Regency Wiltshire excerpt

A new excerpt from Perfidy and Perfection is on UK Historical Romance.

Fateful Deception has landed

My author copies of Fateful Deception, out this month with Linford Romance, arrived this morning.

The cover is fantastic, completely in keeping with the characters and the period (1810).

So happy.

And then there was the email that came today from my editor at Linford Romance offering to buy The Restless Heart! Way hey! I guess it will be out in around a year's time.

Scary querying effort

Put my query letter + copy of The Restless Heart in an envelope to query it with Linford Romance today. Now, just have to do the scary thing of posting it later. Throwing oneself open to rejection always makes me shake, so I need to get a more of the day over before I take an hour out to get over the adrenaline... there is ironing that needs doing...

Marketing for Authors 2.0

My Marketing for Authors blog has a new home and look at Wordpress.com. I spent rather too many hours trying solve problems with it in Blogger, and in the end decided it would be a good opportunity to move it to a different platform. Here you read about my life not writing books and doing author stuff, but on another side of the fence as a book publicist.

Strangely enough this blog in blogger has always been fine. Touches wood quickly...

Review in Hertfordshire Life

"Fun and lively" says the review in this month's Hertfordshire Life of Perfidy and Perfection. A great review, and I'm really pleased.

Unfortunately the magazine has seen fit to spell my name wrong - as Allen. No, it's Allan. Please, please, please editors everywhere, take care to spell author's names correctly. It matters, not just because we're fussy but because if someone does want to look my books up in a bookshop, library or on the internet, and they type in 'Kate Allen' rather than 'Kate Allan' they won't find them.

It only has five letters. Pretty please.

Book's out tomorrow

Fateful Deception published by Linford Romance is offically published tomorrow! Not had any author copies yet... so still don't know what it looks like.

Regency Reads

Regency Reads, the new ebook imprint for Regency fiction from Belgrave House, is launched!













Check it out, and if you like Regency fiction don't forget to purchase a copy of Fateful Deception by Kate Allan... :)

Review by Singletitles

Review for Perfidy and Perfection by Singletitles:

In her debut historical romance, Kate Allan blends moving romance, wonderful wit and nail biting intrigue in a spellbinding tale which will remind readers of the wonderful stories of Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen! Read more.

Nominated

An email out of the blue: Perfidy and Perfection has been nominated for the All About Romance 2006 cover contest. Don't know if this means it will make the short list but pleasing nonetheless. I love the cover which was painted by artist Barbara Walters.

Excerpt from The Restless Heart

A short excerpt from The Restless Heart.

Bella has agreed to go for a ride in the countryside with the enigmatic Mr Davenport...

Mr Davenport drew King up to her. ‘Miss Oakley, it is of course my intention that the correct form should be observed.’ He was looking not at her but at something at the top of one of the tall beech trees.

‘Correct form?’ Bella felt herself frown. There was nothing very correct about going for a ride alone with an unmarried gentleman, of that she was sure. Mrs Sinclair would have a dangerous fit at the notion of it. ‘I am afraid I do not know quite your meaning, sir?’

‘You are a little headstrong, are you not?’

Bella gripped her ribbons. ‘How… how dare you… insult me!’

Mr Davenport shook his head. ‘You mistake me for I mean rather to compliment you. I find your character… rather agreeable. You speak candidly and act firstly with sense.’ King jangled his bit. ‘I admit surprise, for I expect young ladies not to be so… forthright.’

Bella had no notion what to say. He found her character agreeable?

‘Allow me to make myself plain,’ he continued. He held his reigns in one hand as the other tugged at his cravat. ‘For I admit there was a purpose apart from air and exercise for inviting you out to ride.’

King shifted his footing and Mr Davenport held his reigns in both hands again to steady him. ‘Nonetheless I would ascertain your feelings on the matter first?’

A gust of wind rustled the new leaves in the trees.

‘My feelings?’ She had heard every word of his, had she not? Yet she did not understand what he was saying. Surely…? No! ‘Sir, you take the most grievous liberty! My aunt and uncle placed you in a position of trust.’

‘So they did,’ Mr Davenport said, his voice very dry.

Bella gathered her breath. ‘You have no business stepping outside that trust, sir.’

The corners of his mouth twitched. ‘Miss Oak-’

‘I will and cannot be expected to place myself and my money into your hands for perpetuity, sir.’

His eyebrows raised and then he frowned. And then he laughed.

Heat coursed upwards towards her cheeks and Bella found herself unable to move.

‘Is this what you think I am after?’ he said. ‘Marriage?'