Congratulations!

Breaking news:

NINA HARRINGTON is the winner of the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Harlequin Romance of 2010 with HIRED: SASSY ASSISTANT!







AND

Two of our authors are nominated for a prestigious RITA award in the Series Contemporary category! The winners will be announced at the RWA Nationals conference in New York City in June. Congrats to:

Marion Lennox with CHRISTMAS WITH HER BOSS

And Melissa McClone with CHRISTMAS MAGIC ON THE MOUNTAIN!


Apparently there's something magical about a Harlequin Romance Holiday story!

It's Award Season....

...and our authors are making a great showing!

Here are some of the latest good news items from Harlequin Romance as the award circuit gets into full swing:


In the prestigious RITA Awards, RWA Nationals:

In the Contemporary Series Category

The Snow-Kissed Bride - Linda Goodnight


In The Bookseller's Best Awards, sponsored by the Greater Detroit RWA Chapter:

Finalists in the Traditional Category

Lucy Gordon - Italian Tycoon, Secret Son

Fiona Harper - Invitation to the Boss's Ball

 
In the National Reader's Choice Awards, sponsored by the Oklahoma RWA:
 
Finalists in the Traditional Category
 
Michelle Douglas - Bachelor Dad on Her Doorstep

Jessica Hart - Cinderella's Wedding Wish


In The Golden Quill Awards, Desert Rose RWA:

Finalist in the Novella Category

A Bride For Rocking H Ranch - Donna Alward

Finalists in the Traditional Category

Blind Date Baby - Fiona Harper

Invitation to the Boss's Ball - Fiona Harper

The Frenchman's Plain-Jane Project - Myrna Mackenzie

WINNER of the Traditional Category

Blind Date Baby - Fiona Harper


Congrats to all the finalists and winners!

Congratulations to Linda Goodnight!

Major congratulations are in order for Linda Goodnight, who has finalled in the RITAs - the annual "Oscars" of the Romance genre.  Her Romance, The Snow-Kissed Bride, is a finalist in the Contemporary Series Romance category.

The RITA Awards will be handed out at a grand ceremony during the RWA National Conference in July in beautiful Nashville, Tennessee.

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!

Harlequin Romance Authors at RWA Nationals - San Francisco

A while back I mentioned how several of the Romance authors were going to be attending the RWA Nationals Conference in San Francisco. Now the reports are coming in and there are a few highlights to show you! Let me tell you, after all I've read and seen, I'm really sorry I missed it. So living vicariously, here's the report from one Romance author that DIDN'T make it to San Fran....

MSNBC did a snippet on the Literacy Signing on Wednesday night...a really good piece IMO. Just click on this link to view: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/25966976#25966976

One of the highlights for Romance authors was the panel presented by Barbara McMahon, Barbara Hannay and Jessica Hart. The ladies took advantage of some time for R&R, and thanks to Jessica, who sent me this pic of the three of them in Yosemite.

However, on Friday morning it was down to business for these three ladies at their workshop on Emotion, Emotion, Emotion: Writing Romance with Global Appeal.

Of course Nationals is more than workshops...there's networking and booksignings galore. Melissa McClone did a fabulous job on her blog with pictures, and has kindly allowed me to post a few here.

This shot is of all the Romance authors and editors gathered outside Lovejoys, at the Romance High Tea.

Of course there is touring around: Here is Melissa along with Trish Wylie, Claire Baxter and Jessica Hart at Union Square.

Of course the big attraction (other than dancing with Nora at the Harlequin party...this event has become quite legendary at conference) is the RITA Award Ceremony. And so congrats goes to Romance/Love Inspired author LINDA GOODNIGHT for winning the RITA in the Inspirational Category!!!!!!!!! Here's a picture of Linda with her RITA.

And since I know someone will mention it if I don't post about it, my debut Romance Hired By The Cowboy won Best Traditional at the Booksellers Best Awards which were handed out on Thursday. Trish Wylie snagged a pic of my editor, Sally Williamson with the pin.

Scads more pictures of conference are available at the Pink Heart Society photobucket album.

And if any of you have links to other great reports and pictures, please post them in the comments!

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!

Best Traditional Romance RITA for Romance's Barbara Hannay!

The RITA awards were handed out Saturday night at the RWA National Conference in Dallas. This was the very last year for the Best Traditional Romance category, and the finalist roster was spectacular:

Jackie Braun - A WOMAN WORTH LOVING

Barbara Hannay - CLAIMING HIS FAMILY

Fiona Harper - BLIND DATE MARRIAGE (also finalled in Best First Book)

Marion Lennox - THE SURGEON'S FAMILY MIRACLE and THE DOCTOR'S PROPOSAL

Sandra Paul - DOMESTICATING LUC

And the winner is.....

BARBARA HANNAY!

Congrats to Barbara for her win with this fabulous book!

A marriage renewal...

Erin has agreed to take her little boy to the Outback to meet his father – her ex-husband – whom she hasn’t seen for five years.

Seeing Luke again, Erin’s not sure how she’s supposed to act around the man she once loved so deeply. The memories of their marriage come flooding back... the happy times, and the reasons that tore them apart. Now Luke is determined for her to stay. Can Erin find the courage to give their marriage a second chance – and let them become a family again?

You can read an excerpt HERE.

And though this was a 2006 release, thank goodness for the internet! You can still get this book at amazon. Click HERE to be taken to Barb's amazon.com page!

Congratulations once again, Barbara, for being the Last - Best Traditional winner!