Author Carla Laureano was presented with a RITA Award for her debut romance novel, Five Days in Skye, published by David C Cook. Laureano took the honor for best inspirational romance at the July 26 awards ceremony held in San Antonio.

The RITA Awards are presented annually by the Romance Writers of America (RWA), an association of about 10,000 authors and publishers. The award is a golden statuette named after RWA’s first president, Rita Clay Estrada, and has become a symbol for excellence in published romance fiction. Up to 2,000 romance novels are entered in the RITA competition each year, according to the organization’s website.

Following her win and having been nominated in two categories, Laureano posted to her blog.

“I’m grateful for the huge honor of winning this award—for my debut novel, no less—but even more grateful for the opportunity to be nominated alongside my lovely, talented and equally deserving friend, Elizabeth Byler Younts,” she wrote.

Dan Rich, chief publishing officer, commended Laureano for the achievement.

“We applaud the recognition given to Carla with this distinctive award for her debut novel, Five Days in Skye,” Rich said. “Her work is reflective of what David C Cook is pursuing in writers today.”

A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Laureano earned a B.A. in English at Pepperdine University. Her love for the history, culture and mythology of Ireland and Scotland form the settings for most of her work.

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