The Royal Ascot Contest: Past Winners

Winners of the 2011 Royal Ascot Contest

Grand Prize Winner:

The Reunion by Sara Leyton*

Finalists:

His Charming Seductress by Louisa Cornell*

Something Scandalous by Nicola Davidson*

A Whisper to the Wild by Eileen Emerson*

Circle and Stone by Karen Dale Harris

A Lady's Scientific Study of an Enigmatic Earl by Suzanne Webb

* Multiple requests for the full manuscript from the final round judges

Winners of the 2010 Royal Ascot Contest

Regency Historical:

  • First Place: A Most Improper Gentleman*** by Elisa Beatty
  • Second Place: Listen to Your Heart*** by Miranda Liasson
  • Third Place: Embracing Scandal by Sue Webb

Judged by Leis Pederson, Assistant Editor, Berkley

Hot and Wild Regency:

  • First Place: The Devil May Care by Elisa Beatty
  • Second Place: Stealing Time by Bill Haggart
  • Third Place: Cursed by Alyssa Fernandez

Judged by Tessa Woodward, Editor, Avon/HarperCollins

Sweet and Mild Regency:

  • First Place: A Deceitful Widow by Constance Hussey
  • Second Place: The Unexpected Beneficiaries by Michelle Wood
  • Third Place: Long Lost Husband by Kristl Spalding

Judged by Nicole D'Arienzo, Senior Historical Editor, The Wild Rose Press

Winners of the 2009 Royal Ascot Contest

Regency Historical

Judged by Lucy Gilmour and the Harlequin Mills & Boon Historical team.

  • First: Mis-Matched, by Alleyne Dickens*
  • Second: Seduced by Passion, by Carol Jo Kachmar
  • Third: Never Too Late, by Karen Dobbins

* Revised Complete Manuscript Requested

Hot & Wild Regency

Judged by Tessa Woodward, Avon Editor, HarperCollins.

  • First: Deceit of Desire, by Pamela Bolton-Holyfield
  • Second: Secret Possessions, by Leah Ball
  • Third: The Coven at Callington, by Shereen Vedam

Sweet & Mild Regency

Judged by Deb Werksman, Acquiring Editor, Sourcebooks.

  • First: The Angel and St. Clair, by Constance Hussey
  • Second: The Legend of the Fox, by Donna Maloy*
  • Third: The Return of Hope, by Marjorie Gilbert

* Partial Submission to Sourcebooks Children's Editor Requested

Winners of the 2008 Royal Ascot Contest

HISTORICAL REGENCY

  • Category Coordinator: Laurie Alice Eakes
  • Final Round Judge: Tessa Woodward, Avon HarperCollins Publishers
  • First Place Elizabeth Baldwin, Defiant
  • Second Place Alyssa Fernandez, Defensive Measures
  • Third Place Joanne Lockyer, The Changing Light of Dawn

HOT & WILD REGENCY

  • Category Coordinator: Delle Jacobs
  • Final Round Judge: Hilary Sares, Editor, Kensington Books
  • First Place Pamela Bolton-Holifield, The Raven's Heart
  • Second Place Cathy Leming, Angels at Almack's
  • Third Place Lori Philbin, Bluebeard's Hunger

SWEET & MILD REGENCY

  • Category Coordinator: Catherine Leming
  • Final Round Judge: Lindsey McGurk, Editor, Samhain Publishing Ltd.
  • First Place Lavinia Klein, Merlin's Hideaway
  • Second Place Susan Newman, Rakes & Radishes
  • Third Place Marjorie Allen, To Love a Lady

Winners of the 2007 Royal Ascot Contest

Traditional Regency Category

Judged by Erin Cartwright-Niumata of Avalon Books

  • First Place: Pamela Bolton-Holifield — Lost In Love
  • Second Place: Carol Roddy — Dangerous Works
  • Third Place: Susan Newman — Rakes and Radishes

Regency Historical Category

Judged by Megan McKeever of Pocket Books

  • First Place: Sheri Adkins — To Be a Duke
  • Second Place: Elizabeth Baldwin — Ardent
  • Third Place: Joanne Lockyer — For Duty and Desire

Paranormal Regency Category

Judged by Erica Tsang of Avon Books

  • First Place: Carolyn O'Neill — The Wedding Gift
  • Second Place: Jane George — Dead Lord Walking
  • Third Place: Cathy Leming — Angels at Almack's

Winners of the 2006 Royal Ascot Contest

Long Regency-set Historical

First Place
  • Lady Scandalous by Nadele Jacobs
Second Place
  • The Lost Jewel by Debra Bess
Third Place
  • The Changling Bride by Krista Mercer

Traditional/Short Regency-set Historical

First Place
  • Watch for Me by Moonlight by Elizabeth Grainger
Second Place
  • The Reclusive Lord Deal by Alyssa Fernandez
Third Place
  • Lady of Dissent by Marlene Naylor

The Beau Monde wishes to congratulate all our winners and thank the judges:

  • Laura Cifelli, NAL
  • Joanne Carr, Mills&Boone, UK

Winners of the 2005 Royal Ascot Contest

Traditional Category:

  1. My Heart's Design — Debra Bess
  2. The Hero's Welcome — Juanita Marken
  3. A Run For Her Money — Alyssa Fernandez

Non-Traditional Category:

  1. The Bride Hunt Ball — Tracy Parker
  2. Dishonor And Desire — Kate Duggan
  3. The Paragon — Alyssa Fernandez

The Beau Monde wishes to congratulate all our winners and thank the judges:

  • Tina Brown, NAL — Traditional Category
  • Erika Tsang, Avon — Non-Traditional Category

Royal Ascot Winners 2004

Traditional Category

  1. Nadele Jacobs — Aphrodite's Brew
  2. Donald McKenzie — Colonel Brigand's Baggage
  3. Dorothy McFalls — The Marriage List

Honorable Mention

  • Susanne McCaffery Saville — The Secret Hunter

Non-traditional Category

  1. Janet Mullany — Dedication
  2. Joanna Waugh — Blind Fortune
  3. Tracy Anne Warren — The Dragon's Mistress

Honorable Mention

  • Dawn Thompson — The Privateer
  • Jean Hart Stewart — For Love and I Are New

Royal Ascot Winners 2003

Winners were announced at the Soiree July 16th, 2003 in New York.

Traditional Category

  • Winner: Cara King — My Lady Gamester
  • Maureen Mackey White — The Forgotten Bride
  • Phylis Ann Warady — Lord Royston's Redemption

Non-traditional Category

  • Winner: Shane Bolks — The Rogue
  • Debra Bess — My Heart's Design
  • Don McKenzie — Colonel Brigand's Baggage

2002 Royal Ascot Winners

Non-Traditional Category

Judged by Kelly Harms of Avon

  • First Place: Diane Perkins — A Lady of Quality
  • Second Place: Karen Statzer — Untouched
  • Third Place: Nadele Jacobs — My Lady Wicked

Traditional Category

Judged by Kate Duffy of Kensington Books

Kate Duffy commented, "They were all apples. All round and red, all juicy and delicious but all tasted differently. Different but not better or worse." As far as she's concerned, they are all winners — and that they're all publishable. Because of this, the Beau Monde is pleased to announce a three-way tie for First Place. All three winners have been offered a two-book contract by Kensington.

  • Merry Banjeri — The Merry Marquis
  • Glenda Garland — A Slight Case of Blackmail
  • Nonnie Saad — Nola's Ark

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