my RWA roomie, folks!

I know I'm a few days late but I had to come here and rave about how excited I am that my friend -  and RWAustralia conference roommate no less! - Fiona Lowe won the RITA!

The book BOOMERANG BRIDE is a ripper, so I reckon she was more shocked than I was ;).  And the award was for Best Contemporary Single Title Romance which is pretty much the Oscar for romance novelists. 

Past winners of that category have been Jennifer Crusie, Rachel Gibson, Kristan Higgins, Susan Wiggs, Nora Roberts, Barbara Samuel, Susan Elizabeth Phillips...  Them's romance writing royalty people!

Can't wait to meet the lady herself when we catch up on the Gold Coast later this month - by lady I mean RITA! Looks heavy enough Fiona might need people to help her cart it around ;).

Check out Fiona's site for her faaaabulous Medical romances.  Grab a copy of Boomerang Bride here.

I've shared biccies with a RITA winner

A huuuuuge congrats to the delightful Barbara Hannay who won the very last RITA for Best Traditional Romance last weekend at the Romance Writers of America conference in Dallas. you could have heard my whoop from here when I just read the news!

There I was, having lemon shortbread biscuits and coffee at Barb's place in Townsville with her and hubby a mere couple of weeks ago, having no clue I was in the midst of such a champ. Okay, well I had some clue. She was nominated, and not for the first time. And she has written two of my favourite ever Harlequin Romances: Her Playboy Challenge which was also nominated for a RITA, won the Romantic Book of the Year in Australia a couple of years back and has one of the best heroes ever put to print, and Wedding at Windaroo one of her glorious outback stories, and one that made me cry and sigh and all the things a great romance is meant to do.

Her RITA winning book, CLAIMING HIS FAMILY is still on my humungous to be read pile and I am in for such a treat!!!

Congrats Barb! Much deserved. Wish I was going to Sydney on August for the Romance Writers of Australia conference to see your gorgeous award and give you a hug but alas big belly does not allow. Hugs from here Barb!