Kate Walker was born in Nottinghamshire, England and grew up in West Yorkshire. A reader from childhood, she's spent most of her life making up stories and writing them down. "I thought books were magic," she says. "So I always wanted to be able to write my stories down instead of keeping them in my imagination."
Although she was encouraged to stay away from writing as a career choice, her desire to stay connected to books never disappeared, and she spent her university years studying English and Librarianship.
She never lost the desire to write, though, and after marrying and having a child, she returned to her writing--in secret. "I had been keeping my writing a secret," Kate says, "because everyone had told me that I would never ever get published and I would do better to concentrate on a 'sensible' job...."
After two rejected novels, Kate found her place at Harlequin Mills & Boon with The Chalk Line in 1984. When she received the news from the editor, she was excited that she could finally tell her secret to her mother. The telling was bittersweet, though. "[W]e had just discovered that my mother had inoperable cancer. She died before my first book came out in print - but she knew that it had been accepted and that made it very special for me."
Kate has been writing emotionally charged stories for Harlequin Mills & Boon ever since.
"[T]here's a tremendous satisfaction," she says, "in knowing that I've proved wrong all those people who told me that I would never make a successful career out of my writing."
It's the 20th anniversary of her first published book, The Chalk Line, and Kate has a lot to say about this milestone in her career. "I've just completed my 44th title," she says. "I look back to the time when I dreamed of having just one book accepted and see how far I've come.... I'm happy with what I've achieved - but in a way I hope I'll never be satisfied - so that I can always keep reaching."
When asked the ever-popular question "Where do you get your ideas?" in our own interview with Kate, Kate answers, "When people know you're a writer, they're always keen to tell you stories they think will be interesting - and you can take a bit from one and another piece from a second...until you have a whole new idea." But, "[a]fter 44 books, it's really a challenge to find new ideas - though as I said, each new couple - the hero and heroine - make their own story, even if it has elements of a previous one."
Her goal has always been to write stories about people. Her books develop around characters she hopes readers will love, and she says, "...as long as I can find interesting characters, then I'll be able to keep coming up with their stories and telling them." We're glad to hear it, because Kate's books are a pleasure to read.
Kate has always enjoyed helping other writers, and she recently published her second writing how-to book, Kate Walker's 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. Shortly after publication, she was thrilled to learn that the book had won the CataRomance Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Book for Writers in 2004.
Kate has several current releases, each garnering excellent reviews.
Their Secret Baby (Harlequin Presents #2432) was a November 2004 release in the USA.
Caitlin has heard nothing good about Rhys Morgan, her cousin Amelie's husband. So when the dying Amelie makes Caitlin guardian to her baby by another man, Caitlin sees no reason to contact Rhys.
Except that tall, dark, irresistible Rhys believes that baby Fleur is his daughter. He'll use all his wealth, power and dangerous charm to get his baby back—starting by seducing Caitlin...and if necessary, taking her all the way to the altar!
A Sicilian Husband (Harlequin Presents # 2393) was a May 2004 release in the USA
Kate Walker's 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance also came out in 2004.
Kate's upcoming releases include The Twelve Month Mistress (Book #1: The Alcolar Family trilogy), The Spaniard's Inconvenient Wife (Book #2: The Alcolar Family trilogy), and Bound by Blackmail (Book #3: The Alcolar Family trilogy).
About the Alcolar Family trilogy, Kate says, "...I'd have to say that I'm really happy with the trilogy I just wrote (The Alcolar Family) because that's the first time I set out to write three closely linked books in which all the characters appear in all the stories." The Alcolar Family trilogy is Kate's first trilogy, and the first two books have already been released in the UK. "It was a great challenge and a lot of fun and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know a whole family rather than just one hero and heroine."
About writing, she says, "I really can't imagine any other way of life."
Kate Walker's books can be purchased at amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, or directly from eHarlequin.
