There’s so much I wanted to blog about today—I’ve just returned from the Baltimore Book Festival; I was in Chicago doing appearances; it’s Banned Books Week—but I’ve just received the shocking news that my old friend, Kate Duffy, Kensington Romance Editor Extraordinaire and Editorial Director, died rather suddenly on Monday. It seems unreal to me, and I’d like to take a moment to pay tribute to my pal.

Kate Duffy was one of the most bad-ass dames I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. And s...