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SHE has been nominated four times before but Erica James finally overcame the opposition to clinch the £10,000 award for Romantic Novel of the Year. The 46-year-old writer beat a shortlist including previous winners, Jojo Moyes and Audrey Howard, and a rare male contender, Nicholas Sparks, to take the annual prize with her novel, Gardens of Delight. It follows the members of a village garden club on a tour to Lake Como in Italy to visit the more celebrated gardens of the area, with three romances springing up and running riot. She beat 210 other entries chosen for consideration by a panel of more than 100 members of the public, including reading groups. According to the judges, "Gardens of Delight entices you into a consistent, well-drawn world with credible characters from all walks of life and every age group. It is outstandingly well written and also very moving. And at £6.99 in paperback, it’s a cheap way to get to Italy!" James, who is single, grew up in Hampshire and has since lived in Oxford, Yorkshire and Belgium, before settling in Cheshire with her two sons. She is the author of 10 previous novels. "It’s extraordinary," she said after her win. "I’d got used to being the bridesmaid and never the bride." — The Independent |
