A SOUTH Ayrshire romantic novel author has been shortlisted for a major award.
Julie Shackman is a finalist in the Romantic Novel of the Year Awards 2026 and her novel, A Scottish Lighthouse Escape, has been shortlisted in the Contemporary Romance category.
The Romance Novelists’ Association (RNA) Romantic Novel of the Year Awards is an annual awards ceremony celebrating excellence in romantic fiction in all its forms.
Julie has had 14 novels published to date, the last 10 with HarperCollins. She trained as a journalist and studied communication and media but has always wanted to write romance.
She is obsessed with rock music, stationery and handbags, has two adult sons, Daniel and Ethan, and also a Romanian rescue dog called Cooper.
Julie said: "I’m delighted that A Scottish Lighthouse Escape is a finalist in such a prestigious awards ceremony and that the judging panel has selected it for the shortlist, beside so many amazing other books and writers.
"It has been agony, trying to keep this a secret, as I was told five weeks ago. I’m still beaming from ear to ear."
The RNA Romantic Novel of the Year Awards have 11 award categories.
The shortlisted novels were determined exclusively by reader-judges, and the finalists illustrate the highest standards of romantic fiction across all genres.
The winners of the 11 categories will be announced during the awards ceremony on May 18 in London.
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