9 March 2011

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I’m back from the Pure Passion awards – unfortunately not sporting an award myself but very happy to have been included and nominated! Here are some glam pics from the RNA blog: RNA blog

And here is a full list of the winners: Pure Passion Award Winners

It was a great day and started at 12pm with a gorgeous lunch at the top of the Portrait Gallery with our M&B editors. The view was spectacular,

I had lunch with fellow M&B shortlisters Louise Allen (who won the Love Story of the Year Award and very deservedly for her book The Piractical Miss Ravenhurst), Caroline Anderson and Mary Nichols.

Then after a quick change at my own hotel I went to The Royal Horseguards Hotel for the reception.

It really is as gorgeous as the picture and very plush. The room where we met first was covered in tiles with an amazing view over the Thames.

After drinking some champagne and checking out the displays of books,

we were directed into the main room for the announcement of the awards. First up to receive an award was the inimitable Penny Jordan who accepted an award for Outstanding Achievement. She has sold 85 million copies of her books worldwide and is pure inspiration.

It was such a privilege to be in the same room as all these fantastic women, winners and nominees, and to be able to celebrate Romance Fiction in all its forms.

Here is a pic of all of us Love Story of the Year nominees (Myself, Jan Jones, Valerie Holmes, Mary Nichols, Louise Allen and Caroline Anderson)

And here is a pic of the new version cover of Bride in a Gilded Cage that they used for the awards:

And now it’s back to work, I’ve got a fast approaching deadline at the end of the month and most of a book to write!

Back soon, xx Abby