Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Exciting news!

Current work: revisions to Penhally book
Listening to: various classical
Reading: Paul Doherty, The Field of Blood

I’ve been teasing everyone for weeks about having a secret. Finally, I can share. In fact, I’ll let the press release do it for me:

Romance Prize celebrates shorter fiction alongside the Romantic Novel Of The Year

The Romantic Novelists’ Association, who will announce the shortlist for the Romantic Novel of the Year award on 13th January, is also honouring writers of shorter romances such as those published by Harlequin Mills and Boon.

“Although both awards celebrate novels with a high romantic content,” explains Catherine Jones, Chairman of the RNA, “the Romance Prize honours the most memorable stories set around a single theme that concentrates on the developing love affair.”

The Romance Prize will be presented at the RNA’s Awards Lunch on 10th February 2009 at the Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington. The winner will be selected from the following books:

What's Love Got to Do With It? - Lucy Broadbent (Little Black Dress, Headline)
The Wild Card - Beth Elliott (Robert Hale)
Mistress: Hired for the Billionaire's Pleasure - India Grey (Harlequin Mills & Boon)
Sold to the Highest Bidder - Kate Hardy (Harlequin Mills & Boon)
Saying Yes to the Millionaire - Fiona Harper (Harlequin Mills & Boon)
Promoted to Wife and Mother - Jessica Hart (Harlequin Mills & Boon)

Fiona Harper has been short-listed before, and both Jessica Hart and Kate Hardy are past winners. Kate Hardy, who won in 2008 with Breakfast at Giovanni’s, had this to say: "Winning the Romance Prize has been the highlight of my career to date, and it's certainly opened up opportunities. I'm very proud to have won the award and to be part of the RNA - and have been delighted by messages of support over the year. I even had a personal letter of congratulations from the chancellor of the University of Leicester!"

The shortlist will be judged by Margaret James, creative writing teacher for the London School of Journalism and regular columnist with Writing Magazine; Paul Reizin, writer, producer and journalist; and Linda Leatherbarrow, prize-winning short story writer, reviewer and MA lecturer at Middlesex.

________________________

So now, finally, I can say congrats to my fellow shortlistees!

I’m especially pleased about being shortlisted with this book, because Sold to the Highest Bidder is set in my favourite part of the world, i.e. where I live. And now I can confess why the third bead on my Pandora bracelet is a pointsettia that looks like an iris: it’s one of my heroine’s favourite flowers, and Lissy is a horticultural lecturer who wants to restore the lost gardens of her family home. Jack, the hero, buys her some gorgeous jewellery based on an iris, and how he proposes to her… Well. You’ll have to read it. But let’s just say that the heroine shares my taste in flowers, and that particular bead suited the book very well.

I’m not expecting to win. (I mean, two years in a row? That’d be greedy.) But I’m really looking forward to being in London, the day before my birthday, drinking champagne with my agent and my editor and having a lovely lunch at a wonderful hotel. Especially as I’m staying in London the night before; I’m planning a trip to the Hunterian museum and then meeting up with my best friend.

Definitely a nice start to the new year.

36 comments:

Michelle Styles said...

Congrats Kate.

Thoroughly well deserved.

Liz Fielding said...

Many congratulations, Kate! And, er, why wouldn't you win two years in a row?

Jan Jones said...

Congrats, hon. Looking forward to seeing you at the Lunch.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations! :-D

Unknown said...

Congratulations!! Go you!!

Unknown said...

Yay Kate! That's 3 shortlistings and one win-- pretty good going, missis! Congratulations and a big hug. xx

Romance, Rumours and Rogues said...

Congrats Kate!
Fabulous news :)

Unknown said...

Many congratulations

Anonymous said...

I could not be more thrilled for you - many congratulations. I shall be there to share the fun and catch up.

Melissa Amateis said...

Congrats, Kate! Awesome!

Nell Dixon said...

Congratulations!!!!

Fiona Harper said...

Congratulations, Kate! Once again it will be (Radley) handbags at dawn! or should I say high noon, since it's a lunch...

:-)

Donna Alward said...

Congrats Kate!

And I hadn't realized that the working title for one of my WIPS is the same as your nommed title. That might bear a good omen for me....

Kate Walker said...

Many congratulations T'Other Kate!

Kate Hardy said...

Michelle - thank you very much :o)

Kate Hardy said...

Liz - thank you. And I wouldn't because it'd be greedy...

Kate Hardy said...

Jan - thanks - we can be glittery together!!

Kate Hardy said...

Julie - thanks, look forward to seeing you on the day and raising a glass :o)

Kate Hardy said...

Biddy - thank you! (And I hope you'll be at the lunch, or if not at least in the pub afterwards.)

Kate Hardy said...

India - mm, shortlist 2006, 2008 and 2009 - yeah, that's greedy :o)

(And there's the shortlisted nonfic book last year, too. Very greedy.)

Congrats to you, too, on the shortlisting. Will be lovely to see you!

Kate Hardy said...

Nic - thanks!

Kate Hardy said...

Carol - thank you very much!

Kate Hardy said...

Ray-Anne - thanks - will be lovely to see you for a catch-up (actually, it'll be the first time I've seen you since you got The Call - so I owe you a big hug for that).

Kate Hardy said...

Melissa - thank you!

Kate Hardy said...

Nell - thank you!

Kate Hardy said...

Fiona - congrats to you, too! And I have a new Radley handbag to tempt you with, this year. (And the bracelet. Ask Jan.)

Kate Hardy said...

Donna - thanks! And fingers crossed for you, too :o)

Kate Hardy said...

Kate W - thank you :o) Hope to see you and the BM there?

Fiona Lowe said...

Kate, such terrific news! Congratulations and your day planned in London has made me very green ;-) ENJOY it all and then enjoy it again.

Fiona x

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on the short-listing! I'm off to hunt down my copy to re-read it!
Cheers, Katie

Natalie Anderson said...

Congrats Kate! Its a wonderful book - yes to two years in a row I say!!!
~nat

Kate Hardy said...

Fiona - thank you! (And you know the answer. You have to come to London. You know you want to...)

Kate Hardy said...

Katie - many thanks!

Kate Hardy said...

Cheers, Nat!

Sabrina Philips said...

Congrats! Ooh I want one of those bracelets!

Sabrina xx

Kate Hardy said...

Sabrina - thank you! Hope to see you there next month (and then you can see it for yourself - it's nicer in the flesh).

Wonder if Pandora would like to put me on commission? *g*