I have news! And it’s very exciting!

My book, The Single Dad’s Patchwork Family, has made the shortlist for the Romantic Book of the Year. It’s a real honour to be nominated for this prestigious award, and I am thrilled that the reader judges enjoyed my book.

About the Ruby:

The R*BY Award, affectionately known as The Ruby, is our premier award and the only one of its kind in Australia. Voted on by Australian readers, this contest is open each year to any Australian or New Zealand romance author who has published a long or short romance novel.

Congratulations to all the other finalists!

Here is the full announcement:

2009 Romantic Book of the Year

Romance Writers of Australia has announced the finalists in the 2009 Romantic Book of the Year. This year a record 144 books were entered in 4 categories. And the nominees for Romantic Book(s) of the Year are:

SHORT SWEET CATEGORY:

• Claire Baxter – The Single Dad’s Patchwork Family
• Melissa James – A Mother in a Million
• Marion Lennox – His Island Bride
• Fiona McArthur – The Midwife’s Baby

SHORT SEXY CATEGORY:

• Miranda Lee – The Millionaire’s Inexperienced Love-Slave
• Carol Marinelli – Expecting His Love-Child
• Trish Morey – The Italian Boss’s Mistress of Revenge
• Paula Roe – Boardrooms and a Billionaire Heir

LONG ROMANCE CATEGORY:

• Karina Bliss – Second Chance Family
• Anna Campbell – Untouched
• Anne Gracie – The Stolen Princess
• Elizabeth Rolls – A Compromised Lady

ROMANTIC ELEMENTS CATEGORY:

• Maggie Alderson – How to Break Your Own Heart
• Bronwyn Parry – As Darkness Falls
• Suzanne Perazzini – Beneath The Surface
• Suzanne Perazzini – Crash into Darkness

I am very pleased and proud to hear that my book,  THE SINGLE DAD’S PATCHWORK FAMILY, has won a CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award for Harlequin Romance, along with FALLING FOR MR DARK AND DANGEROUS by Donna Alward, and LAST-MINUTE PROPOSAL by Jessica Hart.

For a full list of winners, go to http://cataromance.com/?page_id=1500

What a great way to start 2009. Thank you, CataRomance Reviewers!

Claire

The winner of my December newsletter contest is:

Carol from South Africa.

Congratulations, Carol!

Carol was the first person to correctly answer the question that I asked in my December newsletter, and she wins a signed copy of Pregnant: Father Wanted.

When I send out a newsletter I always include a contest for those people who have signed up to my mailing list. If you’d like to join, send an email to claire@clairebaxter.com, and I’ll add you to the list.

Happy New Year!

Claire

 This month (December 08) sees the release of Pregnant: Father Wanted in the USA and the UK, as well as in India!

This book will be out in Australia and New Zealand next month, January 09.

 

Australian travel writer Lyssa Belperio may be pregnant and alone, but she can’t wait to be a mother. A job offer on Italy’s Amalfi Coast gives her the chance to make a fresh start…

He’s a soccer player with a celebrity lifestyle. But there’s more to the Italian playboy Ric Rosetti than he lets the world see. Lyssa is different from the glamorous women who hang on his every word. She’s not impressed by his fame and fortune, so the only way for Ric to win Lyssa’s heart is to show her the man behind the headlines!

Romantic Times describes this book as “an appealing romantic fantasy with a gorgeous setting and a lovely hero”.

Cataromance reviewer, Sheryl, says,
“Ms. Baxter has penned these fantastic characters of Pregnant: Father Wanted in a way that will make readers fall for them”.

Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday season whether you celebrate Christmas or not. Best wishes for a good 2009!

Claire

 

There have been two lovely reviews for my next release, Pregnant: Father Wanted, which will be out in December in US/UK and in January 09 in Aus/NZ.

Romantic Times reviewer Catherine described it as “an appealing romantic fantasy with a simple plot, a gorgeous setting and a lovely hero”. 

And Cataromance review Sheryl said, “Ms. Baxter has penned these fantastic characters of Pregnant: Father Wanted in a way that will make readers fall for them just as I did.” 

I’m very happy about these reviews, as you can imagine, and I think it’s about time I gave away a copy of this book. So, if you’d like to win one, send an email to claire@clairebaxter.com, telling me where the book is set. It’s the first of my books to be set outside Australia and I really enjoyed writing it.  

Claire

What better way to celebrate the second birthday of the Pink Heart Society than with a Hugh Jackman Tour?

Visit the Pink Heart Society blog – http://pinkheartsociety.blogspot.com/ - to find the links. Take the tour, then return to the PHS to vote for your favourite picture.

Enjoy.

Here’s my favourite:

I’ve just returned home from the national conference in Melbourne. It was held at the Langham Hotel, Southbank, and was just fabulous.  In my opinion, these conference get better every year.

Southbank, Melbourne

I attended a wonderful workshop by Barbara Samuel on voice and “layering in lusciousness”, and a fantastic tutorial by Margie Lawson on rhetorical devices.

Of course, there were some great talks by local authors, and we were lucky enough to have several editors from international publishers attending to explain their requirements and hear pitches.

One of those editors, Jenny Hutton, came all the way from London to reperesent Harlequin Mills and Boon and she was kind enough to invite the Romance line authors to have afternoon tea with her at the Langham. Here we are, pictured below, just before the delicious food arrived.

From left, me (Claire Baxter), Michelle Douglas, Nicola Marsh, Jenny Hutton, Ally Blake, Jennie Adams.

Harlequin also treated all of its Australian (and some New Zealand) authors to a beautiful dinner at The Deanery. Here’s a picture from that occasion as well. I’m sitting with Michelle Douglas (Romance) and fabulous Harlequin Presents author, Annie West.

The Harlequin dinner at The Deanery

 

Catching up with friends and fellow authors is a big part of the conference and here I am with Jennie Adams, Nicola Marsh and Bronwyn Parry, new Australian author whose first book “As Darkness Falls”  was launched at Dymocks during the conference. The four of us found time to nip out for a coffee and a chat.

Catching up over coffee

The prestigious R*by Award was presented on Saturday night and the winner of the short category prize was – for the second year in a row – Anne Oliver. Anne’s book, One Night Before Marriage was published by Harlequin Mills and Boon in the Modern Heat line. Congratulations to Anne, a worthy winner and a fellow South Australian.

So that’s it. Conference season is over for another year.

I’m looking forward to the next conference which will be held in Brisbane, but we all have lots of work to do before then.

Claire

I’m on my way home from San Francisco and have some time to pass in Auckland airport en route to Adelaide, so I’m posting a round-up of my experiences at RWA National Conference in San Francisco.

First up was the ‘readers for life’ literacy autographing. I was amazed at the size of this event. I knew there were going to be 500 authors signing, but the number of people visiting was mind-boggling.

Another enjoyable event was afternoon tea with the authors of the Harlequin/Mills and Boon Romance line, and editors from the London office. We went to a quaint teashop called Lovejoys which is apparently a popular location for wedding showers. I could see why.

I attended a fascinating workshop by Blake Snyder after which three other Romance authors and I took a walk to Dymocks to purchase his book – yes, it was that good. It was a lovely, sunny day and we had our photograph taken in Union Square – below from left: Jessica Hart, Trish Wylie, Melissa McClone and me, Claire.

 

Another workshop of note was presented by three Romance line authors - Jessica Hart, Barbara McMahon and Barbara Hannay – and titled ‘Emotion, Emotion, Emotion’, an apt description of the Romance line.

These are just some of the highlights. There were others, of course, including the Harlequin Party and the Rita Awards, but I’m sure you’ve read about these elsewhere. The whole conference was great and I’m so glad I had the experience. My thanks to ArtsSA, the Arts Council of South Australia, for awarding me a professional development grant which enabled me to attend this year’s national conference.

The workshops were educational, the functions spectacular and the networking opportunities plentiful, but for me, it was the opportunity to meet other authors writing for the same global series as myself that was especially pleasing.

That’s all for now, I have a flight to board.

Claire

Next week I will be in San Francisco, attending my first RWA National Conference. I am looking forward to taking part in the “Readers for Life” literacy autographing. Over 500 authors will participate in this two-hour autographing event which each year raises thousands of dollars for ProLiteracy Worldwide. It will take place on Wednesday, July 30, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the San Francisco Marriott, Yerba Buena Ballroom. It is open to the public, and you can see the list of authors participating here

I will also attend the Booksellers Best Award ceremony – my July 07 release, Best Friend…Future Wife is a finalist so this will be an exciting event, and I am looking forward to attending workshops and meeting lots of new people.

If you happen to see me there, please say hello!

Claire

Harlequin Espana

I don’t know whether an author ever becomes used to seeing her books translated into other languages, but for me, it’s still a huge thrill. These two are the latest.

Out now in Spain is Un Futuro Brilliante, a translation of The Single Dad’s Patchwork Family.

And in Germany, it’s Klopf Nicht So Laut, Mein Herz, which is a translation of Best Friend…Future Wife.

Harlequin Germany

Claire