Local author shortlised for the Romantic Novel of the Year 2014

Local author Margaret James is one of the contenders shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists' Association's (RNA) most prestigious award - the Romantic Novel of the Year 2014. This year the overall winner of the Award will receive a cheque for £5000 in addition to a trophy to mark the occasion.

Darcey Bussell CBE will announce the winner of each of five categories at the Gladstone Library, One Whitehall Place, London SW1 on 17th March at 6.45 p.m.

The categories from which the 30 final books have been drawn are: Contemporary Romantic Novel, Epic Romantic Novel, Historical Romantic Novel, Romantic Comedy and Young Adult Romantic Novel.

Margaret is one of six finalists in the Romantic Comedy Novel category and books in this sector have to be consistently humorous or amusing. Her book, The Wedding Diary, published by Choc Lit, is about Cat Aston, who has won a fairy-tale wedding. But her own Prince Charming has done a runner. When Adam Lawley's girlfriend turned down his proposal he vowed he'd never fall in love again. How will Cat and Adam get their second chance of happiness?

Margaret wrote her novel at a difficult time in her life when she needed to escape into a happier world. She went to university in London and lives in the West Country, which she adores, although Tuscany comes a close second, so all three are included as settings in her novel. Commenting on her selection Margaret said:

 "I'm so thrilled and grateful that my publisher Choc Lit took the big gamble of contracting me to write a romantic comedy, something I'd never done before and didn't know if I could do."

For more about Margaret visit her website http://margaretjamesblog.blogspot.co.uk/