QUEEN of romance Erica James has been named Romantic Novelist of the Year.
The mother-of-two, who took up writing for fun and wrote four best-sellers while living in London Road, Davenham, took the honour for her latest novel, Gardens of Delight.
She beat six other short-listed titles, including two by former winners, Audrey Howard and Jojo Moyes, and was presented with a £10,000 cheque at the annual awards lunch at London's Savoy Hotel.
'After being short-listed five times before, I was getting used to being the bridesmaid, so no one was more surprised than me when I won,' she said. 'It was a wonderful moment, to say the least.'
The novel, which was inspired by her love of gardening, is about the members of a village garden club on a tour to the celebrated gardens around Lake Como.
The trip turns out to be far more than a horticultural one, as three tangled romances germinate, too. The judges said: 'Gardens of Delight entices you into a consistent, well-drawn world with credible characters from all walks of life and every age group. It is outstandingly well-written and very moving.'
Erica lived in Davenham for four years while her sons Samuel and Edward were being educated at The Grange School, Hartford. She began writing novels 11 years ago and realised she had a knack for the genre when her first novel, Breath of Fresh Air, became a Sunday Times best-seller.
Several of her books are set in Cheshire.
