Category: Writing news

Writing life, Writing news

My new partner in crime…

Kate Hardy

I’ve been sitting on this news for a little while, but now I’m delighted to say that I’m branching out in a new direction!

Emily Gowers of Storm has acquired the first three books in my cosy crime series, the Georgina Drake mysteries.

I’m keeping some of it under wraps for the time being, but what you need to know is that it’s pure Kate Hardy. (I mentioned it to my M&B editors, who both said, ‘OMG, that is so YOU’ and want to read it now, but they have to wait!) So expect the usual stuff you get in my books: warm characterisation, a bit of quirkiness, Shakespeare, dogs, cake – and you’ll learn something new. If you like my romances, you’ll love my crime; and if you like my crime, you’ll love my romances.

The series is set in Norfolk, UK, in a village called Little Wenborough (which is a bit of a nod to the places where I grew up, plus the river I walk along with my boys), Georgina is a couple of years younger than I am, and like me is deaf. She’s about to acquire a Springer Spaniel (important for book 2 – and, yes, we all know who inspired that).

My research crew is still going to the same sort of places with me, but the new thing is ‘now, where could we hide a body?’ – though the fact that I’m dabbling with poison doesn’t seem to have stopped them demanding lunch out and cake…

I should add that I’m not giving up romance (I’m writing two books at the same time, which keeps my ADHD side very happy; and there’s a bit of romance coming up for Georgina), but I’m thrilled to bits about this new venture.

And I’ll let Storm tell you the rest 🙂

Publication day, Writing life, Writing news

Book 100 for M&B!

Kate Hardy

I’m late with this. Late Tardy, y’might say 🙂 But February 2023 is a massive month for me. Starting with the publication of Book 100 for M&B on 2 Feb – actually, it was already out in Australia last month, and it’s out in the US at the end of this month, but the wonderful manager of our local Waterstone’s hosted a launch party in exactly the same place as we launched M&B 1, A Baby of Her Own.

Anyway. Book 100. I wanted it to be my favourite trope – the fake fiancé – with a little bit of a twist to it. And I wanted it to be set in Norfolk, my favourite part of the world. And it’s on a farm (I’m married to a farmer!).

What’s the twist? Well, this is the blurb…

A fiancé for the cameras…or for ever?

In Kate Hardy’s 100th book, marketing executive Elle must put her childhood home on the map by helping manager Charlie promote Bluebell Farm as a wedding venue. Ignoring their chemistry isn’t easy—especially when they become the focus of the campaign and everyone is convinced their posed engagement is real! And when the lines blur Elle’s tempted to dream it could be too…

I loved writing this. And I loved being able to celebrate. Hence roping my family in to drop off 24 bottles of pink prosecco to Waterstones/help me organise a ‘raffle’ (no purchase required, just me giving something back) and help put chairs out.

My friend Nicki made me the most amazing cake to go with the bubbles.

My friend Rachel Hore (a Sunday Times bestselling author who writes fabulous books) interviewed me (thank you to Lizzie Lamb for the pic).

And my biggest supporter was there, so I wanted him to help me cut the cake (with the same knife we’d used for our wedding, 30 years ago!)

Thank you to the readers, editors and friends who’ve been there with me on the journey since the very first M&B, 20 years ago. Thank you also to Rowan Mantell of Archant for the fabulous articles in Norfolk Magazine, the EDP and the Evening News, and to Denise Bradley of Archant for taking wonderful photos.

And thank YOU for being part of it.

Publication day, Writing life, Writing news

Double publication day!

Kate Hardy

Thrilled to say that today is publication day for my Medical twin doctor duo – Second Chance with her Guarded GP, and Baby Miracle for the ER Doc. (Click on the links to find out more about the books.)

Ollie and Rob are twins; and when Rob has a burst appendix that goes wrong, gives him severe blood poisoning and wipes out his kidneys, of course Ollie offers him a kidney.

They’re complete opposites – Ollie is calm and organised, and Rob is restless and a chaos magnet.

And although neither think they’re looking for love, while they’re recuperating from the operation they meet the women who will change their lives…

 

Publication day, Writing life, Writing news

Publication day – Surprise Heir for the Princess

Kate Hardy

 Today’s publication day for Surprise Heir for the Princess.This started life in my head years ago, when I wrote the Penhally vet book. Readers asked me if I’d write the sister’s story, but because Penhally was a Medical Romance and the sister was a princess, my editor and I couldn’t make it work.

I still wanted to write the princess and the paparazzo. I asked. A lot. (My editor’s standard reply is ‘hahaha – no’.) So then I thought about tweaking it a bit.

Now, I love Audrey Hepburn. And I got to thinking about Roman Holiday. (I know, I know, Gregory Peck is a journalist… but bear with me.) Audrey’s princess takes a day to live an ordinary life and be a tourist in Rome. How could that work in today’s world, when everyone has a phone in their pocket and can instantly upload a pic that can zoom round the globe in seconds?

I thought about it a bit more. I wanted a photographer hero. My princess was going to be Italian(ish) – hence the fictional Mediterranean principality. (Sort of based on Capri, which I loved visiting.) And the setting? Partly in London – but they escape to the place of my heart. And the pics below show you a bit of the inspiration behind the book. Wells-next-the-sea, Hunstanton, and Blickling Great Wood.

Writing life, Writing news

Winning the RNA Shorter Romantic Fiction Award 2021

Kate Hardy

Still thrilled to bits this morning.

Yesterday morning, I was frantically finishing my latest book, had to do an emergency dash to buy mascara (having learned that not touching it for a year makes it dry out, cough), and was feeling a bit flat because on a normal RNA Awards day I’d be on the train to London, meeting up with my mates for a cup of tea, then lunch with editors and fellow shortlistees, and the group photographs with fellow shortlistees in our categories, and then talking way too much and drinking bubbly.

Lockdown? Nope. Nothing like it. We did have a zoom party for the finalists, and I’m very grateful to the RNA for organising that, but my wifi decided to be temperamental. Y’know where everyone’s pixelated and sounds like a robot? That. Add my hearing difficulty and… just no.

Posh swish lunch? Um, that would be scampi, shared with the dogs.

The flat feeling was back. Along with a large dose of guilt about feeling that way, because other people have had so much worse.

Scruff of neck time. I’d been shortlisted for an award with my 90th book for M&B, in my 20th year of being published by them. Lockdown or no lockdown, that deserved celebrating. Cue opening a bottle of rose Prosecco.

Then the awards do started. I so enjoyed the green room with my fellow shortlistees. We talked about books we’d loved, about how to deal with Lockdown Chins (yeah, OK, so when we were on the screen I forgot everything we’d all said about angles and clever use of hands), and we had a glass of wine ‘together’.

Technical difficulties were overcome — and I’m hugely grateful for the technology that allowed us to still have our awards do (including a ’green room’), and share it with friends and family.

I wasn’t expecting to win because all the books on our shortlist were fabulous.

So when Larry Lamb opened the envelope and said that the Liberta Books award for Shorter Romantic Fiction went to Kate Hardy…  This was my reaction!

 

A Will, a Wish and a Wedding – aka the butterfly book, set partly in my beloved Norfolk – won the award. And I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Thank you to the RNA – an organisation that’s been part of my life for a quarter of a century and introduced me to many good friends; to M&B, my publisher of two decades; to Liberta Books, for sponsoring the award; to my editor, Julia Williams, whose editing is very wise indeed; to my fellow shortlistees on the night (it’s the nomination that counts, and we are ALL winners); to my husband Gerard and children Chris and Chloe, who’ve always been my staunch supporters and to whom the book is dedicated; to my edit-paw-ial assistants, who make me leave my desk and also keep my feet warm; and to my readers, because without you I couldn’t do the job that makes my heart sing.

Thank you.

Archie and Dexter, Pipsqueak posts, Writing life, Writing news

The Pipsqueak Posts, Episode 78: the one with the RNA Awards

Kate Hardy

Dexter: Arch, Mum’s excited and she’s asking people on Facebook what she should wear. What’s happening?

 

Archie: It’s the RNA Awards today, Pipsqueak. Mum’s been shortlisted for the Liberta Book Shorter Romantic Fiction Award. It’s quite a big deal – it’s for her 90th book for Mills & Boon, and they first published her 20 years ago, when Chloe was the same age as you’ll be at the end of the month.

Dexter: So what’s that weird noise?

Archie: The hairdryer. She only uses it when she has to make her hair look really nice. Not like normal, when she just washes it and lets it dry while we’re out for a walk.

Dexter: And what’s that red stuff?

Archie: Lipstick. Oh, yeah, she hasn’t worn make-up since you were born and it’s all dried up so she had to go out and get more. That’s why we had scampi for lunch.

Dexter: Is lipstick as nice as biscuits?

Archie, laughing: Well, you can try licking it off her face. But not until after the awards do.

Dexter: It’s weird, seeing Mum dressed up. She’s normally as scruffy as you are.

Archie: Oi!

Dexter: Why do we have to sit quietly on the sofa with Dad?

Archie: Because it’s a Lockdown Awards Do – that means it’s on zoom, instead of her abandoning us to go to London.

Dexter: So we could go and leap on her and say hello to loads of people all over the world. After all, we are her Edit-paw-ial Assistants. She can’t write books without us at her feet.

Archie: No. Apparently there are technical problems. Let’s have a nap.

(later)

Dexter: Mum’s crying! Noooo! We need to be there and make her better!

Archie: She’s not crying because she’s upset. She’s happy! She won!

Dexter: And you were lying about lipstick tasting nice… Pah!

(Later)

Dexter: It’s all very nice, this rose Prosecco and that, but where are the biscuits?

Archie: All the excitement’s tired me out. Let’s go to sleep and dream of the biscuits I just know she’ll buy us tomorrow…

Publication day, Writing life, Writing news

Publication day for my 90th M&B!

Kate Hardy

I love butterflies. So I couldn’t resist writing about a butterfly specialist (gave me a good excuse for research) and an architect.

And it’s my 90th book for M&B!

1F0C2D76-3AA6-42DF-BD3B-A75DDD6B3E3E

 

I can’t believe how fast that’s gone – 90 books in 19 years.

If you’d like to know more about the book, take a look at the book page here… and there are also buy links, should you wish to purchase 🙂