Resolutions, kittens and a new country for my books

First, next year's resolutions:

1. To be better at time management. This means getting in the habit once again of writing BEFORE I switch the internet on. Rather than just checking to see what is happening. I could be far more productive than I am.

2. To be better at weight management. Given certain health issues, it is going to be imperative that I manage my weight. It appears I am suffering not from repetitive strain, but from lymph oedema. Some people get swollen ankles, I have a swollen forearm. They are still doing tests but the big nasty things have been ruled out. (Apparently a swollen forearm can indicate breast cancer or deep vein thrombosis) It has been a stressful December but I am now officially interesting. Losing weight is supposed to help.

3. With my writing, I want to up my game and continue to work hard at providing the best story possible. So to be better at writing.

The kittens are growing quickly and are starting to explore. They had great fun on the stairs last night. Rushing up and down. Everyone in the house has been put under notice to keep the toilet lid down etc. There is no excuse when young kittens who are learning to climb are about!

The picture is of Mr Darcy on my desk. He is a cat whi is interested in technology. But he does need to learn that climbing up bare legs is not a good thing.

Finally, thank to my lovely CP, I learnt that Taken by the Viking was in Portugal this month. It is a new language for my books and I am really pleased. The cover is lovely. You can read more here. But the blurb reads:
A amante do viking

Encontraria a felicidade numa paixão que sempre considerara um pecado? Os vikings chegaram a dizer que vinham em paz, todavia, depressa Lindisfarne se viu em chamas. Annis de Birdoswald fugiu em pânico, mas não conseguiu escapar dos nórdicos. No entanto, havia um homem que a protegia: Haakon Haroldson. O viking arrogante levou Annis para a sua terra, afastando-a de tudo o que ela amava. Assim, agora Annis via-se obrigada a escolher o humilde trabalho que correspondia a uma prisioneira ou a vida de prazer pecaminoso nos braços do viking!
Fingers crossed that the Portuguese like it!

Looking back over a decade

I have a post today at the Pink Heart Society about setting and keeping resolutions. If anyone knows of any good tips, please join in.

Kate Hardy has looked back over her last decade and I suppose I should as well.

The noughties were the decade that I became serious about writing and became a published author. It did take a bout of gall stones in 2002 to really make me determine to succeed. I then sold my first piece in 2004, and finally sold to Harlequin Mills & Boon in 2005. The trick now is to keep writing stories and build on that success. Because you are only a writer if you write.
One of the great parts has been the many friendships I have made.
My children grew into young adulthood. Instead of being a mother of under 10s, I am now a mother of teenagers with my eldest in his first year of university. I have learnt how much harder it is to watch someone take exams etc, rather than actually going through it.
With our pets, 2009 saw the departure of Tuppence and Penny after 17 years and Joss after 10. It also saw the arrival of Tess & Hardy in May and the Squittini brothers -- Heathcliff and Mr Darcy just a few weeks ago. The population of ducks and hens has been a constant shift but they are not really pets...
The decade started off with my dh being determined to become a beekeeper and ended with me being beekeeper in chief after he discovered an allergy. The honey and the wax has been amazing.
The garden is now developing into the sort of place we envisioned. The hedges which were mere twigs in the ground a decade ago are shoulder high. It is more maintenance than anything but considering the bonfires, the clearing, the battles with nettles and brambles, it is proving worthwhile.
The house is no longer a project but remodelled and redecorated. It should stay this way...I have learnt mobile dishwashers do just as good a job as an electric one, can be fantastic fun and a way to bond with your teenagers. I am rediscovering the joys of a solar dryer as well.
We travelled and I was able to cross off a number of items on my life list. Highlights included Gettysburg and most of the American Civil war battlefields in Virginia, Norway, Rome, Prague, Sorrento, Pompeii, Istanbul, Iceland, and Venice. I think the next decade will be focused more on the Middle East and some of the places I have longed to go since a teenager. First up the Sinai Peninsula in March. I do enjoy travelling.
What will the next decade bring? I have no idea. Life is all about experiencing both the valleys and the mountain peaks. Let's hope there are more mountain peaks than deep rifts.

Black ice

It froze hard last night and there is a covering of snow on top of that. This meant walking the dogs turned into slipping and sliding. Tess now understands -- gentles -- and slows down. She looked most surprised when I tumbled on my bottom and slid into her. The only thing damaged was my pride...

The kittens have discovered the joys of sleeping in my rocking chair. They are rapidly growing.

Oh and I watched the second part of Cranford series 2 last night. Absolutely magical. It is just as good as the first series. I loved various small touches. And immediately ordered the DVD. I suspect it will be shown in the US and Canada soon. It is certainly a treat that should not be missed. I loved the small part that Tim Curry had...it added that little bit extra and the main romance was sigh worthy.

The wip goes slowly but steadily. It is the holiday season after all and an afternoon contest of Scrabble called....

Kittens and puppies

The kittens are growing rapidly. I will get my youngest to put his pictures on the computer as the stupid computer still does not want to recognise my camera.

Tess has decided that she is the kittens' mother and keeps trying to clean them, much to Heathcliff's disgust. Heathcliff however has decided his place is in front of the living room fire and the dogs are suppose to move when he enters the room. In the end, it ended in a compromise when all of them lying down together.

The kittens also staged a break out and were discovered legging it down the hallway to my dh's study. They then had to be lured from under the sofa and removed. Because of their small size and ability to get into tight corners, I prefer to keep them confined!

Hardy has discovered that he loves cat food and if any is left down, he has taken upon himself to finish it.

It remains cold here and so I am planning on taking my big Christmas present -- new hiking boots -- for another long walk. The hiking boots are wonderfully warm and support my ankles. I wore my last pair out...

The wip is coming along slowly but steadily.

Sold & Seduced available for pre order

Eharlequin has Sold & Seduced available for pre order on its ebook store. Sold & Seduced is coming out in DIRECT so this means there will be a limited number of print copies (only available through eharlequin) and ebooks. S&S is available for download and purchase in print form from eharlequin starting 1 January. It will be available to download from all other ebook sellers on 1 February.

Anyway I had my first peek at the cover. They used the UK cover which as long time readers may know was an inside joke from my then editor. It conveys the feel of the book rather an actual scene. And as a misheard conversation about Kate Walker's The Antonakos Marriage helped inspired it, the cover gives a more Presents feel.

Romance Junkies gave S&S five stars when it came out in the UK and said: With characters so vivid you can see them in your mind’s eye and a plot that will keep you glued to the pages awaiting each battle of wills between Fabius and Lydia. .

Sold and Seduced blurb:

In just seven days, she will beg for his kiss!
Lydia Veratia made one mistake – and now her freedom is forfeit to the man who all Rome knows as the Sea Wolf. Sold into marriage, the one thing over which she still has control is her own desire. So when Fabius Aro offers her a wager – if she doesn’t plead for his kisses in the next seven days, then she will have her independence – Lydia thinks it will be easily won.
But Aro is a dangerously attractive man. And Lydia is finding his lips more and more tempting…

You can read an excerpt here.

Merry Christmas

Twas the night before the night before Christmas and not a creature was stirring -- particularly not a mouse! As the attic is right next to our bedroom, I was pleased to discover one more greedy mouse exterminated. Various stocking stuffers were replaced yesterday...and are away from mouse nesting making...
When the kittens grow up, they are going to be kept busy. Luckily they are already fond of chasing catnip stuffed mice.
Heathcliff and Mr Darcy are also fond of scaling the Christmas tree and had to be removed several times.
The puppies have attempted to investigate packages...
Chaos and confusion reign.

Hopefully everyone is safe and well this holiday season. And as my sister introduced me to this song (she even went and found me a cd with this on!) and it does remind me of family far away and Christmases spent with them:

Mice also like chocolate covered Turkish delight

I went into the attic yesterday to begin my marathon bout of wrapping presents. There I discovered we had had more little visitors. Attracted by a bag of Robin food that my dh intended as a present for my youngest who is keen on birdwatching, the mice had wrecked merry havoc. They are obviously British mice as they had shredded one of my American flags. They nibbled a bar of chocolate covered Turkish Delight but left the Old Jamaica bar intact and did not touch the Rhubarb and custard creams. The mice also tore into the wrapping paper. Thankfully the mice did not get into any of the big presents -- although I suspect it was a close call as some of the boxes had been nibbled...
So I spent time cleaning the attic and moving the mouse trap upstairs. I will get another trap for the basement but the trap has been untouched for a week.
I then wrapped all the presents and moved them elsewhere. Because of the presents, no one else was permitted to be up there. At the end of the afternoon I was exhausted but all presents are now wrapped and out of the attic. The trap are set and the mice should be exterminated soon.

The kittens are growing every day and hopefully within a few months will be merrily chasing mice. Heathcliff has decided this morning that the computer mouse is an amusing toy. Mr Darcy is investigating my cup of tea. I was going to post a picture but Heathcliff and Mr Darcy managed to press the keyboard in such a fashion that the folder vanished. Kittens bring different problems than puppies.

Kitten on my lap

My old cats, acquired before I had a computer, never used to come and sit on my lap as I worked. Tuppence would come in and perch on the sofa and watch, occasionally comment but never feel the need to actively participate.

Mr Darcy (who is now asleep on the sofa) wants to help write and has taken to climbing up my leg and then jumping on the desk. Sometimes I suspect that his typing might be better than my own!

Heathcliff prefers my shoulder to supervise and now is asleep on my lap. He was not fooled by the blanket on the sofa trick. He wants a lap and every so often to be stroked.

There is something about a warm kitten, purring away.

The puppies are being good and have enjoyed their encounters with snow. However, the puppies are far too big to sit on my lap. Tess will lie at my feet when I work though and I will be glad when operation get the kittens used to the puppies ends. The puppies have worked out that the kittens are alive and that kitten food tastes good! The kittens seem to think the puppies are mobile scratching posts...

Kitten central and Mamma Mia in Newcastle

For a variety of reasons, my study has become kitten central. The kittens are mainly living in here while they get used to the big wide world and learn the intricacies of the litter tray.

The kittens are growing all the time and have discovered how to purr, chase balls and climb up the sofa. Heathcliff has also decided that Tess is a mobile scratching post and that sitting on my lap as I type is an excellent idea. Mr Darcy is a bit more refined. They have also decided in the absence of a lap, the 49ers blanket will do.

My daughter and I took the train to Newcastle to see Mamma Mia yesterday. The organisers of the show have thought about it and produced a brochure, giving train times, and finishing times of the performances. It is a five to seven minute walk from the station to the Newcastle Metro Arena.

Mamma Mia was excellent! Thoroughly enjoyable. At the start, there is a safety announcement for those of a nervous disposition -- white lycra and high heeled boots will be seen on stage!

The musical is slightly different from the movie and it was interesting to read that they have changed little bits to make the musical more accessible in each country that it plays in. For example, as the buses run on time in Toronto, they did away with the joke about you wait 20 years for a dad and three of them come along at once. The nationalities of the dads also change. In Australia, Bill Austin is Australian rather than being Scottish or Swedish as in the film.

Everyone could sing and special mention should be made of Kate Graham who played the high maintenance Tanya to perfection. The running order of the songs is slightly different and there are a few more songs in the musical version than in the movie.

The audience were dancing in the aisles by the end
I had thought the Arena might be bitter but it was toasty warm.
Anyway, Mamma Mia is highly enjoyable and was a fantastic Christmas treat. They have added an extra week and tickets remain available.

Meet the ultimate in mouse extermination

The kittens are Heathcliffe and Mr Darcy. They are both male despite the lurid pink kitten house. Some day they will grow into their names. Mr Darcy has s a white tip to his tail and loves kitten milk. Heathcliffe is all black (or rather charcoal with jet black stripes) and likes to climb. Basically they look alike except for the white tipped tail. Undoubtably the personalities will be very different.

The names are my daughter's choice as they are her big Christmas present.

Currently they are sleeping in her bedroom at night as we are not sure about how the puppies will react. Thus far the kittens have been willing to show claws to dogs' noses, particularly when the kittens are hanging off the top of the pyramid. They have also learnt how to climb up the sofa in my study.

It has snowed here and so we will be breaking out the sleds as the world is covered in white.

Persistence pays

Apparently there is going to be a BBC Radio 6 broadcast on Christmas Day about the panel sessions and some of the failures who went on to success. Jimmy Page narrates -- Kate Hardy please note.
David Bowie in 1965 was told he could not sing. Led Zepplin passed but the report said basically they were not the genuine article and were derivative and unconvincing. Marc Bolan's T-rex was considered execrable.
However, the bands improved and went on to great success. And it goes to show that what you do after a response is important. Creativity is not static.
Many times it is easy to concentrate on your field and think no one else struggles, no one else needs to be persistent.
The very lovely photographer who took fantastic photos of me and the dogs (hopefully I will get her permission to post them AFTER the article goes out) said that the thing that got her where she is was persistence.
In this world, in order to succeed, you need desire, dedication, determination, discipline and persistence.

In other news:
Heathcliffe and Mr Darcy are starting to settle in. My computer does not want to recognise my camera. My youngest has taken a few pictures with his new camera so I hope to post them soon.
Mr Darcy has a white tip to his tail. My daughter assures me that they will grow into their names. Somehow, seeing Mr Darcy hanging upside down from the kitten house roof, it gives a whole new perspective on the affair. Heathcliffe is charcoal gray with black stripes and enjoyed scaling the heights. They are barely six weeks old.
Tess & Hardy are slightly perplexed by them. Curious but welcoming. Heathcliffe paused from his exploration of the scratching pyramid to swipe at their noses with his claws. Chile just rolled his eyes and went to sleep.
The kittens are sleeping in my daughter's room in their lurid pink house. The dogs are in the kitchen. The plan is to unite the two in the kitchen once they are better acquainted.

The mouse extermination total stands at 16.

It is snowing.

photo shoots

Yesterday I did a photo shoot for an upcoming feature article in a major North East lifestyle magazine.
Note to self -- not good to have washing hanging in kitchen when photographer arrives even if your son does need his Rugby kit for that afternoon!
It was fun and nerve wracking at the same time. The house had to be cleaned and various bit of Christmas tidied away as the article is not a Christmas article. We then moved furniture about so the photographer could get her shots. It is not cool to have a dvd player in the shot of the author in front of the fireplace playing with the dogs for example.
The dogs were reasonably well-behaved. Tess sat with her head on my knee but Hardy was far too busy. Chile the labrador would sit but not when Hardy was there as they both kept jostling for position. So the lovely photographer took some of each.
The big thing I learnt was not to smile but to smirk and to see the photographer as a friend. It is all about warmth in your eyes. The camera loves you when your eyes are warm and responsive.
The photographer has promised to send some of the photos through...
The interview is this morning. So cue frantic second cleaning of the house. The washing has been removed from the kitchen.

A Christmas Wedding Wager in Polish or PAMIĘTNA WIGILIA

The very lovely Donna Alward let me know that A Christmas Wedding Wager is out in Poland this month and because of the way Harlequin works, it also means that it will be out Czech as well. Hooray. And hooray that they have used the US cover. That cover always reminds me of a Christmas card.

The blurb is:

PAMIĘTNA WIGILIA Numer 36(284)
W sprzedaży od: 14.12.2009r.
Anglia, 1846 rokDo Newcastle, gdzie Emma Harrison prowadzi ustabilizowane życie, niespodziewanie powraca Jack Santon, jej dawny ukochany. Kiedyś chciał się z nią ożenić, lecz pani Harrison była przeciwna małżeństwu córki z ubogim inżynierem. Emma długo żałowała, że nie odważyła się sprzeciwić matce, nie umiała bowiem pokochać innego mężczyzny. Poświęciła się opiece nad chorym ojcem. Teraz, po latach, odkrywa, że jej uczucie jest wciąż żywe. Również Jack, który zrobił w świecie błyskotliwą karierę, nadal pragnie Emmy. Oboje jednak mają wątpliwości...
cena: 11.00 zł

Anyway I am thrilled and hope people in both countries enjoy it.

On mouse extermination news:

I have now exterminated a baker's dozen. This shows the level of infestation, rather than my prowess as a mouse exterminator! And I have come to conclusion that regular inspection of the trap works. It also helps that I can hear the twang of the mouse trap going off when I am working in my study. I then race down the stairs and dispose of the exterminated mouse.

I did notice that a helpful mouse had covered the poison in the live catch traps with bits of newspaper and then closed the traps. New poison has been put down. This is war after all! But I can still admire the ingenuity of the enemy.

And I am looking forward to bringing in the big guns some time next week.

Mouse wars and a lovely review

The number of exterminated mice now stands at 10. I suspect there are more mice, partly because I saw a tail disappearing when I opened the door this morning and spotted exterminated mouse number 9. Peanut butter. Peanut butter. Peanut butter (and not storing the bloody bird seed in a non secure container!) will be the way to beat this infestation. The ultimate mouse destruction machines should be arriving within the week. Various kitten type things have bought in readiness.

My morning was made by a lovely review from Pearl at Realms on Our Bookshelves. She said:

It was a story of seduction, duty, family-intrigue, secrets, politics, trust and passion, with a great plot that was revealed gradually, with strong characters that held my attention firmly, with the right amount of battle and action and with a courtship brimmed with adversity that made the HEA that more welcome and appreciated.
Though this book was a category romance of less than 300 pages, it totally didn’t have that feel, it was well rounded, well crafted and complete. Hence, praise to Michelle Styles for the delivery of another entertaining, solid Viking story and giving this historical romance lover an escape in the form of a few pleasurable reading hours.
You can read the full review here.

As regular readers of this blog know, VCP was a tough book to write so I am very pleased that Pearl thought the experience pleasurable.
Now all I have to do is finish my current mess in progress and make it even more enjoyable!

6 - 2 is the current tally

The tally right now stands at 6 successful extermination of mice and 2 mice who escaped from the Rentokil lethal mouse trap.
I do have to wonder if one of the mice who escaped is the mouse who ate a hole in the live catch trap. Luckily this mouse also ate the poison. The trap has been baited again and pushed slightly back. And I have put the poison down again. Some success I suppose as the rat run poison remains and the other live catch trap's poison was not touched.
So I think we have a bad infestation of mice but I am hopeful that we can get it sorted. Mice in houses, leaving droppings and weeing on items is gross and a health hazard. Plus the nest making. Luckily they have not chewed through any electric cabling...

Roll on the kittens.

And yes, I think mice can smell cats. I have to wonder if the reason they have not invaded the kitchen is that it is where the dogs sleep. I think Tess and Hardy would enjoy chasing mice if they had the chance!

Mice like peanut butter

Since putting out the lethal mouse trap baited with peanut butter yesterday afternoon, three mice have met their maker. Two yesterday evening, and then one found this morning.

All the poison has gone from the rat run and the two live catch traps. I should note here -- the poison is not able to be accessed by puppies or when they arrive the kittens -- it is why I am using the live catch traps and the rat run.

I have re-baited the lethal mouse trap with peanut butter. And have put more poison down. I am hopeful that they will just go back to their lair and die! The poison takes several doses.

After seeing the destruction they caused, both in the house and then last March having lost two bee colonies to mice, I feel no pity for them.

This is war!

And soon the ultimate in mouse destruction technology will arrive...the kittens!

More Italian releases

I was really pleased to discover that 2 more of my books are going into Italy in January.

First of all there is the Italian version of An Impulsive Debutante -- IL VALZER DELLA DEBUTTANTE
or Waltz of the Debutante which I think is a lovely title.

The blurb reads likes this:

Inghilterra, 1847

Lottie Charlton è ansiosa di andare a Londra per partecipare alla sua prima stagione mondana. Sua madre si aspetta che trovi un ricco gentiluomo con cui convolare a nozze e lei ha tutte le intenzioni di accontentarla, ma il suo comportamento avventato la porta dritta tra le braccia dell'affascinante Tristan Dyvelston, la cui reputazione è stata fortemente compromessa molti anni prima. Per evitare lo scandalo, dunque, Lottie è costretta a sposarlo, anche se lui non possiede un titolo nobiliare. O almeno questo è quello che le fa credere Tristan, determinato a vagliare il carattere e la sincerità di cuore dell'incauta fanciulla sottoponendola a una serie di dure prove. Saprà l'impulsiva e viziata debuttante superarle? E soprattutto, saprà perdonare al marito quel piccolo inganno a fin di bene?



And you can find out how to get it here.


Then I have my first Harmony Historical release which is where the Regency ones go. A Question of Impropriety becomes UNA PROPOSTA SCANDALOSA or A Scandalous Proposal.

The blurb is:
Inghilterra, 1813
Diana Clare è tornata nel Northumberland dopo una parentesi londinese che ha segnato profondamente il suo animo e la sua vita, e per cinque anni ha cercato di dimenticare ciò che è accaduto nella capitale. Poi Brett Farnham, l'attraente Conte di Coltonby, si trasferisce nella tenuta confinante e, suo malgrado, la costringe a ricordare quanto sia piacevole essere lusingate, corteggiate e amate. Diana però non vuole più soffrire, e soprattutto non ha intenzione di affrontare ancora il rischio di uno scandalo. Anche perché Brett, almeno in un primo momento, la desidera come amante e non come moglie...

And you can find out more here.

Fingers crossed that it means Impoverished Miss,Convenient Wife will also be going.

In Mice in the basement news:

The traps were sprung and mice obviously caught but they managed to wriggle free. There are mouse droppings all over the traps.
I shall try again.

Mice in the basement

I discovered late on Friday when I finally got around to getting the Christmas decorations out that we had mice in the basement. They were enticed there by my youngest storing bird seed. Bird seed and mouse droppings mingled. All the stockings had to be washed. Several hand made decorations from long ago Christmases had to be tossed.
What is worse the mice had made nests in several boxes of clothes and old papers. I had carefully stored stuffed animals, dresses I had made for my daughter when she was little and boxes of letters from when my husband and I were at university. Most are beyond repair and have been tossed. I was in tears. Some were beloved stuffed animals and I had spent hours smocking a pinafore for my daughter, only to have it shredded. The children's books were covered in mouse droppings...I did manage to save a few letters and cards though.
I shall have to get some more rat poison and put it down there as I am unconvinced that the mice are gone.

My youngest when he gets back from his boy scout camp will have some explaining to do!

Educating Aspiring Authors

As I firmly believe that people have to know about a business before getting in and there has been a great deal of talk about that most ancient of publishing methods -- self publishing.
I would like to highly recommend aspiring authors read this article on the Great Myth of Self Publishing.
Furthermore, the blog How Publishing Really Works is also excellent.


For me, personally, I am very happy with a commercial publishing model (a rather newer model than self publishing btw) for my fiction. But I am also very grateful that my great grandmother privately published her memoirs of her children growing up and even before that a friend of my great great grandmother privately published an account of the Christmas she spent with my great great great grandparents during the American Civil War. Both books are treasured family heirlooms. You simply have to know your market.

Education is vital.

The k word

Because some asked. Yes, the k word has been spoken and approved. My daughter tackled my husband about it just after we returned from Istanbul as a friend's cat had had kittens. To my amazement, he agreed that she could have it as her Christmas present.
The pair will be arriving just after the middle of December.
More news when it happens.
Me thinks Christmas is going to be chaos!