Celebrating our Finalists!

Award season is upon us and there's nothing we like more than an excuse to celebrate our achievements and perhaps pop a little bubbly...or have cake?

Congrats to our authors on their latest good news!


National Reader's Choice Award Finalist:
OH-SO-SENSIBLE SECRETARY by Jessica Hart

WisRWA Write Touch Award Finalist:
PROUD RANCHER, PRECIOUS BUNDLE by Donna Alward

Colorado Award of Excellence Finalists:
HER LONE COWBOY by Donna Alward
SOS: CONVENIENT HUSBAND REQUIRED  by Liz Fielding

Bookseller's Best Award Finalists:
HER LONE COWBOY by Donna Alward
SAVING CINDERELLA! by Myrna McKenzie
OH-SO-SENSIBLE SECRETARY by Jessica Hart
CHRISTMAS WITH HER BOSS by Marion Lennox

Short/Sweet Category of the RWAus R*BY Awards finalist:
THE CATTLEMAN, THE BABY AND ME by Michelle Douglas

OUTBACK BACHELOR by Margaret Way

CINDERELLA:HIRED BY THE PRINCE by Marion Lennox

Congratulations!

Several Congrats to go out this month - first of all to the Harlequin Romance nominated books for the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Awards!  So high fives to:

HIRED: SASSY ASSISTANT (Jan.)  -Nina Harrington

HOUSEKEEPER'S HAPPILY EVER-AFTER (Apr.) - Fiona Harper

OH-SO-SENSIBLE SECRETARY (Mar.) - Jessica Hart

BEAUTY AND THE RECLUSIVE PRINCE (Apr.) - Raye Morgan

And also to Nicola Marsh, who's been nominated for Best Harlequin Presents!


A very special congrats too to Leah Ashton, the winner of the Mills and Boon New Voices competition with her entry "Secrets and Speed Dating".  Leah was mentored by Romance star Jessica Hart during the competition - congrats to Leah and Team Jessica!

Pop out the Champagne for Jessica Hart!

Major congrats to Romance author JESSICA HART!  Cinderella's Wedding Wish took top honours in the Traditional Romance category of the National Reader's Choice Award.  The winners were announced at a special ceremony at the Romance Writers of America National Conference held in Orlando, Florida.

Way to go Jessica!

Great news for Harlequin Romance!

Typically at this time of year, various award competitions announce finalists and winners. Our author loop has been all abuzz with the great news flooding - yes FLOODING - our way lately, and so it's high time we shared it with our readers!

Congrats to Jennie Adams who won this year's Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice award for Best Harlequin Romance with The Boss's Unconventional Assistant!

In addition to Jessica Hart and Barbara Hannay's RITA finals, the lists are up for the National Reader's Choice Awards, the Bookseller's Best Awards, and the Golden Quill Awards.

And what a showing!

In the NRCA's Traditional Category:

Jackie Braun - Expecting a Miracle
Jessica Hart - Last Minute Proposal
Lucy Gordon - The Italian's Cinderella Bride and The Italian's Passionate Revenge
Michelle Douglas - The Loner's Guarded Heart


In the BBA Traditional Category:

Christmas Wishes, Mistletoe Kisses – Fiona Harper
Her Millionaire, His Miracle - Myrna Mackenzie
The Italian’s Cinderella Bride – Lucy Gordon
Newlyweds of Convenience – Jessica Hart

And in the GQ Traditional Category:

The Soldier's Homecoming - Donna Alward
Saying Yes To The Millionaire - Fiona Harper
Executive Mother-To-Be - Nicola Marsh
The Rancher's Doorstep Baby -Patricia Thayer
The Millionaire's Proposal - Trish Wylie

And also in the Novella category:

Snowbound Bride (Christmas Weddings)- Shirley Jump

Other good news includes an Honorable Mention for Donna Alward's The Soldier's Homecoming in Love Romances and More's Golden Rose Awards in the Best Category Romance of 2008 Category.

Congrats to all our Romance authors!

Pop open the Champagne!!!!!!

Get out the bubbly and the fancy glasses! We've got some FANTASTIC news to share today!

First up - our very own Jessica Hart and Barbara Hannay have been named finalists for this year's RITA award in Series Contemporary Romance! Way to go! Jessica's Last Minute Proposal and Barbara's Adopted: Outback Baby got the nod today! The award will be handed out at the RITA ceremony at RWA National Conference, this July in Washington DC.

Congratulations Jessica and Barb!

And in keeping with the awards season theme, Liz Fielding has been listed as a finalist in the Colorado Award of Excellence with her Romance, Wedded in a Whirlwind! Yay Liz!

Donna Alward has also finaled in Love Romances and More's 2008 Golden Rose Awards, with The Soldier's Homecoming up for Best Category Romance! This is a contest where the readers get to have their say: Polls are open here for voting.

And one other very special bit of news this week. There's another brand new addition to the Harlequin Romance family - author Barbara Wallace, whose journey to publication is an inspiration to all aspiring romance authors out there. Barbara will be back later with info on her debut release including the title and release date. Until then,

Congratulations on the sale Barbara and welcome to the family!

Good news for Romance!

This week we're bringing you some fab reviews of this month's releases - as well as another big announcement!

From our Spotlighter Trish's book The Millionaire's Proposal: "Kerry and Ronan are perfect for each other and I fell in love with these two characters right from the beginning of the story. Bravo to Ms. Wylie for writing a romance that not only has two wonderful characters but also beautiful settings and an ending that will leave you breathless. I truly enjoyed this book and I know that it is one that I can read again and again. The Millionaire’s Proposal is a romance to treasure! " Simply Romance Reviews



From The Bridegroom's Secret by Melissa James: "A well-developed heroine, dynamic conflict and a satisfying ending." Romantic Times



Crazy About Her Spanish Boss by Rebecca Winters: "features a spectacular setting and very appealing lovers." Romantic Times



Texas Ranger Takes a Bride by Patricia Thayer: "One of my favorite kinds of books....western, Texas Rangers, cowboys, ranches....Pat definitely knows how to write my kind of novel." E-harlequin reader review



And now for our other big news....



There's a new addition to the Harlequin Romance family!



Mega congrats to Nina Harrington! Nina's debut book with Romance will be out next summer - for right now she's becoming used to that lovely new term: published author! Be on the look out for more news about Nina's debut release in the months to come.


Welcome to the family, Nina!



TIME IS RUNNING OUT! You only have a few more days to enter Trish's contest to win a copy of THE MILLIONAIRE'S PROPOSAL. Just send e-mail to hrablog@hotmail.com with the subject line TRISH to be entered! The draw is on Monday Sept 30!

May Buzz....

Lots of good buzz going around for the May books and for Romance in general. Before we get to that though....

The finalist list is up for the Bookseller's Best Awards. The finalists in the "Traditional" category are:

Best Friend - Future Wife by Claire Baxter
The Italian's Wife By Sunset by Lucy Gordon
Millionaire to the Rescue by Ally Blake
His Christmas Angel by Michelle Douglas
Hired By The Cowboy by Donna Alward

Also finalling in the "Short Contemporary" category is Romance author Trish Wylie with her Presents, Breathless!

The awards are presented at RWA Nationals, this summer in San Francisco.

There are some great reviews of this month's books:

The Italian Playboy's Secret Son by Rebecca Winters : "Loved this! This book had me pulled in right from the first page. It was so well done with great characters and a interesting plot."(E-harlequin reader review)

The Heir's Convenient Wife by Myrna MacKenzie..."is an exquisite addition to The Wedding Planners series, building on the second chance romance theme with a character skeptical of love also seen in Shirley Jump's preceding romance. Myrna MacKenzie brings love to an impossible situation and to two very different sorts of characters." (Book reader, e-pinions)

Her Sheikh Boss by Carol Grace : "...an appealing fantasy", Romantic Times

Wanted: White Wedding by Natasha Oakley: "Wanted:White Wedding is a wonderful contemporary romance rich in feeling, emotion and passion that will captivate you from the very first page and leave you totally mesmerized until the final full stop.
Natasha Oakley’s books just keep on getting better and better: poignant, enthralling and absolutely mesmerizing, they deserve a place on every romance reader’s keeper shelf!" (Julie, Cataromance, 4.5 stars)


His Pregnant Housekeeper by Caroline Anderson: "shines because of the incredible chemistry between adorably clueless Daniel and gutsy Iona--and several interesting conflicts. "(Romantic Times, 4)

And don't forget to enter for you chance to win a copy of Wanted: White Wedding from Natasha! Just send e-mail to hrablog@hotmail.com with the subject of Natasha to enter! This book is getting great reviews....Merrimon reviews calls it "packed with precise action, humor and emotion."

April Good News

There are so many things going on this month we're combining some of them all in one post! Hold on to your hats, get out your tootie horns and pop some champagne as we get ready to celebrate the authors of Harlequin Romance!

This past weekend Romantic Times Magazine hosted their annual convention in Pittsburgh. What a showing for our Romance authors!

Trish Wylie won Best Harlequin Romance with Rescued: Mother-To-Be. Way to go, Trish!

Natasha Oakley won Best Harlequin Presents with The Tycoon's Princess Bride. This was part of the Niroli Continuity and we're so very proud of Natasha!

Linda Goodnight won Best Love Inspired with The Heart of Grace.

It just goes to show that the trademark core of emotionalism in Romance is a powerful thing no matter what line you also write for! Congratulations ladies!

And a big cheer for Liz Fielding, who won a Career Achievement Award for Love and Laughter. If you've read Liz's books, you already know she has a specialness about her that is all her own. And a sneaky ability to make you cry, and then laugh in the next heartbeat. Congratulations, Liz.

And what would spring be without the RWA RITA finalists being announced! The Tycoon's Princess Bride (Natasha Oakley) is also up for a RITA in the Short Contemporary category...is this book magical or what!

Carrying on....

Jennie Adams's book To Love and To Cherish was a Blue Ribbon Favourite for the month of March at Romance Junkies, as chosen by their reviewers. Congrats, Jennie!

And, finally, the finalists of the National Reader's Choice Awards have been notified. In the Traditional category we have:

Natasha Oakley - Crowned: An Ordinary Girl

Barbara McMahon - The Boss's Little Miracle

Lucy Gordon - The Mediterranean Rebel's Bride

What a brilliant showing...and this is only the beginning! Congratulations to you all.

One last note...if you haven't already, please enter to win a copy of Claire Baxter's book THE SINGLE DAD'S PATCHWORK FAMILY! Just drop an e-mail to hrablog@hotmail.com with the subject CLAIRE to enter. There's only one week left!