At RWA there are several awards given that aren’t for writing books.  I know because I received one.  In a luncheon award ceremony, the Romance Writers of America also presented awards to a librarian, bookseller, and several service awards.

 

While it feels kind of funny to toot my own horn, I can’t not mention that I was privileged to receive the Vivian Stephens Industry Award.  This award is given to “one or more professionals in the romance-publishing industry, who is not a writer, who has contributed to the genre or to RWA in a significant and/or continuing manner.”  It gives me goosebumps to think that they mean me.  It’s a very humbling experience to be honored in this way by an organization I have so much respect for.  For those of you who may have missed it, my acceptance speech is right here.

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Other awards given were to Janeen Solberg, Manager, 
Turn the Page Bookstore, Boonsboro, Maryland for Bookseller of the Year.  She arranges all of the store’s events and hosts its book club. Solberg also arranges romance-friendly book signings and is known to enthusiastically recommend romances to the store’s patrons.

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Mary Moore, Reference & Adult Services Manager
Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, Huntsville, Alabama was named Librarian of the Year.  She was a Branch Manager for Huntsville’s largest city branch when she first started working with the local chapter of RWA, the Heart of Dixie chapter. “From the moment we opened the Bailey Cove Branch Library, I knew we needed more romance fiction. I could never keep enough in stock—paperback, hardcover, large print. Plus, romance readers are fast readers. You always need new stock to keep the customers coming back.”

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Emma Merritt Service Award Recipient was 
Laura Hayden.  Laura has published twelve novels, four short stories published in anthologies, and one non-fiction book about Nora Roberts. She served on the RWA Board of Directors and also was the Awards Ceremony Chairperson nine times. Besides writing, Hayden owns and operates Author, Author! Bookstore and has served six times as the Conference Director for the Pikes Peak Writers Conference.

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RWA Service Awards are intended to honor major commitments of service to RWA and are presented for the accumulated body of effort a volunteer may make during a lifetime.  The following 3 individuals were recognized.

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Natalie Damschroder has been a member of RWA since 1995 and, in that time, has served on theassociation’s PRO Steering Committee. Natalie also compiles the Contests & Conferences column for the Romance Writers Report, RWA’s magazine.  She’s published works including 8 romance novels (with four more on their way), 7 novellas, and 14 short stories.

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Dorien Kelly, an RWA member since 1995, served eight years on the Board of Directors (with one term as president of the association).  Kelly is the author of more than 19 books and is currently co-authoring books with Janet Evanovich, as well as working on solo projects.

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Diane Pershing joined RWA in 1990 and served on the association’s Board of Directors from 2004–2009. She was president of RWA from 2008–2009.  Diane is the author of more than 19 books published by Bantam Loveswept and Harlequin.

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The RWA Veritas Award Recipient
 (for the article that appears in print or in another medium that best depicts the romance genre in a positive light) was given to Denise Schipani for “7 Life Lessons from Romance Novels,” Woman’s Day.  You can read the article here.

 

Bottom Line:  It was an amazing week.  Thanks RWA and members for giving me memories I’ll never forget.