The Award season is upon us! Gwen Osborne (a.k.a "Word Diva"), a freelance writer for Chicago, takes a look at the quality of the 2003 releases...

Romance 2003: Quantity, Not Quality

Gwendolyn E. Osborne

Back in the day, advertising for a popular cigarette asked: "Are you smoking more now, but enjoying it less?"

The commercial came to mind because it sums up my reading experience in 2003. A proliferation of romances did not translate into more enjoyable reading experiences. In any given month it seemed that more effort was placed on innovative cover designs than on the stories inside the books. Quite often, one could not judge the books by their covers.

Despite my naysaying, there were bright signs.

Adrianne Byrd is my choice for author of the year because she produced two novels that attempted to go outside the box in creativity and approach to the contemporary romance. While there were several good books by other authors during the year, their work was not consistent. My Destiny chronicled the evolution of a ten-year friendship into a full-blown romance. Comfort of a Man looked at the pros and cons of a proverbial one-night stand. In addition to strong stories that focused on the development of the relationship between the heroes and heroines, Byrd created interesting secondary characters who did not get in the way of the plot. The author is one of the few writers, in any genre, who develops full-dimensional gay characters that do not resort to stereotypes. Her stories are sensitive, humorous and sensual. Angela Weaver's debut novel, By Design, is an engaging marriage-of-convenience story that is full of witty dialogue and interesting characters. I look forward to her next romance.

AUTHOR OF THE YEAR

Adrianne Byrd

Honorable Mention

Deirdre Savoy

BOOK OF THE MONTH

COMFORT OF A MAN - Adrianne Byrd

Honorable Mention

DESERT HEAT - Janice Sims

COULD IT BE MAGIC - Deirdre Savoy

NEW AUTHOR OF THE YEAR

Angela Weaver

ROMANCE/FICTION ANTHOLOGY OF THE YEAR

TO MOM, WITH LOVE

 Deirdre Savoy, Jacquelin Thomas and Karen White-Owens

Honorable Mention

LIVING LARGE

NOVELLA OF THE YEAR

"Fairy Godfather" - Deirdre Savoy

 Honorable Mention

"A Mother for Scott" - TO MOM, WITH LOVE - Karen White-Owens

"Reunion" - LIVING LARGE - Rochelle Alers

COVER OF THE YEAR

The Best Man (St. Martin's Press)

Honorable Mention

RECKLESS (Arabesque/BET)

UNFORGETTABLE (Harper/Collins)

FAVORITE HEROINE/BOOK

Katherine Matthews, DESERT HEAT - Janice Sims

Honorable Mention

Destiny Brockman - MY DESTINY - Adrianne Byrd

Jacqueline McKenna - COULD IT BE MAGIC? - Deirdre Savoy

FAVORITE HERO/BOOK

Isaiah Washington - COMFORT OF A MAN - Adrianne Byrd

Honorable Mention

Miles Stafford - COULD IT BE MAGIC? - Deirdre Savoy

Gavin Matthews - UNFORGETTABLE - Bette Ford

ARABESQUE BOOK OF THE YEAR

Comfort of a Man - Adrianne Byrd

GENESIS PRESS BOOK OF THE YEAR

Three Wishes - Seressia Glass

SILHOUETTE/HARLEQUIN BOOK OF THE YEAR

A Father's Fortune - Shirley Hailstock

Honorable Mention

Sweet Accord - Felicia Mason

CONTEMPORARY FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR

Some Things I'd Never Thought I'd Do - Pearl Cleage

Honorable Mention

Shade of My Own Tree - Sheila Williams

Someone's Knocking at My Door - Francis Ray

INSPIRATIONAL ROMANCE/FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR

SECOND SUNDAY - Michele Andrea Bowen

Honorable Mention

SWEET ACCORD - Felicia Mason

INTERRACIAL BOOK OF THE YEAR

THREE WISHES - Seressia Glass