Oh my, what a wonderful evening celebrating romance. Readers and authors flew in from all around the country to attend the Australian Romance Readers Association’s gala dinner at the Castlereagh Hotel in Sydney. Apart from having fun – and that’s obligatory – the evening is to announce the ARRA awards for 2011. Members of ARRA nominate their favourite books and authors for 2011. The top ten in each category are then listed for voting. After that the members have three weeks to vote for their favourite from that list. In some of the categories the voting was incredibly close so being on the short list alone is a huge honour.
The ‘bling off’ – a tradition now firmly established – was won jointly by Tracey O’Hara and Mel Haffner who both looked sensational. Paula Roe, effervescent as always, delivered the key-note speech which as you’d expect had us all laughing. Seems she read some pretty racy romances when she was twelve! The food was delicious, the company exceptional and the room was full of laughter. Lovers of romance know how to party!
Congratulations to all the winners.
Paranormal Romance – Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh
Short Category Romance – With This Fling by Kelly Hunter
Sci-fi, Fantasy and Futuristic Romance – Archangel’s Blade by Nalini Singh
Historical Romance – Midnight’s Wild Passion by Anna Campbell
Contemporary Romance – A Lot Like Love by Julie James
Erotic Romance – The Lone Warrior by Denise Rosetti
Romantic Suspense –Shattered Sky by Helene Young (Yay!)
Continuing Romance Series – Nalini Singh
Favourite Australian Romance Author – Anna Campbell (for the 3rd year in a row!!)
It’s off to the airport for me and an early flight home and a quiet celebration with GW. Thanks to readers who voted for Shattered Sky. It is wonderful to know my characters have connected with so many people 🙂
And here are the photos – not as many as I thought…
ARRA awards dinner
Me, Amanda Knight and Rachael Johns
Fiona Lowe, Sharon Archer and Juliet Madison
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Mel Haffner and Susan Child
- Paula Roe
Mel Heffner and Tracey O'Hara - winners of the Bling-off!
Thanks, Jayne, it was a lovely surprise and I’m still on a high!
Helene, congratulations on winning an award in the romantic suspense category! Shattered Sky was a fantastic read 🙂
Jayne
Amanda, I’m running around like the proverbial headless chook today so no basking at all!! Off to Smithfield Library for a meet and greet then up the range to Atherton Library for a 6 pm wine and cheese launch for Year of Reading 2012! Busy working on my speech right now! And Horn Island was stunning this morning 🙂
Hope you are still basking in your well deserved glow xx
Steal away Rachael!! And any from FB are fair game too. We had a lovely table for the evening – still smiling 🙂
You’ve got some great pics Helene! I’m planning on stealing them, since I was so slack. HUGE congrats again. It was awesome sitting next to a star all night, even better cos that star was YOU! x
Thanks, Barb, it was a lot of fun although I think I’m still recovering…
And so lovely catching up with on Friday:-)
Thanks, Cathy! The dress is my tropical statement!!
Huge congrats, Helene. Sounds like a fabulous night — thanks for bringing us the details.
You deserve it, love that dress!
Thanks Eleni, it was a lovely night!!
Congratulations, Helene!!! Way to go. And you look absolutely stunning. Thanks for the piccies.
Thanks, Sandy 🙂
Paula made a wonderful speech!
Yay, yay, yippee!!!!! Well done, you. 🙂 So well deserved.
I reckon Paula could win the bling awards for personality.