Congratulations to our Finalists in the
​2022 Put Your Heart in a Book Contest!
We are excited to announce the finalists for this year's Put Your Heart in a Book contest. 
Historical
“A Duke in the Hand” by Katherine Happ
“The Calculus of Love” by Catherine Lawrence*
“The Secret Writings of Peggy Stewart” by Catherine Lawrence*

Contemporary 
“Cause Play Holiday” by Lillie Moore
“The Blue Skies of Colorado” by Eliza D Collins
“Written in Rock” by Deborah Rittle

Romantic Suspense
“Ransom Heart” by Kristie Clement*
“The Price of Revenge” by Lisa Connors
“Warning Siren” by Kristie Clement*

* indicates an NJRW member

Due to a lack of entries, we were unable to run the Speculative category, and the Short and Long Contemporary categories were combined.
(All Categories, unless otherwise noted, have a 40,000-word projected-length minimum.)
  • Contemporary – Short: Novels that are set from 1950 to the present with the primary focus on the romantic relationship between the main characters, and a word count between 40,000 and 60,000 words.
  • Contemporary – Long: Novels that are set from 1950 to the present with the primary focus of the novel on the romantic relationship between the main characters, and a word count of more than 60,000 words.
  • Historical:  Novels set prior to 1950, with the primary focus of the novel on the romantic relationship between the main characters.
  • Speculative:  Any romance novel in which either time travel, futuristic, fantasy world or paranormal happenings or beings are a major element of the plot.
  • Romantic Suspense:  Any romance novel in which suspense, mystery, or thriller elements constitute a major element of the plot.