Tuesday, February 05, 2008

humbling and very, very heartwarming

Am I down from cloud nine yet?

Er… no!

I’ve been stunned by the amount of texts, phone calls, blog messages and emails I’ve received from people wishing me well and congratulating me. Thank you. Thank you all SO much. And to hear from people that they liked my book – and detailing why, so even the crows accept people mean it and are not just being kind – I’m really humbled. And heartwarmed. (That isn’t a proper word, I know. I’m, um, still in ‘dog with six tails’ mode so my vocabulary has deserted me). And I’m so very, very happy right now.

I have to keep looking at the rosebowl and just checking that it IS my name engraved there and I’m not dreaming it all.

But it’s there. (And in such company, too. It doesn’t seem possible, but my name is on the same trophy as my all-time favourite romance author – the person who’s written four out of my five favourite M&Bs. The person whose books I read when life is horrible and I want some sunshine. And she’s one of the loveliest people I know, too. I don't have to spell out that her first initial is L, do I?)



On the top of the bowl is engraved the name of the most popular Medical Romance author ever, Betty Neels, after whom the award is named. (That’s my other line - Medical romance. And I’ve been privileged to be paired with Betty Neels in French editions. And the reflection of the sheet of paper on the rosebowl? Yup, unprofessional, but I discovered that a light background shows the engraving better than a dark one.)



Just… wow.

(I’m not taking the pics to boast, by the way. The kids want to show their friends in class during ‘show and tell’ and they know they can’t take the actual rosebowl to school, so they’ve both asked for a pic. I took said pic today because a) it was quiet and b) I have the concentration span of a gnat right now and I’m too excited to write.)

And more pics from yesterday: me with lovely, lovely Jan Jones;


Me with Anna, Janet and Julie.


And (with thanks to my mate Fiona Harper, whose husband took this shot) the authors and eds on the stairs during the photoshoot before the do (the photographer was lovely and made us all laugh - superb at his job). Left to right: Fiona Harper, Lucy Gordon, Jo Carr, Maddie (oh rats, forgotten her surname, but she's lovely and one of her former authors will remind me, yes, Kate W or Michelle?); middle, Kim Young, Liz Fielding, Bryony Green, Julie Cohen (check out the glam silver shoes); me; Sheila Hodgson


8 comments:

Jan Jones said...

Maddie Rowe, Kate.

And you are ENTITLED to boast!!!!!

Ray-Anne said...

What lovely photographs. Do you have roses in your garden for the summmer edition of the rose bowl?
Well deserved smiles. Especially from the HMB team - your editor must have been thrilled.

Kate Walker said...

Yes Maddie Rowe - and don't come down off that cloud. You should stay up there for a long long time

Congratulations again

Nell Dixon said...

Lovely pics, I'm so enjoying living vicariously (sp?)Everyone looks so lovely and glamerous.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

What lovely photos. You must be feeling so wonderful, you deserve to.

Melissa Amateis said...

Oh wow, Kate!!! Congratulations!!! What awesome news! And yes, you ARE entitled to boast. You definitely earned this reward. Bask in the limelight!

BTW - LOVE your outfit. Those colors look gorgeous on you!

Kate Hardy said...

Thank you, Jan. :o)

Ray-Anne - I don't have roses in my garden, but I'm tempted... And yes, my editor was delighted.

Kate - thank you.

Nell - thanks.

Debs - thanks, and I am! It's the same sort of glow as graduating or getting married.

Melissa - thank you!

Jessica Raymond said...

Congratulations Kate! I will definitely have to get BaG down off my TBR shelf sooner than planned.