So, just a couple of weeks ago, it was announced that my novel, One Wish in Manhattan, was shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association Romantic Novel of the Year in the romantic comedy category. And it feels amazing!
As an author you wish for lots of things. That you don’t lose inspiration. That you can make it to 100,000 words without hating your story and all your characters. That your publisher will keep signing you up for more books. That readers will enjoy your stories. And that last one is the most important one for me.
The best thing about being a writer is having readers contact you telling you how much they enjoyed your book, how it made them laugh or cry, how they could relate to a character inside the pages. And that is why an award like this is really special.
To make it onto the shortlist you have to obviously enter your book and then it gets read… by real readers. Booklovers give up their time to read the entries and each book has to be read by at least three readers and scored on different aspects. The highest scoring books are then given a fourth read by selected RNA members who have no vested interested in the book or the category. This fourth score is added to the other scores, making a final total that determines the shortlist (of up to six books) and the overall category winner. The winner of each category then goes forward to battle for the title of Romantic Novel of the Year. Are you keeping up?
To know One Wish in Manhattan has scored so highly to make the shortlist is a real thrill. There has been so much love for this book ever since it came out last October. I’ve had the best reviews, the most messages, and the most chat about this book than any of my others. Hayley, Angel and Oliver’s story really touched people and I’m glad readers enjoyed the deeper themes woven around a feel-good Christmas romantic comedy.
So what’s next? The big night of course! I will be donning red sequins to travel up to Whitehall Place in London for the awards ceremony on 7 March with Mr Big. Sometimes Mr Big thinks I spend all day just chatting to people on Facebook and eating pork scratchings, so it will be nice for him to see what I’ve done and meet my writer friends (the ones I chat to on Facebook when eating pork scratchings).
And then we will find out who the winners are! I’d like nothing more than to bring that crystal star back to Wiltshire. But making this shortlist is a dream in itself. I don’t want the icing on the cake… said nobody ever!
Giveaway to win a signed copy of One Wish in Manhattan (Open Internationally)
About Mandy Baggot
In February 2016 her romantic comedy novel, One Wish in Manhattan, was shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association Romantic Novel of the Year award.
Previously she won the Innovation in Romantic Fiction award at the UK's Festival of Romance and has scooped Top Ten Reads/Book of the Year places from a number of UK book bloggers.
Traditionally published by US publisher Sapphire Star, Harper Collins' digital first romance imprint, Harper Impulse, and most recently, digital fiction specialists, Bookouture, a great story is never far from her fingertips!
A contributor to writing blogs and short story anthologies, Mandy is also a regular speaker at literary festivals, events and women’s networking groups.
Mandy loves mashed potato, white wine, country music, World's Strongest Man, travel and handbags. She has appeared on ITV1's Who Dares Sings and auditioned for The X-Factor.
Mandy is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and the Society of Authors and lives near Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK with her husband, two daughters and cats, Kravitz and Springsteen.
Visit Mandy’s website at http://www.mandybaggot.com/
Latest release: One Wish in Manhattan http://smarturl.it/onewishinmanhattan
Amazon UK: http://ow.ly/sjq4v
Amazon US: http://ow.ly/sjqbM
Twitter: http://twitter.com/mandybaggot
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mandybaggotauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2968625.Mandy_Baggot
Thanks so much to Mandy for this fabulous post and for the giveaway. Good luck with awards.
Congratulations to Mandy Baggot on her nomination for the RoNA Romantic Comedy Novel award. Which of these books did you love? Which do you think should win the award?
Thank you so much for having me on your blog again, Rachel and for putting One Wish in Manhattan in the spotlight. We had such a lovely time at the launch at Waterstones Salisbury didn't we? I'm getting very excited about the awards now!
ReplyDeleteMandy xx
Thank you so much for having me on your blog again, Rachel and for putting One Wish in Manhattan in the spotlight. We had such a lovely time at the launch at Waterstones Salisbury didn't we? I'm getting very excited about the awards now!
ReplyDeleteMandy xx
Will be looking out for you and your red sequins - mine are black and gold! Best of luck. Angela Britnell
ReplyDeleteWell done and best of luck, Mandy! Go you! :) xx
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