Thursday, January 07, 2010

My First Kate Walker - Kate Hardy

Today's fellow author who is talking about the first time she read one of my books is the prolific and award winning Kate Hardy

Sorry - no - amend that - she's actually talking about the first time she met Kate Walker! And her favourite five books.



Actually, Kate wrote this before Christmas as you can see but as life has been pretty hectic I've only just got round to posting it.


Kate's latest title in Harlequin Presents is her Modern Heat title Temporary Boss, Permanent Mistress which has a setting that is so appropriate to the UK's current freezing and snowy weather.


Here's what Kate has to say:

Being a Bear of Very Little Brain at the moment (Christmas + snow + children home for two weeks + deadline = distracted author), I can’t honestly remember my first Kate Walker book because I’ve read her books for so very many years… but I *do* remember the first time I met Kate herself. So I’m going to cheat and tell that story instead (if Kate doesn’t mind!).

It was at a Mills & Boon authors’ lunch, a couple of months before my very first M&B was published, back in September 2002. I was already a bit starstruck when I saw the table plan and realised that the people sitting near me were people whose books I’d known and loved. When it came to dessert and everyone moved round, I think I might’ve had that ‘wet-behind-the-ears author, in rabbit-in-headlights mode’ look about me. But then this really nice woman came to sit next to me, chatted to me and put me completely at my ease… and then, after pudding and just before I took a sip of coffee, she said, ‘I forgot to introduce myself. I’m also Kate, by the way – Kate Walker.’

O. M. G.

Someone whose books I’d read for years. A Big Name Author. And she made time to talk to a complete and utter nobody at her first authors’ lunch.

Just over seven years later, I still remember that kindness. And over those seven years I’ve celebrated her 50th book with her, and I’m so pleased now to celebrate her 25th year in a glittering career. Congratulations, Kate.

My top five Kate Walker books:

Th
e Spaniard’s Inconvenient Wife (that wedding dress…)
Desert Affair (the dining table *almost* made this #1, but the wedding dress did it for me)

The Twelve-Month Mistress

The Hostage Bride
The Sicilian’s Red-Hot Revenge

If you want to know what Kate's talking about when she mentions the weddingg dress for The Spaniard's Inconvenient Wife (the cover does give a clue) and the dining table in Desert Affair, you'll have to read the books! The Spaniard's Inconvenient Wife is a 2005 book (but it's also available in the Alcolar Family Collection ebook bundle) and Desert Affair was published in 2003.
You can find out more about Kate H and her books - both Modern Heat and Medical - on her web site or read her blog

2 comments:

Caroline said...

What a lovely blog! I too am looking forward to seeing Kate W soon Kate H! (Fishguard here I oome!) Some day I hope to be able to write about it too....Take care. Caroline x

Kate Hardy said...

You'll definitely enjoy Fishguard, Caroline - I've been privileged to sit in on talks by Kate W at the RNA (and I've done a workshop with her in the past, too, and been on a panel with her) and she's a great speaker!

 

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