Feature on Kate Walker & A THRONE FOR THE TAKING giveaway!

Today's feature on author Kate Walker and her A THRONE FOR THE TAKING and there's one signed, print copy for one commenter!

What do you love most about writing for Harlequin Presents?

I love the emotion, the intensity – the passion. And I don’t just mean the sexual passion, though that is always important in any romance!

What I love about writing for this line is the freedom it gives me to explore strong and intense emotions and some deeper themes that bring out the conflict between the hero and heroine.

I can write about darker emotions, like anger, even hatred, revenge. I can bring my characters close to despair (I sometimes think that romance writers have a strong sadistic streak!)

and then lift them up into the joy of true love and happiness. The fantasy element – the wealthy heroes, the settings, the glamour is fun as well but for me what I enjoy most is digging deep into my charactres’ feelings and motivations.

What do you think makes a good story?

My answer to the first question is part of the answer to this one. Emotional tension and emotional themes always draw in the reader and keep her following the story,. But before you

can create those believable and affecting emotions you have to create believable and sympathetic characters. Particularly in a romance, which, after all, is the story of the hero and heroine’s emotional

journey from conflict and distance to closeness. trust and ultimately real love. So it’s important to create a hero and heroine the reader can relate to,m believe in and empathise with, and the stronger the emotions

you are dealing with in the story, the more important that is. Then when the feelings, the actions, the events all come from the motivations of these characters, the reader will be really involved. And of course the conflict

between the hero and heroine has to be believable and come from their personalities, their lives, beliefs and backgrounds. That way there is plenty of tension that keeps the reader wondering what happens next

and keeps them turning the pages.

You write about exotic places in Presents – what is your ideal holiday destination?

Some of the places I’ve written about in Presents - Spain, Malta - are places I have actually visited – others are created purely from my imagination – lie the Mediterranean kingdom of Mecjoria in A Throne For The Taken of the kingdoms I’ve given my sheikhs to rule over. It can be a lot of fun to create a whole new country and give it the climate, the type of countryside, the history that I want. For myself, I am always fascinated by the history of a place I visit. I enjoy some time on the beach or by the pool but I can’t just sit there all day every day. I have a real thing about islands and because of that I have loved several places I’ve visited- Malta, Madeira, Jersey and Tasmania where my sister lives. They are all so very different but have a special character that is fascinating. One other really special place to me is Ireland – another big island!¬ My parents were both born there and I still have family in Dublin and I love to go back and visit when ever I can.

Anywhere you haven’t travelled you would like to go?

I would love to go back to Australia, but it is such a long journey. And there are some islands I still haven’t seen. One special one would have to be Sicily. I’ve written about it so often in myth novels and never yet set foot on the island! And Italy itself is a place I really want to explore. My DH and I have a special wedding anniversary coming up and we’re looking and taking a trip to see some of the beautiful Italian cities.

What one item do you always pack when you travel?

Books! Well, these days it’s my Kindle which has certainly made life a lot easier. I used to have to make decisions about what books I wanted to take – to read on the journey and to relax with when I got there. I tried to take books I could read and leave behind so that I had free space and weight in my luggage on the way back. I remember one holiday when I read all the books I had with me and ran out of reading matter! Thankfully that won;t happen now because I just pick up my Kindle and go!

Tell us a little about your current release …..

A Throne For The Taking is the story of a sexy, rebellious black sheep Prince (my own original title for it was The Black Sheep Prince). Alexei Sarova thought that he had left behind the restrictions and formality of the royal life, but now his old way of living has come back to enclose him and the person who brings him the news, along with some unexpected details is Honoria (Ria) the girl who once used to be his only friend. Alexei has to face up to a new and unexpected destiny. He also has to face up to the fact that he has never forgotten Ria, and now that she has grown into a beautiful, desirable woman, he never wants to let her out of his life – and his bed ever again.

Romantic Times gave this book a rating of 4 ½ out of 5 and said:

The majesty of Walker’s fictional principality shines, and her frenemies-to-love story is perfectly passionate.

 

What about you? Do you love the Black Sheep story? And do you buy books based on it's reviews?

Kate Walker on the web:

Website       Blog      Facebook

Her latest release is A THRONE FOR THE TAKING and you can read reviews of it here.