It was part of the mini-series The
Powerful and The Pure based on classic books of romantic fiction. The
premise was to take four of the great classics of romantic fiction and use them
as inspiration for Modern Romances (Presents/Sexy) and I was asked to do Wuthering
Heights. Of course Mills and Boon know about my MA thesis on
Emily and Charlotte Bronte’s childhood writings and how they reflected in
the adult novels they wrote so I suppose I was a pretty natural choice as
one of the authors involved.
The other authors chosen were –
Sharon Kendrick (Jane Eyre), Kate Hewitt (Emma), Cathy Williams (Pride and
Prejudice). Iconic romantic stories that everyone who loves romance remembers –
with fascinating heroines and specially with heroes that have set the
‘dark and devastating’ standard for all time to come.
It’s perhaps important to say that the plan for
this series was not – as some people have thought – plagiarism or stealing from
the originals. We are using them as an
inspiration, and honouring them by doing so. They were all much bigger books
than a short category romance – with much more in them than just the love story
that romance writing focuses on –but that central love story was what I needed
to focus on and to weave into a Modern Romance for today’s readers.
The
Return of The Stranger is inspired by Wuthering Heights but it’s a stand-alone
romance for the Presents line
that works whether you have read the original or not.
Was it fun to write and create a
contemporary take on one of the most famous love stories of all times – and
finally give them a happy ending?
It was both fun and a challenge. Wuthering
Heights was a problematic novel to work on as a romance writer as I don’t
really believe it is a love story – it’s hugely romantic in terms of powerful,
passionate emotions but it’s more a novel about passion and possession and
power than a long-lasting love that translates easily into the happy ever after.
The love these two share is ultimately a destructive one – it is a wild,
ferocious storm of emotion.
It’s interesting that the real love story – that
between younger Catherine and Hareton – seems so mild in comparison that in so
many film adaptations it gets left out completely and yet this is a love of
real strength that flowers in spite of the very rough ground it grows on.
So that’s some of what I had to contend
with - giving my Heath and Kat the understanding and strength of
love, forgiveness, sharing while trying not to diminish them in the
passionate, tempestuous love. I also had to make two characters who some find
unsympathetic and cruel, believably sympathetic and ultimately
loveable. But there was also the fun bit where I got to give Cathy and
Heathcliff the happy ending that I’d always wished they could have – right from
when I first read the book.
Who are three of your all- time favourite
heroes?
Heathcliff has to be one of them – I fell
hard for him when my schoolteacher told us the opening of Wuthering Heights
one day when a storm had fused all the lights in the school. As I’ve grown up I
find Heathcliff far less sympathetic and appealing – but there’s no doubt
that his fierce passion and the power of his feelings make so many people
think that they would wish to be loved like that. But probably only
in a book!
But he is one of the ambiguous heroes I have
loved over the years. My very first ‘ambiguous’ hero –where you weren’t
sure if he was a hero or a villain - was in Simona’s Jewel by Marjorie
Phillips. I recently found this book again and was stunned to find that the
hero Michele was actually only 14! But he set a pattern for the heroes I’ve
loved. Mary Stewart always wrote those sorts of heroes - Mark Langley in The
Moonspinners or Simon Lester in My Brother Michael are such
great heroes.
And one hero who fascinates me – who
makes my heart ache with his vulnerability as much as I can be shocked and
fearful of his ruthless determination and cold ferocity – is Francis Crawford
of Lymond – the hero of the l-o-n-g series of historical novels called The
Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett.
But it isn’t all about the hero, is it.
What qualities do you think are most important in a heroine?
A heroine needs to have a backbone –
particularly if she comes up against one of the forceful, ruthless, alpha
heroes that we Presents/Sexy authors
create. She needs to be able to stand up for herself – though sometimes
this can be shown in a quiet, vulnerable strength rather than feisty defiance
or arguments. She needs to be vulnerable too – both the hero and the heroine do
really so that they can reach out and touch each other through the chinks in
their emotional armour. A heroine needs to have the strength and courage
of loving heart, one she can share with the man who becomes her hero. Loving
someone isn’t just giving in to what they demand/what they think they are
looking for – but giving someone what they truly need, even when they don’t
recognise it themselves at first.
Now Kate, you are coming up to your 60th
romance. Wow. How are you going to celebrate this milestone?
To be honest, I haven’t actually thought about
that yet! The trouble is that with publishing everything is planned so far in
advance that you get used to working on something now that won’t be
published till next year. The Devil and Miss Jones will be
published in the UK in March 2012 and – yes, I will need to plan
something to celebrate that. But what?
Do you LoveCats have any ideas? I’ll be thinking about that now – so
watch my blog for news! I love to celebrate with my readers so I’m sure
I’ll think of something.
How do you keep your ideas fresh? Is
that a challenge?
With each new book I meet a a new hero and a new
heroine. It’s the characters who create the books; their personalities,
motivations and the conflict that comes between them. And because they are all
different that keeps me on my toes – keeps me thinking of new ideas/new
scenes/new plots. Besides, nothing in writing and publishing stays still
– the romances I’m writing now are not the same as the ones I wrote when I was
first published in 1984 or even 2004 – things keep changing, growing,
developing. And it’s a challenge to keep up to date and write what is
currently popular for today’s readers – and the readers of the future.
Just reading your blog made me feel weak, you
seem to juggle so much. Can you share your three best time management tips with
us?
I get so much done because I love what I do.
This is what I always wanted to do with my life – writing and talking
about/teaching writing. I never really thought that I would ever end up
teaching writing so much, with the 12
Point Guide to Writing Romance in such demand – it has even got me a job
teaching a week long residential course in Tuscany – at the Watermill at Posara
next year.
I focus on what I’m doing and work at it till I
get it done - so if I’m writing then my concentration is on that – and if
I’m teaching I think I use a different part of my brain from the imaginative
one. The most important thing I need to remember is that writing is my
job – writing pays my bills and without novels being published, I don’t have
the credentials to do the teaching. So writing is always number one.
I use my computer and my iphone to keep up to
date – with everything recorded there and for teaching I have built up a
resource bank of workshops that go well ready to print off at the press of
a button
When I’m travelling I use the time as well as I
can – my husband is great at doing the driving so I read/plan/organise as we
go. If we’re on a train then I read or perhaps critique a manuscript – I don’t
sit and stare out the window.
And because I manage my own working hours, I
work when it suits me best. For example, soon my husband will start his
university teaching and that means that on certain days he
will be out until 10.30 pm – that’s a great opportunity for me to
get as much done as I possibly can so that when he’s home we can relax
together in what would be a normal working day.
And when it comes to writing – I always, always have a notebook and pen –
in my bag, beside the bed, on the kitchen worktop – so that I can make
sure I jot down any notes or inspiration that come to me and I don’t lose them.
If you don’t make a note of something then you might think you’ll never forget
it – but you do!
Whew Kate! You are a
powerhouse. Thanks so much for giving such an inspiring interview.
Thank you for inviting me along to
LoveCats. My Maine Coons Flora and Charlie love this site – and they would like
to offer a special giveaway of a signed book from my backlist. Each
of them will choose a prize for someone who posts a comment and
send them a special message!
Nostalgic...
The wonderful school Holly attends asked for past photos of all the graduates. My husband and I dug out these three.
