Local author Jane Hartley has recently been named a finalist in the Romance Writers of Australia’s Sweet Treats anthology.
This year’s theme was ‘Honey’.
The competition is open to Australian and New Zealand romance writers.
Jane’s award will be presented at this year’s Romance Writer of Australia Gala Dinner at the West Point Casino in August 2025.
Jane said her love for writing came during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Being a health care worker during COVID, I had a lot of spare time and needed it to fill it with something,” she said.
“I started writing The Untold Story of Carol Bingly out of boredom, I certainly didn’t expect it to be picked up and published by Tule Publishing.
“It was after my husband and daughter Anna read Carol’s story that they encouraged me to send it to Tule.
“Carol Bingley is the town gossip of Marietta Montana and is a character that features across many Tule books. Her character is used for a little more depth in books but had never been a stand alone caricature.
“I wrote Carol’s story from when she was sweet 16 through to present time which would put her in her late 50s.
“Tule picked it up and published it as part of Tule’s 10th anniversary. It was the fourth story in the series.
“The first was Tempt Me Please Cowboy by Megan Crane, the second was Take Me Cowboy by Jane Porter (the founder of Tule Publishing), the third was Marry Me Please Cowboy by Sinclair Jayne, then the Untold Story of Carol Bingley.
“It was such a great honour to be placed among these multi published award-winning authors.
“I joined the Romance Writers of Australia that same year 2023 which led me to Sydney and being presented on stage with my First Sale ribbon.
“The Romance Writers of Australia have several short story competitions each year that are open to Australian and New Zealand romance writers.
“Each year the short stories have a different theme, this year’s Sweet Treats theme was honey.
“My story is about a widower, Joe who lost his family in a tragic accident and how he finds new love Felicity.
“Of course the theme of honey runs strongly through the 5000 word story.
“The Honeybee Cafe was scored by three different judges out of 95.
“I achieved two – 95 and a 94.
“I will be presented with my award at the Romance Writers of Australia at their annual conference at the Wrest Point Casino in Hobart in August, not too bad for someone that didn’t love English at school as I struggled with undiagnosed deafness that wasn’t found until I was 28 when I took my one-year-old son for a hearing test.
“The audiologist made a comment about how most parents turn toward the sound before the children, I hadn’t heard any of the sounds so my own hearing appointment was made and four weeks later, with my first lot of hearing aids fitted, I found the world a very noisy place.”
