Tweaked Greeks

Well, the intensive concentration on tweaking Zarek Michaelis last week had the desired effect. Yesterday I heard from my lovely editor and the book is bought and will be published in July 2010.


Yes - July - that's why there was that tight turnaround necessary.



Two interesting things about this book that make it a bit different from the usual -


1. It's the special project I was asked to do where four authors - myself, Lucy Gordon, Robyn Donald and I think Catherine George (need to check on that one) - were asked to write books that updated one of the Greek Myths. The story I chose was Odysseus and parts of his story form the background and some elements of Zarek's story. I've even stolen the name of his wife - Penelope - for my heroine.

2. This is my first book to have been given a title under the new policy for creating titles - so instead of - what? Maybe The Greek Tycoon's Something Wife? I have - A Good Greek Wife?



So what do you think? I think it's about time the plethora of Italian/Greek/Billionaires etc etc came to an end and some more interesting and imaginative titles were used and it looks like this is starting to happen.

Any comments? Thoughts? Would that make you buy the book more? Or intrigue you? Or not?

I'm off out into the rain and wind. I'm going to York because now that Zarek and his Good Greek Wife are dealt with there's somehting called Christmas looming on the horizon and I have a list of gifts I need to buy.

Then tomorrow my editor and I will be discussing a new 'exciting project' that they'd like me to be involved in. More when I can tell you.

Oh yes- and the count of countries visiting this blog has hit the magical 150 mark - with a visitor from Jersey! Funny, I never actually thought the 150th would be so close to home. I've spent some fabulous weeks in Jersay and have some wonderful memories of the beuatiful island. I love islands and this one of my favourites.

Welcome Jersey! What took you so long?

Kate's Corner etc

Well, that was a week - the revisions for the Greek Myth book had a very fast turnaround date on them to catch a slot that had been saved so I concentrated on that for most of the week. I felt like I barely looked up from the computer. Now I'm hoping to have a little time to breathe. And maybe to read.

But I have to catch up with so much - and clean out my office so that I can find the floor - it's in here somewhere. And I have emails to answer . . . and blogs to write. . . which reminds me

Today is the day that I start my brand new monthly blog - Kate's Corner - over on We Write Romance. So if you're looking for me on the 15th of each month, that's where I'll be. I posted my first blog there today.

Last night, my treat to myself for finishing the revisions was a lovely indulgent read - I have a TBR pile that is taking on a life of its own - I swear those books are breeding. So I'm going to grab the chance to read one or two - or more. First up (and I've been longing to read this) was the latest Anne McAllister - One-Night Mistress . . .Convenient Wife. And it didn't disappoint.

The Savas brothers are great heroes. I don't think I can pick a favourite - This was Christo's book. I can't wait see what happens with George. (OK I admit, I' ve been getting hints from Anne about what happens to George - and I really can't wait to see what brings him out of his laboratory!

Today was wonderfully mild and sunny, unusually for November. So we were out in the garden, weeding and planting wallflowers. And we had an unexpected visitor.

A tiny, mini Heck. This must be the latest of the Heck the hedgehog family and officially he's a nocturnal creature so he really shouldn't have been wandering around in the garden in daylight. In fact he should have been curled up safe and warm in the hedgehog house and busy hibernating. But there he was, bright and active. I suppose the sunshine had brought him out.

Or perhaps he was hungry. He would need plenty of food to fill him up and fatten him for the hibernation so we fetched the left over cat neat and some hedgehog crun chies and put them out on the lawn near to him so he could fill up quickly and easily. He loved the hedgehog crunchies and we could hear him munching his way through those. Then he scuttled back to the hog house at the bottom of the garden.

I managed to get some photos of him before he want - so here are two of them. Seen up close, he (she? I don't know how you tell with Hecks) he doesn't look that tiny - but he was - so I've posted a pic of him with the Floozie and as you can see, by comparison with Flora he is small.

Remembrance Day

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Reasons to be Cheerful - 4

I've been looking forward to doing this for ages . . .

Well, it seems like ages because I've known about this from the beginning and I've watched it grow and known that today - the Big Day - was coming soon.



So today I'm really thrilled to let everyone know about a brand-new, very special web site (to me) that goes live today.


You've heard about him a lot on here, - that's the Babe Magnet aka the writer of the Grim and Gruesome - Stephen Wade.


You know the wonderful designer who designed and runs my web site - Heather Reed from We Write Romance and HR Web Concepts



So put the two of them together - and no, in this case, I haven't minded at all that my husband has been in close contact with another woman! - and you get - fanfare and trumpets :

http://www.stephen-wade.com

And the site goes live today. Just in time for the publication of his latest book - DNA Crime Investigations - on cold cases solved using DNA.

Why not take a look and see what the Babe Magnet gets up to. There will be more to add soon, but today is launch day so I'm celebrating.

Congratulations Babe Magnet - and thank you Heather.

Blogging elsewhere

I'm over on the Pink Heart Society blog today, talking about one of my favourite TV programmes. (I have time to watch TV??)

Well, it's also research as it stars this man who is of course the inspiration for Ricardo in Kept For Her Baby.

Somethimes this job is just so hard . . .

Reasons to be Cheerful 3

People have been wondering where I am so just to reassure you - I'm busy tweaking the Greek into submission (almost) but I also have some more good news to share so I thought I'd just report in.

First I welcomed my first visitor from yet another country - Guadaloupe - on to my blog this week. That brings the total of different coiuntries to 149. I wonder if and what will make it to 150.


Then I had another wonderful review for Kept For Her Baby. this time from Romance reader at Heart


Kate Walker's KEPT FOR HER BABY is a story about love, commitment, and the scars deceptions can leave. It is more than a quick read; this tale has depth and emotional connections that are admirable given the brevity of thebook.

Lucy will do anything to see the little boy she's left behind-including rowing a boat to a secluded island, stealing on shore and hiding in thebushes to catch a glimpse of the little guy. Her love is so real and unrestrained that the reader can't help but realize the pain she endures watching the man she left behind holding their son. Of course, Lucy is discovered, and Ricardo exacts his own sort of revenge for her having lefthim. They both harbor serious misconceptions about each other, but when they begin to listen-really listen-to each other, they find they have both been wrong about things concerning their marriage. I inhaled this short book. The mix of cultures, and the beautiful setting,captivated me.

Well done!

Kay James

Thank you Kay!

Thirdly, as you know I often work with the great romance web site We Write Romance. Well, recently Harlequin Digital asked them to sponsor a special ebook bundle of their choices of books. The first one to be issued will be WWR's Presents Choices - and one of my backlist books (The 12 Month Mistress) is in the bundle. If you read your romances as ebooks then this collection will be available from January 1st.

And also with WWR, they have asked me to do a special monthly blog called Kate's Corner over on the WWR site on the 15th of every month. This is a place where I hope to answer questions and talk about things that readers have specially asked me to comment on - so I hope I'll see you there. And if you have a specific question, then you can let me know about it here.

One of the questions already is for me to talk about my cat - adding that I will know which one. I wonder if that came from a certain Sidney ACOSB (a cat of superior breeding.)

But talking about cats and all pets, of course tonight is Bonfire Night here in the UK so I hope all pets will be safe indoors with the curtains drawn so that the bangs and crackles will not upset them. I know that my three will be staying well inside. And the only fire that Flora the Floozie will get close to will be the one in the grate - like this -


That is, if she can beat Dylan to the fire-spot which is not something he willingly relinquishes to any cat, even is she thinks (knows) she is a princess.

And Sid? He doesn't do fires indoors or out, so no doubt he will be helping me to tweak the Greek all evening.

Tomorrow I'll be blogging over on the Pink Heart Society where I'll be talking (in part) about the man who was inspiration for Ricardo in Kept For Her Baby and the heavy duty research involved - ie watching one of my favourite TV programmmes.

Have a fun Bonfire Night if you celebrate it - but keep safe.

Blogging around again

It's November 1st - the first Sunday of the month, so I'm in my usual spot over on Tote Bags 'N Blogs today.

This time I'm talking about your favourite place to read - and what's on your TBR pile. Why don;t you come and join me and tell me what you're reading - and where?