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.

Romantic Reads 2017

❤️❤️With Valentine's Day fast approaching, romance is in the air as we share our beloved romantic reads, with Linda and Neil also revealing some perfect dreamy locations to snuggle up. We'd love ❤️ to hear what you'll be reading (or re-reading) this Valentine's Day too...

Rae – As soon as it was decided we would share our favourite romantic reads, I knew I would chose Jojo Moyes runaway bestseller, Me Before You. In many ways Me Before You tears up the romantic fiction rulebook. For starters Will Traynor makes an unconventional hero, being a cynical quadriplegic, paralysed from the chest down, struggling to come to terms with his new life following a horrific motorcycling accident. Whilst bright, witty, Lou Clark, coasting directionless through life, is nothing like the driven, polished, stick thin women Will’s known in the past. Without creating a spoiler, the very plotline doesn’t follow a traditional romantic read. And yet… it’s a gloriously uplifting, punch-in-the-gut kind of novel, reminding us that love really knows no barriers.

Victoria - A romance novel that stayed with me for a long time is Redeeming

Love by Francine Rivers. Set during the Californian gold rush of 1850, it tells the story of Angel who was sold into prostitution as a child and survives by growing to hate men. She meets the religious Michael Hosea, who falls instantly in love with her. He believes it is a sign from God that his destiny is to marry and rescue her from her tragic existence. Slowly and steadily, through love, kindness and his dogged determination, he does. Redeeming Love is categorized as a Christian book, however, don't let this put you off if you are a non-believer or of a different faith. This is a powerful story, where the heroine struggles to feel worthy of being rescued, yet the hero refuses to give up. I loved the writing style of the author and the love, patience and loyalty Michael shows her. Some have found the circumstances of their marriage unpalatable, but I had no concerns and nor have the thousands of other readers who have devoured this award winning book in the past. I love it because I fell a little in love with Michael too, as when life gets tough we all need a hero who will catch us when we fall.

Linda - my fave romantic read is The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller.

Ignore the snipey reviews if you look this book up on Google/Amazon/wherever. It's like with many great romantic books (I'm thinking Gone with the Wind here) and there are those who read it who consider themselves too literary or something for such a novel, or that, perhaps, pure romance is too lightweight. But if you want to be transported to a different place, a different time, a set of emotions you thought you'd long buried then this is the book for you. It tells the story of Francesca Johnson, a married but lonely housewife, and Robert Kinkaid, a National Geographic photographer who comes to the area to

create a photographic essay on the iconic covered bridges of Madison County. They fall in love, helped along by the fact that Robert Kincaid has a romantic soul and a way with words to tell Francesca so. It's a very short book - more a novella at just over 170 pages - and is a mix of forbidden romance, mysterious beauty, and poignant sadness. The film is good but the book is better, and I'm left wondering how many little girls were named Madison because their mother had read this book??

And my most romantic location?

A beach in the moonlight. Preferably, this will be a soft sandy beach which still holds its warmth from the day, and the air will be balmy. What I love is the beam of light that powers towards you when you stand on a beach (the love of your life holding your hand, of course) as the moon rises - it has a unique sort of energy that stirs the soul. But if I can't have a warm underfoot, sandy, beach then I'll settle for any beach at midnight... winter beaches with a rough sea are good if the romantic couple are wrapped up warm.

Jennie - I don’t read many historical novels these

days but one I’ve read and re-read is KATHERINE by Anya Seton so many times I’ve lost count. Published over 60 years ago it has never lost its appeal and these days is regarded as an all-time classic.

Katherine Swynford, the naive orphan of a poor knight, arrives at the court of Edward III when she is just fifteen and it’s not long before she comes to the notice of the married John of Gaunt who is the love of her life.

Anya Seton was renowned for the amount of research she did for her books and what I love about Katherine is the fact that it is based on historical fact and the love between these two people was real. As the mistress and eventual wife of John of Gaunt her children were the direct ancestors of the Tudors and theStuarts. If you like historical fiction I urge you to read it and lose yourself for several hours in the medieval world of power, pleasure and passion Katherine found herself living in.

Gill - When choosing my favourite romantic read, I was going to go with one of my two all-time favourites: Jane Austin or Georgette Heyer. But then I realised that my go-to romance writer at the moment is Jennifer Crusie, someone a lot more recent and a little less known. Author of American romantic comedies, her plots, dialogues, characters and humour are all spot on. It’s hard to pick which is my favourite but I’ll go for Fast Women, possibly because it was the first Crusie book I read and I was so delighted to discover this new writer. My only complaint is that she hasn’t had any new books published since 2010. Come on Jennifer!

Jennifer (not Jennifer Crusie) - When Rae asked me for a few sentences on my favourite romantic reads, my mind went blank. With a question like that it always does: I can’t think of the last book I read, or indeed any of the books I’ve read in the past year. I vaguely remember taking a Jeffrey Archer book on my honeymoon in case there was a dull moment, but I don’t think that’s the kind of answer she was looking for. 

I’m going to go back to an old favourite — or rather, a series of old favourites, a very, very slow-burn romance. When, in Dorothy L Sayers’ detective novel, Strong Poison, Lord Peter Wimsey sees

Harriet Vane standing in the dock on trial for her life, it’s love at first sight for him. But the relationship is deliciously complicated by Harriet’s independence, her unconventional lifestyle and her natural dislike of being obliged to him for saving her life. 

She loves him. (Of course she does.) But it isn’t as easy as that — and so the author doesn’t need to tie up the romance alongside the end of the case. And yes — Peter and Harriet finally achieve their happy ever after, several books down the line.

Neil - Romantic reads are slightly out of my league, however I do find some of the locations that I visit have an air of romance surrounding them. Eilean Donan Castle is your iconic poster castle for romantic Scotland, it ticks all the boxes - loch, hills, the illusion of being remote.  But its not just the image when visiting this castle, there is an atmosphere around the castle and it was at night that it truly showed it self. When I returned to take some night shots of the castle all lit up, I did not expect to hear the sound of bagpipes floating over the still night air as a wedding took place. It was then I understood why so many people found this place romantic.

I am lucky to live in a country that is romanticised, with stunning castles and beautiful vistas round most corners.

Eilean Donan Castle, Scotland

Hope everyone enjoys a little romance this Valentine's Day ❤️❤️❤️