Hit the road!

This is a very rare photo of me and Mr Kate-together. I have permission from the great man to post it, mainly I suspect because it contains plenty of his other loves-cars. The car directly behind us, with the stripe, is his pride and joy a 360 Stradele. What's not to like? And as you can see we are surrounded by Ferrari's

This Sunday, we got to go on a mini-Ferrari rally. It wasn't supposed to be competitive but with over a hundred Ferrari's and some very A type personalities, I suspect there was some major jostling for position along the way. I told Mr Kate very firmly that if he raced I would throw up and that was the end of it.

We were sent on a 65 mile loop of back roads that eventually took us back to the Infineon race track where the Ferrari Challenge race series was being held over the weekend. During the journey we got a little lost when we got lazy and simply followed the person in front of us-we took a block long detour and came back out where we'd started. We also managed to miss the exit off the freeway seeing as there was a bit of too-ing and fro-ing with some other Ferrari's and everyone missed the exit :)

It was fun and people along the way seemed to enjoy seeing that many Ferrari's at once-not a sight you often see on a Sunday morning! A couple of drivers who got caught up in the middle of great big bunches of Ferrari's usually gave in and pulled over to let everyone go past-too much pressure I suspect. Although there were some Prius drivers who seemed to be quite happy to sit amongst the evil fuel guzzlers and make us all feel bad.

When we got to the race track, they let us all out in a very organized manner to do a lap around the track! This was exciting for me as I've never done that before. Mr K is rather blase about it having done a couple of racing courses there. Of course we only got to do about 30 MPH which was a little disappointing but it was still cool!

Romantic Times Conference

I'm back and the conference was...an experience. It was at times chaotic, awesome, hilarious and downright amusing. But the opportunity to meet fans, reviewers, booksellers and other writers was too great to miss. Meeting someone who has flown all the way from Australia to buy romance novels, including yours, and watching as someone retrieves a copy of your book for you to sign from their bag is a special experience.

This is Mari and me at the Fairie Ball, glamming it up, Mari is the sparkly one!

It actually made me realize that I don't write in a vacuum and that there really are people out there who read and enjoy my books! It was also an opportunity to re-connect with some of my favorite writerly folk and meet some new ones. Writers are a strange breed. We emerge blinking into the frenzy of a conference of over a thousand chattering people. Some of us step back and observe, and others let rip!

Of course, at my age, I'm an observer. I'm proud to say that there's no risk of any risque photos of me emerging from RT at all-unless someone photoshop's me of course :) And yes, there were cover models, lovely guys for the most part although I didn't get into any conversations with them, just admired from afar. With a nineteen year old son of my own, somehow most of them just didn't do it for me :)


Tawny and Erica take top honors in the costume contest!

I was amazed at the effort some folk put into their costumes for the Fairie ball, Ellora's Cave Golden Era of Hollywood night and the Vampire Ball. I just put on any old thing and turned up and boy, was I underdressed!

The book signing was also fun. I was amazed at the constant stream of readers and book buyers. I sold several books and got to chat to some fans-yeah-I had some-it was so cool!! Luckily for me I always get to sit next to the amazing Kayla Perrin at the signings-it's alphabetical-and we always share a few laughs. This came in handy when just before the book signing ended, the whole ballroom was plunged into darkness. We decided that Fabio must have arrived at the hotel and sucked all the energy and female hormones out of the air.

Here we have Sharon Page another great Aphrodisia author and the lovely Kayla Perrin

Big thanks to Lilian Feisty for the photos - I didn't even try and take any this year mine are usually so bad...
More soon!

Simply Sinful

Now I 'know' it's not shouting Regency, but it is still beautiful, especially the guy:)

Simply Sinful comes out at the beginning of November this year. Here's the blurb:

A Wicked Proposition...

Forced to wed at a young age, Abigail Beecham is tired of living in a sexless marriage. She longs to succumb to the delicious pleasures of pure carnal lust that she has only read about. And if her husband James can't satisfy her erotic needs, he's ready to find a man who can.

A Wild Past

Peter Howard is accustomed to unusual sexual requests. His seven years as a slave in a Turkish brothel left his skilled in sensual delights. But there is little that actually arouses him-until he meets James and Abigail. Maybe now he'll finally experience that exquisite feeling of bliss he so desperately desires.

It was so much fun to write this book, mainly because I knew the characters so well. But it didn't turn out quite how I anticipated-you'll have to read it to find out why :) The best thing is, I get the opportunity to write two more in this series. So look out next year for "Simply Shameless" which is about Madame Helene, and another, as yet untitled, about Anthony Sokorvsky.

I'm off to the RT convention tonight, so if you're coming, please pop by the book signing and say hi!

Simply Sinful

Now I 'know' it's not shouting Regency, but it is still beautiful, especially the guy:)

Simply Sinful comes out at the beginning of November this year. Here's the blurb:

A Wicked Proposition...

Forced to wed at a young age, Abigail Beecham is tired of living in a sexless marriage. She longs to succumb to the delicious pleasures of pure carnal lust that she has only read about. And if her husband James can't satisfy her erotic needs, he's ready to find a man who can.

A Wild Past

Peter Howard is accustomed to unusual sexual requests. His seven years as a slave in a Turkish brothel left his skilled in sensual delights. But there is little that actually arouses him-until he meets James and Abigail. Maybe now he'll finally experience that exquisite feeling of bliss he so desperately desires.

It was so much fun to write this book, mainly because I knew the characters so well. But it didn't turn out quite how I anticipated-you'll have to read it to find out why :) The best thing is, I get the opportunity to write two more in this series. So look out next year for "Simply Shameless" which is about Madame Helene, and another, as yet untitled, about Anthony Sokorvsky.

I'm off to the RT convention tonight, so if you're coming, please pop by the book signing and say hi!

Simply Sinful

Now I 'know' it's not shouting Regency, but it is still beautiful, especially the guy:)

Simply Sinful comes out at the beginning of November this year. Here's the blurb:

A Wicked Proposition...

Forced to wed at a young age, Abigail Beecham is tired of living in a sexless marriage. She longs to succumb to the delicious pleasures of pure carnal lust that she has only read about. And if her husband James can't satisfy her erotic needs, he's ready to find a man who can.

A Wild Past

Peter Howard is accustomed to unusual sexual requests. His seven years as a slave in a Turkish brothel left his skilled in sensual delights. But there is little that actually arouses him-until he meets James and Abigail. Maybe now he'll finally experience that exquisite feeling of bliss he so desperately desires.

It was so much fun to write this book, mainly because I knew the characters so well. But it didn't turn out quite how I anticipated-you'll have to read it to find out why :) The best thing is, I get the opportunity to write two more in this series. So look out next year for "Simply Shameless" which is about Madame Helene, and another, as yet untitled, about Anthony Sokorvsky.

I'm off to the RT convention tonight, so if you're coming, please pop by the book signing and say hi!

Simply Sinful

Now I 'know' it's not shouting Regency, but it is still beautiful, especially the guy:)

Simply Sinful comes out at the beginning of November this year. Here's the blurb:

A Wicked Proposition...

Forced to wed at a young age, Abigail Beecham is tired of living in a sexless marriage. She longs to succumb to the delicious pleasures of pure carnal lust that she has only read about. And if her husband James can't satisfy her erotic needs, he's ready to find a man who can.

A Wild Past

Peter Howard is accustomed to unusual sexual requests. His seven years as a slave in a Turkish brothel left his skilled in sensual delights. But there is little that actually arouses him-until he meets James and Abigail. Maybe now he'll finally experience that exquisite feeling of bliss he so desperately desires.

It was so much fun to write this book, mainly because I knew the characters so well. But it didn't turn out quite how I anticipated-you'll have to read it to find out why :) The best thing is, I get the opportunity to write two more in this series. So look out next year for "Simply Shameless" which is about Madame Helene, and another, as yet untitled, about Anthony Sokorvsky.

I'm off to the RT convention tonight, so if you're coming, please pop by the book signing and say hi!

Off to the Romantic Times conference!

I'm busy trying to get organized enough to go to the RT conference in Pittsburgh on Wednesday the 16th. Of course I also have to organize the family as well so that dear Mr Kate can get everything done. Today I bought 2 tubs of ice cream, 2 boxes of breaded shrimp and a dozen ice cream sandwiches so he's all freezered up on bribes.

Unfortunately the only direct flight I could get to Pittsburgh was overnight-so that will be fun! I get there at 6:30 a.m. I suspect my hotel room will not be ready for at least another 6 hours-hell...

I'll be sure and report back how it went!

Kate x

Simply...busy

It's been a busy few days. Spring break for the kids with the obligatory visit to the zoo and the movie theater. At the zoo, I spent at least 15 minutes watching a gibbon swing effortlessly through the tree branches with more grace and speed than the very best Olympic gymnast. My daughter wasn't impressed at all and tugged at my hand for about 14 1/2 of those minutes but I stood firm! The movie was "Horton hears a Hoo" which was also okay. Dr. Seuss books were just 'meant' to be made into movies!

Should be a gibbon picture here but blogger is not cooperating :) Oh! Here it is!



I also got busy with copy edits for "Simply Sinful". Got to love my copy editor. She pointed out that I'd abandoned my heroine's elderly chaperone at an inn in Southampton and forgotten to mention her for the rest of the book! (oops!) All fixed now and all those 10 day weeks I keep writing. It is amazing that you can read through a manuscript 15 times and still miss the obvious...

I also got this last week!

This was supposed to be a picture of my new cover for "Simply Sinful" but blogger won't let me load it at the moment, so I'll send it as soon as I can! All I can say is it's blue tones, the guy is gorgeous and the woman, not quite Regency. But overall it's still hot!

Cheers everyone!

the Booksigning!

I have to say that it was quite exciting to be doing a book signing. Mr Kate added to my nerves considerably by a) deciding to vacuum the lawn or something 15 minutes before we were supposed to be there and b)by telling me I'd got the wrong day just as we pulled off the freeway. I didn't laugh. He was lucky to survive.

Barnes & Noble even had a big poster at the from of the store with my name and the cover of "Roping the Wind" on it! Apparently, she had to down pedal the "Simply Sexual" one to avoid complaints from Saturday shoppers with kids, and I totally understood that. Debra, the B&N community relations manager loves romance novels and thank god for people like her-she was thrilled to see me, got me water and ice and even had a pen ready in case I'd forgotten to bring one!




So here I am, looking pensive as shoppers mill around me. I was strategically placed between the cafe and the new arrivals tables so I felt a little like a fish in a bowl, or one of those Victorian ladies waiting patiently at the side of the dance floor while being ignored by all the men.

And yes, people really do ask strange questions. My favorite was, "Did you write this?" Um, yes, otherwise why would I be sitting here? Of course, I didn't say that, I just smiled graciously and admitted it. I REALLY DID get asked where the bathroom was as well!!



Look! Real people in a line, for me! Okay, so I know some of them, but hey, they came out to support me and buy my books so I love them all.

Because of what I write, I expected a few oddballs as well, and yes, they turned up to say hi, every time Mr Kate wandered off to read Motor magazines. I 'think' they just wanted to see what an erotic romance writer looked like and I 'think' I probably disappointed them seeing as I wasn't dressed in black leather or brandishing a whip!

So,it was fun and Mr Kate took loads of photos, I felt famous for at least 5 minutes and that was quite enough for me :) Back to the writing cave!

Book Signing on Saturday!

Come and meet me in person!!

I'll have books to sign, bookmarks and candy!

Where:
Barnes & Noble Bookstore
Hacienda Crossing
Dublin, CA 94568

Time:
2-4 pm

Come save me from hours of boredom and Mr Kate from having to bribe people to come and say hi. I'd love to meet you :)