Kate's Blog

That time again

Where I'm stuck right in the middle of the book and feeling rather uninspired. I am hoping the pile of books I'm judging for RWA's RITA contest will help pull me out of the doldrums. It doesn't help that it's so very cold and unwelcoming outside, I've got a sore throat (on only one side of my throat, which feels odd) and am overwhelmed by life deadlines (as opposed to writing ones) such as taxes, credit card bill dates, and so forth...

Oh well, enough complaining! I just received the title of my latest book, which is going to be called The Undoing of De Luca! Does that give you a visual picture of er, something? It will be out in the UK in September 2010. And Zoe's Lesson, which is my installment of The Balfour Legacy Collection, will be out in October!

Back to the depressingly blank drawingboard...

posted by Kate Hewitt at 5:12 PM 1 Comments

Blogging

I'm blogging at The Pink Heart Society today about the actor Kevin McKidd and how characters can inspire us to learn more about the actors playing them [yes, in some circles, this is called STALKING.] I saw Kevin McKidd in the BBC/HBO series Rome, and his character fascinated me so much I decided to learn more about the actor. Check it out and you can even leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of my latest release, The Greek Tycoon's Reluctant Bride.
Isn't that the most gorgeous cover?

I'm madly trying to make up lost writing time this week, because last Sunday the ENTIRE family ws hit by the most horrible stomach flu imaginable. Every. Single. Person. And all I have to say about it is this: only the adults managed to make to the bathroom. I'll leave the rest to your imagination...

I just received two shipments of books, and I'm happy to give some away, so stay tuned for a competition to win copies of The Greek Tycoon's Reluctant Bride and Her Mediterranean Playboy!

And lastly, here's the last sentence I wrote in my current WIP: He turned, and in that moment--a single second, no more--her breath dried and her heart beat fast and she remembered how good it had been between them, how she’d laid in his arms as the sun washed them in gold and he kissed her closed eyelids.

posted by Kate Hewitt at 7:06 PM 1 Comments

Getting Your Facts Right

So in my latest ms, whose proofs I just finished checking, I had the Italian hero call the heroine [also Italian] passera, which, according to trusty Babelfish, is the female form of passero, or sparrow. This is a running theme throughout the book, and so he calls her passera quite a bit.

The book was accepted, and my editor got back to me during the copyedits because apparently the word passera doesn't exist. Fair enough, I thought, let's go with passero. But the whole exchange made me a trifle wary, so I telephoned my Italian sister-in-law [very handy to have when writing Mediterranean-set romances!] and asked her if passera was indeed a word, and also, incidentally, if she knew of any endearments similar to sparrow.

She emailed me back, rather firmly telling me that passera was most certainly not a word. Then the next day my brother emailed me, amused, to tell me the whole truth: passera is a word, of sorts; it is a very vulgar term for the female genitalia. And this was what my hero was calling my heroine as an endearment!!!

Thank goodness for Italian sister-in-laws [even if she was too embarrassed to tell me what this word meant!] and for more forthright brothers!

My sister-in-law compiled a list of birds that would do as endearments, and we settled on rondinella, which means swallow, and apparently is used in Italy as an endearment. Perfect! Much better than passera, don't you think?

And in any case, I've certainly learned my lesson. All Italian terms, endearments, and names are first run by the indomitable Gabriella!

Labels: oops, the bride's awakening, writing life

posted by Kate Hewitt at 6:25 PM 4 Comments

Merry Christmas!

This is my daughter attempting to skate but I posted it here because it is how I've felt lately: completely rushed off my feet! But I'm signing off just about everything to go spend some much-needed down time with my extended family for a week. I can't wait to sit by the [gas] fire, drink hot chocolate, play boardgames, and just generally relax. Oh, and open a few presents! I handed my book in, finished the proof edits for my last book, and don't have another due until March, so no writing is allowed for a whole week--yippee!

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year's, wherever you are, and whatever you are doing. Merry Christmas!!!

posted by Kate Hewitt at 9:25 AM 5 Comments

I DID IT!

I just pushed send on my current manuscript, as of now titled 'An Inconvenient Mistress'. It's done!! I wrote the 20,000 words and I'm actually, amazingly quite happy with the book. We'll see what my editor thinks!

Now I need to start thinking about Christmas...

What are you doing this holiday season? Are you traveling? Staying tucked up at home? Wrapping lots of presents? Drinking hot chocolate or egg nog or mulled wine (I like 'em all!). Let me know what you're up to!

Here's a glimpse into what we've been doing: playing chess, iceskating, and learning to walk :)

posted by Kate Hewitt at 5:59 PM 1 Comments

Tight deadline

Two weeks, twenty thousand words. Can I do it??

We're still battling various illnesses here, and the thought of feeling 100% healthwise feels like a rather distant--and pleasant--dream. But at least I'm no longer bedridden, which is a plus.

And I can hardly believe the Christmas madness is almost upon us; I went shopping last night at Barnes & Noble and came away defeated after half an hour. It's just so hard to know where to begin. I think I'll attempt to do what I did last year, which is buy everything on the internet.

Meanwhile my youngest has just started walking!! It's so fun to see her tottering across the floor, and the proud smile she beams at everyone is so adorable. She makes sure *everyone* notices just how amazing she is--definitely the youngest (and I say this as the youngest of 5!)

If you didn't get a copy of Royal Baby, Forbidden Marriage in my first line giveaways, please email me and I'll happily send you one. I have a few more to spare.

Now! Enough with procrastination! Back to the wip... the hero, Larenz, has just asked the heroine, Ellery, about her secretive past...

posted by Kate Hewitt at 5:53 PM 5 Comments

A new direction

So last week I was continuing to slog through my current manuscript, which has not been going well. Sometimes it feels like a round peg in a square hole, pulling and squashing and snipping at story threads till I'm not sure what I'm doing or why. Not a good feeling. So on Thursday, at 16,000 words (where I'd more or less been stuck for about three weeks, endlessly changing and revising what I'd already written) I decided to scrap it. Not delete it, but not continue working on it either. I've actually never done this before. My deadline is Dec 15 and five weeks from this date I started something entirely new. Panic!!

Actually, the new story fell into place pretty quickly, in part because I'd been thinking about the characters off and on for awhile. I'm at 12,000 words now, and still hoping to make my deadline. Of course, children and Thanksgiving and that little thing called CHRISTMAS might conspire against me...

Speaking of Christmas, I'm blogging on Iheart Presents about my November release, Royal Baby, Forbidden Marriage, and Christmas traditions sometime this week--not sure when it will actually get posted, but I'll let you know.

In the meantime, Sri, please e-mail me again with your contact details. My mailbox was full but I've fixed the problem now! Sorry!

And here is the first line of chapter 4:

Phoebe followed Sven up the thickly carpeted stairs, the long velvet curtains drawn against the night.

Are you all wondering who Sven is?! Enjoy!! :)

posted by Kate Hewitt at 5:18 PM 1 Comments