidder. (And yes, I am reading a lot of Liz Fielding’s books right now. I find that when life is rough, a seriously good short romance is just what I need to put a bit of sunshine in my day. I’ve had readers say that to me about my books… and all I can say is I’m very glad that my books have helped to lift someone, the way Liz’s are helping me right now.)

Um. Nothing much to report because I’m not blogging about the two big issues in real life. Nothing much to report on the work front (and my poor ed must be as frustrated as I am). I sincerely hope that this week is much better than last week on those three fronts!

Glass half full. Righty. I had to research Greek chocolate yesterday… and as it’s about 15 years since I last visited Greece and ate chocolate, it was a bit of a trip down memory lane. Oh, and the Tooth Fairy visited our house last night. Someone got a little impatient and wobbled her wiggly tooth until it came out… and then moaned that her mouth was sore! No doubt all will be well this morning when she finds the tooth gone and the pound beneath her pillow. In my day, it was 10 pence…

Oh, yes. And I had another ‘tough go shopping’ moment yesterday, albeit from my desk. And my goodies should arrive on Wednesday. (Certain friends and style queens have been a bad influence. I bought myself a string of black pearls… and a string of lavender ones. To celebrate the shortlisting.)

And finally… Winner of the signed copy of Breakfast at Giovanni’s is Lou Gagliardi. Lou, please email me with your snailmail addy (see the first comment below as I’m trying to avoid spam!).

award shortlisting

Current work: Med duo
Listening to: Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon (very loudly)
Reading: Quick addendum to the one I raved about the other day – sorry, I got the title wrong due to sleep deprivation – it was Dangerous Flirtation by Liz Fielding. Fabulous, fabulous book and I hope M&B decide to reprint it.

OK, so I’m blowing my own trumpet about this awards shortlisting and it doesn’t sit well with myEnglish upbringing – feels too much like boasting.

But I discovered there’s a logo I can use here (edit: I was using an old one so I've revamped)


As it’s not often one gets the chance to use logos like these (and because real life is still horrible and I want to focus on something nice), I’d just like to reiterate that I’ve been shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists Association’s Romance Prize with Breakfast at Giovanni’s. Which will be out in the US in April as In Bed With Her Italian Boss.

I’m still doing the giveaway – one signed copy of said book – and the question is easy: tell me which instrument Giovanni plays. All names go into the hat and the winner will be picked Sunday evening UK time.

Hope everyone stays safe from the threatened floods. The river near us has burst its banks so the fields are just lakes and although the road was passable this morning it won’t be by this afternoon: so it’s back to the alternative route and add another 15 minutes each way on the school run journey. And as time is at a real premium at the moment… oh, pass the coffee.

finally: my really exciting news

The official announcement has been made, so I am truly, truly thrilled to announce that Breakfast at Giovanni’s has been shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists Association’s Romance Prize 2008.

I’m absolutely delighted because this book – being my 25th published M&B – is special to me, and it’s also Mills & Boon’s centenary celebration year. So that’s a triple there: being on the RNA Romance Prize shortlist with my 25th M&B in the M&B centenary.

Thank you very much to the judges for choosing my book. And as I’ve had a particularly horrible year so far, this has helped to balance things out a bit.

Congratulations also to my friends on the shortlist. You can find it here at the RNA - some of my favourite authors (and real-life favourite people) are also nominated and I’m really pleased for them.

The winner is going to be announced at the RNA Awards lunch in Kensington on 4 February.

Bearing in mind that my birthday celebrations always begin a week before the actual day and carry on for a week afterwards, I’d say that’s rather fortuitous. What a start to my birthday celebrations: champagne and a posh lunch and a chance to chat to my agent and my editor and some very good friends I don’t see often enough.

Last time I was shortlisted, I was a bit overwhelmed and rabbit-in-headlights at the do. This time I know what to expect, so I’m going to go and have fun and enjoy it.

And in the meantime I’m giving away a signed copy of Breakfast at Giovanni’s, as part of my Pink Heart Society blog from yesterday. To be in the draw (which my daughter will do on Sunday evening, UK time), tell me which instrument Giovanni plays. (There’s a clue over here on my website - I only mention one instrument there. And the book is dedicated to the person who teaches me said instrument...)