2018 Golden Heart Winners

Winners & Finalists

Contemporary Romance

Winner: “Thrown” - Arianna James

• Finalists:

“Beauty and the Blackmail” - Jessa Gwinn

“Caught on Film” - Arianna James

“Duet” - Gwynne Jackson

“Fighter” - Sarah Morgenthaler

“A Hope to Build On” - Josee Telfer

“How to Reset a Broken Heart” - Amy Kathryn Jones

“The Instant Family Algorithm” - Cheryl Ford

“North Star” - Katherine Olson

“Played” - Melanie Edmonds

“Well-Played” - Alexandria Bellefleu

Contemporary Romance: Short

Winner: “Cole for Christmas” - Janet Raye Stevens

• Finalists:

“The Billionaire's Stand-In Wife” - Meredith Clark

“Falling for the Best Man” - Jamie Dallas

“Out of the Shadows” - D. Murphy Ryan

“Somebody Like You” - Marty Mayberry

“Space Junk: Houston, We Have a Hottie” - Sara L Hudson

“Watching” - Barbra Campbell

Historical Romance

Winner: “The Duke of Charlotte Street” - Scarlett Peckham

• Finalists:

“The Art of the Scandal” - Suzanne Turner

“The Duke's Seduction” - Masha Levinson

“The Earl I Ruined” - Scarlett Peckham

“A Featured Affair” - Kate Belli

“The Rakess” - Scarlett Peckham

“Remember Texas” - Laura Conner Kestner

“An Unloved Earl” - Eileen Emerson

Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance

Winner: “Birds of a Feather” - Anna Murray

• Finalists:

“The Brass Queen” - Elizabeth Chatsworth

“Circle in Time” - Susan Bickford

“Jane Darling's Rules of Inheritance” - Megan McGee

“Keeping the Piece” - Brenda Lowder

“Midnight on Topanga Canyon Boulevard” - Gabrielle Luthy

“Veiled Intent” - Janet Jimenez

“Wild Women and the Blues” - Denny S. Bryce

Paranormal Romance

Winner: “Jinn on the Rocks” - Kay Hudson

• Finalists:

“Awakening the Blades” - Alexia Chantel

“The Demon's in the Details” - Jeanne Oates Estridge

“Freeing Eden” - Ginger Kenney

“House of Ash and Brimstone” - Megan Starks

“Inherent Lies” - Alicia Anthony

“Leap of Fate” - Kimberly MacCarron

Romantic Suspense

Winner: “Extreme Fear” - Pamela Varnado

• Finalists:

“Deadly Aim” - Tracy Brody

“Fair Haven” - Laura Conner Kestner

“Fearless” - Marty Mayberry

“Goode Over Evil” - Leslie Marshman

“Lovely Digits” - Jeanine Englert

Young Adult Romance

Winner: “Mouthful” - C. R. Grissom

• Finalists:

“All Our Broken Pieces” - T. L. Sumner

“Engineering Kit Sinclair” - Lana Pattinson

“Loving Outside the Lines” - Kimberly MacCarron

“Our Red String” - Kimberly MacCarron

Category Descriptions All entries must contain a central love story and the resolution of the romance must be emotionally satisfying and optimistic. With the exception of Erotic Romance, all categories may have varying levels of sensuality. Contemporary Romance: Long Manuscripts that are set from 1950 to the present that are greater than 65,000 words. Contemporary Romance: Short Manuscripts that are set from 1950 to the present that are less than 65,000 words in length. Erotic Romance Manuscripts in which strong, often explicit, sexual interaction is an inherent part of the story, character growth and relationship development and could not be removed without damaging the storyline. These manuscripts may contain elements of other romance subgenres (such as paranormal, historical, etc.) Historical Romance Manuscripts that are set prior to 1950. Paranormal Romance Manuscripts in which fantasy worlds or paranormal or science fiction elements are an integral part of the plot. Romance with Religious or Spiritual Elements Manuscripts in which religious or spiritual beliefs are an inherent part of the love story, character growth and relationship development and could not be removed without damaging the storyline. These novels may be set in the context of any religious or spiritual belief system of any culture. Romantic Suspense Manuscripts in which suspense, mystery, or thriller elements constitute an integral part of the plot. Young Adult Romance Novels in which young adult life is an integral part of the plot.