Festival of Romance – Shortlisted!

I’m really looking forward to attending the Festival of Romance at Hunton Park near Watford on the 22nd October. It’s a fantastic opportunity for authors, aspiring authors and readers of romantic fiction to get together for workshops, a book fair, a chance to talk to an agent, see a fashion show, listen to readings and enjoy a cupcake!

I shall be on a panel discussing ‘Where Do I get My Ideas From?’ so I need to think about that and have some snappy answers!

I’m looking forward to the Festival of Romance even more now that I’ve heard that The Apothecary’s Daughter has been shortlisted for the Choc Lit Best Historical Read Award. The Best Romantic Read Award is for contemporary novels of any romance genre, and the Best Historical Read Award is for novels of any romance genre set prior to 1961.

For the Choc Lit Best Historical Read Award:

Charlotte Betts – The Apothecary’s Daughter (Piatkus)

Annie Burrows – Captain Corcoran’s Hoyden Bride (Mills & Boon, Historical Regency)

Christina Courtenay – The Scarlet Kimono (Choc Lit)

Jean Fullerton – Perhaps Tomorrow (Orion)

Jan Jones – The Kydd Inheritance (Robert Hale)

For the Total-E-Bound Best Romantic Read Award:

Juliet Archer – Persuade Me (Choc Lit)

Fiona Harper – Swept off her Stilettos (Mills & Boon, Riva)

Carole Matthews – Wrapped up in You (Sphere)

Sue Moorcroft – Love and Freedom (Choc Lit)

Talli Roland – The Hating Game (Prospera Publishing)

The Romance Reader Awards are judged by a panel of real readers who considered the submissions on readability and enjoyment.

“The quality of the submissions received for the inaugural Reader Awards has been exceptionally high,” said Jenny Barden, Romance Reader Awards Moderator. “That has made the task of arriving at a shortlist extremely difficult but everyone on the Reader Award Panel is now looking forward to the conclusion of the selection process and the prospect of finding worthy winners from amongst some of the best good reads now available in both contemporary and historical romantic fiction.”

The winners will be announced at the Festival of Romance Have A Heart Ball and Awards on Saturday 22 October, along with the Festival of Romance New Talent Award to recognise writers of great talent who have not yet been commercially published.

The Festival of Romance takes place on 21st and 22nd October at Hunton Park in Hertfordshire. Supported by over 30 authors and six publishers, the literary event is a celebration of the romantic fiction genre for readers, with chocolate and cupcakes alongside literary debate.

I’m hoping to meet lots of authors and readers at the event and it’s bound to be great fun. Hope to see you there!

Website: www.festivalofromance.co.uk

Book jacket jpegs of shortlisted books are available and shortlisted authors are available for interview.

Press contact: Kate Allan Tel: 07973 218434

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