RITAs

Yesterday the Romance Writers of America announced the line-up of finalists in all the categories for the RITA and Golden Heart awards for 2010.

I was thrilled to see that M&B Modern/Harlequin Presents authors were well representedin the Contemporary Series Romance Category, with nominations for:

The Christmas Love-Child by Jennie Lucas (November 2009)
One-Night Mistress…Convenient Wife by Anne McAllister (November 2009)

Duty, Desire, and the Desert King by Jane Porter (December 2009)

Kelly Hunter, whose books are published as Modern Heat was also nominated for her title Revealed: a Prince and a Pregnancy

There are several other M&B published authors on the list - for example

Michelle Willingham with Taming Her Irish Warrior in the Historical category

and

Elizabeth Rolls for Lord Braybrook's Penniless Bride in the Regency Historical category.

Many congratulations to all the nominees - but I'm sure no one will be surprised if I save some very special cheers and congratulations for my dear friend and wonderful write Anne McAllister whose nominated book was the prize in our joint Here Come the Grooms Contest just a few weeks ago. Congratulations, Anne (and Christo!) !

You can read the full list of the finalists here.

The winners will be announced at the RWA National Conference in Nashville in July.

Tote Bag of Books Presents Special - Jennie Lucas

Today I'm delighted to welcome Jennie Lucas to guest blog here. Jennie's first Presents title was published in 2007 and the book she has donated to the Tote Bag prize is her 5th title, Virgin Mistress, Scandalous Love-Child.

Jennie's often said she wishes she could join in one of my writing courses - and that's the topic of her blog today:

Kate, thanks so much for inviting to your blog today!

I’m sitting here dreaming about your upcoming weeklong class in Writers Holiday in Wales and wishing I could go! (It’s unfortunately back-to-back against the Romance Writers of America’s national conference in Washington DC.)

Last year, I attended a similar type of program taught by Sharon Kendrick in Posara, Italy It was the most fun I’ve ever had while pretending to “work”! The roses and medieval buildings of Tuscany, along with the experience of the class, really inspired my next book, which came out last month in the UK and will be out in September in the U.S.—The Innocent’s Dark Seduction.

So here’s the scavenger hunt question:

What is the handsome stranger wearing when he surprises Lia in the garden?

To find the answer, read the excerpt here:
Good luck everyone!

And for anyone who’s going to Kate Walker’s romance-writing class in Wales the last week of July, I’m so jealous! Who knows what kind of fabulous dreamy stories you’ll be inspired to write….?

With warmest wishes,

Jennie
http://www.jennielucas.com/

Virgin Mistress, Scandalous Love-Child

Kidnapped from her wedding by her sexy Brazilian boss

She's pregnant—and he'll take what is rightfully his!

In the sultry heat of Rio and its Carnaval, Ellie succumbs to her dangerously charismatic boss Diogo Serrador. But having taken her virginity, the Brazilian billionaire wants nothing more to do with her—until he discovers she's pregnant!

Diogo will accept nothing less than taking Ellie as his bride. Their marriage is passionate by night but forced and hollow by day. Ellie realizes she's in an impossible situation: Diogo's dark past has frozen his heart, but she's fallen in love with her husband...

PS to Jennie's post from Kate.

I should let everyone know that the summer Caerleon course is totally sold out. But if anyone is interested in the residential courses I'm doing next year - then the details are on my Events page or here:

Fishguard Bay Hotel 19th - 21st February 2010

Residential Training (Southampton) 24th/25th April 2010

And I'll add any more if they crop up.

What I did at the Conference - a San Francisco photo diary

So if a picture speaks a thousand words - here's a whole book full of what I got up to at the RWA Conference in San Francisco -


On our first morning there - very early on a grey morning! - we went to Alcatraz island so that the BM could do his research of the trip.

We shared the trip with the fabulous Sue Stephens and her beautiful daughters. Sue orgainsed the tickets for us so all we had to do was to turn up. Thanks so much Sue! Even if it did mean getting out of bed for a 7.30 start!

The next day official registration started and I started to meet up with more of my fellow authors. Here's Susan Stephens again and Irish Presents author, Abby Green

I also got to meet lovely Lee Hyat for the very first time - though we had known each other and have been in contact through emails for over 8 year! Lee runs the brilliant Author Sound Relations and has been so helpful to me with publicity and running my contests in America.

Later that day lovely Jane Porter hosted a special afternoon tea for her fellow Presents authors. Here's Sandra Marton with one of our newest published authors - Jennie Lucas

And here's a group photo of all the authors at the tea. This pic was taken by the waiter. Left to right - Sandra Marton, Susan Stephens, Carole Mortimer, Jacqueline Baird, Abby Green. Me

in front - Jane Porter, Jennie Lucas, Sharon Kendrick and Trish Morey.

That afternoon was the Literacy Signing in the ballroom - the pic on the left is just a tiny bit of the queue of readers ready to buy signed books and on the right I'm at the signing with fellow northern Brit, erotic romance author Saskia Walker who was sitting next to me. The whole event raised thousands of dollars for literacy charities.

After the signing Sandra Marton hosted her traditional authors' pizza party in her room where we all ate pizza, drank wine and talked and talked and talked.

Thursday started with a Focus Group to discuss Harlequin's marketing and new ideas after which we all grabbed taxis and headed out to Tal y Tara for tea with the Mills and Boon Editors.

Here are - left to right Jennie Lucas, Abby Green (behind) Trish Wylie Senior Editor Linda Fildew (standing) and seated editor Lucy Gilmour.

I spent the afternoon with two of my favourite Presents authors, brilliant Sandra Marton and fabulous Aussie Trish Morey. (One of the very best reasons for going to RWA is because I get a chance to meet up with friends from the other side of the world.) Here's a pic of Trish at the Lit Signing.

And one of Sandra enjoying the sunshie in Union Square - while we - you guessed it - talked and talked about writing and books and heroes . . . .
Sandra was given an award for her 75th book at this conference - congratulations again Sandra!

Thursday night is the traditional eHarlequin Pajama Party and here's the gang at the event.

At the party prizes are given for best PJs and I actually won Most Resplendent Pajamas (My thanks have to go to t

he Babe Magnet who bought the beautiful silk gown I'm wearing)

And here I am with two of my very favourite people - Danica aka Dream one of the hosts on eHarlequin and Anna Louise Lucia who was of course sporting her first sale ribbon at this conference.

Friday I managed to spend some time with my lovely friend Holly Jacobs while we discussed the differences of the English language as used in the UK and America and so Holly started the great 'knackered debate' that you can see here.

In the evening it was the big Harlequin Party and here I am at the event with two special friends from the Struggling Writers on eHarlequin - Christyne and Trish (Congratulations on that sale Christyne!)

And here's the wonderful Jayne who manages so much of what goes on on the eHarlequin Community message boards.

Finally, to round of a fantastic visit to San Francisco we spent a day in the lovely company of special friends Anne McAllister and her husband The Prof. Both the Prof and the Babe Magnet seem to save up all their talking until they get together so they talked and Anne and I talked - on cable cars, over lunch at Fisherman's Wharf, or - as pictured here - at the Top of the Mark where we could see all of the city spread out below us.

And if you want to know what else the Babe Magnet got up to in San Francisco . . . well - all I can say is watch out for the Pink Heart Society Blog next monday August 18th!