Guess who’s on the Waldies again?

Current work: Med duo

Listening to: Genesis, Calling All Stations

Reading: Liz Fielding, Dating Her Boss (another thoroughly enjoyable read)

The Pregnancy Ultimatum is on the Waldies’ top 10 bestseller list this week :o) Thank you to everyone in the US who bought my book and put it there.

And I’m doing an interview on Future FM at about 10.30 (UK time) this morning.

Nice post yesterday: Italian edition of Seeing Stars (lovely title, too – La luce delle stelle), Greek edition of Seeing Stars, Greek edition of Where the Heart Is, Hungarian edition of The Baby Doctor’s Desire, and French edition of The Doctor’s Very Special Christmas. Clearly I’m up for world domination of Europe at the moment…

This month’s new releases

Current work: Med duo
Listening to: Diana Krall
Reading: Louise Allen, A Most Unconventional Courtship (this is a cracking read – excellent characterisation, hero and heroine both very likeable and there are a couple of secondaries that I think deserve a book of their own)
Steps yesterday: 5,426 - not so good due to biting east wind, and I don’t expect it to be much better today… unless I move my boxes and guitar from the area of the treadmill. Must be brave about this…

This year’s a very special year for M&B because it’s the company’s centenary. I feel very, very proud to be published by the world’s largest publisher of women’s fiction, especially in such a special year.

My first two releases in 2008 are both in the US. (Though I still have a couple available from last month’s releases in the US, Australia and the UK, as well as a new one in February from Australia – check out the links on the side bar if you want to get hold of them.)

The first is The Pregnancy Ultimatum, which is a Presents Collection in the ‘Pregnant Mistresses’ miniseries. You can buy it in shops across the US – although for obvious reasons I won’t get to see it myself, I’d be really happy to see pics of it. If any readers would like to send me pics of themselves reading it or in the bookshop with it (telling me where you are), I’ll post the pics here (and also send you something to say thank you!).

You can also buy The Pregnancy Ultimatum at E-harlequin, and it’s available as an e-book.

I loved writing it, because I really enjoy writing books about complete opposites who fall in love. And you can’t get much more opposite than Will (my very clever, posh garden designer who turned down a place at Oxford University and is a fantastic cook) and Amanda (a city girl who’s driven because she doesn’t want to turn into her mother). It’s set partly in Cambridge (yes, of course they go punting) and partly in London (which Will loathes). Various friends have asked me if the house really exists, because they want to buy it; sadly, it was my imagination. I’d love that house, too.

My other release in the US is in e-book format and is part of the Best of Makeovers Bundle. My book (and I am sooo pleased that it’s been chosen as the lead title) is The Cinderella Project – where Cyn, my nerdy computer programmer, gets to go to the ball with Max Taylor, a gorgeous architect. This one caused a bit of a fuss in the UK and Australia because of a certain scene set beside the Thames involving the lamp standards. (In fact, that scene caused the book to be retitled in France – ‘Un Printemps sur la Tamise’.) This was my first Modern Extra (aka Modern Heat as from this month), written in response to my editor telling me that the line was starting in the UK and she thought I’d be perfect as a launch author and asking, would I like to write her a book…? You bet! I wasn’t sure whether to be more thrilled, flattered, or just plain excited. Anyway, I had a lot of fun with this one, and I think it shows. If you’ve ever gone to a reunion or some kind of party where you know people are going to be judging you fairly critically, and you’ve wished that the quiet, plain girl could come out ahead of the nasty but pretty and ‘popular’ girl… then Cinders is for you.

oh, no, it isn’t…

Current work: Med duo
Listening to: Silje Nergaard/Diana Krall
Reading: Liz Fielding, Prisoner of the Heart (an oldie but a goodie – I always enjoy her heroines so much, and this one was no exception)

Lovely day yesterday with Dad. I had great fun introducing him to the Internet and the wonders of YouTube and, ahem, Amazon’s CD catalogue. (Bad influence? Moi?)

Also delighted to discover that the eharlequin newsletter included The Pregnancy Ultimatum as one of the top 10 ‘Ring in the New Year’ books. Yup, there’s a very happy new year at the end of that…

Plan for today: get as much work done as possible before the children wake up (especially as I’ve gone back to my original idea as the heroine needs more conflict), and then maybe persuade them to watch a film this morning. As soon as DH is home from work, we’re going into the city (some shopping is apparently required – possibly cushions for the new sofa as they’re on sale at the mo), having dinner out and then off to the panto. Really looking forward to it.

clearing the decks

Current work: loads to do!
Listening to: Cut, Millionairhead

I might’ve finished a book, but a) it was very late (agreed with ed, but am still not happy about it) and b) I have three more deadlines before the end of the year (yes, three), so I’m not planning to do that much loafing this week.

First up is clearing the decks. I loathe filing and tidying, but it’s something that has to be done. So I spent yesterday on admin stuff. Such as tidying my desk, printing out the book to send to my agent, sorting out essential correspondence (copyright stuff and accounts). And then I had to buy my baby something outrageous for her birthday. Something she’s wanted for AGES. Clue: it’s one of her mummy’s bad habits. (And no, I don’t mean chocolate or CDs – two words, initials R and H, if you need a second clue.)

Because of the cold/cough, I’m skipping my music lessons this week – I don’t feel up to playing, and I don’t want to spread the lurgy. For the same reason, I’m moving a planned photoshoot to next week. So that means I have the next couple of days to:

• sort the outlines for next year’s books for my agent, ready for discussion on Friday
• do a proper outline for the medical duo for my ed (‘book 2 has a Welsh hero’ is a bit too scrappy… I know where things are, in my head, but they need writing down)
• copyedit the current PM job so I can post it to the typesetter on Monday
• make a pile of phone calls (dog needs to go to vet for annual vaccinations, I need a taxi for Friday, and I’m talking to the chief librarian at the local newspaper as I’d like to borrow some photographs for the book)
• sort my RWA membership and RITA submissions (I am in two minds about this…)
• return books to the library and pick up new ones
• get as much as I can done on the nonfiction (this is mainly putting my rough notes into proper order, seeing where the gaps are and filling them in where possible – those not will be earmarked for another research day)

Then on Wednesday I have a meeting with the guy I hope is going to be my new accountant (note to self, check ‘terms of engagement’ letter re old one; Thursday is my baby’s birthday (dinner out AND cake…); and Friday I’m in London for lunch and my annual ‘career planning’ meeting with my agent and editor in Richmond. Saturday, my best friend is coming up; Sunday we have a houseful for Madam’s family party (and I have much baking to do).

So it’s a busy week, really.

And then I’m starting my new fiction on Monday, with a clear head.

Oh, and this is the cover flat I got at the weekend, re my January US release. It isn’t the same as the one on Amazon (so I’ll be asking my ed on Friday what the difference is), but it’s gorgeous. Just what I'd wanted for the gardener book.

Fabby new cover!

Current work: archaeologist book c14 /15

Listening to: Joe Lynn Turner

Reading: not at the mo, focused on writing

I have a new cover! (And it deserves a screamer.) I’m SO pleased – I was pretty unhappy with the UK cover of ‘In the Gardener’s Bed’. This new cover fits the book much better. Meet Amanda, a buttoned-up female accountant, and Will, a sexy horticultural designer who turned down an unconditional place at Oxford (i.e. he’s very, VERY clever). Not the people on the UK version (or even on the Aussie version, which got the thumbs-up from my DH – except, ahem, he isn’t the target market).

The book is going to be on sale in all good bookshops in the US in January (that's a big deal for me, too), retitled The Pregnancy Ultimatum.

I will be smiling all the way to London tomorrow morning…

A booky sort of day

Current work: PM job (second proofs); pics and notes for new nonfiction

Listening to: Mozart Piano Concerto no 20

Reading: Kate Harrison's The Self-Preservation Society (finished it last night and thoroughly enjoyed it)

Lovely day yesterday. Into town to take some more pics; then moseyed back via bookshops. Started with Jarrold’s – firstly because I wanted to pick up a copy of ‘A Historical Atlas of Norfolk’ (expensive but good reference book), and secondly to introduce myself to the book buyer because I’m supposed to be sorting out a signing. I may be doing the signing at their November shopping evening (depends if he can get bigger names than me, obviously); but then he asked for my details and things sort of changed. ‘You’re Pam Brooks? Oh, I’m so pleased to meet you.’ Apparently my books are doing well. (Even better, he named ALL my history books. I was quite impressed.) And I am on the shortlist for the four authors, so fingers crossed.

Then we moseyed into Smith’s (more stationery – let’s just say pink sparkly stuff and kittens were involved - and discovered The Italian GP’s Bride has nearly sold out - and I signed Disasters and Streets while I was there, because customers love books with ‘signed by author’ stickers on…). Then we had to stop in the M&S café before doing the uniform shop (chocolate cake was consumed but NOT by me, and I didn’t get my biscuit with my skinny latte either because vulture daughter swooped on it); and finally did the weekly shop.


And by then I was in naughty mode, because I think it’s time I introduced the kids to some of the books I loved at their age – especially son, as he likes fantasy/SF (hmm… I bet daughter would like Joyce Stranger, Elyne Mitchell’s ‘Silver Brumby’ books and Ruby Ferguson’s ‘Jill’ books – how I loved them, and most are OOP. Can I be trusted in a second-hand bookshop?). So I’ve ordered the complete The Dark is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper (replacement copy for me, actually, but I’m planning to read to the kids) and My Friend Flicka (because I think Madam will like it… and this one comes with a little pony necklace so that will make me Top Mummy). Also ordered a copy of Cheryl Reavis’s Blackberry Winter as Liz Fielding was so taken by it and I liked the sound of it too (wasn’t in Smith’s or Border’s), and a couple more research books, and discovered that Amazon is listing The Pregnancy Ultimatum (aka ‘In The Gardener’s Bed’ - except they’ve listed the release date as Jan 07 instead of Jan 08, which needs correcting)… yep, it was a booky sort of day. The kind of day I like.

I also REALLY have to tidy my office. And I have a definite deadline now as the Eastern Daily Press is interviewing me next Wednesday and, with my journo hat on, I know my office is going to come into the interview at some point…

Guitar lesson yesterday evening – how I’ve missed my Tuesday morning setting the world to rights with Jim. My playing… um. Let’s just say I haven’t touched my guitar since my last lesson, and it showed. A lot. He even commented as such. Sigh. So now I have two difficult Sor pieces to do, and I’m going to try to practise every day. I was going to whine for some Mozart… and on the way home, what happened? Mozart’s piano concerto no 20. Gorgeous. (I like his D minor stuff because it’s so dark and edgy – the Requiem being a case in point, but I can’t drive to that because it makes me cry.) So I added that to my little binge, along with a Mark Knopfler CD that was a bargain and a really early Neil Young one just because (and hey, I haven’t bought any CDs for a week – well, I bought some a week ago but they’re taking a Very Long Time to be delivered).

Actually, I’ve got the title of this post wrong. Should be a booky and musicky kind of day :o)

And with nice emails from publishers in my in-box as well… all’s very well on Planet Kate.


Especially as I had a really exciting pic from my friend and fellow Medicals author Lynne Marshall in my inbox this morning - my book ON SHELVES IN AMERICA! (Thank you, Lynne.)