The versatile wonder of Harlequin, Kate Hardy, will join us Monday, October 13th. Kate not only writes for Harlequin Presents/Mills & Boon Modern, but she also writes Medical romances for Harlequin as well.
Here’s a bit more about Kate…
Kate Hardy lives just outside Norwich, England. She’s always loved books and could read before she went to school. She always knew that she wanted to be a writer, and her parents bought her a proper typewriter for her sixth birthday. Her first stories were all about ponies or outer space, but then she discovered Mills & Boon when she was 12 and decided this was what she wanted to do.
Following a degree in English, Kate started work as an accountant, and hated every second of it! All the clients asked why she wasn’t working in PR — so she went into marketing communications for the next 10 years. In between studying for two sets of professional exams, Kate continued to write short stories and novels. And her husband supported her every step of the way, even buying her first computer for her!
When Kate’s son, Chris, was born in 1997, she decided to go freelance so she could spend time with her baby. She became a health journalist and copy editor but never lost her love of romance. When Kate was pregnant with her daughter, her husband suggested combining her two loves by writing medical romances. Kate started reading them and was instantly hooked.
At six weeks old, Chloë spent her first Christmas in the hospital with bronchiolitis. The only way Kate could cope was to pretend it was happening to someone else — so she started writing A Baby of Her Own in longhand at Chloë’s bedside. Her agent liked the first three chapters. So did Mills & Boon. The final manuscript was accepted on Chloë’s first birthday, and published on Chloë’s second birthday.
When she isn’t writing medical romances or health articles, looking after the children or raising funds for Chris’s school, Kate enjoys relaxing with the family — going to the beach, playing games, reading stories and watching films. She also loves cooking (but not the dieting that goes with it) and she reads a lot. She’d quite like to try rappelling, parascending and scuba diving, but as she’s terribly clumsy, she thinks it’s much safer to let her heroines do it for her.…
Kate most recently was awarded the RNA Romance Prize (a UK equivellant of the RWA Rita Award) for Breakfast at Giovanni’s (US title ‘In Bed With Her Italian Boss’)!
Read more about Kate at eHarlequin.com.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Yea! I love your books, Kate! I have read a few of your Medical romances, but it’s the Presents that I like the most. You have such a unique way of describing everything that puts you right into the story and into the characters’ lives.
I’m going to try to drop in again Monday, but it will probably be Tuesday before I can squeeze in more time. But I’ll definitely check in soon to read your post!
Hi Casey – thanks so much for the compliment! You’ve made my day :o)