Having been a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association for more years than I care to remember, I have attended many of the awards lunches and celebrations, clapped heartily for the winners and had a really good time. This year was different. I was on the shortlist for the RoNA Rose. This was formerly the Love Story of the Year, and the winner gets to look after the beautiful Betty Neels trophy for a year (and please, no more jokes about having to polish it - I will clean it, I will!) as well as a lovely cut glass star to keep.My Regency Romance, The Dangerous Lord Darrington, was published in North America in September and came out in the UK in January 2012, and when I heard it had been shortlisted I was thrilled, it felt as if I had really arrived as a romance author. Well, let's be honest, Louise Allen was last year's winner, so to have my name on the same trophy is fantastic!
When I looked at the shortlist, I was in company with some great authors, Liz Fielding, Jessica Hart, Kate Hardy, Mary Nichols and Jan Jones (Jan is the only one not writing for Mills & Boon, but she is a good friend and her romantic historical adventures are consistently good).
In such august company I was just happy to be on the list and went along to the Gladstone Library at One Whitehall Place determined to enjoy myself amongst friends - and a chance to catch up with Lucy, who had edited "Darrington". When the announcement was made I was sitting back and preparing to clap the winner - it took me a while to realise that Sarah Mallory was me!It was a wonderful moment, and everyone was so pleased for me - that is what I love about romantic novelists, they are all such genuinely lovely people. I am getting all emotional just thinking about it.
So, forgive me if I indulge in one more look at those photos!
Sarah Mallory
