In the UK, the Romantic Novelists Association run several book awards to promote romantic fiction in its various incarnations. The main award for the Romantic Novel of the Year is for mainstream fiction that contains a romance but that romance doesn't have to be the be-all. It's the UK's only award for commerical mainstream fiction. There's also an award for category romance authors who write for Mills & Boon, one for romantic comedy that honours the contemporary chic-lit and one for historical too. Authors can be on more than one shortlist.
The way the award works is that books are sent out to ordinary readers with a tick sheet and each book is awarded points on its readability, characterisation, romantic element etc. Each books is read by 3 readers and the scores added up. The highest scores go through and a longlist of 24 is announced. The RNA committee then read those 24 and whittle it down to 6. The 6 are judged by industry professionals, 3 different ones in each category.
Anyway, this is all by way of saying that To Defy A King has made it onto the main award shortlist and the Historical novel shortlist.
Here's the url to the RNA website where you can see all the titles. I'm not sure I like the 'Pure passion' moniker, but apparently the booksellers do very much, so who am I to quibble?
http://www.romanticnovelistsassociation ... shortlists
