I’m delighted that The Spice Merchant’s Wife has been shortlisted for the Festival of Romance’s Best Historical Read.
The shortlists for the 2013 Festival of Romance Awards have been announced. Comprising the Romance Reader, Romance Industry and New Talent Awards, the winners will be announced on Saturday 9th November at the Festival of Romance along with two competitions run by romance publishers to find new authors in the genre; both Piatkus Entice and Carina UK have publishing contracts on offer to writers. Now in their third year the Romance Reader Awards are judged solely by a panel of readers and include novels by bestselling authors on the shortlists as well as books by newer names. Independent publisher Choc Lit and new digital romance imprint HarperImpulse from Harper Collins have been nominated for Publisher of the Year and for the first time there is to be an award for Romance Blogger of the Year, recognising the invaluable contribution by bloggers reviewing books and creating social media buzz around romance reading. Nominated for the Hall of Fame Award for outstanding achievement in romantic fiction is the Romantic Novelists Association which has been representing authors and been a defining, driving and positive force for the genre since 1960.
2013 Awards Shortlists
Romance Reader Awards
Best Romantic Read
Just for Christmas by Scarlett Bailey (Ebury)
Take a Look At Me Now by Miranda Dickinson (Avon)
A Cornish Affair by Liz Fenwick (Orion)
Hubble Bubble by Jane Lovering (Choc Lit)
Is This Love? By Sue Moorcroft (Choc Lit)
Playing Grace by Hazel Osmond (Quercus)
Best Historical Read
The Lost Duchess by Jenny Barden (Ebury)
The Spice Merchant’s Wife by Charlotte Betts (Piatkus)
The Gilded Fan by Christina Courtenay (Choc Lit)
A Bargain Struck by Liz Harris (Choc Lit)
Maid of Oaklands Manor by Terri Nixon (Piatkus Entice)
The Affair by Gill Paul (Avon)
Best Romantic Ebook
It Happened One Night by Phillipa Ashley (Piatkus Entice)
Beyond Grace’s Rainbow by Carmel Harrington (HarperImpulse)
Truth or Dare by Laura James (Choc Lit Lite)
How to Win a Guy in 10 Dates by Jane Linfoot (HarperImpulse)
Confessions of a Chalet Girl by Lorraine Wilson (HarperImpulse)
Best Short Romance
Come Full Circle by Natalie-Nicole Bates (Books to Go Now)
The Art of Deception by Liz Harris (Choc Lit)
The Rebound Guy by Fiona Harper (Mills and Boon Cherish)
Stranded with the Tycoon by Sophie Pembroke (Mills and Boon Modern)
Best Author Published Read
No One Ever Has Sex on a Tuesday by Tracy Bloom
The Good Sister by Amielise Gable
The Bow Wow Club by Nicola May
The Pollyanna Plan by Talli Roland
The Hollow Heart by Adrienne Vaughan
Cooking Up a Storm by Sue Welfare
New Talent Award
Fate Plays Dangerous Games – Kaye Chaloner
Lucky Kate – Glenda Cooper
The Wildflower of Ravenscar – Wendy Grace
Rock, Paper, Scissors – Jayne Hall
Fifty Not Out – Vivien Hampshire
Boot Camp Bride – Elizabeth Lamb
The Survivor – Shada Lapite
Glitter Red Shoes and Sky Blue Gingham – Anna Mansell
The Bow Wow Club – Nicola May
Baby Number Two – Catherine Miller
Acting on Impulse – Bella Osborne
The Honey Projects – Fay Rusling
Missing Grace – Vanessa Savage
Crazy Little Thing – Kate Scholefield
Broken Jigsaw – Lynda Stacey
Edge of Life – Karen Taylor
Head over Heart – Lucie Wheeler
Romance Industry Awards
Innovation in Romantic Fiction (Publisher)
Choc Lit – for their commitment and support to developing new writers
Harper Collins – for use of different formats; ebook compilations, hardbacks and paperbacks
HarperImpulse – for listening to what romance readers want and connecting with readers through social media
Innovation in Romantic Fiction (Author)
Julie Cohen – for outstanding and captivating teaching methods leading to many of her students receiving publishing contracts
Linn B Halton – for evolving the loveahappyending.comauthor/reader initiative into an interactive lifestyle magazine
Lindsey Kelk – for excellent social media campaigns and use of short stories to promote her novels
Lorraine Wilson – for being such an inspiration to other writers
Publisher of the Year
Choc Lit – for promotion of romantic fiction and the hero and heroine benefiting the entire genre
Harper Collins – for evolving in the ever changing marketplace and the use of imprints to reach many different readers
HarperImpulse – for going from zero to huge in such a short space of time
Literary Agent of the Year
Carole Blake – for a long, successful career contributing 50 years to publishing
Broo Doherty – for always being the professional and a first class mentor and advocate for her authors
Hannah Ferguson – for her faith in new writers and ability to spot future bestsellers
Lizzie Kremer – for her commitment to the romantic fiction genre
Romance Blogger of the Year
Tanya Farrell (After The Final Chapters) – for writing honest, funny and no holds barred reviews and using social media to connect with readers throughout the world
Sharon Goodwin (Jera’s Jamboree) – for honest reviews and her active support of new authors as well as more established names
JB Johnston (Brook Cottage Books) – for being unstinting in her support of authors and reviewing tirelessly
Kirsty Maclennan (The Love of a Good Book) – for being a tireless supporter of romantic fiction and continuing to make her blog better than ever
Carol Wright (Dizzy C’s Book Blog) – for being innovative with interviews and seasonal extras and having daily posts that are interesting and varied
Hall of Fame
The Romantic Novelists’ Association – for being a defining, driving and positive force for the genre since 1960