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Laurels and Friends by Diane

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This week some of us will be doing Announcements. Nice things have been happening to the Riskies and we want to share our good news with all of you.

Last Monday, I broke some of the good news from the RWA conference, but that really didn’t give it the attention it deserved, so we are going to toot our own horns just a little this week.

Of course, I’ve had lots to toot about. My A Reputable Rake winning the RITA for Best Regency Romance, brought me lots of emails from friends happy for my good fortune. This is truly a great honor and I am overwhelmed at receiving a RITA in only my second year of eligibility. My Rake was a truly a risky regency- a lady running a courtesan school right in the heart of Mayfair- but it won!

I’m also so happy that The Mysterious Miss M won the National Readers Choice Award for Best Regency. Before Mills & Boon bought Miss M through the Golden Heart contest, editor after editor from other publishing houses rejected the book, saying that readers would not accept my prostitute heroine. I always believed readers would love Maddie as I did and I felt the NRCA, judged by readers, finally proved it!

Life has a way of bringing a person back down to earth, however. As soon as I got home from the conference, there was a little family stuff to deal with. Nothing serious, but it needed me to rise from my laurels and do something! Then Melanie, my Warner editor phoned me about my revisions. LOTS of them. Major rewrite of Blake’s story, now titled Desire in His Eyes and slated for release sometime in 2007. And, of course, there is the next Mills & Boon/Harlequin Historical to write by the end of October. And the persistent congestion I was experiencing was a little sinus infection (much better now).

Last week blogger wouldn’t let me post photos, but this week is kinder, and I wanted to show off the real joy in this business – the people. The friends. So here are some photos from the conference.

Me, accepting the RITA. (for more on this moment, see my Wet Noodle Posse blog)

And the awards themselves, with lovely flowers sent by my friends.

Right after the RITA ceremony, the Mills & Boon folks took me in search of champagne for a toast to our good fortune. Here we are after our long and arduous search for bubbly. From Left to Right: Sheila Hodgson, Karin Stoeker (editorial director), Jenny Hutton, me, Joanne Carr

While we were on our search for champagne, I missed the annual Wet Noodle Posse photo with other WNP RITA winners Stef Feagan and Dianna Love Snell (The WNP are the Golden Heart finalists from 2003. We’re still together–except me, I’m still looking for champagne)

This is a photo of me with Kathy Caskie and Sophia Nash–now both Avon authors and my friends from Washington Romance Writers. In 2003 Kathy awarded me the Golden Heart for what became The Mysterious Miss M. This year Sophia awarded me the RITA!

Here am I with my dear friend Julie Halperson. Years ago, Julie and I met in a creative writing class at our local community college. She’s been a writing friend and critique partner ever since, with me through this whole journey.

Two more great friends from WRW. Mary Blayney (Poppy’s Coin in J.D. Robb’s anthology Bump in the Night)and Lavinia Klein, a double Golden Heart finalist in Long Historical this year.

And my wonderful Sisters of the Moon, my critique group including (R to L) Karen Anders, Blaze author; me and RITA; Darlene Gardner, Superromance (A Time to Forgive, July 2006); Lisa Dyson, about to break in at any moment!

And finally, three friends who came to the Literacy Booksigning. These are my high school classmates, Wayne, Sandy, and Peggy, who were surprised to learn at our high school reunion in June that the shy, studious Diane became a Romance Author. They were dear enough to come see me at the signing and were so happy for me. It was very touching.

The friends are the greatest reward! I wouldn’t trade them for anything.
Cheers!
Diane

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Home from RWA Atlanta

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Hello, Everyone! I’m back from the RWA conference in Atlanta where I had a wonderful time! It was truly a golden conference for me–or rather for Diane Gaston. My A Reputable Rake by Diane Gaston won the RITA award for Best Regency Romance. You’d think that would be enough good fortune for any one person, but The Mysterious Miss M won a National Readers Choice Award for Best Regency. Janet’s Dedication was also a finalist in the NRCA and it could very easily (and just as happily) been her book to win Best Regency.

It was a great conference for Riskies. Cara’s My Lady Gamester won the Booksellers Best Award for Best Regency and Amanda’s Lady Midnight won the Booksellers Best Award for Best Long Historical.

There were so many highlights of the conference I don’t know where to begin or what to include. The very best part is seeing all my Romance writing friends, some whom I only see at the national conference. It was fun seeing Megan and I had time to share Wet Noodle Posse fun with Janet and Amanda and I snuck in a short half hour for a “comfortable coze.”

The Mills & Boon editors were so cute. Well, Sheila Hodgson was elegant but Joanne Carr and Jenny Hutton were lovely, young, gorgeous and enthusiastic– and tall! All the Mills & Boon folks and the Harlequin folks were lovely to me, even before I won!

The whole atmosphere of the conference was exciting, supportive, and joyful. I loved every minute.

Blogger would not let me post photos but I will put them on a blog as soon as Blogger decides to behave.

Cheers!
Diane

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A Reputable Rake Not Exposed

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Yikes! I may have confused which bookcover Michelle Buonfiglio of Romance B(u)y the Book said had Nathan Kamp on the cover. It might have been this bookcover!!

This fellow does look like Nathan Kamp!

So who is A REPUTABLE RAKE?????

My apologies to the model on A Reputable Rake. I am certain there are many readers dying to identify you. When I find out who you are, I will do a whole blog on you!

Diane (slinking away after making a major boo boo, she thinks)

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A Reputable Rake Exposed

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This weekend I attended Washington Romance Writers Spring Retreat in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, one of the highlights of my year. On Sunday of the Retreat we always have someone speak seriously on the Romance industry. That speech comes right before Nora Roberts’ speech, which is never serious! This year our guest speaker was Michelle Buonfiglio, Romance Columnist for Romance B(u)y the Book (www.WNBC.com/Romance) and her companion site Romance: by the Blog (http://romancebytheblog.blogspot.com/) I knew nothing of these sites! Michelle reviews Romance novels in her column and is a wonderful advocate for the genre. I urge everyone to read the column and visit the blog.

Michelle announced to the group that my cover of A REPUTABLE RAKE (on display along with our other authors’ bookcovers) featured cover model Nathan Kamp.
Here is the cover:

(I think my Rake is sooo handsome and I love that hint of devilment in his expression)

Here is a photo of Nathan Kamp:

What do you think? Is this the same guy?

If you would like your very own Rake, A REPUTABLE RAKE by Diane Gaston should be available in your bookstores TODAY.

By the way, Romance B(u)y the Book will feature an interview with Nathan Kamp on May 9 and May 16.

Speaking of cover models, I’ve teamed up with Richard Cerqueira for a promotion at the Romantic Times Booklovers convention in Daytona Beach May 16 to May 21. For attendees, I will be raffling two cover flats of THE WAGERING WIDOW, signed by me and Richard Cerqueira. I’ll also be giving away Richard’s bookmarks.

Here is a picture of Richard on my February release, THE WAGERING WIDOW:

Well, that’s Richard’s hand, but a very strong and sexy hand.

Here is a better photo from the book spine:

And another—not in Regency garb.

Richard is perfect in Regency clothes ( and out of them, too! ) I hope all of him appears on the FRONT of one of my books sometime. Properly dressed in buckskins and hessians, of course.

Aren’t I lucky in my Regency heroes?

And just so you do not think I am unfaithful to GB

Cheers!
Diane

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Julia Quinn Stole My Man

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Well, not really.

But she did sorta steal my model. As far as I know A Reputable Rake was the first romance cover to use model Ben Whitaker, so naturally I thought he was my model. But Julia says she picked him–picked him–for the cover of her newest release, Mr. Cavendish, I Presume.

Look at this!!!!!!

See? He looks happy to be on my cover and a bit surly on Julia’s. What conclusion would you make comparing the two?

If these are not enough for you, here are more images of Ben Whitaker

And here is more discussion of him.

I tell you, this Julia is really something. She also stole my model from The Vanishing Viscountess; took him for The Lost Duke of Wyndham.

Check this out:

Of course, this model is the popular Nathan Kamp. And he’s been around, so I guess neither Julia nor I can claim him.

But, Ben? That’s another story.

Watch Julia and me duke it out over dukes and other cover heroes next Sunday. New York Times best-selling author and double RITA winner, Julia Quinn will be our Risky Regencies guest Sunday Oct 26, and she’s answering my interview questions, and discussing The Lost Duke of Wyndham and Mr. Cavendish, I Presume, two very connected books. She’ll also be giving away one signed JQ book, maybe one with a hunky hero. So don’t forget to stop by.

I actually think Julia’s and my covers are terrific. All of them. Which one is your favorite and why?

(Aren’t you proud of me? I got through the whole blog without once reminding you that Scandalizing the Ton is still in bookstores and available online….Oops. Well, I almost made it.)

My contest is still running on my website. Win my backlist book of your choice!

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