This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
After much discussion and debate, Team Novelicious are pleased to announce their 2012 Novelicious Book Award winners…
AUTHOR WEBSITE OF THE YEAR
Shortlisted
PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR
Shortlisted
Simon & Schuster (UK)
Sphere (Little,Brown)
Avon (HarperCollins UK)
And the winner is…
Avon (HarperCollins UK). This was a tough category but Avon have really gone above and beyond to provide us with consistently fantastic content and access to their authors in 2012. They got involved in our Novelicious Undiscovered competition earlier this year by providing some amazing prizes and it's been a genuine pleasure to work with the Avon team, in particular Becke Parker and Caroline Hogg. The above, combined with a regular output of quality commercial fiction and a fantastic flourishing social media presence, makes Avon an easy choice for our publisher of the year.
AUTHOR-TWEETER OF THE YEAR
Shortlisted
Miranda Dickinson
Rowan Coleman
Pippa Wright
Abby Clements
And the winner is…
Rowan Coleman. As well as being an absolutely super writer, Rowan Coleman is a friendly and approachable tweeter. She is consistently supportive of fellow authors and aspiring writers and is a generous re-tweeter. In June this year, Rowan set up a weekly twitter initiative under the hashtag #rowancolemanswritingclinic in which she answered questions for aspiring authors about writing.
DEBUT OF 2012
Shortlisted
The Desperate Bride's Diet Club by Alison Sherlock
The Vintage Teacup Club by Vanessa Greene
Black Heart Blue by Louisa Reid
Tony Hogan Bought me an Ice Cream Float Before He Stole My Ma by Kerry Hudson
And the winner is…
Black Heart Blue by Louisa Reid. In Black Heart Blue, Louisa deals with abuse, neglect and disability with grace and intelligence. This would be incredibly challenging for an established author to pull off but for one only just beginning it is both courageous and immensely powerful. We cannot wait to see what Reid comes up with next…
ALTERNATIVE THURSDAY BOOK OF THE YEAR
Shorlisted
The Perfume Garden by Kate Lord Brown
The Secrets of the Tides by Hannah Richell
The Apothecary's Daughter by Charlotte Betts
The Light Behind The Window by Lucinda Riley
And the winner is…
The Light Behind The Window by Lucinda Riley. Lucinda Riley's story makes you wonder if you would put duty before love, if you could you put your trust in someone you shouldn't and when the unimaginable occurs, how you would react in their place. It also has two unexpected heroes. The Light Behind The Window is beautifully written and haunting.
BOOK OF THE YEAR
Shortlisted
Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams By Jenny Colgan
Dearest Rose by Rowan Coleman
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
The Mystery of Mercy Close by Marian Keyes
And the winner is…
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. We were all taken with Lou and Will's compelling and heartbreaking story. It made us laugh and sob and kept us transfixed until the last page. This is the book we've most recommended this year and we've yet to hear back from someone who didn't like it. Our must-read book of 2012.
AUTHOR OF THE YEAR
Shortlisted
Marian Keyes
Jane Green
Dorothy Koomson
Jojo Moyes
And the winner is…
Jane Green. We have a bit of a crush on Jane Green. Her books (including this year's The Patchwork Marriage) are some of the most engaging and gorgeously written we've read and her huge success has done nothing to diminish her deep connection with readers. Jane upholds a busy social media presence and blog and invites her fans to share in her life on facebook. Jane also gave us our favourite interview of the year in this epic two part chat with our Amanda Keats. Jane Green is an inspiration to so many readers and writers of women's fiction and we can't wait to see what 2013 will bring for her.
Huge congratulations to all of the shortlisted and winning authors. It's been a wonderful year for books!