RoNA Awards 2017: Paranormal or Speculative Romance

This year’s shortlisted novels include space adventures, timeslip, and a ghost story, and include two independently published novels.

The Velvet Cloak of Moonlight by Christina Courtenay, who is also nominated in the Young Adult Category writing as Pia Fenton, is a timeslip tale.  During a visit to Raglan Castle, an extraordinary hallucination transports Tess to seventeenth-century Wales and a castle on the brink of a siege. Even when she leaves Raglan, the strangeness continues as her life becomes increasingly intertwined with her visions. But are they just telling their own story or also giving a warning?

We asked Christina about the inspiration behind the story:

I’d wanted to write this story ever since the first time I set eyes on Raglan Castle – about eight years ago when I moved to Herefordshire.  It’s a wonderfully atmospheric place and even in its present ruined state, it is beautiful.  Once I started to do the research for the book I was even more intrigued when I found out about the final siege during the English Civil War in 1646, and the way the inhabitants tried to defend the castle even though their cause was, to all intents and purposes, already lost.  It was a story that just cried out to be written and I’m so pleased it’s finally in print and that the readers liked it.  I really hope I’ve done the place justice!

Kate Johnson’s Max Seventeen is set in an imaginary space world where we meet the character Max.  She’s on the run. From jail, from hunger, and from hard labour.  Riley is running. From shame, dark secrets, and the Service which he’s just absconded from. The starship Eurydice could be their salvation, but Captain Orpheus could betray them both. When a terrible plot is uncovered and loyalties are tested, Max and Riley face losing everything.

Max is a real kick-ass character; we asked Kate where the inspiration came from for this strong female protagonist?

A year or two ago I bought a geek t-shirt (I have so many of these) which featured characters like Hermione Grainger, Mulan, Supergirl & Princess Merida, and it bore the caption: ‘She needed a hero. So that’s what she became.’ Now, I’ve been writing pretty strong female protagonists for a while but that line stuck with me. Why write a woman who needed saving if she couldn’t damn well save herself? Why not write a woman who rescued other people, too? Could I write a heroine who was also a hero? That’s why the working title of Max was ‘So That’s What She Became’ and that’s why I also coyly didn’t actually give away the gender of either of my protagonists until they met each other. Because as Terry Pratchett once wrote of one of my favourite characters: “She doesn’t stand around screaming. She generally makes other people do that.”

An Ordinary Gift by Jan Jones is an enchanting ghost story following the story of music manuscript specialist Clare, who determined to put an unhappy love affair behind her, moves to Ely in the Cambridgeshire Fens to catalogue an early music library. But why does the house she rents in this ancient city feel so familiar? Who is singing Gregorian chants only she can hear? And then there are the pockets of terror...

Readers found the novel’s setting very atmospheric; we asked Jan more about the location of An Ordinary Gift and how the novel came to life:

I live near Ely and visit the town frequently. The first time I went to the marvellous Topping & Co bookshop there, I knew I had to use the interior in a story. It became the early-music manuscripts library in An Ordinary Gift where my heroine works.

An Ordinary Gift started life as a four-part Woman’s Weekly serial. I then added more characters, another couple of plot strands and, of course, romance to bring it up to the length of a short novel.

Beloved Enemy by Hywela Lyn is another space adventure which follows the story of Kerry and Cat, who when marooned on an inhospitable planet need to work together to stay alive, fighting not only unknown assailants, but their growing attraction. But how can they learn to trust each other when he has vowed never to get close to a woman again, and she’s made a solemn pledge to destroy him?

We asked Hywela to tell us a little more about how she came to write this book:

I’ve always been fascinated by the stars and the idea of space travel, so writing Science Fiction romance seems very natural to me. The hero of this book, Kerry Marchant, was an important character in the first book of the trilogy, Starquest.

I felt he’d had something of a bad deal and so did he, for he kept nagging me for his own story – and the result was Beloved Enemy. I hope readers grow to like my ‘tortured hero’ as much as I did.

October New Releases

Here we have the list of October releases from current members of the Romantic Novelist Association. Thank you to Sheila Riley for compiling such an interesting list of books.

Linn B Halton

A LITTLE SUGAR A LOT OF LOVE

Choc Lit UK

Paperback

14 October 2016

http://smarturl.it/LittleSugarLotOfLove

 Life isn’t all love and cupcakes. Katie has had her fair share of bad luck, but when she finally realises her dream of opening a bakery. It seems things can only get better. But the reality of running a business hits Katie hard and whilst her partner, Steve, tries to help she can’t help but feel that the situation is driving them further apart. Could Katie be set to lose her relationship and her dream job? Then, one winter’s day, a man walks into her shop and, in the space of that moment, the course of Katie’s life is changed. But nobody finds happiness in the blink of an eye.

Sometimes it takes two Christmases, three birthdays and a whole lot of cake to get there.

Linn B Halton

A LITTLE LUCK A LOT OF FATE

Choc Lit UK

eFormat only

25 October 2016

Exclusive pre-order iTunes http://goo.gl/SL0yUU

 When destiny calls, you need to pick up. On the surface, Kristi Danielson has it all.

She’s lifestyle coach to the rich and famous, has a bestselling book to her name and is

described by her fans as the veritable Queen of how to lead a fulfilling life. But the harsh truth is that Kristi has never practiced what she preaches.

Her home life is a mess, her relationship with artist boyfriend, Tom, not much better

and now she has to redeem herself before all is lost. At her wit’s end, Kristi is driven to seek out the help of Patrick Blakeslee, a tarot card reader and psychic medium, in an attempt to make sense of the mounting panic she’s feeling.

But Patrick’s visits have an unexpected effect on Kristi, leaving her with more questions than answers and a life-changing decision to make

Jill Steeples

CHRISTMAS AT THE DOG AND DUCK

Aria

Epub

22nd September 2016

 Ellie Browne has returned to the charming village of Little Leyton looking for a simpler way of life. Only in her absence, things have changed. Property developer, Max Golding, is ruffling feathers all round.

Johnny Tay, Ellieís ex, wants to pick up where they left off and the pub, which holds a special place in Ellie's heart, might be sold. Suddenly, life’s looking a whole lot more complicated. It’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but can Ellie juggle her emotions and commitments in time to celebrate Christmas?

Anne Stenhouse

COURTING THE COUNTESS

Endeavour Press

E-book

8th September 2016

Beauty, Melissa Pateley, has been injured and scarred by a fire. Colonel Harry Gunn is charged by his uncle to find the countess and rescue her from their dangerous cousin, George Gunn. Can love grow in such inauspicious circumstances? Will the family secrets now dislodged prove too strong to overcome?

Marie Laval

DANCING FOR THE DEVIL

Accent Press

Traditional publishing, epub, mobi, pdf

29th August 2016 as a box set

 Bruce McGunn is a man as brutal and unforgiving as his land. Discharged from the army, he is haunted by the spectres of his fallen comrades and convinced he is going mad. And he is running out of time to save his estate from the machinations of Cameron McRae, heir to the McGunn's ancestral enemies. When the clipper carrying McRaeís new bride is caught in a violent storm and docks at Wrath harbour,

Bruce decides to revert to the old ways and hold the clipper and the woman to ransom. However, far from the spoilt heiress he expected, Rose is genuine, funny and vulnerable a ray of sunshine in the long, harsh winter that has become his life. But Rose is determined to escape Wrath and its proud master the man she calls McGlum.

Will she be reunited with Cameron McRae, the dazzlingly handsome aristocrat she married after a whirlwind romance in Algiers,or will she risk her heart and her honour to help Bruce discover the truth about his past and solve the brutal murders committed on his land?

Jan Jones

THE KYDD INHERITANCE

Kindle

Self-published (previously hardback with Hale)

1st September 2016

Nell Kyddís brother is missing, her father is dead and her loathsome uncle is ruining the family estate. Enter Captain Hugo Derringer who blows hot, then cold, and is discovered in odd places asking some very odd questions. How far can Nell trust him?

Jan Jones

FAIR DECEPTION

Kindle

Self-published (previously hardback with Hale)

1st October 2016

 When Kit Kydd rescues actress Susanna Fair from disreputable Rafe Warwick, he proposes a feigned engagement to suit them both. But problems multiply when Susanna's past beckons, her former theatre troupe need her and Rafe reappears.

Not a good time to fall in love, really.

Nora Fountain

TROPICAL MADNESS

Linford Romance Library

Large Print

 Serena is a paediatrician and Jake a journalist and adventurer. Their unlikely romance blossoms in the steamy jungle where danger from rebels, an injured lion, etc., is only a heartbeat away. Will they return to normality and go their separate ways or is there a future for their romance?

Kate Walker

INDEBTED TO MORENO

Harlequin Mills and Boon

Traditional published, and e-book

1st October 2016

Dark and dangerous Spaniard took Rose’s virginity before a terrible misunderstanding

led her to nearly destroy his life. Now he’s back with the design commission that will

save Rose’s career as a dress designer ñ but he’s also determined to collect on the debt she owes him.

Christina Courtenay

THE VELVET CLOAK OF MOONLIGHT

Choc Lit

Traditionally published, paperback and ebook

th October

 When newly widowed Tess visits Raglan Castle, she experiences a vision that transports her to 17th century Wales and a castle on the brink of a siege. Her life becomes increasingly intertwined with the past and when the new owner of the estate arrives - New Zealander Josh - the parallels become even more obvious.

But perhaps the visions aren’t just trying to tell their own story, maybe they’re also giving a warning.

Carol Townend

MISTAKEN FOR A LADY

Harlequin Mills & Boon

Paperback and eBook

 When a shocking revelation reveals Francesca’s illegitimacy, she worries that her marriage to Tristan, Comte des Iles, will crumble. Her heart in tatters, she awaits her husband’s return. Will he request an annulment or give their union a second chance?

Duty has kept Tristan from his beautiful wife’s side for far too long, but the memory of her touch is seared into his soul. Now, with malevolent forces working against, them, it’s more important than ever for Tristan to show Francesca that he’ll never let her go!

Carol MacLean

FROZEN HEART

Accent Press

e-book and paperback

 Jenna has reached a low point in her life - she's lost her business, her home and her boyfriend. Reluctantly she goes to live with her step-family where she's treated like Cinderella. Then she meets Gus, a handsome stranger with his own problems. When they fall in love it looks like Jenna will get her own fairytale happy-ever-after but there are troubles to overcome before Jenna and Gus can finally reach for a life and love together.

Rosemary Dun

THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE

Sphere, Little, Brown Book Group

e-book via traditional publisher

1st August 2016

When Polly Park meets Spike, the fact that he's emigrating to Australia in six months' time is not a problem - no commitment or messy endings. But she doesn't bank on falling in love, or on making a certain discovery after he's gone. Three years on, Polly is a single mum to her gorgeous daughter Rowan, she's dating cameraman Max and she might finally be ready to take a chance on love. Then, out of the blue, Spike returns with his glamorous girlfriend in tow, and suddenly Polly finds herself in the middle of a very sticky situation . . .

Will Spike's return resurrect Polly's feelings for him? Where does that leave Max and Polly? And how will all this change effect Rowan? Nothing is simple - but then, that's the trouble with love . . .

Rhoda Baxter

GIRL HAVING A BALL

Choc Lit

Traditional published, e-book.

27 Sept 2016

 Now that poor needy little Stevie is all grown up, she won’t let a man get in the way of her dreams will she?

Louise Allen

MISS WESTON'S MASQUERADE

Self-published

e-book

1st OCT 2016

 Take a desperate woman, an unwanted suitor, one very reluctant nobleman, a valet with a broken leg, a ferocious great aunt, the under-footman’s breeches and Miss Cassandra Weston finds herself on the Grand Tour in a dangerously romantic masquerade

Leah Mercer (Talli Roland)

WHO WE WERE BEFORE

Lake Union

Traditionally published

1 October 2017

 Zoe knows that it wasn’t really her fault. Of course it wasn’t. But if she’d just grasped harder, run faster, lunged quicker, she might have saved him. And Edward doesn’t really blame her, though his bitter words at the time still haunt her, and he can no more take them back than she can halt the car that killed their son.

Two years on, every day is a tragedy. Edward knows they should take healing steps together, but he’s tired of being shut out. For Zoe, it just seems easier to let grief lead the way. A weekend in Paris might be their last hope for reconciliation, but mischance sees them separated before they’ve even left Gare du Nord. Lost and alone, Edward and Zoe must try to find their way back to each other and find their way back to the people they were before. But is that even possible?

             

Mandy Baggot

ONE CHRISTMAS IN PARIS

Bookouture

E-book and paperback

7 October 2016

 They say Paris is the City of Love, so bring your je ne sais quoi and donít forget the mistletoe! Will Ava go home with a broken heart, or will she find true love amongst the cobbled streets of Paris?

Helen J Rolfe

IN A MANHATTAN MINUTE

Fabrian Books

Kindle Edition

20th October (available for pre-order).

 Jack exists in a world that has seen its fair share of tragedy, but also success and the wealth that comes with it. One snowy night, he crosses paths with Evie, a homeless girl, and it changes everything.

Rosemary Morris

Monday's Child

Books We Love

e-publication and paper back.

14th October, 2016

 Love, despair and renewed hope amid the gaiety and anxiety in Brussels between Napoleon's escape from Elba and Napoleon’s defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.

Lynne Pardoe

Abandoned By My Mum

KDP select

ebook

July 2016

 Everybody needs someone somewhere. Chelsea isn’t like most people. For as long as she can remember she’s been in care, and for all sorts of reasons this hasn’t gone well. At fourteen years old her past has been the stuff of nightmares, so much so that even she hasn’t wanted to know the full story. Desperately searching for the love she’s always craved, her life takes an even more sinister turn when she’s befriended by two men with a string of convictions for the sexual abuse of minors. Her only hope of salvation comes in the form of someone she’s never even met. Social worker Natasha Livingston is sent on a raid of the men’s house with the police.

Little by little, Tasha uses her professional skills to help Chelsea understand her life and find a way towards a happier future. It means confronting some ghosts from the past but with support that helps her come to terms with what she’s been through. Abandoned by My Mum is the story of Chelsea’s self-discovery and the recognition that whilst not everyone has her best interests at heart, there are some people who care enough to convince her she’s worth the effort.

Jill Barry

Christmas Revelations

Large Print Linford Romance Library

F A Thorpe

1st October 2016

 Reluctant 1920s debutante Annabel prefers horses to suitors. She’s furious when she discovers Lawrence, Lord Lassiter, is the despised 13th guest joining the family’s Christmas house party. 

About Sheila:

Apart from keeping busy compiling our monthly lists of members new novels Merseyside saga writer, Sheila Riley, also writes bestselling novels for Harper Collins under the name of Annie Groves.