As most of you know by now Kate Duffy, romance icon and Editorial Director of Kensington Publishing, passed away over the weekend. I had a planned a long detailed blog regaling when I was luckily enough to spend quality time with Kate but that blog was lost to the ether on my itouch.
But the short version is that in 2007 at Moonlight and Magnolias I was having lunch with Madeline Hunter (dream of a live time) and she invited Kate to eat with us (more than I ever hoped for). At lunch I mentioned to Kate I couldn’t get an appointment to pitch to her and she showed up 15 minutes early the next morning to make time for me. That night my friend Martha and I were in the bar and Kate invited us to sit with her, Sue Grimshaw, the national romance buyer for Borders, and a group of other authors. The last time I saw her was February of this year in New York when I had lunch with our editor, our agent and Kate.
The things I learned about in the inter-workings of the business in those three meetings are more valuable than platinum. She might not have ever been my editor but she’s still one of my keys to success. I have never met anyone so outspoken and enthusiastic about romance. And she was my kind of tough broad that never pulled her punches.
But the short version is that in 2007 at Moonlight and Magnolias I was having lunch with Madeline Hunter (dream of a live time) and she invited Kate to eat with us (more than I ever hoped for). At lunch I mentioned to Kate I couldn’t get an appointment to pitch to her and she showed up 15 minutes early the next morning to make time for me. That night my friend Martha and I were in the bar and Kate invited us to sit with her, Sue Grimshaw, the national romance buyer for Borders, and a group of other authors. The last time I saw her was February of this year in New York when I had lunch with our editor, our agent and Kate.
The things I learned about in the inter-workings of the business in those three meetings are more valuable than platinum. She might not have ever been my editor but she’s still one of my keys to success. I have never met anyone so outspoken and enthusiastic about romance. And she was my kind of tough broad that never pulled her punches.
She was, in all honesty, one of the greatest women I have ever met and her passing is a huge blow to the industry and to everyone she touched.
I love the picture above of her from last February. I think you can see that larger than life personality in it. In the picture is me, our editor, our agent and Kate.
Thank you Kate for everything.
I love the picture above of her from last February. I think you can see that larger than life personality in it. In the picture is me, our editor, our agent and Kate.
Thank you Kate for everything.
UPDATED: Sue Grimshaw would like all who knew and loved Kate to join the Borders.com romance website BOOK CHAT on Sunday October 4, to pay tribute to Kate. Borders: True Romance
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