Eastbourne author crowned indie romantic novelist champion

The awards celebrate the hard work and talent of any person, group or organisation who has championed the broad genre of romantic fiction in a positive way, with the Indie Champion award recognising a person, group, organisation, association or company who has made an outstanding contribution to indie romance publishing.

Clare is the bestselling author of 14 historical novels and a collection of short stories. A former international marketing director and strategic management consultant, she is now a full-time writer. Having lived and worked in London, Paris, Brussels, Milan and Sydney, home is now on the coast in Sussex where she can watch the sea from her windows.

An avid traveller, her books are often set in exotic locations. Clare is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a member of The Society of Authors, The Alliance of Independent Authors, The Historical Novel Society and the Romantic Novelists’ Association. When not writing, she loves to read, quilt, paint and play the piano.

Clare said: “Winning this award means so much to me. I’ve made it a personal mission to amplify the voice of the indie author community within the RNA. I’m proud to be indie and will continue to try to help other writers, particularly those unsure which route to take – just as I was helped by the generosity of other authors when I started out. Being indie is not for everyone but it’s certainly not a second best!’

Laura James, the RNA Industry Awards organiser, said: “Congratulations to the 2022 RNA Industry Awards winners. Thank you for your love, passion and continued support for romantic fiction.”

Sue Moorcroft, head judge for the Industry Awards, also congratulated Clare: “With such a wonderful set of shortlists it was always certain that the judges of this year’s Industry Awards would return an outstanding list of winners. Choosing between excellent candidates was an exacting task and I enjoyed being a part of the stimulating discussion around each and every nomination. My thanks to my fellow judges for the hard work and detailed research that went into the selection process, and to Laura James and Melanie Griffiths from the RNA for their efficient organisation. They made my job easy. Most of all – congratulations to the winners of these wonderful awards!”

The awards have been held for the past eight years and are respected in the UK publishing industry. The finalists are nominated by the full and probationary membership of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, with a panel of independent judges selecting the shortlists and winners.

Clare added: “I've recently branched out into publishing my books in German and French. These have taken off like a rocket.”