Scandal: His Majesty’s Love-Child
Annie West

“…majestically romantic!”
Hope C.

Rating:

The final book in Harlequin Presents’ Dark-Hearted Desert Men mini-series, Scandal: His Majesty’s Love-Child by Annie West by Annie West is majestically romantic!

A spirited tale of a tortured second son—Prince Tahir Al’Ramirz, who had been exiled at a young age by his abusive, dictator of a father—will have you enthralled with figuring out how he will overcome the demons of his past and build a future. It all starts when Tahir is asked by his brother to return Qusay after their father dies for Kareef’s coronation. Only his journey home isn’t as smooth as one would hope. Tahir’s helicopter goes down during a wind storm injuring him, all but stealing his memory replacing it with is past nightmares, and then sending him into the arms of the beautiful Annalisa.

Annalisa is on a journey of her own…read more or buy Scandal: His Majesty’s Love-Child now!

I always think of the  beginning of September as the ‘new year’ – well, the new academic year anyway. I suppose it’s because of all those years when school started back at this time, the the college year just a little bit later. Then years of being a mother with a school age son, married to a teacher  . . . all that added up to make me associate this time fo year with new beginnings and fresh starts, almost more than January 1st.

So it seems appropriate that  right now Harlequin Mills and Boon are announcing their brand-new look with fresh exciting cover designs, and giving readers a sneak peek at them over on their UK web site.  The new covers are being launched in September  and the whole range of  Mills and Boon romances are going to look very different.

What I  – and I think most authors – like about these new covers is the way that there is a new image a new individual look for each of the different lines. No longer is the Romance line  a pale pink version of the Modern covers and those Modern covers a blue version of the purple Historicals or the soft green Medicals.  Now each line has its own unique style, ranging from the dark blue of the Modern romances (still keeping that  traditional colour but in a new and sophisticated way) to the stark black and white  with just a flash of red on the Blaze covers.

The Historicals have a lush period look, with a  rich colour and the cover image in a half-circle and now the Medicals have a fresh red and white colouring to match the ‘red cross’ image of emergency services.

There are changes in emphasis too, with many of the line s – particularly the Modern Romances (the ones that will later be released as Presents)  displaying the author’s name with much more prominence. At last it is being acknowledged that, within the  range of Mills and Boon/Harlequin romances, while the readers come to the shelves because they know the quality of the books the publisher provides, it is the individual author’s work they choose to buy.

Perhaps one of the biggest changes will be the way that, starting now, and later  – at the end of this year – the Romance line will be changing and blending in with some of the books originally sold as Modern Heat. The traditional Romance type of stories are  now appearing in the re-named Cherish line (still with the traditional pale pick shading on the cover) . Then in the New Yera, some romance authors and some of the Modern Heat authors will be launched in a new renamed line – Riva.  The covers here will be very different too, and the editorial focus will be changing and developing slightly so watch out  for that.

Finally, much to the delight of the Modern/Presents authors particularly, the titles are going to be changing too. Gone are the over-used buzzwords that have become something of a joke as different combinations for Billionaire, Virgin, Mistress. Revenge etc are tried, ending up with a long string of titles that are almost indistinguishable from each other.  New style titles are slowly coming in and will be more common in the future – titles like my own The Good Greek Wife? which  has been released in the UK and will be out in Presents EXTRA soon. Other new-style titles coming up are: The Undoing of De Luca, The Bride Thief, The Man  Behind the Mask,  Giselle’s Choice, Reckless in Paradise.  I’m hoping that these new titles will be much more intriguing and will hint more at the stories – and the range of  contesnt – that is in the romance I love to write and you love to read.

So what do you think? I’m excited by this new phase   in the history of the company that has been publishing romances for over 100 years and reinventing itself every now and then to keep fresh, interesting and exciting. Do you like the new covers? The idea of the new titles?  I know I’m looking forward to seeing the first of my books with the new design cover and the new-style title. This will be in March 2011 when my book The Proud Wife comes out then.   At the moment it seems that the American  editions will still keep their tried and tested look, but  some of these changes may make their way over the ocean and into the bookshops in USA too.

I’d love to know what you think!

Meanwhile, my next book with a  traditionally styled Presents cover but with a slightly different style title – The Good Greek Wife? will be published in Presents EXTRA in  The Greek Tycoons mini-series in October.    You can find out all my latest news on my web site or my blog and that’s where you’ll get the first glimpse of  any new covers or titles I have coming up.

PS If you’re planning on entering the great new Mills & Boon New Voices contest and because of this  you’re looking for a copy of my 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance – and I know lots of you are as you’ve all be asking about it. This book is currently being reprinted but there are still a few  – jut a few copies left!  I checked with the publisher and there are just  20 copies in the UK and about 25 in America still available. So if you want to know more or find a link to where to buy, check out the Writers page on my web site for full details, specially for the USA edition.

And Good Luck to all who are entering.

Oh help – I nearly missed the date!

I’ve been so very busy this past couple of weeks that I barely registered the fact that it’s June, let alone the way that two weeks – two weeks! – of the month have already gone by and here it is June 15^th  already. And that means it’s time for my Kate’s Corner blog  and – oh help again!  – I haven’t got a subject to chat about prepared.

Unless – well,  let me tell you why I’ve been so very busy – It’s the sort of thing that people don’t realise happens  when  I say that I’m a writer. Writers write, don’t they ? That’s it? That’s what people think is all there is to being a writer. You sit down at the desk and you write. You write until you finish the book – and then you send it in to your editor.  Most people realise that then there are revisions – and then the editor hopefully accepts it – and then you  wait till you get the book in your hands. And in the meantime you sit down and  write another book.
I wish!

Looking back at the past few weeks, it’s a bit of a haze – a haze of busyness.  Let me see, I have (with Heather’s help) updated my web site. There’s a new book coming out. The Good Greek Wife? is out in the UK on July 2^nd  so I have to plan for that and publicise it, let readers know it will soon be on the shelves. This book is a bit special – it’s a special commission that my editor gave me and it’s based on one of the Greek Myths so I had an article to write about that. You can see that on my web site if you want to read about it. Then there was a new contest to plan.

This time I have a special contest – well, it’s special to me. I’m running this one jointly with my special friend and wonderful writer Michelle Reid. We both have books out in the UK at the same time – Hers is Mia’s Scandal and mine is the one I’ve already mentioned The Good Greek Wife. This has happened before about this time of year so we’ve run a joint contest to celebrate – and this year we’re doing the same. You can find the details on my blog or my web site if you’d like to enter and have a chance of winning a signed copy of each of these two great books.
What else? Well, there were home and family things – visits from friends and from my MIL  – and, well you  know how these things happen. You have visitors coming and suddenly you look at the room they’re going to stay in and it looks a bit shabby – so we’ve been painting and redecorating – and adding new curtains and bed linen . . . The same with the dining room. These are the things I don’t get time to do when I’m writing.  I’ve also had a complete sort out of my office, moved everything round, cleaned, reorganised.

I’ve also had boring things like accounts to do, even more boring things like visits to the dentist, eye tests . .  The cats had to have their booster injections and the garden was getting terribly overgrown (that’s what happens when you concentrate on the passionate love life of a sexy Sicilian instead of what’s happening behind your own back door!) . And  next month is a really busy month (is there anything different?)  In July I’m teaching at the Romantic Novelists’ Association Conference   in Greenwich London – and then two weeks after that I’m teaching a course on Writing Romance at the wonderful Writers’ Holidays in Caerleon in Wales.

I have critiques to do  – for the RNA’s New Writers’ Scheme and one I promised for the Brenda Novak Auction . There are letters to write,  new bookmarks to plan  – and oh yes, posts to create for blogs! Like this one.  

And the truth is that I’ve been so very busy that I really hadn’t thought of a thing to write  until I sat down here and started to tell you what’s been happening.  But  at least I’ve created a blog out of that. And just listing everything that’s been going on (and believe me this is only part of it!)  has given me some sort  answer to that question – just where has the time gone?

So that’s what’s been happening to me this month – how about you? Has it been busy, or frantic – or quiet (if so I envy you!). Have you had time to relax or like me have you been chasing your tail? 

 The problem is  though – now all this is done and I finally feel like I’ve caught up just a little but, there’s a new book to write and another deadline way too close . . .and  I’m going to have tp sit down and writer. That means that everything else will get neglected and when I finish, I’ll have to try to catch up all over again! 

But I wouldn’t really have it any other way.

Kate’s latest Presents EXTRA The Konstantos Marriage Demand is still available  and in the UK  she has The Good Greek Wife coming soon. Look o0ut for this book in Presents EXTRA in October 2010.

 You can find out more details on her web site or on her blog

Harlequin Mills & Boon’s The Balfour Legacy series of books are trumped full of scandal, seduction, secrets and more.  You’re not going to want to miss one of these fabulous books.  They will be released in a set from Mills & Boon but will be released under slightly different names when they hit the US in Presents format.  For instance, you’ll find Mia’s Scandal when in the UK but Mia and the Powerful Greek when seeing it in the US.  And Kat’s Pride will be Kat and the Dare-Devil Spaniard.  The covers aren’t even the same people!  It’s crazy.  Anyway, don’t get used to thinking they look like the covers you’ll see here (the prettier ones, I think!).  Just use  your imagination and let it develop into the image of the character the author describes.

Absolute scandal has rocked the core of the infamous Balfour family. The glittering, gorgeous daughters are in disgrace… Powerful tycoon Oscar Balfour has only one option – to cut his daughters off from their lavish lifestyles. He draws up a set of rules that each of his daughters must abide by, enlists his most powerful contacts and sends each girl on her way to learn the lessons of life…and love! They’re sent to the boldest, most magnificent men to be wedded, bedded…and tamed! And so begins a scandalous saga of dazzling glamour and passionate surrender…

Eight Sexy, Determined Women, Eight Powerful Men…and One Scandalous Family!

Mia`s Scandal

By Michelle Reid

Billionaire Oscar Balfour’s daughters are the darlings of the tabloid press – so it’s no surprise that the arrival of an illegitimate Balfour girl sends the gossip columns wild! Mia needs to learn the gilt-edged ways of his world fast. Brooding Greek tycoon Nikos takes her on as his personal assistant. Can he come to her rescue?

Kat`s Pride

By Sharon Kendrick

After another of Kat’s exploits makes headline news, Oscar Balfour calls in a favour. Spanish tycoon Carlos Guerrero will employ Kat as cabin crew on his luxury yacht. Trapped in the middle of the ocean with the most fiercely sexy and powerful man she has ever met, can Kat swallow her pride and learn the most important lesson of her life?

Emily`s Innocence

By India Grey

She ran away from her fairytale lifestyle when she’d discovered her father was a cheat and a liar. Now she’s struggling to make ends meet. When Prince Luis Cordoba sees Emily teaching underprivileged kids to dance, he instantly recognises a Balfour heiress. But Emily’s pride won’t make it easy for the prince to rescue her – especially when she’s uncomfortably attracted to him…

Sophie`s Seduction

By Kim Lawrence

All the Balfour girls are glitzy, glamorous and gorgeous – except Sophie. Convinced she’s dumpy and plain, she avoids the limelight. But her father has had enough and arranges a new job for her working with Sicilian Marco. Sophie knows she’s not pretty enough to catch the eye of such a powerful man, yet he seems determined to seduce her. Does he have an ulterior motive…?

Zoe`s Lesson

By Kate Hewitt

Everyone’s talking about Zoe – the illegitimate heiress! So her billionaire father Oscar sends her to New York to discover her biological roots. Zoe’s still raw from the knowlegde that she’s not a real Balfour. She intends to block out her pain by partying, but Zoe shocks even herself when she spends one no-strings-attached night with a gorgeous stranger.

Annie`s Secret

By Carol Mortimer

Annie is a single mother who adores her young son – but as one of the notorious Balfour girls, she has to work hard to give her baby a normal childhood. Then a chance meeting forces her back into the world of Luca de Salvatore, the gorgeous father of her child! Luca doesn’t know that he has a son…and Annie has to tell him!

Bella`s Disgrace

By Sarah Morgan

Bella Balfour, fashion icon and wild child, is not enjoying herself. Her father has sent her to the middle of nowhere – it must be to punish her for her scandalous behaviour. She has to get back to civilisation! So Bella steals a horse and heads for the nearest city: the sheikhdom of Al-Rafid. Bella finds herself trapped in the desert with devastatingly gorgeous Sheikh Zafiq Al-Rafid and, on a whim, pretends to be an anonymous, everyday girl.

Olivia`s Awakening

By Margaret Way

After her uncharacteristic behaviour made headline news, buttoned-up Olivia Balfour has been sent far away from home. The English rose will work for Clint McAlpine – a cattle baron who’s as fierce and untamed as his Outback station. But she’s shocked when Clint informs her that she’s entirely at his beck and call. It’s almost impossible to shake Olivia’s composure. But the heat of the Australia sun – and her new boss’s kisses – are fast melting the ice queen.

Ready to get your copies? ;-)  Find them all at Amazon!

It recently came to our attention that the ebook bundle that we participated in selecting with Harlequin is definitely making an impact on some readers.  Specifically, Jane at Dear Author was inspired to by reading The Brazilian’s Blackmailed Bride to read more of Michelle Reid’s wonderful stories.

And Jane isn’t alone.  I’ve heard of a few others who were caught by Margaret Mayo’s book,  Surrender to the Millionaire and both Anne’s and Kate’s books as well!  So have you downloaded your copy?

I never meant to write a trilogy. The start of The Alcolar Family trilogy came when I was asked to write an on-line read for eHarlequin.com.  That was a real challenge! Getting a passionate emotional story into 10,000 words, and ending each episode of it on a cliff-hanger so that readers wanted to come back and read the next instalment.

The story I came up with was Wife For Real  and the hero was Alex  Alcolar, the illegitimate son of aristocratic Spaniard.  It was in the next to last instalment of this story that I suddenly found that Alex not only had a Spanish father but he also had two brother – Joaquin and Ramon, and a sister, Mercedes.   As soon as I wrote those names, and I realised that the people I had created had a complicated  family history, I knew that I had to write it.  I had the father – Juan Alcolar who had three sons and a daughter. One son and one daughter were  from his marriage to his wife but the other two sons were from affairs he had with two other women. That took some explaining.

First I had to get the idea past my editor.  I can still remember the warm summer day when we enjoyed a lunch sitting outside beside the river Thames and talked of my plans and ideas for the future. One of which was the idea of writing the story of the three other members of the Alcolar family. Luckily she was  as keen on the idea as I was and so the next three books were contracted and I was given the go ahead  to write the mini series. (She also gave me a fabulous idea for one of the most important scenes in the second book – The Spaniard’s Inconvenient Wife  when she told me about a  bridesmaid’s dress she had to wear for a friend’s wedding. But that’s another story.)

Once I had the go-ahead, I had to plan out the series. Not just one but 3 separate and  yet linked books. It was the linking that made it more complicated. If I put some fact  into one of the books, I had to note it down because it couldn’t be changed in another story. And I’d already created some of the family’s story in Wife For Real.  The first member of the Alcolar Family I created was Joaquin – the oldest, and only legitimate son.  And because he was the only legitimate son part of his story had to be about how he felt about his father’s behaviour. After all,   his father had been  unfaithful to his mother not once but twice. (The whole story about that came out  in the later books.)

So Joaquin was the eldest and  he was rather different from his father. Ramon, the second son was much more like his father- and that’s why I created the nickname the Lone Wolf for Joaquin. He was a man who had created his own world, set himself to doing what he wanted and not following his father’s path in life.  He lived by his own rules and one of those rules was that he didn’t believe in lover. Or in lasting relationships. And so he had the rule that he was never in any relationship more that twelve months, so that the relationship didn’t  have a chance to break down as his father’s relationshoips had done.  That was why the book had the title it has – The Twelve Month Mistress.

Of course then in the romance my hero came up against Cassie who was, it turned out, the one woman he couldn’t   break up with at the end of a year.  But being the determined man he was Joaquin might well have acted to break off that relationship anyway, just in case, in order to avoid the problems his father had created.
So I had to find something that would make him go over that twelve month deadline whether he wanted to or not. And the way I did that was I pushed him down the stairs!  I remeber telling my author friends that I was going to push my current hero down the stairs and they didn’t believe me! But I did just that.I wrote a scene in which Joaquin fell down the stairs, hit his head – and when he came round he had  temporary amnesia so he didn’t  know his time with Cassie had reached that critical point.

And this was where part of the fun of writing a trilogy came into things. Because  Joaquin’s brother, Ramon was in the story and I was able to introduce him to my readers ready for his own next book.

One of the really interesting things about writing the trilogy was that my readers all had their own very favourite brother – or the hero of the 3^rd book in the trilogy, Jake.  Lots of readers loved Joaquin  best , others voted for Ramon. Heather from this site of course loves Joaquin – she has told me that The Twelve Month Mistress is her favourite ever of my books. That’s why she chose it as part of the fabulous We Write Romance.com Selects Presents Blogger Bundle And she’s not alone. Back in 2006 when I ran a poll to see which of my books was my readers’ favourite – The Twelve Month Mistress came top of the poll, collecting up the most votes of any of my books. I’m running that poll again this year to mark my 25^th year of being published and Joaquin’s story is still there – up there in the top 10, currently at number 7.

It was an experience writing The Alcolar Family trilogy. Would I do it again? I’d love to if I had  stories that all linked together.  I’ve done a couple of duos but right now I’m busy with some special commissions that my editor has asked me to write – the first of which is coming out in the UK in July. But when those are done you never know!

What about you? Do you like books that are linked in a miniseries? Or do you prefer stand-alone titles?   And if you’ve read The Alcolar Family, which of the books – or heroes – is your favourite? Do you love Joaquin or prefer his brother Ramon?

I’d like to send special thanks to Heather for putting my book The Twelve Month Mistress into the WWR special ebook selection. It’s a  great honour to be there – along with some other really great books by fabulous authors. Thank you Heather!

Kate Walker’s latest Presents hero appears in The Konstantos Marriage Demand which is published in Mills & Boon Modern on January 15th. It will be out in  America in Presents EXTRA in March.

And of course one of her earlier books, The Twelve Month Mistress is also featured in a brand- new ebook ‘Bundle’ We Write Romance.com Selects Presents – one of the Blogger Bundles now available on eharlequin.com.

You can find out more about Kate and her books by visiting her web site  or get the really up to date news on her blog.

I hope everyone has a great holiday! The blog is on a bit of a hiatus until the new year. And with the end of 2009 comes a lot of new and exciting changes for WeWriteRomance. Among the new look that will be showing up in pieces along the site throughout January, there are new blogathons coming along.

In January, the Presents Authors will be here to share about their stories that will be in the Harlequin eBook Bundle, Blogger Bundle Volume II: WeWriteRomance.com Selects Presents.

Then in February we’ll have another Harlequin eBook Bundle celebration with the authors from our Reviewer’s Pick bundle. More on that to come.

So stick around and check in often for more exciting news from the authors you love!

Hello again 

I can’t believe that it’s already December 15^th and a whole  month has passed since I  last posted in Kate’s Corner.

Or do I mean since I first posted in Kate’s Corner because that is what that post was – my first.  I had lots of great respoinses  with some questions to anser and requests for things to talk about  and I’ll hope to get to those as I have more time and more posts. Because at this time of year we all have so very little time don’t we?  We have gifts to biy and wrap and deliver. Cards to write.  Food to buy, prepare and cook. Visitors to share out home with or p[arties and celebrations to go out to.
Celebrations. Yes – this holiday season is a time for celebration and for me it’s a very special celebration on a personal level.  So that’s what I want to talk to you about this time.

If you’ve spotted  the wonderful banner that Heather has made for me and is now displayed  at the top of the We Write Romance Home page you’ll see that  December 2009 is a very important anniversary for me.  Because this month  marks 25 years – 25! – since the very first time I ever saw one of my own books in print. December 1984 was the month that my first ever title, The Chalk Line was published by Mills & Boon in the UK. It didn’t come out in America until 1992 – my first USA title was Game of Hazard. But The Chalk Line was the book that started it all off – a career writing and publishing romance that has lasted 25 years!

So this month and throughout the coming year, I’m celebrating the fact that I’ve now reached my ‘silver’ anniversary – 25 years as a published author. And people who know me well know that when I’m celebrating I like other people – my readers – to join in too. And this time is no different. I’m running a special contest on my web site with 25 – that’s right, 25 prizes to give away. And those prizes go to readers who let me know their first – and/or their favourite ever – Kate Walker title.

Can you remember the first Kate Walker novel you ever read? Were you right there at the beginning with The Chalk Line? Or have you discovered my books much more recently?

Tell me about your first time – the first Kate Walker you read. What book was it and what was happening in your life when you found it? Did you pick it up in a shop, find it in the library – or perhaps a friend or member of your family suggested you try it?

Let me know about the first book you read and I will publish the most interesting ones on my blog. I will also give a prize to anyone whose story I publish. You can win a signed copy of one of the backlist books I have a available, together with another small gift to celebrate Christmas and this special anniversary.

Send your First Book storiesto me – with FIRST BOOK in the subject line. Or share them with me in the comments section of this blog and I’ll add those into the special draw just the same. And I’ll add in two extra prizes just for this Kate’s Corner blog  – after all it’s Christmas and the time for special Presents! Closing date for all FIRST BOOK stories is December 31st 2009. But I’ll be posting some of the titles and stories on my personal blog before then.

Or maybe you’d like to vote for your favourites of my books – your Top 5 Kate Walker titles? If so, check out my Contest Page for details how to do that.

And I’m thrilled to be able to say that my writing career will be lasting even longer that 25 years as I already have two new title coming out in 2010 with The Konstantos Marriage Demand coming in Presents EXTRA in March and A Good Greek Wife? following that some time in the summer. (It’s out in the UK in July) So look out for those. 

One of the questions I’m going to be answering on a regular basis is the ‘What are your reading’ question – so to answer that  for this month. I just finished a Harlequin  Romance by Marion Lennox called Betrothed to the People’s Prince which I thoroughly enjoyed. And now I’m having a change of pace with a thriller by Zoe Sharp. Zoe is a friend of mine who writes great thrillers with an unconventional heroine – Charlie Fox who acts as bodyguard to a lottery winner.  I’m finding it fascinating reading this very different style of book from my own. Oh – and the title is Second Shot.

I’m going to try to please those of you who have asked and upload photos of  my  ‘furry gang’ – Dylan, the small grey tabby. Sid (A Cat of  Superior Breeding) and Flora The Floozie  the silver ‘shadow’ Maine Coon.  Wish me luck  – I hope it works.

If it doesn’t then I  need another lesson! But you can always see pics of them over on my personal blog  where you’ll also find my latest news.

Finally I want to wish you all a truly happy  Christmas Hanukkah or whatever you’re celebrating. I’ll look forward to seeing you again and chatting with you in the New Year. Don’t forget to post any questions you want me to answer  or things you’d like to discuss.

And I’d love to know which one was your ‘first’ Kate Walker  – or your five favourites. Sid will help me pick a couple of winners in a few day’s time.

See you in the New Year!

Happy Christmas and happy reading

Kate

Deadlines

by Annie West

When I first started writing fiction I didn’t really think about deadlines. Writing was an escape, an enjoyment, a way of avoiding the stresses of the day job by entering the world of romance I’d always loved. I had enough to do trying to tell a story with characters who were appealing and believable, a compelling plot, emotional highs and lows and riveting sexual tension.

Deadlines were the last thing on my mind. They belonged to that ‘other’ world – you know the one, where elegant authors pen their books in snug state-of-the-art studies before going out to meet friends for coffee or long champagne lunches, then return home to answer a little fan mail, perhaps write another scene then stop work for the day.

Yeah, right. Strange how reality is a little different. The world of the published author isn’t quite that straightforward or relaxed. I suppose I could indulge in champagne lunches on a regular basis but I suspect I’d never manage to work afterwards and there would go my productivity. Without those hours actually working on the book, I’d miss my deadline, something no writer wants to do.

As I type this I have a mug of coffee in front of me (far enough away to avoid keyboard spills). It’s decorated with a number of writerly quotes including one of my faves – from Douglas Adams: ‘I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.’ Writers I know nod and laugh a little nervously at that one. Most of us have felt under pressure from time to time to meet a deadline that seems impossible. As we’re in the business of writing, fulfilling our commitments (ie. providing a book that’s probably already been scheduled for production) is a necessity. Yes, deadlines can be extended and often are. Editors are generally understanding and realise that sometimes major events just get in the way of a book. On the other hand I also know writers who’ve been asked to bring their deadlines forward…ouch!

How to deal with these necessary evils? I say evils as I remember with a touch of nostalgia the days when all that drove me to finish a story was the desire the write and the hope of someone wanting to read it.

One multi-published author I know works out how fast she usually writes a book, calculates a completion date and then adds an extra week to her schedule for each member of the family (including the dog), knowing that one if not all of them are going to require major chunks of her attention in that time. Another author negotiates deadlines around school vacations so she can spend maximum time ‘off’ during the summer holidays with her children.

I know authors who regularly write into the wee small hours, longer and longer as the deadline (or dreadline as it’s sometimes called) looms closer. Rick Riordan said: ‘Deadlines just aren’t real to me until I’m staring one in the face.’. Some writers go without sleep in the final days to finish their book.  I’m of the other school – the idea of staying up all night to finish an essay an hour before it’s due always sent a cold shiver down my spine, though I’ve come close sometimes. I work better if I feel I’ve got a chance of managing my time through steady output on a regular basis. Sometimes I even make a note of how many pages I need to write each week as a minimum to get the book done on time. Of course, just when I think I’m doing OK, life throws a curve ball in the form of minor or major family crises which interrupt the schedule. But at least, as I hit panic mode I’ve got some of the book already done – such a relief!

How do you handle deadlines or, if you’re not a writer, those big looming commitments? Do you break down the task into little pieces and feel better as you finish each one? Do you relax and take time to map out in your mind exactly what needs to be done then finish it all in one concentrated run? Are you ruled by your calendar or do you forget key dates then have to play catch up? I’d love to hear your thoughts, suggestions and experiences.

To make it enticing to share, I’ll offer a copy of my December Harlequin Presents Extra release: BLACKMAILED BRIDE, INEXPERIENCED WIFE to one person who contributes to the discussion. I’m happy to say this book at least was easy to write within deadline. Once my hero, Dario, burst onto the page, my hardest job was typing fast enough to keep up with him and Alissa! It’s a marriage of inconvenience story where my poor hero and heroine find themselves marrying the very last person in the world they want to spend time with. It’s intense, passionate and emotional. If you want to find out more about the book visit my website or go to eHarlequin where you can read the opening.

Kate Walker is joining us on the 15th day of each month and sharing some sage advice, as well as some insight on her upcoming titles.  If you missed the first one, don’t fret.  We’ve set up a special category so you can find all of Kate’s posts in one convenient spot. :-)  Just look for the “Kate’s Corner” graphic (see this post too!) and click on it.  The graphic is linked directly to her posts.  You can also find this graphic on her website as well.

And if you missed it last month, don’t forget to check out Kate’s latest release, Kept for Her Baby.   Casey B. said Kept for Her Baby is ““…a masterpiece that will live in the hearts…for many years to come!” You can read the entire review here.