The Royal Ascot Contest: Past Winners

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

Winners of the 2012 Royal Ascot Contest

Grand Prize Winner:

Violet Camberwell* by Terri Gibson

Finalists:

Embracing an Unloved Earl* by Eileen Emerson
The Duchess and Mr. Smith by Anna Genest
The Letter* by Sandra Owen
Drawn to the Earl* by Joanna Shupe
To Pluck a Rose* by Amy Villalba

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

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:

My Heart’s Design — Debra Bess
The Hero’s Welcome — Juanita Marken
A Run For Her Money — Alyssa Fernandez

Non-Traditional Category:

The Bride Hunt Ball — Tracy Parker
Dishonor And Desire — Kate Duggan
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

Nadele Jacobs — Aphrodite’s Brew
Donald McKenzie — Colonel Brigand’s Baggage
Dorothy McFalls — The Marriage List

Honorable Mention

Susanne McCaffery Saville — The Secret Hunter

Non-traditional Category

Janet Mullany — Dedication
Joanna Waugh — Blind Fortune
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

2001

Traditional

First Place: Susan Lantz — The Chosen Bride
Second Place: Carolyn Louaillier — The Parson’s Mousetrap
Third Place: Victoria Hinshaw — Miss Mildorn’s Mistake

Non-Traditional

First Place: Sari K. Earl — Midnight Rendezvous
Second Place: Diane Perkins — The Diamond
Third Place: Tami Cowden — Stand And Deliver

2000

Traditional

First Place: Wendy Kitchen — Miss Howe’s Mission
Second Place: Cara King — The Baron And Miss Patterton
Third Place: Cara King — Flirtation And Quizzes

Non-Traditional

First Place: Wendy Burge — Love Me Again
Second Place: Jennifer Ashley — Whisper Of Roses
Third Place: Jan Bold — The Road To Revenge

1999

Traditional

First Place: Louise Bergin — The Miser’s Moneybags
Second Place: Donna Smith — Penelope
Third Place: Susan Lantz — The Perfect Bride

Non-Traditional

First Place: Kristina Wright — Calandra’s Father
Second Place: Jennifer Ashley — The Wagers Of Sin
Third Place: Nadele Jacobs — His Majesty, The Prince Of Toads

1998

Traditional

First Place: Elena Greene — The Vicar’s Daughter
Second Place: Ekaterine Nikas Terlinden — Legacy
Third Place: Jane Myers Perrine — The Mad Herringtons

Non-Traditional

First Place: Karen Hawkins — Scandalous
Second Place: Jacqueline D’alesandro — A Dream Come True
Third Place: Nadele Jacobs — His Majesty, The Prince of Toads

1997

Traditional

First Place: Kathleen Beck — The Spirited Miss Caroline
Second Place: Cara King — The Baron and Miss Patterton
Third Place: Patricia Carey — Art of Love

Non-Traditional

First Place: Kristina Wright — Hell’s Worth
Second Place: Shannon Donnelly — Choose Love
Third Place: Elizabeth Grainger — To Love a Highwayman

1996

Traditional

First Place: Sheri Cobb South — Miss Darby’s Duenna
Jan C. Bradford — M’lady Cit and the Tower Treasure
Elizabeth Grainger — Cristabel and the Highwayman

Non-Traditional

First Place: Doris Wheeler — The Gypsy Lord
Laurie Brown — A Time to Choose
Shirley Karr — Wakefield’s Chameleon

1994

Traditional

First Place: Christine Pederson — A Gentleman’s Education
Second Place: Katherine Grill — Miss Woodley’s Experiment
Third Place: Katherine Grill — To Become a Lady
Victoria Hinshaw — Miss Putnam’s Ponies
Julie Mctaggart — The Spinster and the Scotsman

Non-Traditional

First Place: Laurel Hanson — Hawthorne and Nightingale
Second Place: Barbara Mcmahon — Banished
Third Place: Shannon Donnelly — Heart’s Desire
Katherine Grill — An Angel’s Kiss
Regina Pounds — Seraphina