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Romantic fiction bestsellers including Katie Fforde, Freya North and Jill Mansell have all made the shortlists for the Romantic Novelists' Association's Awards 2012, with Michael Arditti the only male nominee.
Arditti's novel Jubilate, published by Arcadia Books, has been shortlisted in the Epic Romantic Novel category, alongside books by Ruth Hamilton, Deborah Lawrenson, Rosie Thomas and Betsy Tobin.
The six-strong shortlist for the Contemporary Romantic Novel award pits Jill Mansell's To the Moon and Back (Headline) against Freya North's Chances (HarperCollins) and Katie Fforde's Summer of Love (Arrow), as well as indie publisher Choc Lit's The Untied Kingdom by Kate Johnson, Miranda Dickinson's It Started With a Kiss (Avon) and Pan Macmillan's Christmas at Tiffany's by Karen Swan.
The Historical Romantic Novel shortlist also features a Choc Lit title, Highland Storms by Christina Courtenay, with the indie publisher's Please Don't Stop the Music by Jane Lovering shortlisted in the Romantic Comedy Novel category. The Young Adult Romantic Novel category features two books from Piccadilly Press, Dark Ride by Caroline Green and My So-Called Phantom Lovelife by Tamsyn Murray, as well as Pan Macmillan's Artichoke Hearts by Sita Brahmachari, and Angel Fire by L A Weatherley published by Usborne.
RNA chair Annie Ashurst said: "The 2012 awards reflect the wonderful quality and diversity of the world of romantic fiction. We are immensely proud of our shortlisted authors and to us, the RNA, they are all winners."
The awards will be held at One Whitehall Place on 5th March, with each category winner then going on to form the shortlist for the Romantic Novel of the Year Award, to be announced on 17th May. The RoNA Rose Award will also be announced at the event, with the shortlist dominated by five Mills & Boon titles, and one from Robert Hale. The Harry Bowling Prize for unpublished authors will also be awarded. Members of the public can vote for their favourite book on www.romanticnovelistsassociation.org, with the awards supported by website www.rna-awards.com
The full shortlists are as follows:
Contemporary Romantic Novel
It Started with a Kiss Miranda Dickinson (Avon)
Summer of Love Katie Fforde (Arrow)
The Untied Kingdom Kate Johnson (Choc Lit)
To the Moon and Back Jill Mansell (Headline)
Chances Freya North (HarperCollins)
Christmas at Tiffany’s Karen Swan (Pan Macmillan)
Epic Romantic Novel
Jubilate Michael Arditti (Arcadia Books)
That Liverpool Girl Ruth Hamilton (Pan Macmillan)
The Lantern Deborah Lawrenson (Orion)
The Kashmir Shawl Rosie Thomas (HarperCollins)
Crimson China Betsy Tobin (Short Books)
Historical Romantic Novel
Highland Storms Christina Courtenay (Choc Lit)
The Noble Assassin Christie Dickason (HarperCollins)
Daughter of Siena Marina Foriato (John Murray)
Perhaps Tomorrow Jean Fullerton (Orion)
A Gathering Storm Rachel Hore (Simon & Schuster)
Romantic Comedy Novel
The Look of Love Judy Astley (Transworld)
Please Don’t Stop the Music Jane Lovering (Choc Lit)
Wrapped up in You Carole Matthews (Sphere)
Who’s Afraid of Mr. Wolfe Hazel Osmond (Quercus)
Lizzy Harrison Loses Control Pippa Wright (Pan Macmillan)
Young Adult Romantic Novel
Artichoke Hearts Sita Brahmachari (Pan Macmillan)
Dark Ride Caroline Green (Piccadilly Press)
My So-called Phantom Lovelife Tamsyn Murray (Piccadilly Press)
Angel Fire L. A. Weatherley (Usborne)
The RoNA Rose Award
Flirting with Italian Liz Fielding (Mills & Boon)
A Christmas Knight Kate Hardy (Mills & Boon)
Ordinary Girl in a Tiara Jessica Hart (Mills & Boon)
The Kydd Inheritance Jan Jones (Robert Hale)
The Dangerous Lord Darrington Sarah Mallory (Mills & Boon)
Winning the War Hero’s Heart Mary Nichols (Mills & Boon)
The Harry Bowling Prize
Child Pretending Sheila Bugler
Sweeping Up The Village Bren Gosling
A Dark Flowering Natalie Lloyd-Evans
Island Of Dreams Aline P’Nina Tayar
The Benjamin Exhibition Simon Van der Velde