Breakfast at Giovanni's

The lovely talented Kate Hardy, who writes faster than I can read, also writes wonderful books.

She writes Medicals for Mills & Boon, and she also writes M&B Modern Extras, or as they are now called, Modern Heat. And some of the latter are coming out in America as part of the Presents line.

One of them, Breakfast at Giovanni's, on Monday won the Romance Novelists' Association prize for category romance!

Kate's book has been retitled -- something about an Italian Boss, I think. Personally I love the title Breakfast at Giovanni's. But I think marketing feels it doesn't 'fit' with 'The Presents Promise."

Personally I wish they'd 'promise' more variety in their titles. Many of the books do. They aren't as cookie-cutter as critics -- or marketing -- would like you to think. But you'd never know it from the sameness of the titles.

Anyway, I'm thrilled for Kate who, as you can see here, looks a bit stunned and 'who me?' when they called her name.

And yes, that's the lovely Liz Fielding, whose wonderful Secret Life of Lady Gabriella was also short-listed for the prize, sitting far to the right. (So you can see how stiff the competition was).

Congrats to all who were short-listed -- and special congrats to Kate for walking away with the Betty Neels' Bowl which will be hers for the year.