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Visit them by using this banner to find out more:

I decided I wanted to be a writer when I was nine years old. I loved books and couldn’t imagine anything more wonderful than telling stories for a living. I sold my first short story when I was 19 and after college went to work for a newspaper as a reporter. I freelanced for magazines and newspapers and wrote and sold more short stories. But it took me a long time to sell my first novel. I wrote seriously for ten years and completed ten book manuscripts before I sold my first book in 1997. I went on to sell a number of those previously unsold manuscripts later, sometimes rewritten, sometimes not.

Even after I sold, I would occasionally have a manuscript that didn’t sell. Some of these were only partial manuscripts — a few chapters and a synopsis. But some of them were complete manuscripts. Ever once in a while I take out one of those and read through it and ask myself if there is anywhere I might sell that story.

A little over a year ago I was cleaning out closets and found one of those manuscripts. It was the story of a man who gets out of prison and goes home to do right by the woman he loves and their son. I had just started writing for Harlequin Superromance and as I read through my story, I thought "This sounds like a Superromance story." I like the characters and the story, so I pitched it to my editor. She agreed to buy it. That story is out this month "The Father For Her Son." It did some considerable rewriting from that original manuscript, but the basic story is the same.

I think some manuscripts — and some favorite books — can stand the test of time. Do you have old favorites that you continue to revisit? What are some of those comfort reads?

THE FATHER FOR HER SON

Harlequin Superromance
January 2010

Life hasn’t been easy for single mom Marlee Britton, but she’s proud of her ability to look after herself and her son. Then old flame Troy Denton shows up after seven years, wanting to be a father to his son and to rekindle his relationship with Marlee. While Troy struggles to prove himself trustworthy, Marlee wonders how she can ever give her heart to the man who broke it so long ago.

Buy The Father for Her Son at Amazon!

“MELTING POINT" in BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE

with Jennifer Greene and Merline Lovelace
Harlequin Anthology
January 2010

Kristjan Gunnarson is Iceland’s first ever Olympic medalist. Coloradoan Stacy Bristol thinks he’ll be the perfect model for her new advertising campaign, but she isn’t prepared for the impact handsome Kristjan has on her. As she supervises filming around Iceland, Stacy fights her attraction to Kristjan. Can a down-to-business American and a footloose Icelander find love in the land of ice and fire?

Buy “Melting Point” in Baby It’s Cold Outside at Amazon!

A bit about Cindi…

Cindi Myers became one of the most popular people in eighth grade when she and her best friend wrote and illustrated their own historical romance novel. The manuscript was eventually confiscated by her English teacher, who told her she should spend her time learning to properly conjugate a sentence. Since then, Cindi has gone on to write more than three dozen novels, both historical and contemporary. She also teaches writing and is a popular speaker and workshop presenter. She produces a weekly market newsletter at http://www.cindimyersmarketnews.wordpress.com Visit her website at http://www.CindiMyers.com

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.