Wednesday, May 30

Award Season

This evening the Romantic Novelists' Association will be holding their annual Summer Party in a very lovely library in Westminster, London (see this post for pics from last year's event). One of the main events of the party will be the announcement of the winner of this year's Joan Hessayon New Writers' Award. You may remember my proud announcement a few weeks ago that my novel, Haunted Hearts, is on the shortlist for this prize.

Unfortunately I won't be attending the party; I'm more uncomfortable by the day as we wait for Flump to enter the world, and I'm quite wary of going too far from home in these final days in case something happens. I will be sad to miss the party, the announcement of the winner, and the chance to catch up in person with many of my friends from the RNA and online.

The shortlist of contenders for the award is as follows:
It would, of course, be hugely exciting if Haunted Hearts is declared the winner, but I'm up against some very strong competition! If my book doesn't win, I dearly hope that somebody I "know" from online wins instead -- so my support is behind Phillipa Ashley, Judy Jarvie, and Anna Louise Lucia.

I'll be online first thing tomorrow morning looking for pictures, gossip, and reports from the do!

6 comments:

Judy Jarvie said...

Thinking of you Jess.
Actually now that I've had some sleep and sanity is restored (ahh the joys of sleepless nights) it's a relief to wallow at home lest anything 'happen'. Hope you're coping ok. Any twinges yet? j

Lis said...

Fingers crossed for you :)

Unknown said...

Thinking of you :-)

Anonymous said...

Pip won! You should have seen how pleased and surprised she was.

We raised a glass to you. Jenny Haddon said some very nice things about your book particularly about your ghosts.

Hope you're all right...you were missed!

Judy Jarvie said...

Just wanted to say congratulations Jess on the lovely things Jenny Haddon said about HH. They're greatly deserved. Be very pleased! jx P.S. To answer your 'is it engaged' question - apparently it's 4/5ths which means NEARLY so guess who'll be doing corgi walk on the carpet today?! The talk of membrane sweep and induction have put me in the mood for taking action.

Jessica Raymond said...

Judy -- Glad the sleep made you feel better :) Good naps do for me, too, as do nice long baths with books by The Nora. No twinges for me yet, but baby definitely feels lower down... Thanks for the congrats on the comments for HAUNTED HEARTS -- back atcha for Taking the Leap! (And you were worried about the love scenes, really...) My copy arrived this week so I shall be enjoying it v. soon :)

Lis and Liz -- Thanks for the good wishes!

Julie -- Thanks for posting; I saw the news on ROMNA! So pleased that Pip won as Decent Exposure is such a great book. I expect the LBD contingent was over the moon! Thanks for raising the glass :) I was probably reclining on the sofa in my nightie, watching CSI and drinking raspberry tea at the time, LOL!

Jess x