Today, how about a short black and a tiny biscotti as you read the SARA NEWS?

A big congratulations to Tamara Gill, who not only recently finalled in the RWA's Emerald Award, but has also sold her Regency Novella, currently titled A Marriage Made in Mayfair, to Decadent Publishing.  Stay tuned for more at Tamara's website and blog.  

More congratulations are due to our bestsellers for January:
Amazon US
Harlequin Presents Series Top 100
Fiancee For One Night - Trish Morey
There's Something About a Rebel - Anne Oliver
The Latin Lover: The Greek Tycoon's Inherited Bride / Back in the Spainard's Bed - Trish Morey + Others
Amazon US
Romance Anthologies Top 100
To Sin with Scandal - Tamara Gill

In other Trish Morey news, there's a new cover!  Read more about DUTY AND THE BEAST at Trish's blog.  

Once again, we've got a sleigh full of news coming your way.  If you have your egg nog and mince pie in hand (bonus points if you're wearing a santa hat), read on!  

Amy T Matthews' End of the Night Girl received an excellent review in the Speakeasy Creative Reading blog.  Here's a snippet:

"Far from being bewildering or aimless, however, the novel itself is needle-sharp. Matthews guides us through Molly's nights and days, moment by moment, plunging into her past as the opportunities arise. The result, somehow, is a satisfying novel about dissatisfaction, a precisely structured story of structural breakdown."

Read on at the link above.  

End of the Night Girl has also been voted one of the Australian Book Reviews Books of the year.  




Rebecca Sampson and Bronwyn Stuart continue to share wardrobe items--namely, the contest getup.  

Bec took out the winners position in the Contemporary Series Romance Section of the Toronto Romance Writer's Catherine Contest with A FUTURE FOR ABBY.  She also came first runner up in that contest's Golden Ticket Final Round.

Both Bronwyn and Bec were finalists in the Spacecoast Authors of Romance Launching A Star Contest.  Bron's BEHIND THE COURTESAN came first in the Historical Section, and Bec's A FUTURE FOR ABBY came second in the Series Contemporary section, and also finalled in the YA section with LIFER.



Great news for Eleni Konstantine!  Her fantasy short story, STORMY DIVIDE will be released with Musa Publishing in June 2012, via their Urania Imprint.  




In recent bestsellers:
September - Amazon US

Anthologies Romance Top 100

To Sin with Scandal – Tamara Gill

A Captain’s Order – A Duke’s Command – Tamara Gill

Finally, wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  May it be safe, fun and rewarding.
Thank you for your support in 2011, and we look forward to seeing you all in 2012!

We know you've been waiting for it!  Here are our bestselling SARAs for August:

Borders US (Series Romance Top 100) HER-NOT-SO-SECRET DIARY By Anne Oliver

Borders US (Series Romance Top 100) THE HEIR FROM NOWHERE By Trish Morey

Amazon US (Romance Anthologies Top 100) A CAPTAIN'S ORDER - A DUKE'S COMMAND by Tamara Gill

Amazon US (Romance Anthologies Top 100) TO SIN WITH SCANDAL by Tamara Gill


Congratulations to our bestselling SARAs!

More on Aussie bestsellers for August at the Romance Writers of Australia blog.  

Where to start...where to start.  So much NEWS!  

Shall we start with the beverage and the TimTam (always a first-rate place to start)?  I'll wait...

Mmm, Double coat.  Excellent choice.  :)

Okey doke, hold onto your hat--here comes the news!


*First up, big congrats to Bec Sampson (aka Becca J Heath) who currently has a new finals award in her clever fingers.  She has taken out third place (Contemporary Series Romance) in the Toronto Romance Writer's Catherine Award for 2011, with A FUTURE FOR ABBY.  Nice one, Bec!  

Check out Bec's blog, too.  She's got a cool conference wrap-up there.  While you're hitting the keys, take a look at the RWA blog on the Awards Night.

*In other contest news, Virginia Taylor has been scooping the pool over in the west.  Take a look at these excellent results for her books STARLING, ELLA & BREE:
STARLING, historical finalist in the New Jersey Romance Writers Put Your Heart in a Book.
STARLING, historical finalist in Heart of the West.
ELLA, historical finalist in Heart of the West.
BREE, mystery/suspense finalist in Heart of the West.

Wow, awesome results Virginia!  Best of luck, and we look forward to hearing the final outcomes on those.  

*The Bestseller Lists for July are out, here are the SARAs:

Amazon US
Romance Top 100
His Lady Mistress – Elizabeth Rolls
Regency Romance Top 100 
His Lady Mistress – Elizabeth Rolls 
Anthology Top 100 
To Sin with Scandal – Tamara Gill
A Captain’s Order – A Duke’s Command – Tamara Gill

Congratulations to Elizabeth and Tamara.  Nice job on those lists, too, Tam!  :)

*Speaking of Tamara Gill, her Amazon bestseller A Captain’s Order – A Duke’s Command tied in first place (Historical) in the RWA's 20 Years of Cover Contest.   Congrats again, Tam!  

*In more conference news, the Clayton's Conference (obviously, the conference you're having when you're not having THE Conference) was marvellously co-hosted by our own Eleni Konstantine.  Check out Eleni's 
Clayton's Conference Wrap-Up.

*Fancy a look at the Conference Round up on the RWA blog?  Here it is.  
Scroll down for selected amusing tweets...

...But wait, there's more!

*At the recent Conference, there were more awards for SARAs!  This time, it was for BEST DRESSED at the RWA Roaring Twenties Cocktail Party!  

Third prize went to Sharon (as a Ziegfeld Girl)
Second Prize went to Lynn (as Amelia Earhart)
aaaaaaand First Prize went to Maggie Mundy:

Congrats, ladies.  What a superb effort!  

It's big news!  Amy T Matthews will be featured on the ABC's 7:30 Report talking about her new Wakefield Press release, End Of The Night Girl.  Tune in to the 7:30 Report on June 24th, and find the episode on the ABC website after that date.  

SARAs abound in the Romance Writers of Australia's Bestseller list for May.  

*Trish Morey, The Heir From Nowhere (Borders US Series Top 100)

*Elizabeth Rolls, His Lady Mistress (Amazon US Historical Regency Romance Top 100, Amazon UK Top 100, Amazon UK Historical)

*Elizabeth Rolls and others, Delectably Undone (Amazon US Anthology)

*Elizabeth Rolls, A Compromised Lady (Amazon UK Historical)

*Elizabeth Rolls, Lord Braybrook's Penniless Bride (Amazon UK Historical)

*Tamara Gill, To SIn With Scandal (Amazon US Anthology)


More on Bestsellers at the RWA Blog.  

There's been some big news coming out of SARA in recent weeks.  Grab a beverage, nab a chocolate biscuit, take a seat and enjoy!

First cab off the literary rank is Amy T Matthews' impending Wakefield Press release, END OF THE NIGHT GIRL.  This is the manuscript that saw Amy taking out the Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature Unpublished Manuscript Award last year .  Check out that awesome cover.  Big congrats Amy, and all the best with the upcoming launch!

Two novels teasingly combine in one as End of the Night Girl explores the shadow cast by the Holocaust across centuries, continents, and cultures. Molly’s story, set in Adelaide and told in the first person, is a sassy modern drama of a young woman’s search for purpose amid confused family, sexual and social relationships. Under Molly’s pen emerges, jigsaw-like, the third-person Holocaust story of Gienia, a murdered young Polish Jewish woman who may or may not be fictional. Winner 2010 Adelaide Festival Award for Best Unpublished Manuscript.


Amy will also guest spot on the 7:30 Report soon about her novel.  Stay tuned!

Cover love continues as we take a look at Lillian Grant's upcoming release from Siren Bookstrand, SPEAK TO ME OF ABDUCTION, due out in June.

Congrats, Lillian!  Here's a blurb:

After accepting a movie role, Charlene Page, worries she might be the next rising porn star.  On reflection, that might have been safer.

Stuck in Rio and desperate for cash, Australian backpacker Charlene accepts a minor movie role. When her co-star, Holly wood hunk and serial womanizer, Jonathon Deveraux is abducted from the set she turns to his older brother for help.

Oscar winner and Hollywood good guy Jacob Deveraux is a recluse. However, when his brother goes missing, he agrees to help the hapless backpacker who appears to have been deceived into taking a movie role so that Jonathon could woo her into his bed.  The more determined he is to keep his distance the more he is drawn to her.  When it becomes obvious his bother’s kidnapping is designed to punish Jacob he worries Charlene may be next.  Despite his best efforts to keep her safe she is grabbed off the street. Can he find and save his brother and Charlene or will he lose another woman he loves?

Now, you know Rebecca Sampson?  You've heard of her, right?  Well, big congrats to Bec, who has officially taken out the numero uno spot in the Yellow Rose RWA Winter Rose Contest for unpublished writers in the YA section, with her story ALLI'S PLAYGROUND.   Go you, Bec!

Congratulations also to our bestselling authors for April, Tamara Gill AMAZON US Anthology) & Elizabeth Rolls (AMAZON US Anthology/Historical/Regency, Book Depository Overall Bestsellers).  More at the Romance Writers of Australia Blog.  

Go SARAs!  

Amazon US (Contemporary) LOVER FOR MONEY by Trish Morey

Amazon US (Contemporary) DELECTABLE UNDONE: A SCANDALOUS LIAISON by Elizabeth Rolls (Part of an anthology)

Amazon US (Contemporary) RECKLESS IN PARADISE by Trish Morey

Amazon US (Contemporary) WHEN HE WAS BAD... by Anne Oliver 

Amazon US (Bestselling New & Featured Releases) TO SIN WITH SCANDAL by Tamara Gill

Amazon US (Anthologies) TO SIN WITH SCANDAL by Tamara Gill

Amazon US (Historical) A COMPROMISED LADY by Elizabeth Rolls

Amazon UK (Romance Bestsellers) THE HEIR FROM NOWHERE by Trish Morey

Amazon UK Kindle (Romance Bestsellers) THE HEIR FROM NOWHERE by Trish Morey



Congratulations to our bestselling SARAs!

More on Aussie bestsellers at the Romance Writers of Australia blog.  

Borders US (Historical) HIS LADY MISTRESS by Elizabeth Rolls

Amazon US (Anthologies) TO SIN WITH SCANDAL by Tamara Gill

Amazon US (Historical) A COMPROMISED LADY by Elizabeth Rolls

Amazon UK (Romance Bestsellers) THE HEIR FROM NOWHERE by Trish Morey

Amazon UK Kindle (Romance Bestsellers) THE HEIR FROM NOWHERE by Trish Morey

Congratulations to our bestselling SARAs!

More on Aussie bestsellers at the Romance Writers of Australia blog.  

Congratulations to Trish Morey and Anne Oliver for their placings in the
Best-selling romances compiled by the Borders Group for the week ending 26th September. 

Trish is at number 5 with 'The Latin Lover'.
Anne is  at number 10 with 'Hot Boss, Wicked Nights'


Yay ladies - well done!