Last Saturday, the Romance Writers of Australia (RWA) held their annual R*BY (Romantic Book of the Year) awards dinner to honour the best books written by Australian romance authors.
Historical romance author Anne Gracie was given a standing ovation as she accepted her honorary life member award.
The R*BY in the Short and Sweet category went to Melanie Milburne for The Doctor’s Rebel Knight. Lindsay Armstrong took out the Short and Sexy category for The Socialite and the Cattle King. The R*BY in the Long Romance was awarded to Sophia James for her historical novel One Unashamed Night, featuring a blind hero. Romantic suspense author Helene Young won the R*BY for Romantic Elements with her debut novel, Wings of Fear.
The ROMA Award (Romance in the media) was awarded Simon Royal for The Changing Face of Romance (Stateline, ABC South Australia, 28/8/2010), featuring various Australian romance writers and interviews with people in the romance industry.
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The Oscars of the romance industry, the RITA Awards, were awarded yesterday at the Romance Writers of America conference in New York.
Wendy, whom you might know from her blog, The Misadventures of Super Librarian, was awarded the Librarian of the Year award.
The RWA website has a full list of finalists and winners, including winners of the Golden Heart Awards and other special awards.
Historical Romance
Regency Historical Romance
Contemporary Series Romance
Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure
Contemporary Single Title Romance
Paranormal Romance
Romantic Suspense
Inspirational Romance
Young Adult Romance
Romance Novella - "Shifting Sea" by Virginia Kantra
Novel with Strong Romantic Elements
Best First Book
ARRC 2011 round-ups
ARRA has posted some round-ups of ARRC 2011 on it blog. Take a peek at what happened at the convention on the Thursday (volunteers hard at work), Friday (volunteers at work), Welcome reception, Silent auction.
Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader has also posted part 1 of her round-up.
For a round-up of all the round-ups, check out our ARRC 2011 page.
RT Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award winners
The RT Reviewers’ Choice awards were announced at Los Angeles last week. Click here for a list of winners. Congratulations to A/NZ authors Nalini Singh (Best Shapeshifter Romance for Play of Passion) and Tina Duncan (Best First Series Romance for Da Silva’s Mistress).
Congratulations also to Valerie Parv, who was awarded a Pioneer of Romance Award.
Source: Maggie Nash and Romance Writers of Australia
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Australian authors Marion Lennox and Kelly Hunter have been named finalists for the 2011 RITA Awards, the Oscar equivalent for romance authors.
Marian Lennox is nominated for her Christmas with Her Boss (Sweet Romance). Kelly Hunter is nominated for Red-Hot Renegade (Sexy). They will competing for the 2011 RITA for Contemporary Series Romance.
Hunter was at the Australian Romance Readers Convention when the finalists were announced. She was recognised by Anne Gracie in front of a very appreciative convention audience.
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Demonstrating a distinct local bias, Australian romance readers awarded their favourite authors at a the Australian Romance Readers Convention on Saturday night.
For the second year in a row, historical author Anna Campbell won the award for Favourite Australian Author. Campbell also picked up the award for Favourite Historical Romance—which might as well be called the Anna Campbell Award because she’s won it every year since the awards began—for her latest book, My Reckless Surrender. Campbell is published by Avon/HarperCollins and was one of the keynote speakers at the convention.
New Zealand author Nalini Singh picked up three awards. Singh won Favourite Paranormal Romance with Bonds of Justice, part of her Psy-Changeling series. The series, set in a future featuring humans, psychics and changelings, also won the award for Favourite Continuing Romance Series. Her urban fantasy book, Archangel’s Consort, the latest book in her Guild Hunter series, won the award for Favourite Sci-Fi, Urban Fantasy or Futuristic Romance. Singh is published by Gollancz/Hachette in Australia.
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Tracey O'Hara (Winner, R*BY Award -- Romantic Elements)
There was no shortage of glamour in last night’s Romance Book of the Year (R*BY) awards where Sophia James took out the top prize in Australian romance fiction, winning the Long Romance category for Mistletoe Magic (in Christmas Betrothals, Mills & Boon/Quills), beating Christine Wells and romance veteran Stephanie Laurens, who was nominated twice in the category.
Tracey O’Hara received the R*BY in the Romantic Elements category, which goes to novels of any length or genre in which romance plays a significant—though not necessarily a central—-role in the story. Her book, Night’s Cold Kiss (HarperCollins/Eos), was the only speculative fiction work shortlisted for the R*BY.
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The finalists for this year’s Romance Book of the Year (R*BY) Awards have been announced. Congratulations on the finalists and good luck!
Long Romance Category
Mistletoe Magic by Sophia James
Mastered by Love by Stephanie Laurens
Temptation and Surrender by Stephanie Laurens
Wicked Little Game by Christine Wells
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Because ARRA members just wanna have fun. (And read!)
The Awards dinner was excellent. I’d never heard of Cello’s Restaurant before, but it’s a beautiful venue—although the lifts are a challenge if you’re the least bit claustrophobic. High ceilings, chandeliers, and even a grand piano to the side—it’s just reeked of old world romance.
If you follow us on Twitter, you’ll know that Tracey O’Hara issued a challenge that eventually resulted in a call for a bling off at the Australian Romance Readers Awards dinner. And do you know what I love most about my fellow ARRA members? They said, Bring it!
You can see photos of the bling off here and here. (I’m missing a lot of blinged out people, though, so let me know if you have any more links!)
Sadly, I got carried away and left my outfit shopping so late I turned up to dinner, well, quite UNfashionably late. Others also suffered for the sake of bling and leather, with stories of shoes superglued to the kitchen floor, the case of the killer heels, and last-minute
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Anna Campbell took out the top prize in last night’s Australian Romance Readers Awards, held last night at Cello’s Restaurant in Sydney.
Campbell was voted Favourite Australian Romance Author of 2009 and also won Favourite Historical Romance for her fourth novel, Captive of Sin.
The night was a bonanza of wins for Australian authors, with Paula Roe, Kandy Shepherd and Bronwyn Parry taking the prizes in their categories.
Roe won Favourite Short Category Romance for The Magnate’s Baby Promise. Shepherd won Favourite Contemporary Romance for Love is a Four-Legged Word. Parry won Favourite Romantic Suspense for Dark Country.
New Zealand author Nalini Singh, who was also the guest speaker for the event, won Favourite Continuing Romance Series for her Psy-Changeling books and Favourite Sci-fi, Fantasy or Futuristic Romance for Angel’s Blood.
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The 2009 Australian Romance Readers Award dinner is on this Saturday at Cello Restaurant in Sydney.
Today is the last day for registrations, so if you’ve let it ’til the last minute or are on the fence about coming along—make sure you register today. Click here for details and a list of finalists.
The guest speaker is Nalini Singh, but there will be many other authors coming along to the dinner. It’s a great way to have a chat with some of your favourites!
Are you coming along? If so, let me know in the comments. It’d be great to catch up with Book Thingo readers.
RWAus author signing
Romance Writers of Australia has announced the author signing at this year’s conference in Coogee. The book signing is jointly organised by ARRA and will be held at
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