RNA Pure Passion Awards - The Pics

In the glamorous setting of the Gladstone Library, One Whitehall Place the attendees sipped champange and enjoyed a wonderful afternoon into evening...(apologies for the funny layout - blogger and jet lag don't seem to work together)

Broo Doherty and Evelyn Ryle

Short listed author Sarah Duncan

Judy Astley and Lyn McCulloch

Short listed author Jan Jones

Liz Fenwick and Penny Jordan

Julie Cohen and Karin Stoecker

Tim Bentinck (alias David Archer) and Jane Wenham-Jones

Katie Fforde

The Gladstone Library

Enjoying the atmosphere before the announcements

Awaiting the start

Penny Jordan receiving a lifetime achievement award

Tim and Jane

Louise Allen receiving the Love Story of the Year Award

Elizabeth Chadwick receiving the Historical Novel Award

Jill Mansell reeiving the Romantic Comedy award

Josephine Cox receiving a lifetime achievement award

JoJo Moyes receiving Romantic Novel of the Year award

Penny Jordan with her award and friends

The Flaming Meringues 

Roger Sanderson congratulating Josephine Cox

Sue Morrcroft

Bring on the pudding

The table of short listed author Tom Gamble

Sophie Kinsella and JoJo Moyes

Jane Judd and Jill Mansell

Broo Doherty and short listed author Christina Jones

Elizabeth Chadwick with her award

Liz Fenwick and Carole Blake

Louise Allen

Short listed author Ruth Saberton (centre)

Julie Cohen and Cat Cobain

The portrait that watched over the event

JoJo with fabulous handbag and shoes

Enjoying the champagne

Jill's gorgeous handbag

The Churchill Bar

Short listed author Christina Courtenay

The fireplace in the ladies loo

Carole Blake's purple suede shoes

The amazing free standing staircase

Pure Passion Awards Update

Here's a few photos from the RNA Pure Passion Awards announcement breakfast courtesy of Midas PR...

Here are the short listed authors for the Romantic Novel of the Year...

JoJo Moyes, Elizabeth Chadwick, Sarah Duncan, Rebecca Dean, Kate Furnivall, Tom Gamble

Three of the short listed authors for the Romantic Comedy Award...

Ruth Saberton,Jules Stanbridge, Christina Jones

The authors short listed for the Historical Novel Award...

Elizabeth Chadwick, Christina Courtenay, Joanna Fulford, Kate Furnival, Rebecca Dean, Jane Jackson

The five of the short listed authors for the Love Story of the Year...

Jan Jones,Caroline Anderson, Louise Allen, Valerie Holmes, Abbey Green

Conference Countdown - Sarah Duncan's Tale Of Her First Conference

Sarah Duncan tells tales of hangovers and talks...

My first book had been published in the summer of 2004, and I'd been invited to be a speaker at the RNA conference.  I'd not been before so had little idea of what to expect, but everyone was incredibly friendly.  Too friendly.  I have a vague recollection of Mandy Grange topping up my glass in the bar at about two in the morning. I think I got to bed at four.  None of this would have mattered if my talk hadn't been at nine the next morning.

I struggled out of bed feeling - oh, beyond dreadful.  You know, that sensation that your skin is sliding off your face into a grey-green puddle on the floor. That bad. I couldn't give a talk.  I had to give a talk.

I remember sitting on a chair because I thought I'd fall over if I stood.  I can remember looking at Jenny Haddon sitting in the front of the audience and thinking I was about to throw up over the RNA chair.  Which would have been memorable, to say the least.

But what I remember most is hearing Julie Cohen's talk in the next door room.  It sounded as if it was going really, really well.  I discovered afterwards she'd brought in a life-size cardboard cut-out of Hugh Jackman which seemed an unfair advantage.

I'm speaking again at this conference.  I've got the nine o'clock spot again.  And in the next room will be...Julie Cohen. But this time I'm ready.  She may have Hugh Jackman, but I've got magic publishing pixie dust and I won't be hungover.  Much...

Sarah's latest book is out now 

Kissing Mr Wrong (Headline Review)

www.sarahduncan.co.uk

www.sarahduncansblog.blogspot.com @sarahduncan1

RNA Members' Publications Coming out in May

RF Long SOUL FIRE
Samhain
May 4, 2010
$15.00
Iron born and iron bred. Trust not iron, it will see you dead.
http://www.rflong.com
http://www.twitter.com/rflong

Cara Cooper HEALING LOVE
Ulverscroft
1 May 2010
£8.99
If Dr James Frayne keeps his secret, he risks losing his job. Can Becky the Practice Manager save him from himself?

Sarah Duncan KISSING MR WRONG
Headline Review
13th May 2010
£7.99
Lu's looking for Mr Right, so why is she falling for Mr Couldn't be more Wrong?
www.sarahduncan.co.uk
www.sarahduncansblog.blogspot.com

Elizabeth Chadwick TO DEFY A KING
Sphere
May 6th £14.99
£14.99
Spirited Daughter. Rebellious Wife. Powerful woman. A story of huge emotional power set against the road to Magna Carta.

Mary Nichols THE VISCOUNT'S UNCONVENTIONAL BRIDE
Mills & Boon
May 2010
£3.79
As a member of the renowned Piccadilly Gentleman's Club, Jonathan Leinster has been instructed to ensure the return of a runaway. Little does he realise that meeting spirited Louise Vail will change his life for ever… Having discovered she was adopted, Louise has fled, hoping to find her family – but handsome, charming Jonathan stops her in her tracks! His task is simple: escort Louise promptly home. Yet all he wants to do is claim her as his own.

Beth Elliott APRIL AND MAY
Robert Hale
£18.99 / £13.99 from www.halebooks.com
A secret mission in Constantinople forces the heroine back in contact with the man who abandoned her.
http://regencytales.blogspot.com

Liz Fielding A WEDDING AT LEOPARD TREE LODGE
with Three Times a Bridesmaid, Nicola Marsh
May 2010
£4.99
The wildest celebrity wedding in a game lodge in Botswana gives Josie all kinds of problems - Gideon McGrath being the biggest of them.

Janet Woods WITHOUT REPROACH (LP)
Severn House
May 10th 2010
£19.99
Kenna Mc.Kenzie defies her conniving guardian and finds love on the streets of Edinburgh

http://janet-woods.com

Kate Lace MOONLIGHTING
Little Black Dress
May 2010
Jess is a special constable with the Met Police but her day job, or rather night job is working as a pole dancer at Shoq nightclub and she is very careful to keep both jobs very separate. When her two worlds collide her life and her love life are both put on the line.

Brigid Coady THE GREAT LEAP FORWARD
EVEN MORE TONTO STORIES Anthology
Tonto Books
May 6th
"Even More Tonto Short Stories" is the third collection by acclaimed publisher, Tonto Books. This collection sees experienced writers brought together with new and exciting writers to create an anthology packed with original, quirky, dark and compelling fiction. It is compiled and edited by Caroline Smailes.

Portia Da Costa A GENTLEWOMAN’S PREDICAMENT
Harlequin Spice Briefs
1st May 2010
$2.99
A frisky and inquisitive Victorian widow gets more than she bargained for when seeking "Intimate Advice to the Gentlewoman".
http://www.portiadacosta.com

Jennifer Bohnet DANGEROUS HARBOUR (Three Part Serial)
My Weekly
Starting May 29th

Toni Sands SOME VIRGINS LEARN QUICKLY
SEX IN THE CITY- PARIS (anthology edited by Maxim Jacubowski)
Accent Xcite
May 10
£7.99 www.xcitebooks.com
In this second collection in a series of erotic stories, Helen finds sensual temptation in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.