Overall WINNER Koru Award of Excellence – Lucy Parker The Austen Playbook
Long Category – book over 65,000 words
Short Category – 40,000 to 65,000 words
Novella Category – under 40,000
Best First Book – Adrienne Smith – Home Of The Heart
Contest Manager – Bronwen Evans
The Great Beginnings contest closed with a remarkable thirty + entries – and I mean remarkable in every sense of the word. The quality of the writing was of a very high standard, and I know from the comments of our judges that they all enjoyed their tasks tremendously. You needed an average score of 95/100 and above to final.
Because of the sheer amount of entries, and with each entry needing to be read by five different judges for fairness, the need was great this year for willing judges. And the Great turned up. Thank you all for putting your hands up to help out your organisation. The words are said often, but in this instance, they couldn’t be truer – without your help, this contest would not have got off the ground. Thank you once more for your help in making this contest run smoothly.
And thank you for representing our organisation with your incredible talent.
Editor choice
1st place – The Ex factor – Jackie Rutherford
2nd place – Finding Mrs. Right – Susan Johnson
3rd place – The Reality of Mr.Right – Jackie Rutherford
Agent choice
1st place – Lake Tiamana – Stephanie Ruth
2nd place – Finding Mrs. Right – Susan Johnson
3rd place – The Ex-factor – Jackie Rutherford
Other Finalist:
Emma Bryson
Contest Manager Helen Trigg
Daphne Clair de Jong First Kiss Contest – 2019
Contest Manager: Carol Tate
Finalists
Cannibal Wind by Grace Lawler
The Other Brother by Jackie Rutherford
Opposites Attract by Jackie Rutherford
Lake Tiamana by Stephanie Ruth
Placings
1) Lake Tiamana by Stephanie Ruth – WINNER
2) Opposites Attract by Jackie Rutherford
3) The Other Brother by Jackie Rutherford
4) Cannibal Wind by Grace Lawler
Contest Manager: Shelagh Merlin
Finalists
Unexpected Discoveries by Jackie Rutherford
Restarting Hearts by Jackie Rutherford
Second Act by Stephanie Ruth
Heads or Tails by Stephanie Ruth
Quarantinis with Bubbles by Yvonne Walus
Placings
1) Restarting Hearts by Jackie Rutherford – WINNER
2) Heads or Tails by Stephanie Ruth
3) Unexpected Discoveries by Jackie Rutherford
4) Quarantinis with Bubbles by Yvonne Walus (finalist)
5) Second Act by Stephanie Ruth (finalist)
Contest Manager: Helen Trigg
Finalists
Reunited with the Millionaire by Rachel Armstrong
Opposites Attract by Jackie Rutherford
The Other Brother by Jackie Rutherford
Raiding a Pirate’s Heart by Emily Michel
Ruby Island by Stephanie Ruth
Placings
1) Opposites Attract by Jackie Rutherford – WINNER
2) Raiding a Pirate’s Heart by Emily Michel
3) The Other Brother by Jackie Rutherford
4) Ruby Island by Stephanie Ruth (finalist)
5) Reunited with the Millionaire by Rachel Armstrong (finalist)
