Harlequin Presents superstar Kate Walker joins Cataromance.com to talk about her writing, her favourite books and her delicious heroes!

(1) What initially drew you to writing romantic fiction for Harlequin Mills and Boon?

When I was growing up, my mother had a friend who wrote for Mills & Boon (Marguerite Lees) so she was the first real author I ever met – someone who earned a living by writing. She was also a lovely lady, someone who encouraged me in my own writing. So when I wanted to write professionally I thought about her and how she had achieved it.

Then I also looked back at everything I’d written when writing was just a hobby for me – when I was at school and later, and everything I’d written had this romantic element in it – I was always very interested in the relationships between heroes and heroines, even when I was 12 and the hero I was writing about was 14! So when I left work as a librarian to stay at home with my newborn son, and I planned on trying really seriously to get published, the thought of writing romances came easily. I hadn’t read any of the books for some years so I went and bought a set and read them – and then read more. I found that I loved them and I really liked the way they had moved on from the sort of books my mother’s friend used to write. Plus there was the fact that they are short novels and I didn’t have much free time available to write. I set myself the challenge of seeing if I could write one and I submitted it. The first one was dreadful – I’m not surprised it was rejected. (There were no ‘How to’ books to help me then). But the second one received an encouraging response and suggested I tried again – so I wrote and submitted a third book and that was The Chalk Line.

(2) When you were first published, Mills and Boon in the UK didn’t used the split the contemporary romances into ‘Modern/Presents’ or ‘Romance’. Do you think that this affected the way you used to write?

When I was first published, I wasn’t even aware of the fact that in America there was any split in the lines – all I knew about was the Mills & Boon Romance that were on the shelves in the local bookshop. And because there was no split in the line in the UK I didn’t try to aim my books at either the Presents or the Romance line. Obviously, I knew I wanted to write what M&B called ‘Contemporary Romance’ not Medical or Historical. But that was all.

As a result, I wrote some different types of books simply depending on the story that came to me. I’ve always been someone who is driven by her characters so I wrote the stories my characters demanded. Then when these books went to America, some of them went into the Presents line and some into the Romance line, because of the type of story and the type of conflict in it. It was only when the UK decided to bring in the split lines in the contemporary romances that I realised this was actually ot the best way to go about things. Being in two lines might show that I could write different types of books, but it also meant that the readers were never sure where they would find my next book. And so, I wasn’t building up the strongest possible reader base.

When the lines were split, my editor discussed with me which line I wanted to write for and aim at in the future. Editorial weren’t sure whether I was best in Modern or Romance. My instinctive reaction was that I preferred writing the Modern/Presents type of book – I didn’t want any restraints that any other line might impose. I wanted to go with my characters and what they wanted. So from then onwards I aimed only at Presents and only worked on Presents type plots and conflict. To tell the truth, I wish I’d realised just how important the split in the line in America was right from the start. Then I would have concentrated on the Presents style plot which is where I feel I belong. Writing it and only that, I felt I’d come home.

(3) Did the eventual creation of the two lines in the UK – Modern and Romance- strengthen your writing voice?

Yes, I think it did. I know that I’m capable of writing Romance style plots, but by focussing on Presents/Modern, I have been able to grow as a writer and to bring in strong emotions, powerful conflicts and deeply emotional plots that I love. I love creating strong alpha males who have an inner core of honour and a vulnerability that they don’t show to anyone – except their heroine. And I love creating heroines to match them. Writing for Presents, I’ve been able to handle plots that would have had to be toned down anywhere else. And the Presents line is so demanding of it authors – the line changes and adapts to changes in society and the way the readers see the books that keeping up with that over 20+ years is a real challenge.

(4) Harlequin Presents/Mills and Boon Modern is one of the most successful category lines. What in your opinion is the secret of the line’s success?

Two words – emotion and intensity. And then put them together and the phrase emotional intensity is what the Presents line is all about. Reading a Presents novel is like being at the eyes of a storm – but it’s an emotional storm. The conflicts are powerful, the emotions they stir up in the hero and heroine – and in the reader – are intense. They are strong meat and some readers just can’t take them, while others – thousands and thousands of them – adore them. Writing for Presents, I can deal with plots and emotions that have the capacity to tear people apart, to break my hero or heroine’s hearts and I love putting them through the emotional torment.

Then there is the fantasy element – the rich, powerful heroes, the international setting, the Mediterranean heroes – Sheikhs. The alpha hero sometimes gets a bad press but if he’s written right then he is a strong, powerful, forceful but honourable man. If he seems cruel or unreasonable, he needs to have good reasons for behaving in that way.

A romance may start out as a battle, with the male the one in control (though not always – heroines can give him a run for his money) but the best novels show a gradual balancing out of the relationship so that it ends up a relationship of equals who have resolved the conflicts between them and can go forward into a future together.

For me, the point about an alpha male is that he is rich powerful etc etc because he got there as a result of his intelligence, his integrity, his ability to manage people, his innate sense of morality and his sense of caring about the important things that matter. When that sense of honour comes up against some things he truly believes to be wrong then the strength that made him what he is can also make him a hard and implacable enemy. But the true Alpha is the ultimate nurturer – a man of honour. A man with no honour, no integrity and no intelligence could never be a hero to me.

(5) Amongst the 50 category romances which you have written do you have a particular favourite?

Oh dear, I can never answer this question – I love all my books and asking me to choose is like asking someone to choose one of their children. I can’t say just one but – well, I always love the latest one, The Greek Tycoon’s Unwilling Wife is one. I loved a very early book called Game of Hazard as that was the very first book of mine that went to America

Constantine’s Revenge was the first book I wrote which had a Mediterranean hero and it was hugely popular – I really enjoyed creating Constantine.

And a couple of books that I’m proud of are A Sicilian Husband and The Italian’s Forced Bride. Both books made readers cry so I obviously touched them with those.

I’d have to include The Chalk Line as that was my first book
ever published .And I will always have a soft spot for The Sicilian’s Red-Hot Revenge because it was my 50th published title and so very special to me.

(6) And what about heroes and heroes and heroines?

This is as bad as the previous question. If I’m honest, the heroes are the ones I remember best. Constantine from Constantine’s Revenge. And Domenico from The Italian’s Forced Bride. I really loved Domenico and he was a dream to write. So was Vito in The Sicilian’s Red-Hot Revenge. His brother Guido (Sicilian Husband, Blackmailed Bride) was great too.

I loved Ramon in The Spaniard’s Inconvenient Bride – and in the same book I loved Estrella because she was so brave and different. Lots of readers wrote to me after reading the wedding dress scene in that book – they loved it. I always love the hero and heroine of the book I’ve just finished so the latest acceptance has m a gorgeous Greek called Angelos – the heroine, Jessica, calls him the Black Angel. That book doesn’t have a title yet but it will be out around September 2008

(7) Tell us something about your latest release The Greek Tycoon’s Unwilling Wife…

It’s an amnesia story. love amnesia stories – I love the mystery, the emotional appeal of them. Maybe it’s because when I was fourteen I was in a road accident and I know what it’s like to have some of those holes in my memory – moments that I just can’t remember. But I know that if I see the word ‘amnesia’ on a miniseries flash, or in the blurb on the back, then my hand is reaching out to grab that title before I’ve even registered who has written it, or where it’s set. I have a great fondness for amnesia stories in my own writing too. It was an amnesia story – Game of Hazard – that was my first ever paperback title.

When Andreas wakes up after an accident to find Becca in his bedroom he thinks she is his mistress, the woman with whom he is (he thinks) having a passionate affair. Becca however knows that she is in fact his wife and that the whole of the last year, including their marriage has been wiped from his mind. She knows that something dreadful came between them – something that made Andreas throw her out of his home before they had even been married for a single day. But she doesn’t know what it is – and Andreas can’t tell her. Because he can’t remember.And so, Becca can only wait until he remembers. And the reader waits with her, knowing there will be a real emotional crisis when he does.

(8) Name a fictional character that you wish you had created.

One great author whose books I have always loved is Dorothy Dunnett . She wrote a huge series of long historical novels about a character called Francis Crawford, set in the 16th century. Francis Crawford is an amazing character – he is a real hero and yet at other times he seems like a real villain.

He appeals to my love of a really ambiguous hero, one that the reader doesn’t know if he is good or bad because of what he does. But then when you get to the bottom of his character and see WHY he behaved as he does then you understand and see that he had the best possible motived. I love to write characters like that too.

(9) Who are your favourite writers?

Well, Dorothy Dunnett for one. And I adored the novels of Mary Stewart – The Moonspinners. My Brother Michael etc – I read all of those when I was in my teens and I often reread them. They started my love for romantic stories – with a dark, ambiguous her.

I read anything and everything so to name my favourite authors would take all day – but in romances I also love the brilliant Michelle Reid and Anne McAllister. They also happen to be great friends of mine, but I loved their books before I met the authors. One thing I’ve found is that when I love an author’s books, then usually I love the author too.

(10) What’s next for Kate Walker?

I’ve just completed my latest novel, the one with the Black Angel Greek hero. As I said, I don’t have a title or a publication date for that on but it will be out in 2008. The next title I have coming up is Spanish Billionaire, Innocent Wife. That is published in the UK in March 2008. And of course 2008 is the year that Mills & Boon are celebrating their centenary so there will be some great celebrations coming up and I’m really looking forward to being part of them.

Another thing coming up in 2008 is the second edition of my award-winning how-to book Kate Walker’s 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. The first edition of this book is now just about sold out and the publisher asked me to prepare a second edition. There have been some changes in the Harlequin lines since the first edition came out so I have revised this second edition to take those into account. And the new edition will be even better than the first because it will e expanded . There is a whole new section with lots of advice from some very successful and popular authors writing romance in many different lines. I’m really looking forward to seeing that in print . I was proud of the first edition and I’m really pleased with the second one – I think it’s got even more great information in it.

And of course I’ll be writing more new novels. I’m starting on a brand new story now, always looking about a year ahead. And I’ll hope to keep on writing new books, creating new characters for as long as I can.

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