Max Seventeen is the Paranormal Romantic Novel of the Year!

I only went and bloody won it, didn't I?

The trophy has my name on it. It doesn't even say Moonlight or anything.

Yes, Max triumphed at the RoNAs, winning the inaugural Paranormal award and also being the first ever self-published book to win a RoNA!

I'm still in something of a daze, and can't really remember an awful lot of the evening (I thought I was okay until I sat down and tried to text my dad and realised my hands were shaking). I hope I thanked the right people. I really hope I didn't say 'fuck' in front of Prue Leith.

In case I didn't thank all the right people, I'll do it here.

Thanks so much to the Naughty Kitchen for so much love and support and overall, so much fun: Immi Howson, Alison May, Lisa Hill, Rhoda Baxter Ruth Long and of course fellow RoNA winner Janet Gover. You're all brilliant and I couldn't have done any of it without you.

Extra thanks for Rhoda Baxter who proofread Max (and was cruelly cheated of her own RoNA on the night!) and Ruth Long who edited the book and came all the way over from Dublin to be there on the night.

Congratulations to my fellow nominees Christina Courtenay, Hywela Lyn and especially Jan Jones, who is probably wishing she hadn't encouraged me to publish Max in the first place.

The RNA, a truly remarkable organisation of really amazing women (and a few men) who are never less than wonderfully supportive, encouraging, and friendly. And who have an awards panel of exceptionally good taste.

My friends, family, first grade teacher, teddy bear...(yeah, that's a lie, of course I had a cat).

I think I may have mentioned something about how proud I was that a self-published book about a mixed-race, bisexual, ex-prostitute space pirate won a RoNA. But honestly I could have been talking utter bollocks for three minutes. Hard to say. Do hope no one filmed it.

Now. I think I might just have a small glass of something bubbly...