The Claddagh Ring CAPA Nominee

The Unexpected Christmas Gift

They say when you least expect it, something good will come your way. This could be news regarding a family member or loved one, a job promotion, birth of a baby or in the case of a writer, a contract or prestigious award. To writers of romance, the CAPA nominees were announced a few days before Christmas by The Romance Studio.

The Romance Studio will be giving the seventh annual Cupid And Psyche Award on Valentine’s Day, 2010. What are the CAPA’s?

The CAPA’s are awards given by The Romance Studio for excellence in romantic and erotic fiction. Categories include inspirational, contemporary, fantasy historical, mainstream, paranormal, romantic suspense, erotic contemporary, erotic fantasy, erotic historical, erotic paranormal, erotic anthology, BDSM and the Ariana Overton Award for best cover art or the ARI. Only books reviewed after November 26, 2008 and prior to November 25, 2009 with a publication date during that time will be considered for the award with the exception of the Psyche Award. The Psyche Award is the category for romances that did not meet the nomination criteria but that the reviewers feel deserve special recognition.

The final awards will be announced on February 14, 2010.

When Sharon Horton, fellow Wild Rose author and friend emailed me to inform me my book, The Claddagh Ring had been nominated for best inspirational genre for the 2010 CAPA awards, I was stunned beyond words. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to be considered for this prestigious honor. I am still floored and beyond thrilled. What a Christmas gift, one to cherish and reflect upon during all the hard work, research and edits that go into the writing of each book. Special note of thanks to my editor for making this book shine. To Lori Graham. Thanks, Lori. Here’s hoping!

Artwork for The Claddagh Ring designed by Nicola Martinez. Thank you, Nicola!

Blurb and excerpt from The Claddagh Ring

Struggling with her faith after her mother’s death, Meghan O’Malley finds comfort in wearing her Claddagh Ring, believed to be blessed by St. Patrick. And when Meghan meets Rork, she finds love, friendship, and loyalty. But before everything comes full circle under God’s plan, Meghan must face the biggest challenge of her life.
Rork McGuire is ruggedly handsome, sings Celtic music straight from his soul, and has a dark secret. When he sees Meghan O’Malley, he falls hopelessly in love with her and wants nothing more than to give her his heart. Will the secret he harbors bring them together—or pull them apart?

Blurb for The Claddagh Ring
And as My Wild Irish Rose played, Meghan and Rork danced, their bodies gliding across the dance floor in perfect rhythm. Rork sang in her ear, the lilt in his voice sending chills through her entire body. “And my one wish has been…that some day I may win…the heart of my wild Irish Rose…”
As Rork’s arms tightened around her, the lyrics of the song seemed to crawl deeper and deeper inside her skin. Gazing into his hypnotic blue eyes, she thought perhaps St. Patrick had indeed bestowed his blessing into the Claddagh. Could Rork be her purpose? Finding love and friendship with a man who could sing like an angel?
On a romantic lilt, Rork ended the dance with a simple promenade around the floor, giving the couple the regal look of a king and queen. Staring into midnight blue eyes, Meghan’s heart danced a wild rhythm. When she finally came back down to earth, she was giddy with delight. And when they kissed, it was the kind of kiss dreams were made of. Meghan Shannon O’Malley had met her destiny.

Buy The Claddagh Ring
www.whiterosepublishing.com
To read reviews for The Claddagh Ring, visit my website:
www.sharonadonovan.com