50th party blog guest - Michelle Styles

I first met Michelle Styles on the Harlequin boards – oh, that must be nearly 10 years ago now, and she gave me a gorgeous lemon tart recipe for ‘The Heart Consultant’s Lover’ (known in the book as the hero’s Aunty Michelle’s lemon tart – well, I had to give her a namecheck!). I was so thrilled when her first M&B Historical was accepted, especially as everyone said that M&B would never do Romans. Michelle’s book changed their minds. (And her Vikings are excellent as well.)

Michelle’s been a great friend to me over the years, always there to listen when life’s a bit bumpy. And she’s a total foodie, so you can guess what we talk about. Tea gets exchanged (in fact, she bought me my posh glass teapot for my birthday, which means I can take out the leaves in the little basket when it’s exactly how I like it). Ditto recipes. And music. And she’s been a brilliant support to me in the Kate Unlardy Project (not to mention an inspiration with her own weight loss and exercise routine). And have I mentioned a shared love of history, and quirky little facts? Whenever she sends me a link to a website, I know it’s going to be something I’ll really enjoy. And one of the things I love about her books is the little facts she manages to slip in. (And she never minds me grilling her about them. In fact, she can normally guess what’s in the ‘about your book…’ email.)

Anyway. Over to Michelle:

Kate Hardy is celebrating her 50th book and I was ever so delighted to contribute to the celebrations. There is a copy of my latest His Unsuitable Viscountess up for grabs to one commentator.

Sometimes people come into your life for a reason and Kate has enriched my life beyond measure. She is in the words of EB White – one of the rarest of all combinations – a true friend who is also an excellent writer.

About ten years ago, I first ventured on Harlequin.com and tentatively posted on the M&B editor thread. Kate quickly took pity on me and invited me over to the Medical thread as she pointed out they were very friendly. It was thanks in part to this friendliness that when a few days later I received my first form R that I knew I wanted to continue and to be a part of the Community.

Kate’s first book came out and I can clearly remember the thrill of buying a book where I *knew* the author. I also remember how much I enjoyed reading it. Now whenever one of Kate’s books comes out, it goes to straight to the top of my pile. I will not go on about the supper I burnt because of her Posh doc book or the having the kettle boil dry because of her first Mod X book. I have learnt that when I read a Kate Hardy, I have to make sure I have time and nothing on the stove! I also have to make sure I hide the books until I am finished because if my daughter is home, she grabs the latest and will not let me read it until she is done. There is just something about the way Kate writes that wraps its way about your heart strings and you know you are in for a good few hours read. Thankfully Kate is prolific writer and I have been able to lose myself in 50 books. (Her latest is full of Kate’s trademark warmth – I finished it last night.)

When I sold my first book to Harlequin Mills and Boon, Kate welcomed me to my first author’s lunch. She could clearly remember what it was like to arrive and meet all these authors whose books you had loved in person for the first time and how nerve wracking it is. Kate is like that – thoughtful and considerate, particularly with little things. One of the reasons why Kate’s books are so full of heart is that she herself is.

Our friendship has grown throughout the years as I know she is one of the very few people who gets my need for obscure facts and quirks of history. She understands what is like to have a wide range of interests. And her ability to give a light bulb moment is unsurpassed. My one regret is that Kate lives too far away and I seldom get to see her in person. There again. Perhaps this is a good thing as we would be talking instead of writing.

Anyway, here is to your 50 books, Kate and many more. Your readers demand it!

I am giving a signed copy of my latest His Unsuitable Viscountess — the story of a Regency business woman who has to make a marriage of convenience within a month or otherwise face losing the family firm under the terms of her stepfather’s will. For a comment, I would suggest naming your favourite Kate Hardy novel. I know my two faves are the second of the Posh books (Her Honourable Surgeon), and The Cinderella Project, aka books which cause things to burn...

You can find out more about Michelle on her website http://www.michellestyles.co.uk, read her blog at http://michellestyles.blogspot.co.uk, find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/michellestylesauthor, and follow her on Twitter at @MichelleLStyles.

Winner (Fiona Harper, Always the Best Man)

First name drawn from the hat for a copy of 'Always the Best Man' - Natalija. Please contact me kate(dot)hardy(at)btinternet(dot)com with your snailmail addy, Natalija, and I'll get the book in the post to you :o) Thanks for taking part!

50th party blog guest - Annie Burrows

I’ve known Annie Burrows for some years and drunk champagne with her at M&B parties, but it was only this year that I discovered we have something fabulous in common – ballroom dancing class! DH and I only started having lessons in January (so Annie is far more proficient than I am, plus she has PROPER dance shoes – am waiting until we crack the waltz before I buy mine), but Annie and I have had great fun swapping notes, as our dance class is on the same day of the week. (If you say ‘Rumba face’ to either of us and mention the other’s name, we’ll start laughing hysterically.) She also writes fabulous historicals, so we can talk history for hours as well. And… oh, I’ll let her tell you the rest.

Over to Annie:

Thanks, Kate, for inviting me to join in the celebrations for your fabulous milestone. 50 books published!! It's an event worthy of cake, so I thought I'd bring a virtual one for you.

Virtual cake is the best kind, after all - no calories!

You can say "a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips," but the reality is that sadly, when cake is gone, it's gone.

Books are a far more lasting indulgence. After I've read one I particularly enjoy, I put it aside, and can take it out again and re-read it whenever I need another fiction fix.


Just having a quick look along my bookshelves, I can see I've got copies of several of Kate's books, waiting for a re-read: "The Ex who hired Her" and "Breakfast at Giovanni's" to name but two.

And...just because books are worth celebrating, here's another celebration cake.

I had it made recently for my first ever book launch. This is actually my 9th full length Regency romance, but I decided to throw a little party for its launch, to thank my writer's group for all the support and advice they gave me during its creation.

The baker and I had great fun planning the decoration. We chose to depict the country house where most of the action takes place. If you look closely you will see a tiny man in a red jacket (Major Cathcart, the hero) climbing in through a bedroom window, while on the opposite side of the house a tiny figure in a white nightie (Lady Jayne Chilcott, the heroine) is busily climbing out through another one. My heroine, you see, is naively trying to avert a scandal, while the hero is attempting to save her from making a terrible mistake. As a consequence the pair of them manage to create an even bigger mess than they started with. It's that kind of book!

"An Escapade and an Engagement" was out in July in the UK and US in paperback, but is still available from the Harlequin and Mills & Boon websites if that little taster has whetted your appetite (groan...)

Annie is giving away a copy of An Escapade and an Engagement to one commenter - tell us your favourite sort of cake!

Find out more about Annie's books on her website:
www.annie-burrows.co.uk
or find her on facebook:
www.facebook.com/AnnieBurrowsUK

Winners (Trisha Ashley - Chocolate Shoes and Wedding Blues)

Names drawn from the hat for the three copies of 'Chocolate Shoes and Wedding Bkues' - Jo Dodd, Kate Jackson and Heather Cranmer. Please contact me kate(dot)hardy(at)btinternet(dot)com with your snailmail addy, and I'll get everythng sorted :o) Thanks for taking part!

50th party blog guest - Annie Claydon

I met Annie Claydon only last year at the M&B lunch, because she’s very new to the M&B stable, but I knew we’d be friends the minute she joined the medical authors’ email loop and started chatting there – and I was dead right, because she’s as lovely in person as she is online and in her books. (I love her books, especially the astronomy scene – wish I’d written that one!) I had the pleasure of having a very posh cup of tea with her last year, and we have lots in common. And it’s also lovely to have a friend who understands hearing loss – I didn’t have to ask her to move so I could see her face in a noisy environment because she did it automatically.

Over to Annie:

Kate, thank you for inviting me to help celebrate your 50th book, I'm thrilled to be here.

There's another little celebration going on here in London at the moment, which has a few things in common with Kate's party. The Olympic Games is all about hard work, talent and achievement, and is being followed from all corners of the globe. But to Kate's credit, there are a some important differences - so far she's caused absolutely no disruption at St Pancras Station, nor has she managed to bring the Central Line to a grinding halt. I haven't received any merchandising emails from her either (although thinking about it, I'd definitely be up for a 'Team Kate' t-shirt).

Last Friday I was one of the 200,000 visitors to the Olympic Park, and even in such a large area that number of people is a spectacle in itself. Add in the men and women from the Army, Navy and Air Force who deserve huge thanks for keeping the Park a safe place, the Volunteers, who have been the good humoured stars of the show, athletes from 205 countries, buskers, performance artists and a sprinkling of very cheery policemen and you get a wonderful crowd.

I had tickets for the Basketball Arena, where the cheering, clapping and stamping of 12,000 spectators made the whole place shake. But 12,000 or even 200,000 is a drop in the ocean when you consider how many copies of Kate's books have been in circulation around the world in the last ten years. Wouldn't it be something to gather all of those readers together and hear them cheer?

I'd like to award Kate my own personal gold medal, too. As a very new writer, with only two books to my credit so far, I'm in awe of her achievements. Not just the terrifying number of books she's written in such a short time, but the creativity, warmth and humour that's a hallmark of her work. (And of course the heroes. Who can forget Kate's heroes?) I'm so far out of her league that I should be content with one of her discarded chocolate wrappers. But does Kate think that way? In a word – no. In addition to her prodigious talent, she's a truly nice person, generous with her advice for newbies like me and open hearted with her friendship.

So step up to the podium and take a bow, Kate. Enjoy every moment of your party. And to add to the cyber champagne, chocolates and roses that your other guests have brought along, here are some different kinds of cyber flowers – these are from just one of the swathes of wildflowers at the Olympic Park, which on their own make the area worth a visit.

Please leave a comment, and Kate will pick a winner to receive my latest book, 'Doctor on her Doorstep'. And can anyone name any of the flowers that I snapped the other day? I need some help...

You can find out more about Annie and her books on her blog, http://www.annieclaydon.com.

Winner (Lilian Darcy - Saving Gerda)

First name drawn from the hat for a copy of 'Saving Gerda' - Robyn Grady. Please contact me kate(dot)hardy(at)btinternet(dot)com with your snailmail addy, Robyn, and I'll get the book in the post to you :o) Thanks for taking part!

50th party blog guest - Fiona Harper

The first time I met Fiona Harper, it was at an awards do and I was in rabbits-in-headlight mode and didn’t say a lot (I’d been shortlisted for the first time and it was scary stuff – like being at a posh wedding when you’re one of the really common, vulgar cousins, y’know?). She probably thought I was the rudest person on the planet, especially as she’d sent me a really lovely email about one of my books! But I did buy her a coffee and apologised for it, next time I met her :o) She’s another of my friends who gives me major hair envy. (I want her hair. I do.) We’re about the same age, our kids are similar ages, we discovered years back that we both like Suzanne Vega and chocolate and wine, and – well, she’s a really lovely woman and I’m proud to be her friend. (She is also responsible for me buying a PDA, in the years before the iPad came out, and an updated version of Dragon. So we have techie stuff in common as well.) And her books are great. (I would know. I have all of them. Her housekeeper book made me wake up my littlest so I could give her a hug.)

Over to Fiona:

The whole of Britain is gripped by Olympic fever at the moment – me especially. I’m a London girl, born and bred, and I’m very proud of my hometown right now. But I’ve always loved the Olympics, and sit glued to the television for the two weeks it’s on, even though I never watch any other sport throughout the year. Why? What is it about the Olympics that grabs our hearts and imaginations?

I think that maybe it’s the same things that engage us in a really good book. It’s all about hopes and dreams, high stakes and supreme obstacles. It’s about the stories of the men and women behind the public face of the athlete, the things that have driven them to dedicate themselves to their sport. Not just the physical but the personal sacrifices they have made to get them where they are today.

And I’m here to celebrate the milestone of FIFTY good books by my friend Kate Hardy! And she’s written them in a scarily short space of time. Some of them have been bestsellers. Some of them have won awards. But I know she isn’t finished yet. She’s got plenty more stories left in her, thank goodness!

But gold isn’t just for Olympic champions… When we think of anniversaries, each of them have a significant symbol. And fifty means GOLD. So, well done, Kate! If I could give you a gold medal to celebrate this amazing achievement, I would. (Maybe I can find a chocolate one somewhere, because I know that will go down well!)

And for a present for Kate’s mega blog party, I’m giving away a copy of my latest release Always The Best Man, which features a sassy bridesmaid in a gold dress. She’s got her sights set on the oh-so-perfect best man, heaven help him… Just comment below (all you have to do is put your hand up and say you want to enter) and Kate will pick a winner.

Find out more about Fiona’s books on her website:
http://www.fionaharper.com
or find her on facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/fi.harper.author
Follow her on Twitter @FiHarperAuthor

Winner (Sarah Duncan - A Single to Rome)

First name drawn from the hat for a copy of 'A Single to Rome' - Lizzie Lamb. Please contact me kate(dot)hardy(at)btinternet(dot)com with your snailmail addy, Lizze, and I'll pass the details to Sarah :o) Thanks for taking part!

50th blog party guest - Trisha Ashley

I met Trisha Ashley through the RNA – firstly on a loop, and then in person. We’ve had conversations about gorgeous Robert Plant on the stairs at posh dos. We both like dogs and chocolate – and her books are fabulous, funny and clever and romantic. And she presented me with the RNA Award in 2008 for Breakfast at Giovanni’s, so obviously that gets her an extra hug from me ;o) I’m thrilled to have her here as a guest today.

Over to Trisha (picture courtesy of Louise Marley) :

First of all, I’d like to say thank you to Kate for inviting me onto her Blog: I’m so happy to be here, meeting friends old and new.

I’d also like to give an especially big thank you to those of you who’ve already read my new book, Chocolate Shoes and Wedding Blues, and emailed, written in my website guestbook, or reviewed it kindly on Amazon or elsewhere. This really does mean a lot to me – and so does the book itself, because I actually was born in a room over the small shoe shop my mother opened in St Helens in the difficult post-war years, so I grew up with shoes, the heady smell of leather, and the trips to the Manchester warehouses with my mother during the school holidays to look for special orders.

I’m writing from genuine experience and all those details in the novel are based on reality. My mother built the business up from nothing with sheer hard work, determination and good humour, so you can see where some of the inspiration for Aunt Nan, another strong, stoical and inspirational woman, came from.

My recent books have been set in rural West Lancashire and, though I didn’t set out to write a series, there are some links between the novels – recurring characters and villages. Chocolate Shoes and Wedding Blues is the third set in the village of Sticklepond (the other two being A Winter’s Tale and Chocolate Wishes), so we get to see what some of the characters in the previous novels are doing now, as well as one or two characters from nearby villages.

My next novel, out later next year, will also be set there, and then I will go and see what my characters have been up to in Little Mumming or Middlemoss – I haven’t yet decided which.

If you visit my website at www.trishaashley.com you can read a free Jubilee story, sign my guestbook, email me, see a complete list of my books, or join my Skint Old Northern Woman quarterly newsletter group.

I also have a Facebook fan page and you can find me on twitter at @trishaashley - do come and talk to me!

I wish you all a summer of happy reading,
Trisha x

Trisha is kindly offering three copies of Chocolate Shoes and Wedding Blues – to be in the draw, leave a comment below. Follow Trisha on Twitter @trishaashley or her Facebook Page www.facebook.com/trishaashleybooks

Winner! (Liz Fielding - Eloping with Emmy)

First name drawn from the hat for a copy of Liz Fielding's 'Eloipng with Emmy' - Ginette. Please contact me kate(dot)hardy(at)btinternet(dot)com with your details, Ginette, and I'll let Liz know :o) Thanks for taking part!

50th party blog guest - Lilian Darcy

Lilian’s another of my Aussie writer friends that I haven’t met in person but got to know on M&B loops years and years ago. When I did my 25th party, she was lovely enough to offer a copy of her first mainstream novel, Café du Jour, as a giveaway. And I’m thrilled to see her career going from strength to strength. (I could also mention that her needlework is fantastic, and when Jennifer Taylor’s first granddaughter arrived, Lilian organized the Med authors across the world into making quilt squares and sending them to her, then put them all together – it looked stunning. Yup, she’s another of the nice guys. You might notice there’s a common theme with my guests…)

Over to Lilian:

Thanks for the very timely invitation to your blog party, Kate.

Why timely?

Well, for romance writers, it's the middle of conference season, with the big one - the Romance Writers of America National Conference - just finished, the UK Romantic Novelists' Association Conference done and dusted a couple of weeks ago, and the Australian and New Zealand conferences almost upon us. Unfortunately, I'm not going to any of them this year, so I'm missing all those cool partyish things that happen at writing conferences and it's nice to have an alternative here on your blog.

For those of you who don't go to writing conferences, I'm now going to wistfully describe a few of the things I'm missing out on. For those of you planning to go to a writing conference some day, I hope these descriptions are an encouragement rather than a turn-off.

The first major event at the American conference is the huge book signing session known as the Literacy Autographing. Hundreds of authors - and I mean HUNDREDS - are arranged alphabetically at long rows of tables where they sign their books for three hours. If you're a big name author, you get a special table up the back and your line snakes out the door, through the hotel lobby, and around the corner into the next street. If you're a medium-sized name, you have a nice clutch of fans blocking access to the lesser names seated beside you. If you're not really much of a name at all YET, you sit there white faced, silent and alone, or else resort to standing on your chair and shamelessly bribing people with chocolate.

But then you and your friends leave your assigned spots for a while and go around visiting each other, and when the event winds up you kick on for pizza in someone's room and have a great night and forget all about the fact that even with chocolate as an inducement, only five people wanted your book.

On a more serious note, the books are donated by publishers and all money raised goes to support adult literacy. Each year it's around $50,000, and has added up to an impressive total over the years.
The next social highlight at RWA National is the series of publisher parties on a Friday night. As I'm a Harlequin author, the Harlequin party is the one I get to go to. Some people gate-crash these parties, but I'm not a fan of that. Being a published author is hard, and a huge achievement, and there aren't that many perks, and going to the party is one of them, and if you manage to crash it before you're published then you're stealing your own sense of triumph once you've actually earned an official invitation. Sorry if that sounds a little grumpy!

If you don't like dancing, then the Harlequin party is possibly not for you, published or not. The event is noisy, conversation is impossible unless the venue happens to offer quiet corridors or balconies off to the side. But the dancing, oh, the dancing! We get hot, we let our hair down, we rush onto the floor whenever our favourite songs come on, we forget the fact that we have revisions to work on as soon as the conference is over, we forget that we haven't clicked with our new editor yet - and sometimes we do click with her right there on the dance floor when it turns out we're both really embarrassing in our responses to Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive."

At the Romance Writers of Australia conference, Friday night is cocktail party night, and it's a similarly frenzied occasion. There's a fancy dress motif to this one, each year, and the theme is always different. This year, I'm missing out on my chance to interpret the theme "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" and I can only imagine how sparkly and glittery and glorious the evening is going to be.

At RWAmerica and RWAustralia, Saturday night is awards night, a chance to sit with your friends and cheer them on if they're nominated for something, or be cheered yourself, if you've been lucky enough to final in the Rita, the Golden Heart, the Ruby or any of the other awards on offer, for both published and unpublished authors. At the American conference, it's the last event on the program, and many people catch flights home early the next morning, so there's a bit of a tumbleweeds blowing in the wind feel to the end of the night. You see people sitting in the lobby with their shoes off and their make-up smudged. You end up talking in someone's room till three in the morning, spilling fears and doubts or laughing about things that you hadn't realised were funny until now - that terrible cover on your last book, that one-star Amazon review. Everything falls into perspective in ways you hadn't expected and you set out for home the next day knowing that the connection with fellow writers has nourished your creative soul...

Oh dear, over 800 words, I think my time at your party is almost over, Kate.

Wait, before I go, can I give away a book? Anyone who makes a comment will go into the draw to win an electronic copy of my historical women's fiction novel "Saving Gerda."

And for anyone who likes to party on Twitter, where I'm most active, I'd love to see you and am easily found: @liliandarcy

Lilian Darcy

Winner! (Sarah Morgan - Defying the Prince)

First name drawn from the hat for a copy of Sarah Morgan's 'Defying the Prince' - Katie from New Zealand. Please contact me kate(dot)hardy(at)btinternet(dot)com with your snailmail addy, Katie, and I'll let Sarah know :o) Thanks for taking part!

50th party blog guest - Sarah Duncan

I first met Sarah Duncan at my very first RNA conference and had serious hair envy. Her hair was longer then, and absolutely STUNNING. And we got chatting there and later on email and loops, and after that we discovered we went to the same university, and knew lots of the same people in the romance-writing world, and liked a lot of the same sorts of things, and – well, Sarah’s lovely. And her blog is just brilliant for writing tips – really makes you think, without making you freeze. She’s taught me a lot. Plus I happen to like her books. (I saved A Single to Rome for the plane journey to Rome, last year, and it was just fabulous.)

Over to Sarah:

A Tale of Two Writers

Kate Hardy is my not-quite writing twin. I met Kate at my first ever Romantic Novelists Association Conference, when we'd both just published out first novels having started writing at about the same time. Now she's published her 50th, and writing No 53. I've published my 5th and am writing no 6. Well, I did say she was my not-quite writing twin.

When you become a writer, it's all too easy to start comparing your career with another's. You enter a short story comp and don't get placed, then read the winning entry avidly, trying to work out what that story had that yours didn't. A friend gets an agent on the first attempt when you could paper the whole house with rejection letters. Someone publishes 50 books when you're struggling to finish No 6....

What have I been doing with my time while Kate's been so productive? I've developed a fabulous secondary career as a writing tutor, academic and blogger, which I love. I've taught creative writing at the universities of Oxford and Bristol, am the Royal Literary Fund Fellow at the University of Bath and blog about creative writing craft on www.sarahduncansblog.blogspot.com.

Is that better, or worse than having 50 books published? Or just different?

We have to follow our own paths and there's no point in comparing someone else's route with your own. You can only write your own book, not someone else's. At its worst, envy can be destructive and undermine your own creativity until you give up writing altogether.

Instead, celebrate your friends' successes and they will in turn celebrate yours when they come.

Cheers, Kate, and here's to the next 50!

Sarah Duncan's most recent book is Kissing Mr Wrong, which was shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists Association Romantic Novel of the Year. She blogs about creative writing craft at www.sarahduncansblog.blogspot.com. Autumn term for her weekly creative writing class in Bath starts 5th October; for more information contact Sarah at sarah@sarahduncan.co.uk.

Sarah’s offering a giveaway of A Single to Rome, which was longlisted for the RNA Novel of the Year – leave a comment below to put your name in the draw :o)

Winner! (Ally Blake - Rules of Engagement)

First name drawn from the hat for a copy of 'The Rules of Engagement' - Jo Fereday. Please contact me kate(dot)hardy(at)btinternet(dot)com with your snailmail addy, Jo, and I'll let Ally know :o) Thanks for taking part!

50th party blog guest - Liz Fielding

Liz Fielding wrote my all-time favourite category romance, ‘Gentlemen Prefer Brunettes’ – I love her warm, witty voice, her brilliant dialogue, and her feather-light touch as she fills in details without you even realizing it. I have a Liz Fielding keeper shelf, and it’s got me through some seriously rough patches in my life. Liz is as lovely in person as she is in her books, and I’m really privileged to call her my friend.

Over to Liz:

It’s a real joy to be here to help Kate celebrate her 50th book. I’ve known her since she got “the call” from Mills and Boon Medical Romance and have seen her career take off as fans have discovered her warm, emotional and very sexy books.

Her work ethic is phenomenal. We celebrated her 25th book and my 50th at around the same time and now here she is with another 25 fabulous books under her belt to my ten. And that’s just her romances. She also writes non-fiction. She is, frankly, incredible and I’m delighted to be invited to the party she’s throwing — she deserves every drop of cyber champagne, every chocolate dipped strawberry, every mouthful of crème brulee, every rose. Congratulations, Kate. Here’s to the next 50!

To help her celebrate, and as my gift to her many fans, I’m offering an updated ebook edition of one of my earlier books, ELOPING WITH EMMY. It’s always been a huge favourite of mine – a classic romcom romp that was inspired by the great movie “It Happened One Night”.

Hot shot legal eagle, Tom Brodie, has been landed with an assignment to test any man to his limits - do whatever it takes to prevent headstrong heiress Emerald Carlisle from marrying a fortune-hunter. He is not happy about it, and when Emmy stows away in his car, his day goes from bad to worse, but since she's the only one who knows where to find the man in question he has no choice but take her along for the ride.

It's a bumpy one!

Emmy is not a woman to sit back and let things fall as they will. She has a plan and she keeps Brodie on his toes in a rollercoaster chase across the UK and France. He's more than up to the challenge, but falling in love with Emmy along the way is always going to end with his heart in pieces.


Emmy’s heart, already beating an adrenalin-charged tattoo as she eased herself down the drainpipe, had gone into overtime at the sudden appearance of her father. But the moment her gaze had collided with the dark-eyed stranger standing with him she had known instinctively that she had an ally. He hadn’t batted an eyelid at the sight she must have made, not given her away by so much as a twitch of an eyebrow. Instead he had quite coolly considered his options.


He could have informed her father that he appeared to have an incompetent cat burglar clinging to his drainpipe.


Or he could have ignored the situation, pretend he hadn’t seen her and hope she didn’t fall into the roses.


What the dark-eyed stranger had done was create a diversion.


That kind of swift thinking was so rare she thought. Poor Kit would have dithered and blushed and quite given the game away. He was sweet and wonderfully talented, but not in the least bit decisive which was why she had to get to him before her father’s henchman. As she searched amongst the lavender and roses for her shoes she felt a moment of regret that she wouldn’t be able to stay and thank Dark-eyes for his chivalry. Were they grey, she wondered. Or brown? Distance and the dusky light had made it impossible to tell.


Unfortunately she didn’t have time for politeness, but she was sure he would understand her need to put the maximum distance between herself and her father before he discovered her escape. If only she could find her other shoe!


She spotted it at last, half buried behind the tall lavender that edged the border, filling the air with sweet scent as she brushed against it. The roses were not so kind, snagging at her bare arms as she reached for her shoe, catching and tangling her hair with their thorns. She didn’t have time to worry about it, or take time to extricate herself carefully, and tugged herself free. The rose retaliated by whipping back and catching at her neck with its thorns. She scarcely noticed. All she knew was that it was taking far too long.


But there was no way she could make her escape barefooted. Her feet would be cut to ribbons on the gravel by the time she had sprinted around to the old coach house where her car had undoubtedly been stowed after her incarceration. She could just hear her father. “Miss Emerald has decided to stay for a few days. Put her car away will you, Saunders?” All perfectly natural. She made a rude noise as she tipped the dirt out of her shoes and slipped her feet into them.


‘Maybe you left your keys in the car, Brodie.’ Her father’s impatient voice carried through the open front door pinning her back against the wall.


‘I might have dropped them in the hall.’


Brodie. The name had a nice, solid ring to it and Brodie, bless the man, was giving her all the time he could, delaying her father, quite` unconcerned at the tetchiness in his voice. Not many men were that brave. Unfortunately his valour would be to little avail. There was no cover within a hundred feet of her exposed position and any second now she was going to be discovered and dragged ignominiously back to the nursery where she would probably be put on a diet of bread and water. Not that she cared about that. But poor Kit...


Of course, she could always throw herself on Brodie’s mercy. In fact the thought of flinging herself into his arms had a definite appeal. She hadn’t been mistaken about the shoulders, or his height. And his character spoke for itself.


But no. He had already done more than enough. To demand he choose between her and her father was more than could be expected of any knight errant. But she was hanged if she was going to give in without a fight. She had mere seconds in which to act before the two men appeared on the steps and she was discovered. She didn’t waste it, flinging herself at the BMW, praying that it wasn’t locked. Her guardian angel must have been listening because the rear door opened to her touch and she dived in, pulling it shut behind her with heartfelt thanks for the superb German engineering that ensured it closed with scarcely a sound.


She didn’t know where her knight errant was going, but at least he was going somewhere. Away from her father, away from Lower Honeybourne. She would throw herself on his mercy and borrow his mobile. It would only take a call to bring some gallant racing to her aid. Meanwhile, she tucked herself down behind the front seats and congratulated herself on her luck.

To have your name in the draw, tell me where you’d elope to if the world was your oyster and who you’d elope with. We’ll take your dh as read – this is fantasy so be as outrageous as you like!


You can catch up with Liz Fielding’s books on her website http://www.lizfielding.com/, follow her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/liz.fielding and Twitter at @lizfielding

Winner! (Kate Hardy - The Hidden Heart of Rico Rossi)

First name drawn from the hat for a copy of 'The Hidden Heart of Rico Rossi' - Elissa Graham. Please contact me kate(dot)hardy(at)btinternet(dot)com with your snailmail addy, Elissa, and I'll get the book in the post to you :o) Thanks for taking part!

50th party blog guest - Sarah Morgan

My guest today is lovely Sarah Morgan, who writes the most brilliant Modern (Presents) and Medical Romances. She sold a couple of years before me, and I checked her first book ‘Worth the Risk’ out of the library enough times to make her take pity on me and send me a copy :) We went through a phase of writing about the same topics without realising, so there’s a joke between us about writing each other’s books (but I would kill to write men as gorgeous as hers). She’s one of the nicest people I know, and at RNA conferences I tend to share a house with her and Nicola Cornick. This means having civilised cups of tea and good biscuits, and – well, she’ll tell you about that. Though we’re not always that sober – there was an M&;B party where champagne was consumed and we took turns wearing my feather boa (yes, I do have one, and you’ll meet the person who gave it to me a bit later), and she was still finding tiny feathers days later…

And I arrived home yesterday from a week's research trip to discover that SARAH MORGAN WON A RITA!!!! (That's a huge achievement and I'm so thrilled for her!)

Anyway, over to Sarah.

5 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT KATE by Sarah Morgan

1. She likes chocolate. Anyone who likes chocolate is clearly sane and has good judgement.

2. She knows how to laugh. I still remember the RNA conference at Greenwich when we were talking in the kitchen and laughed until our ribs cracked.

3. She writes lovely stories – I love her books!

4. She is generous to her friends. (Did I mention chocolate? Through the letterbox in times of need. Mmm)

5. She knows about technology so when I’m stuck I have someone to ask.

I could go on (and frequently do, to the dismay of my family) but this is Kate’s party and I don’t want to hog the dance floor……

So congratulations Kate! 50 books. Wow. I feel the need to lie down.

Thanks for inviting me here and to celebrate I’d like to offer a copy of my latest US release, Defying the Prince. Leave a comment below and Kate will pick a winner ☺

You can catch up with Sarah Morgan’s books on her website http://www.sarahmorgan.com/, follow her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sarahmorgan.author and Twitter at @SarahMorgan_

50th party blog guest - Ally Blake

I’m delighted to welcome my first guest, Ally Blake, who writes fabulous books for Harlequin RIVA.

Although I haven’t met her in person (solely because we live on opposite sides of the world, but we are SO going to meet one of these years), I’ve known her for years on the M&B loops and cheered along with friends when her babies arrived and when her first Modern Heat was accepted. We have a shared love of gorgeous men and chocolate (and I think we’re both very much on the Pollyanna side – Ally’s nice), and she’s recommended some great romcoms to me over the years.

(And how, just how, does she manage to be so glam with three littlies? Mine are both high school age now, and I can’t manage the glam…)

Anyway, over to Ally.

When Kate first sold her 50th book there were cries far and wide that she HAD to have a blog party!!! And I'm soooo excited to be here to join in the celebrations!

My current release THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT is my 22nd, and even that number shocks me every time I think it, so 50 is just incredible. Especially considering Kate only sold her first book a couple of years before I sold mine! Jeepers, what have I been doing with my time???!!! Okay, so I've been having having babies, eating chocolate, watching True Blood, so it's been time well spent.

But back to Miss Kate. You should know that THE CINDERELLA PROJECT is on my keeper shelf and it's THE book that made me want to write for Harlequin RIVA (which back then was called Modern Extra). I was writing for Harlequin Romance at the time, a line I loved writing for and still love to read, but I remember the fun, the romantic tension, and the lightness of touch in Kate's book drawing me along on an absolutely delightful ride and making me think, I wanna have a crack at that the kind of book! So I did, and here I am, still writing for that line today.

So thank-YOU Kate, for giving me a window into the exact kind of books I love to read and write.

And even while it exhausts me to even think it, when it comes to Kate Hardy, I have no doubt there's another 50 more on the way!!!

Ally
xXx

THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT is out now across Australia & New Zealand and in North America in December 2012. Can't wait? Grab the UK version from The Book Depository for free delivery worldwide! For more about Ally's books go to http://www.allyblake.com or follow her on Twitter @ally_blake.

Ally’s giving away a copy of The Rules of Engagement - just leave a comment below to put your name in the draw :o)

50 Shades of Partaaaay!

Given the hype of the moment, and this is celebrating my 50th book, I’d be a little remiss not to get a 50S pun in there, wouldn’t I?

Today is the official release day of my 50th Mills & Boon novel, ‘The Hidden Heart of Rico Rossi’. It’s set partly in Rome (and you can see more about the setting tomorrow on the Pink Heart Society blog), it involves cake (and boy, did I have fun doing the method writing bit for that – the kids enjoyed scoffing the results, too), and it involves second chances.

I loved writing this book. I loved researching it. And, as lovely readers bought it early from my publisher’s website and kept it in the M&B top ten last month, I hope people have loved reading it, too.

I’m very privileged to have great friends in the writing world. I had a big blog party for my 25th, but this one is going to put that in the shade. (50th book. Shade. Hmm.) I’m humbled by the response I’ve had to my suggestion about having a blog party, and I’m thrilled that I have the most fantastic guests who are offering giveaways. I have been a bit slack on the blogging front this year, but there will be something EVERY SINGLE DAY for the next few weeks, so do please come back and join in.

But I guess the first day ought to be one of my own giveaways – so please leave a comment below to be entered into the draw for a signed copy of ‘The Hidden Heart of Rico Rossi’ :o) And thank you for coming to celebrate with me!

The glamorous life of an author

Some authors (like India Grey and Sharon Kendrick) are just naturally glamorous and would look fabulous dressed in a bin bag. Others, like me, are total scruffs. I scuff around in black trousers and a T-shirt, all year round. (Obviously not the same ones. My writing routine is school run, gym, do laundry, write (or guitar lesson if it’s a Tuesday), hang washing out or stuff in tumble dryer if it’s raining, share lunch with dog, write, school run, nag about homework, sort laundry, write, cook dinner, chill out. Notice laundry is there but ironing isn’t. Hang things right and you don’t have to iron!)

Sometimes you get to meet up for lunch with fellow authors, and you make a bit of an effort (unless you’re having lunch at their place and they have dogs/cats, in which case… well, if you have a dog or cat who’s affectionate and likes to sit on people’s laps – and, yes, my springer spaniel does do that if he thinks he can get away with it – you know what I mean). You basically go somewhere with good food, and talk and talk and talk. (Lizzie Lamb, Kate Jackson and Caroline Anderson, take a bow.)

But sometimes you get to REALLY dress up. It doesn’t happen that often. Lunch with editor, publisher party, conference (well, the gala dinner – the rest of the time I’m a scruff), awards ceremonies. (And I have to admit, the best bit for me is getting to see people in real life that I don’t see as often as I’d like to see.)

When it comes to glamour for romantic novelists, it’s all about the shoes. I have a confession: I let the side down. Badly. I possess five pairs of shoes, a good pair of running shoes, and some awesome purple spotty wellies. Authors like Shirley Jump have shoe wardrobes, all colour-coordinated (really – I was just so in awe!). Authors like Donna Alward and Jessica Hart have lots of sparkly shoes. (I’ll just link here to the HR authors’ shoe blog post so you can see what I mean.)

BUT.

I do have two Pandora bracelets (one bead for every book sold or career milestone – that started when I won the RNA’s Romance Prize with my 25th M&B, Breakfast at Giovanni’s), and I have several Radley handbags, and that’ll do me on the glamour front :o)

It feels a bit like boasting, but it’s not meant to be – it’s a celebration of some of the (glamorous) high points of my career, and thank you to everyone who’s shared it with me – my family, my friends, and the readers I haven’t met but would be friends with if I did. (And thank you, too, to those who were there in the low points – this is real life as well as my dream, so there have been some fairly tough times as well as the high points.)

The launch of my first M&B at Ottaker’s in November 2002.

Winning the RNA Romance Prize in February 2008. (Photo courtesy of RNA.)

Being presented with my pin by Karin Stoecker for my 25th book in September 2007.

Being shortlisted for the RoNA Rose (formerly the Romance Prize) for the fourth time in February this year. (Here with the M&B authors - left to right Liz Fielding, Mary Nichol, Sarah Mallory, Fiona Harper, Caro Townend, Karin Stoecker (in red), Sharon Kendrick, me.)

In September, there’s another M&B party, and I’ll be presented with the pin for my 50th book. So there may be more pictures then…

Being a writer – not vacuum-packed

Many years ago, there was this whole idea of a writer starving in a garret, never meeting anyone.

The starving bit is probably still true (note to new writers, it is NOT a get-rich-quick business, and those who do get a huge advance/big sales make the headlines because it is a very, very rare thing – the average advance a couple of years ago was about £1500 for a first book, and it’s usually about two years between getting your advance and starting to earn royalties. The TV programmes where someone gets a publishing contract and they’re instantly rich and give up the day job? Fiction, sadly. Fiction. In reality, you’re looking at about 5 years before you can make enough from writing fiction alone).

The garret bit isn’t true any more, thanks to the Internet. There are author loops, there are author groups (such as the RNA, RWA and RWAus, for romance writers); and you get to connect with readers too, nowadays, through blogs and FB and Twitter. And it’s lovely, because you get to know if you’ve done your job right and entertained someone because they’ll talk about your book if they enjoy it; and you also get to know people who do the same job as you and understand what the sticky bits are like, and can come up with suggestions for fixing the hole you’ve written yourself into. (It’s a two-way thing. And brainstorming solutions with other writers is great fun. Especially the tangents.)

It’s can be a double-edged sword, because it’s really tempting to chat a lot, to talk about films and books and music and food and gorgeous men. (Cue gratuitous mention of Antonio Banderas, my utter heart-throb.) But you also have people who will push you back to work – people who’ll challenge you to do a fast draft with them, or a 1000k/1 hour challenge. Or who’ll remind you to switch that kitchen timer on and do a chunk of work. It’s a community. One that cares.

And, best of all, you get to meet these people in real life… But that’s tomorrow’s post.

The writing process

Everyone’s is different, and mine has definitely changed since that first M&B. I used to write the beginning quickly and get stuck at the end; nowadays, it takes me loads of thinking time before I get started, and then it’s rapid.

Plotter or pantster? Ten years ago, it was plotter. Nowadays, it’s mainly plotter with a bit of wriggle room. I did try panstering something, and all I did was stare at a blank screen or play word puzzles online for a fortnight. I ended up with a very tight deadline for that book when I finally gave in and planned it. (Lesson there: try something, but don’t think you’re a failure if it doesn’t work for you. A different process might suit you better. Experiment until you find what works for you, and don’t worry if it changes over time.)

And I’m very careful about reading craft books. Friends of mine swore by Donald Maass and how his books helped them move their writing up a gear; I tried reading them, and it froze me for a fortnight. I was looking at my book with my head rather than my heart, and convinced myself that I was utter crap (aka a really bad attack of the Crows of Doubt, as Julie Cohen would call it). It took me a while to get back to normal. (For the record, Liz Fielding and Kate Walker have very good guides to writing romance – they’re kind and full of common sense, much like the authors themselves. And I’d also recommend Sarah Duncan’s blog for writing exercises and generally making you think without freezing you. And all three of them will be guests at my blog party, so keep an eye out for them!)

So how do I write a book?

Character comes first, along with their conflict. I start with a two-page outline, which I agree with my editor (and we have an unspoken agreement that if I get a lightbulb moment when I’m writing, i.e. a deeper conflict or a better solution, go for it). Basically it’s a one-liner for the hero and heroine, a paragraph each on their conflict, and then the events in the story.

Once it’s been agreed, I break it into chapters, then start writing. Because I’m a plotter, I know where I’m going, I know what motivates my characters (and I just have to remember to make sure that’s on the page and not still in my head), and I know how they react to things. Sometimes research is involved, and I’m a bit of a ‘method’ author (so it’s probably just as well I don’t write crime!). I like to walk in my hero and heroine’s shoes. So, for example, with Rico Rossi – I have been to every single place in Rome mentioned in the book. I’ve put my hand through the Mouth of Truth. I’ve pedalled a Riscio in the Borghese Park. (And, OK, so I was obsessed with the Colosseum as a kid. Write what you know…) I’ve also made the two-tone icing for the cakes and taught someone how to use an icing bag (cough, was nothing like the book, though I had a lightbulb moment for that scene). For my first Cherish/Harlequin Romance, I dragged my husband off to ballroom dancing lessons (and I probably doomed us because my heroine found the waltz really tricky – we’re, um… oh, let’s just say we’re a lot better at Latin). And if there’s a scene at the seaside, that probably means I had a yen for the sea and we had a family research trip mid-book.

Actually writing it: I tend to write in dirty draft. That means note form, not properly paragraphed or punctuated, and just get the words down. The following day, I’ll tidy that up and it gets me back in the story enough to do the next bit of dirty draft. And so on until the end.

Once that’s done, it’s a read-through and check for continuity (especially if I’ve changed a name). And then I email it to my editor.

And then it comes back from my ed with revisions, and it’s ALWAYS ‘dig deeper’. (Or ‘lose the elephants’, or ‘take the reindeer out’ – though then I had a lightbulb and put in a few more and she let them stay.) You’d think, now I’m on book 54, that I’d know how to do it and not get slapped with revisions. Um... Nope. I certainly hope my books are better now than they were ten years ago, but it’s my editor’s job to make me try harder and shine more, to make it a better read. So it’s dig deeper, hope there are only two sets of revisions, and meanwhile start thinking about the characters of the next book.

And if I get really stuck on revisions, two certain writer friends who share my editor and know what she does/doesn’t like will bounce ideas with me (actually, we’ll do it for each other). And sometimes there are parcels of emergency chocolate. Or emergency lunch. (That sounds a bit bad – but it’s really not an excuse for a jolly. Sometimes you need to step away from that screen, talk it over with someone who isn’t as close to it as you are, and who can make you laugh out of panic mode so you can take a more balanced view of it.)

So that’s it in a nutshell. And if you see me playing word games, I’m not skiving off – I’m thinking. Ditto playing Beethoven :o)

How it all began...

This is going to be a bit of a self-indulgent week, so I will apologise for that in advance. But I think I have just cause, as it’s the lead-up to the biggest milestone in my career to date. On publication day, the party starts and goes on for – well, ages and ages, because my friends are really generous and wonderful. I have lots and lots of guest posts coming up, with a chance to win books on each. Plus I’ll do the odd door post to win a signed copy of my 50th. It’s worldwide (and so are my guests).

So do come along and leave comments – we all love talking to our readers, and my guests are all from the NICE side of publishing. No snark, no meanness – just nice people you’d enjoy having dinner with and talking and laughing with them until your sides hurt. I know Kate Walker dubbed me ‘Scary Kate’, but that’s actually because I write fast. I’m very far from being scary in real life. I’m middle-aged, short and round (well, a little less round since I’ve been going to the gym three times a week), I make great cookies, and you’re assured of a warm welcome here. Too shy to comment? Then I’d like to say thank you any way for your part in my career, i.e. reading my stories.

How did my career as Kate Hardy begin? I guess we should go back to when I was a pre-schooler. I’ve always written. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t making up stories; I could read at the age of two and I was definitely writing before I started school. My dad used to have those Challenge duplicate notebooks for work (the carbon paper was known as ‘magic paper’ by me) so he used to keep me supplied in notebooks and paper. To keep me busy in the holidays, my mum would give me a title, and I’d go and find myself a quiet corner and write a story. The early stuff (sadly, none of which survives) was all sci-fi, because I was a tad obsessed with the moon. (We queued for 5 hours to see a piece of moon rock at Norwich Castle when I was five or six. The ‘method writing’ thing – of which more later in the week – started early.) On my sixth birthday, my parents bought me a proper manual typewriter. From there, I wrote pony stories (influenced heavily by Elyne Mitchell’s ‘Silver Brumby’ series and the Ruby Ferguson ‘Jill’ series) and ghost stories.

In high school, I was always writing a novel (firstly Tolkien-inspired stuff, and then schoolgirl romance). By then, I had an electric typewriter. And when we had no money after moving in to our first house, my then-fiancé said I really ought to have a proper computer as I was going to be a published writer one day – and he bought me one of those little Amstrads that came with a printer and a narrow floppy disk. (That’s when I knew I’d definitely made the right choice of future husband, because he really believed in me. This is the man who built me a library – well, hired a builder to remodel the house and included a room for my books. The man who doesn’t mind being dragged off on research trips, and who puts up with quite a lot in the name of research. Superstar. And yes, he’s why most of my heroes have blue eyes.)

I had a few short stories published in my early twenties (including by Virago), and I tried for M&B and had a couple of rejection letters. [Big shout-out here to unpubbed writers – if you get long rejection letters, it means you have promise so you KEEP SUBMITTING – you don’t think ‘oh, they don’t want me’ and give up, as I did!] Then I wrote a string of erotic novels for Headline, NEL and Black Lace in my mid to late twenties. (No, I’m not telling you the names I used for them – I’m not ashamed of them at all, but my writing style has changed, and I’d want to rewrite them all in the light of what I’ve learned in my career.)

When I was pregnant with Chris, I went freelance, working as a copyeditor and a health journalist. I still wanted to write romance. And I watched an awful lot of medical dramas on TV. When I was pregnant with Chloe, Gerry suggested I should try writing ‘one of those doctor-nurse romances’. I decided to read a couple, to see the sort of thing M&B were looking for. And I discovered Caroline Anderson and Jennifer Taylor and Maggie Kingsley. Fabulous stuff. OK, I thought. When the baby’s here and things have settled down into a routine, I’ll give it a go.

Righty. This is the weepie bit. At seven weeks, Chloe had bronchiolitis. I was writing an article on it at the time, and wondered if I was being super-paranoid and she just had a cold. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. As it was the day before our doctor’s surgery was due to shut for Christmas, I took her in to be checked over. The GP sent her straight to hospital. Chloe spent the next week in hospital – on her first Christmas, she was being fed by a tube and was on oxygen – and I spent every day at her bedside. The only way I got through it was to start writing my own medical romance. My agent loved the outline and first three chapters. So did M&B. I had to do several rounds of revisions, but A Baby of Her Own was accepted on Chloe’s first birthday in 2001 and published on her second, and Ottakar’s gave me a huge launch party with balloons and a bouquet. Talk about feeling special. It really was a dream come true.

Oh, whoops – I forgot. After my editor accepted the book, she told me I needed a new name, as she wanted to make a distinction between my nonfiction and my fiction. My two best friends from uni (aka the children’s godmothers) happened to be coming to stay for ‘early Christmas’, so we sat down with a bottle of wine and brainstormed it. Hardy was obvious, because my special subject in my third year at uni was Hardy’s writing; and the most popular name in our year at school was Kate. So that’s how I became Kate Hardy, ten years or so ago.

swifts, swallows and Spidey

Current work: Medical (aka M&B #54)
Listening to: Richard Addinsell, Warsaw Concerto
Reading: next on TBR

We’ve actually had some sunshine this week! And DH is one of those who, the second the sun appears, announces that we’re going to have a barbecue. So I haven’t had to do anything more than chop salad for dinner, this week. (I will tonight, as it's dance class and we won't have time to fit everything in otherwise.)

Was very nice chilling out yesterday afterwards, lying on the trampoline and looking up at the blue, blue sky. We were trying to work out if the birds swooping overhead were swifts or swallows. There wasn’t a mega-obvious fork in the tail, and they were very high up, so we think they were probably swifts. And there were some enormous dragonflies, too.

Apart from that, what have we been doing in the holidays? I’m keeping my gym routine, but shifting it to a 7.30 am start. Which means I can be home to spend the whole day with the kids, and maybe do some work in the evening. (Dear ed. I am thinking about it.) Yesterday was a quick blitz on some school uniform, a new music book for Madam, and then we went to see Spiderman. The cinema’s air conditioning was broken, so we were forced to eat ice cream. (Ha. As if I ever need an excuse for ice cream. The middle of winter is ice cream weather on Planet Kate.) There was a quick fix for me: sticking a bottle of chilled water on the back of my neck. (Learned that one from the lovely Chillow.) And it was much less humid and horrible than the nights have been, this week.

Spiderman was superb. I liked the Maguire films, but this one really raised the bar for me. There was much more depth of character (and growth of character, too), and the story was brought very much up to date. I was blown away by Rhys Ifans – I always thought of him in reference to his Notting Hill role, so this was a revelation. Beautiful acting, great use of tension, moments that really made me laugh (anyone with a teenage boy will understand just how quickly a fridge can be stripped), and moments that made me cry. Highly recommended. There were some trailers we quite fancied, too – this might turn out to be the summer of the action flick for us :o)

summer holidays start here

Current work: Medical (aka M&B #54)
Listening to: Jon Lord, Boom of the Tingling Strings (kudos to Classic FM for making him composer of the week – he wrote some lovely classical stuff as well as the rock side)
Reading: next on TBR

Really relaxing weekend. Started with quick trip into town with DH on Saturday – I wanted to get the Pandora bead for book #53. (Nearest I could get to a bluebell - is a pretty, stylised spring flower.)

Henry V and a glass of Chablis in the evening - real treat. Tom Hiddleston is absolutely superb as an actor and I’d love to see him playing Hamlet as I think he’d bring a lot of depth to the role.

Sunday, DH went to Brand’s Hatch to see the Superbikes, so the kids and I had a chilling-out day. Playing games, watching Ratatouille (forgot how much fun that film was), and then a bit of a jam session, switching between piano and guitar, before chilling out and talking too much. (Both my kids are articulate and good company – I enjoy being with them, and although I’ve enjoyed every stage I do think that each year just gets better.)

Today, the sun is actually shining, which is a great start to the summer hols. Had an early session at the gym (lots of cardio today with circuits, and I thoroughly enjoyed it), then picked up the new Now compilation for littlest on the way home as well as croissants (note, latter were NOT for me). Holiday routine is really nice: early gym session, home for breakfast with the kids, then a little bit of work and the rest of the day spent with them. Am also sorting out blog posts and pics from my lovely, generous friends who are involved in the massive party to celebrate my 50th M&B – there are some absolutely fantastic books on offer as giveaways, and it’s something different every single day. It all kicks off on Friday next week, and I might be a bit boring about it before then, but…!

whoo-hoo - and the end of an era

Current work: Medical (aka M&B #54)
Listening to: Def Leppard
Reading: Jodi Thomas, Welcome to Harmony (enjoying - really like the relationship dynamics in this one)

First, the woo-hoo – had an email from lovely, lovely ed yesterday saying that she’d accepted #53, now known as ‘The Brooding Doctor’s Redemption’, and out in the US and UK in February 2013.

Even more of a woo-hoo – it’s been a very long time since I only had one set of revisions. So I’m utterly thrilled. (And there was an emergency trip to Sainsbury’s last night for a bottle of Chablis – that’s how I celebrate book sales with DH, and I never, ever keep Chablis in the house because it’s tempting fate. I learned a very, very hard lesson two years ago about assuming that just because I have a contract the book will be accepted. I never take anything for granted now.)

And I’m really looking forward to going into town with my daughter tomorrow and choosing the Pandora bead for the book. (That’s my personal celebration. Also happens to be good doubt-bashing material - tip for new authors, celebrate your successes with something visual. Then, on bad days, you have a reminder that you've done it once so you can do it again.)

End of an era? It’s littlest’s last day at junior school today, which means a totally new routine in September. I’m looking forward to the future, but she’s had such a good time at that school (and done well there) and it’s sad to say goodbye after 7 years of involvement with the school. But I do wish all the teachers the very best for the future, and thank them for helping shape both my children into rounded individuals. It’s not just about the academic achievement, whatever Ofsted might like to think. I'd rather my children also had the chance to learn a few life skills.

Have a nice weekend, all :o)

do you see a pig?

Current work: Medical (aka M&B #54)
Listening to: Boccherini
Reading: Nicola Cornick, Notorious (enjoyed very much)

We had a massive storm last night, and it was glorious to watch. Once we were home, that is – driving through it wasn’t very nice, especially when the hail started. Visibility was a bit iffy, to say the least.

But, as soon as we were back, we found the best viewing spot in the house (living room window) and enjoyed the show. Even the dog (he was happier when all four of us were back, though we had left him with son).

I would love to take a really spectacular lightning photograph. Now, I know that means using a decent camera (SLR, really) and a tripod, and probably either bursts or long exposures (or maybe even both). But, by the time you’ve set all that up, you’re missing the storm. So the shots I took were hand-held on a digital compact, through glass. Although I didn’t get a spectacular photograph, when I reviewed the ones where I thought I’d just caught the reddish light at the bottom of the stormclouds, I spied this…

I see a grumpy pig, nose to the left and a big ear coming down. What do you see?

last week of term...

Current work: Medical (aka M&B #54)
Listening to: Vaughan Williams (Thomas Tallis)
Reading: Nicola Cornick, Notorious (I was looking forward to this as it’s another of her Scandalous Women of the Ton series – love the premise behind this one about women being paid to be matchbreakers)

Sooo – last week of term, and it’s busy. I’m in the middle of sending tons of emails re my big blog party (which is going to be SUCH fun and last for ages, and I have some really fabulous guests – but obviously also takes organising. Juggling this between my own deadlines and those of my friends is, um, interesting, and I’m quite humbled that everyone’s being so accommodating). In the meantime, it’s report season (both kids had pretty much what I was expecting, so I’m very pleased with both of them); and daughter is doing the Y6 show. We went last night, and it was hilarious. They worked really hard at singing, dancing and acting (and it was well scripted). But when they did the slide-show of our kids, showing them on residential trips and doing cross-curricular activities, and the whole year sang ‘Rule the World’ - let’s just say I don’t think there were many mums there with dry eyes.

Grumpy teenager informed us this morning that today is the last day of term worth going in for. (Tomorrow is the rescheduled sports day – hmmm, rain? – and Friday is a half-day as it’s the last day of the academic year.)

Other than that, work is ticking over nicely (until revisions hit again – ho ho); the Kate Unlardy project seems to be ticking along nicely, too (including the ‘eat more’ business – I couldn’t quite break my check-the-scales habit this morning, but I’m going to relax a bit now). The protein shake taste-test is going well, too. Bought a shaker at the gym this morning, and that makes a huge difference to the texture. The latte flavour is a little bit on the sweet side, but is bearable. With a 7.30 training session, I’m not going to be able to face breakfast first, so swapping breakfast and the mid-morning snack (i.e. shake before workout, breakfast after with the kids) is going to work really well. NB this isn’t a shake diet. (Don’t think I’d last long on one of those, because I enjoy real food and cooking too much.) This is all to do with muscle repair, so shakes are only for workout days.

Life’s going to feel very different in September, with both children at the same school for the first time ever. So I’m hoping for a quiet, chill-out summer.

skivingitis

Current work: Medical (aka M&B #54)
Listening to: Beethoven
Reading: Victoria Lamb, Witchstruck (I was expecting this to be good because she’s a friend and under another name she writes wonderful poetry – and I enjoyed it very much. Looking forward to the sequel, now!)

Lovely weekend. Henry IV part 2 on the Beeb on Saturday night (Jeremy Irons, Tom Hiddlestone, Simon Russell Beale, Alun Armstrong – fantastic cast, beautifully acted, and I was close to tears at the last scene between Henry IV and Hal – superb use of emotion). Especially nice as it was accompanied by a glass of pinot grigio and, ahem, raspberries with Greek yoghurt.

Sunday was spent sorting out the spice rack and baking cupboard (actually, to be fair, most of that was my daughter, bless her). And we had breakfast out. We were going to do the usual at M&S, but we forgot that the shops don’t open until 11 on Sunday and arrived in town a little bit early. And, as Carluccio’s was open… All I can say is that eggs Florentine and good coffee is a lovely start to a Sunday :o)

Actually, I’m feeling a teensy bit guilty because I went Carluccio’s today as well – lunch with one of my best writer mates (it’s her birthday = excellent excuse). But I did work hard at the gym this morning (skipping! Haven’t done that since junior school) so I earned the chicken and lemon risotto, garlicky spinach and white chocolate panna cotta. And we discussed books and plot points, so there was work involved. It just happened to be enjoyable work! (#noguilt)

New cover!

Current work: (don’t ask, because you know what I’m struggling with)
Listening to: Bach
Reading: next on TBR

Here’s my new cover for my September book, ‘Once a Playboy…’ – and very nice it is, too!

This week has started pretty well. 

The Kate Unlardy Project continues, and I’ve just discovered a new bonus – better blood pressure measurements. In fact, better than since before I was pregnant with my eldest, so that’s very good going. 

I’ve also discovered that this week I’ve moved up to #4 in the M&B top ten with my 50th book – so thank you VERY much to everyone who’s put me there. You’ve really made this book special for me. 

And daughter had a very nice school report yesterday. 

And I won a book thong on Sherry Gloag's blog tour. 

Four nice things. Life is nice, right now. Quiet, balanced and happy. Long may it stay that way.

Now back to the salt mines :o) Onwards and upwards!

why I love social media

Current work: revisions (yeah, I know, still – have I mentioned how much I hate doing revisions?)
Listening to: Beethoven (my box set of the complete symphonies is through, yeehah)
Reading: next on TBR

Social media can be a timesuck, and I’m terrible when I’m procrastinating. (Look away now, dear editor – it’s when the writing isn’t going well that my FB feed is really busy.)

But I see it as being a bit like the water-cooler in the office. It’s my virtual office, because I work from home and I’m here on my own with the dog all day. Every so often, I need a break and a chat. I love it when people recommend a film or book or a piece of music they think I’ll enjoy (note, not touting for business, but people with similar tastes who say, ‘Have you tried this?’). Or swapping recipes. Or sharing beautiful pictures, witty cartoons and the kind of dry, slightly sarcastic humour I like. Especially the stuff with wordplay.

And it really came up trumps for me, this week. It’s been muggy and miserable, and one of my FB friends sent me a link to a website with a cooling gel pillow which she said might work for me and help me sleep. I had a look, rang them up and had a quick chat, and ordered one.

Last night was muggy and miserable. And, for the first time ever, thanks to the gel pillow, I slept through it without having to get up and sit next to a fan for 20 minutes to cool down, then be like a zombie from lack of sleep the next day. So thank you, Kate MacDonald, for recommending something that worked beautifully.

Had it not been for social media, I might not have met Kate – or a lot of other very nice people I know online. (Sure, there are mean people out there, but I believe that everyone’s nice until proven otherwise. Not rosy-tinted glasses, either, because it’s quite rare that people disappoint me by being mean.)

So I’m raising my mug of coffee this morning to social media. And long may it stay that way!

in the top 10!

Current work: revisions
Listening to: Take That
Reading: too hot and tired to concentrate and enjoy book treats properly :o(

Thank you very much to everyone who bought my 50th M&B and put it in to the top 10 on the M&B website today. You’ve really made my day!

Ginger

Current work: revisions
Listening to: Take That
Reading: (when I catch up with myself... Christina Courtenay's timeslip arrived today and I so want to read it RIGHT NOW but I must behave)

Ginger?

Yep, it's the first Tuesday at the month, so it's my Kate's Kitchen slot over at the PHS, so I'm doing ginger biscuits. These are a real favourite in this house. I forgot to take a pic last time I made them, so I had to make some last night to illustrate my blog post. (Is that the most creative excuse ever for making cookies?) Plus we wanted to try out our new cookie cutter. Littlest and I spied the sunburst in Lakeland on Saturday. (The lady in the shop told us that all husbands go white when they see their other half with a Lakeland bag... so it's not just mine!)

Elsewhere today

Current work: revisions, and thinking about new book

Listening to: Beethoven (my symphonies have arrived!)

Reading: next on TBR - very behind with my reading at the moment

Am over at the Medical Authors' blog today, talking about my new-found passion :)

Update on the Kate Unlardy Project - well, six weeks in, and I'm still going (and still enjoying it).  Three times a week at the gym - not so much on the swimming side, but I've been busy with work. I will try to do better during the holidays, mainly because I intend to talk littlest into coming swimming with me. 

As I'm losing fat but gaining muscle (which weighs more than fat), I'm not seeing much of a difference on the scales. So I'm going by the tape measure instead. Measuring day is the first of the month. So in six weeks I've managed an inch off my bust, waist and hips (that's each, not added together). And - drumroll - a whole inch off my upper arms! The team at the gym say they can see the difference; DH also says he can see the difference (even though he wasn't that tactful!).

But the big difference isn't really in my shape. It's in my confidence. I've had a couple of seriously rubbish years, and I've been faking confidence I really haven't felt. But right now, thanks to my gym sessions, I've been moved a bit out of my comfort zone and I'm doing things now I never would've thought I could do. And that's had a very nice knock-on effect on my confidence. (It's not just the endorphin rush, either!) It's good to have my bounce back, and long may it stay there.

Zealous, now? Nope. Because the only person who can change yourself is you. And you have to want to change, and to want to do it for the right reasons (sustainable ones - in other words, for yourself). If I'd tried this six months ago, it would've failed. But six weeks ago I'd come to the right decision for me, for the right reasons, and it's working.