The Month Of Love & Hashtags

February... the month of love! Not only do we have Valentine's Day, but we also have the Romantic Novelists' Association's month long celebration of romantic fiction! Now I know this is the last week of February and you may feel it is too late to mention the celebrations, but hashtags have the added benefit of not only following posts and suggestions in real time, but you can also look back on previous social media conversations. So let's not waste any more time... come with me and explore what has been happening in the world of romance...

On 1st February, 2021 The Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA) announced the shortlists for their prestigious 2021 Romantic Novel Awards. This event is the only national literary awards to solely focus on rewarding excellence in romantic fiction, so I am thrilled that Daniel's Daughter is a finalist in the Historical Romantic Novel Award category. Yes... that's me, top right in the red cardigan and beads!

The presentations of the awards will be held at an online event on the 8th March, 2021. It will start at 7pm and the awards will be presented by actor and presenter, Larry Lamb. You can watch it live, a link to the event will be posted nearer the time here or on the RNA's Twitter, Facebook Page or Instagram Page.

The sub-genre shortlists and awards are below:- 

The Katie Fforde Debut Romantic Novel Award:
Cow Girl, Kirsty Eyre, HarperCollins UK
The Bookshop of Second Chances, Jackie Fraser, Simon & Schuster
The Silent Treatment, Abbie Greaves, Century, Cornerstone
This Is Not a Love Story, Mary Hargreaves, Trapeze
A New Life for Ariana Byrne, Liz Hurley, Hera Books
The Authenticity Project, Clare Pooley, Bantam Press

The Libertà Books Shorter Romantic Novel Award:
A Will, a Wish and a Wedding, Kate Hardy, Mills & Boon True Love
The Warrior Knight and the Widow, Ella Matthews, Mills & Boon Historical
The Day That Changed Everything, Catherine Miller, Bookouture
Second Chance for the Single Mum, Sophie Pembroke, Mills & Boon True Love
The Return of the Disappearing Duke, Lara Temple, Mills & Boon Historical
Cinderella and the Surgeon, Scarlet Wilson, Mills & Boon Medical

The Romantic Saga Award:
The Girl from the Tanner’s Yard, Diane Allen, Pan
The Variety Girls, Tracy Baines, Ebury
The Ops Room Girls, Vicki Beeby, Canelo
Bobby’s War, Shirley Mann, Bonnier Books UK
The Orphan’s Daughter, Sandy Taylor, Bookouture
Secrets of the Lavender Girls, Kate Thompson, Hodder & Stoughton

The Romantic Comedy Novel Award:
The Garden of Forgotten Wishes, Trisha Ashley, Bantam Press
Someday at Christmas, Lizzie Byron, Hodder & Stoughton
Christmas at the Island Hotel, Jenny Colgan, Sphere, Little, Brown
One Winter’s Night, Kiley Dunbar, Hera Books
Sunny Days and Sea Breezes, Carole Matthews, Sphere, Little, Brown
The Switch, Beth O’Leary, Quercus

The Jackie Collins Romantic Thriller Award:
The Forgotten Sister, Nicola Cornick, HQ
The House by the Sea, Louise Douglas, Boldwood Books
Death Comes to Cornwall, Kate Johnson, Dash Digital, Orion
The Twins, Jane Lark, One More Chapter, HarperCollins
Escape to the Little Chateau, Marie Laval, Choc Lit

The Fantasy Romantic Novel Award:
Echoes of the Runes, Christina Courtenay, Headline Review
The Start of Us, Hannah Emery, One More Chapter, HarperCollins
The Reluctant Witch, Amelia Hopegood, Independently Published
The Cornish Connection, Amanda James, Independently Published
Someday in Paris, Olivia Lara, Aria, Head of Zeus

The Goldsboro Books Contemporary Romantic Novel Award:
Where We Belong, Anstey Harris, Simon & Schuster
My One True North, Milly Johnson, Simon & Schuster
One Day in Summer, Shari Low, Boldwood Books
Eudora Honeysett is Quite Well, Thank You, Annie Lyons, One More Chapter, HarperCollins
Christmas for Beginners, Carole Matthews, Sphere, Little, Brown
The Little Shop in Cornwall, Helen Pollard, Bookouture
Mix Tape, Jane Sanderson, Bantam Press
The Takeover, T L Swan, Montlake
The Spark, Jules Wake, One More Chapter, HarperCollins

The Goldsboro Books Historical Romantic Novel Award:
Heartbreak in the Valleys, Francesca Capaldi, Hera Books
The Coming of the Wolf, Elizabeth Chadwick, Sphere, Little, Brown
Spirited, Julie Cohen, Orion Fiction
Daniel’s Daughter, Victoria Cornwall, Choc Lit (THIS IS ME!!!)
The French Wife, Diney Costeloe, Head of Zeus
People Like Us, Louise Fein, Head of Zeus
The Lost Lights of St Kilda, Elisabeth Gifford, Corvus
Rags-to-Riches Wife, Catherine Tinley, Mills & Boon Historical
The Skylark’s Secret, Fiona Valpy, Lake Union Publishing

The Sapere Books Popular Romantic Fiction Award
Sing Me a Secret, Julie Houston, Aria, Head of Zeus
Christmas Wishes, Sue Moorcroft, Avon
Sunny Days and Sea Breezes, Carole Matthews, Sphere, Little, Brown
A Perfect Cornish Escape, Phillipa Ashley, Avon
The Two Lives of Lydia Bird, Josie Silver, Penguin

The rest of February was spent supporting the allies of romantic fiction as well as promoting its diversity.

Love My Library Week, 1st -7th February
Authors and readers shared their library stories in support of their local library.
Hashtag #LoveMyLibraryWeek

Celebrating Independent Bookshops Week, 8th – 14th February
Authors and readers posted about their bookshop heroes and why they love them.
Hashtag #LoveMyIndieBookshopWeek

Celebrating Diversity in Love, 15th – 21st February
5th February. Authors and readers shared book recommendations written by authors, or feature characters, from the LGBTQIA+ community.
17th February. Authors and readers shared book recommendations which are written by authors, or feature main characters, who have a multicultural heritage. 
19th February. Authors and readers shared book recommendations written by authors, or include main characters, who are living with disabilities/chronic conditions.
Hashtag #RNADiverseLoveWeek

Celebration of romance authors and book bloggers, 22nd – 28th February
22nd February. RNA members of the organisation shared their thoughts on what the RNA means to them.
Hashtag #TheRNAAndMe
24th February, at 7pm. Live Event. Author, book blogger and head of publicity at Bookouture, Kim Nash, interviewed a panel of RNA award-winning book bloggers on the RNA Facebook page. Check out the page as the video might still be there!
25th February. Authors and readers shared their favourite books by independent authors.
Hashtag #RNAIndieAuthors.

I hope you enjoyed this retrospective look back on the Month of Love. Do you know of any other category, group or sub-genre the romance industry should celebrate? I would love to hear your thoughts.