MOVIE NEWS: Liane Moriarty's novel 'Truly Madly Guilty' optioned for film

Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon have optioned the movie rights to Truly Madly Guilty, the 2016 novel by Liane Moriarty (also author of The Husband's Secret and What Alice Forgot).

According to The Bookseller, the movie will be produced by both Witherspoon's production company, Pacific Standard, and Kidman's company, Blossom Films.

Moriarty’s UK agent Jonathan Lloyd said: “I am thrilled that there is now an opportunity for fans of the film to discover the magic of Liane Moriarty’s writing and if they haven’t already done so, to go out and acquire all her books.”

INDUSTRY NEWS: Sophie Kinsella to publish YA novel

Bestselling chick-lit author Sophie Kinsella is to publish a young adult novel, The Bookseller revealed today.

The novel, titled Finding Audrey, will be published by Random House and has been described as 'a mix of family comedy, romance and personal discovery'.

Finding Audrey will be released next year. Sophie's next novel in her well-loved Shopaholic series, Shopaholic to the Stars, will hit the shelves tomorrow.

INDUSTRY NEWS: Winners of the Romance Reader Awards announced

The winners of the 2014 Romance Reader Awards were announced at the Festival of Romantic Fiction in Leighton Buzzard over the weekend. Many authors were shortlisted, with some fantastic novels in the running! Congratulations to this year's winners.

Best Romantic Read - One Step Closer to You by Alice Peterson
After Polly ends her relationship with the father of her young son, Louis, she is determined to move on. All she wants is to focus on her job, her friends and to be a good mum. No more looking over her shoulder. No more complications . . . 

Then Polly meets Ben.

Ben is guardian of his niece, Emily. They become close, with Polly teaching Ben how to plait Emily's hair, and Ben playing football with Louis. Their friendship is unexpected. Polly’s never been happier. 

But when Louis's dad reappears in their life, all Polly’s mistakes come back to haunt her and her resolve weakens when he swears he has changed.

Will she give herself a second chance to love?

Best Historical Read - The Dress Thief by Natalie Meg Evans
Alix Gower has a dream: to join the ranks of Coco Chanel to become a designer in the high-stakes world of Parisian haute couture. But Alix also has a secret: she supports her family by stealing designs to create bootlegs for the foreign market. A hidden sketchbook and two minutes inside Hermès is all she needs to create a perfect replica, to be whisked off to production in New York.
Then Alix is given her big break - a chance to finally realize her dream in one of the most prominent Parisian fashion houses - but at the price of copying the breakthrough Spring Collection.

Knowing this could be her only opportunity, Alix accepts the arrangement. But when a mystery from her past resurfaces and a chance meeting has her falling into the arms of a handsome English war reporter, Alix learns that the slightest misstep - or misplaced trust - could be all it takes for her life to begin falling apart at the seams.

Best Short Romance - Taming Her Italian Boss by Fiona Harper
"So, Miss Lange with an e, will you take the job?" 

Ruby Lange might be unconventional, but her struggle to find the ideal career isn't from lack of trying! Now the latest option is "traveling nanny"—so she takes a deep breath, packs her vintage suitcase and heads for Italy.

Ruby's new boss, architect Max Martin, may be utterly gorgeous, but he's far too buttoned up for her liking! Yet traveling around Venice together, Ruby discovers that the man who took a risk on her is masking a huge heart—he just needs a reason to trust it again….


Best Ebook - The Oyster Catcher by Jo Thomas
Dooleybridge, County Galway. Population: 482 (or thereabouts). The last place Fiona Clutterbuck expects to end up, alone, on her wedding night.

But after the words 'I do' have barely left her mouth, that's exactly where she is - with only her sequined shoes and a crashed camper van for company.

One thing is certain: Fi can't go back. So when the opportunity arises to work for Sean Thornton, the local oyster farmer, she jumps at the chance. Now Fi must navigate suspicious locals, jealous rivals and a wild, unpredictable boss if she's to find a new life, and love, on the Irish coast. And nothing - not even a chronic fear of water - is going to hold her back.

Join Fi on her romantic, unpredictable adventure as she learns the rules of the ocean - and picks up a few pearls of Irish wisdom along the way... 

Best Author Published Romance - Christmas Yves by Nicola May
It’s two days before Christmas - and Evie Harris finds herself both manless and jobless. After a chance encounter with handsome Greg (and egged on by her toy-boy-eating friend, Bea) she agrees to work at a homeless shelter on Christmas Day. 

Striking up an unlikely friendship with homeless Yves, Evie begins an unwitting journey of spiritual awakening, all set against the sparkling winter backdrop of London landmarks. 

A New Year’s Eve revelation is on its way . . . but will it leave Evie with a happy heart, or will she allow the pre-Christmas past to dictate her future?

INDUSTRY NEWS: Awards shortlists announced for Festival of Romantic Fiction

Shortlists were released today for the Romance Reader Awards, New Talent Award, and Romance Industry Awards. The winners will be announced at a gala awards ceremony at the Festival of Romantic Fiction on Saturday, 13th September.

Awards organiser Sarah Taylor said: "With the highest number of entries the awards have had in their four year history, the standard this year was exceptionally high with many highly rated novels not making the shortlists. The breath and depth of quality writing in romantic fiction should be celebrated and that's what these awards are all about."

Congratulations and good luck to all those who made it to the final lists! And now, on with the shortlists...

Best Romantic Read
Two Weddings and a Baby by Scarlett Bailey (Ebury)
The Memory Book by Rowan Coleman (Ebury)
The Cornish Stranger by Liz Fenwick (Orion)
After The Honeymoon by Janey Fraser (Arrow)
The Unpredictable Consequences of Love by Jill Mansell (Headline Review)
One Hundred Proposals by Holly Martin (Carina)
The Wedding Proposal by Sue Moorcroft (Choc Lit)
The Proposal by Tasmina Perry (Headline Review)
One Step Closer to You by Alice Peterson (Quercus)

Best Historical Read 
The Downstairs Maid by Rosie Clarke (Ebury)
Monsoon Mists by Christina Courtenay (Choc Lit)
The Maid of Milan by Beverley Eikili (Choc Lit)
The Dress Thief by Natalie Meg Evans (Quercus)
Crosscurrents by Jane Jackson (Accent Press)
Home For Christmas by Lizzie Lane (Ebury)
A Rose in Flanders Fields by Terri Nixon (Carina)
Queen of Bedlam by Laura Purcell (Myrmidon)

Best Short Romance
Don't Tell Penny by Anna Bell (Quercus)
Taming Her Italian Boss by Fiona Harper (Mills and Boon Cherish)
A Western Heart by Liz Harris (Choc Lit Lite)
Just You by Jane Lark (Harper Impulse)
The Right Side of Mr Wrong by Jane Linfoot (Harper Impulse)
Grand Designs by Linda Mitchelmore (Choc Lit Lite)
The Bookshop on the Corner by Rebecca Raisin (Carina)

Best E-Book
The Second Time I Saw You by Pippa Croft (Penguin)
The Wedding Cake Tree by Melanie Hudson (Choc Lit)
Summer at Castle Stone by Lynn-Marie Hulsmann (Harper Impulse)
Dear Lizzie by Annie Lyons (Carina)
The Guestbook by Holly Martin (Carina)
Room For Love by Sophie Pembroke (Carina)
The Oyster Catcher by Jo Thomas (Headline)
Doubting Abbey by Samantha Tonge (Carina)

Best Author Published
Mary Bennet by Kate Allan
Sweet Occasions by Linn B Halton
Drumbeats by Julia Ibbotson
Fairlights by Jan Jones
Christmas Yves by Nicola May
A Change of Heart by Adrienne Vaughan

New Talent Award Shortlist
An Infamous Seduction by Glenda Cooper
Country Strife by Debbie Fuller-White
Fancy Cakes and Skinny Lattes by Melanie Griffiths
For One Last Time by Louise Hall
The Gossamer Trail by Brenda Hawkey
Who Does He Think He Is? by Emily Kerr
Hats Off To Love by Susan Jones
Meeting Halfway by Mairibeth MacMillan
The Perfect Blend by Catherine Meadows
True Colours by Caroline Rayner
Maggie's Child by Glynis Smy

Industry Awards Shortlists

Innovation in Romantic Fiction - Publisher
Accent Amour – new commercial imprint from independent publisher Accent Press investing in backlists as well as new authors
Carina UK – celebrating it's first birthday in 2014, Carina digitally publishes over 75 authors from around the world and has been exceptionally successful in the ebook charts
Mills and Boon – launching a brand new reader-centred website including an interactive story world The Chatsfield that blends fiction and reality
Simon and Schuster – continuing development of their Books in the City website, a popular hub for readers to connect with authors

Innovation in Romantic Fiction – Author
Jenny Barden – for championing the whole genre with innovation in events for the Historical Novels Society and Romantic Novelists Association
Rowan Coleman - after writing Dearest Rose, Rowan was inspired to raise money for women suffering from domestic abuse by writing Woman Walks into a Bar and donating the royalties to Refuge
Nadine Dorries – for shining light on the romantic saga by topping the bestseller charts with her debut novel The Four Streets
Belinda Jones – for connecting with readers with an engaging theme across her website and social media including the Belinda Jones Travel Club on Facebook and Va-va-vacation.com website
Holly Martin - for her debut novel The Guestbook which uniquely tells the story through guest comments left in a leather-bound guestbook

Romance Blogger of the Year
ChickLitClub.com – an excellent example of a group of readers working together to share book news and reviews
Reviewedthebook.co.uk – passion shines through from blogger Sophie Hedley who has been nominated for her dedication and professionalism
Onemorepage.co.uk – blogger Amanda is described as an indefatigable advocate for books and their authors she champions

NEWS: Online magazine The Page Girls is launched!

Brand new lit magazine The Page Girls (www.thepagegirls.com) is has launched this week, and the celebration has begun! The Page Girls is an online magazine with an emphasis on books, cocktails, and female friendships, with a weekly themed issue containing short stories, book reviews, essays, videos, cocktail recipes, and more. Sample issues include The Craziest Thing I Did For Love and LYLAS (Love You Like a Sister).

This week, The Page Girls is celebrating its 'birthday week', which involves a giveaway every day - plus other goodies! See below for a list of fab prizes.

And, as we're celebrating the release of the new magazine, we have a copy of e-book Here for the Cake by Emily Poule, along with a gorgeous set of Page Girls coasters. To be in with a chance of winning, simply email us with 'Page Girls' as the subject header.

Sign up for The Page Girls’ weekly newsletter to get notified about new issues, and be sure to follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

INDUSTRY NEWS: Amazon Fire Phone set for release

Kindle fans might be happy at the upcoming release from Amazon - a smartphone containing an in-built Kindle store.

 

According to The Bookseller, the Fire Phone will allow users to access the Kindle store, Audible, and the Kindle Lending Library. Also built into the phone will be Amazon Music, along with 200,000 videos. Fire TV is said to be available 'as soon as possible'.

 

Sadly for those of us in the UK who might fancy reading the latest releases on the Fire Phone, the device is currently only available in the US on pre-order. It's priced at $199 (or $27 a month for the 32GB version). American buyers can pick up a 64GB model for $299, exclusively through AT&T.

 

What do you think of this new device? Will you be purchasing?

 

CELEB NEWS: Sam Bailey memoir to be published

X Factor winner Sam Bailey will be releasing an autobiography after being signed by Blink Publishing, The Bookseller has revealed.

Sam, a former prison officer who shot to fame on last year's X Factor, has a 2015 tour planned, and her autobiography will be the third celebrity memoir to be published by Blink.

Blink's MD, Perminder Mann, said: "An inspiration for many working mums, Sam is proving that nothing is impossible as she embarks on a new chapter in her life. In her autobiography she’ll bring fans up to speed with her life story and talk about her hopes for the future."

INDUSTRY NEWS: Veronica Henry scoops Romantic Novel of the Year Award

The Birthday Party author Veronica Henry has picked up the RNA 2014 Romantic Novel of the Year Award, winning a cheque for £5000 and trophies presented by Darcey Bussell, CBE, for her book A Night on the Orient Express.

The novel, which won in the Contemporary Romantic Novel of the Year category, was described as a 'feel good romantic book with very natural dialogue' and a 'page turner' by the judging panel, which consisted of five industry professionals: Alison Flood (The Guardian), Sarah Broadhurst (The Bookseller), Jane Mays (The Daily Mail), Karin Stoecker (Harlequin Books) and Chris White (fiction buyer at Waterstones).

Category winners were Jennifer McVeigh in the Epic category for her novel The Fever Tree (Penguin), Christina Courtenay in the Historical category for The Gilded Fan (Choc Lit), Milly Johnson in the Romantic Comedy category for It's Raining Men (Simon & Schuster), and Imogen Howson in the Young Adult category for Linked (Quercus).

Bridget Jones author Helen Fielding was given an Outstanding Achievement award.

RNA president Katie Fforde said: "Every year we are astounded by the quality of writing and enthusiasm from our entrants. Their passion is evident in their writing and all can be proud of having been part of the Awards this year. Our congratulations go to Veronica Henry, who is thoroughly deserving of her win and provided the judges with an intriguing plot with some twisty turns that delivered what can only be described as a page-turning novel. All in all a very well-earned win."

A Night on the Orient Express by Veronica Henry
The Orient Express. Luxury. Mystery. Romance. For one group of passengers settling in to their seats and taking their first sips of champagne, the journey from London to Venice is more than the trip of a lifetime. A mysterious errand; a promise made to a dying friend; an unexpected proposal; a secret reaching back a lifetime...As the train sweeps on, revelations, confessions and assignations unfold against the most romantic and infamous setting in the world.

INDUSTRY NEWS: Self-published Tracy Bloom signs four-book deal with Cornerstone

Self-published chick-lit writer Tracy Bloom has signed a four-book deal with Cornerstone, The Bookseller revealed.

Tracy published two e-books - debut novel No-One Ever Has Sex on a Tuesday and Single Woman Seeks Revenge - in 2013. No-One Ever Has Sex on a Tuesday reached number one in the Kindle bestseller list early last year, selling 220,000 e-books in six months.

No-One Ever Has Sex on a Tuesday will be published in paperback and e-book this April, followed by a new Christmas-themed novel which will be released in October. In 2015, a sequel to No-One Ever Has Sex on a Tuesday will be published, as well as Single Woman Seeks Revenge.

Tracy Bloom said: “I have learnt a huge amount during the process and I'm now delighted to be joining Arrow who I know have the skills and expertise to bring my writing to an even greater audience and help take my career to the next level."

Congratulations, Tracy!

INDUSTRY NEWS: Four Choc Lit titles on Romantic Novel of the Year shortlists

Women's fiction publisher Choc Lit is leading the nominations in the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year shortlist, it was recently announced.

According to The Bookseller, Choc Lit are leading with four novels, with The Gilded Fan by Christina Courtenay and Liz Harris's A Bargain Struck in the running for the Historical Romantic Novel category; Christina Courtenay's New England Rocks for Young Adult Romantic Novel, and The Wedding Diary by Margaret James up for The Romantic Comedy Novel award.

The Choc Lit novels will be up against titles from various other publishers such as Pan Macmillan, Piatkus and HarperCollins for the awards. The category winners will be announced in London on 17th March, as well as an overall winner who will scoop £5,000. Darcey Bussell will be presenting the awards.

Author Katie Fforde, president of the Romantic Novelists' Association, said: ""The RNA came into being to encourage good writing of romantic fiction in all of its many forms. This year we've seen a record number of books submitted for our Awards, and this clearly demonstrates that romantic fiction plays a big part in the UK book industry."

To read the full shortlist, head over to the RNA wesbite.