Helen B. Aitken’s debut novel, “Blame It On Paris,” earned First Runner-Up honors in the Best Comedy category of the 2026 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Awards.
The award followed Aitken’s unusual achievement of placing two books among the category’s six finalists. Her second novel, “Love at First Spark,” was also named a Best Comedy Finalist. Both suspenseful romantic comedies were published in 2025.
The award was announced during the Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference, held August 20–23 in Franklin, Tennessee. Killer Nashville, www.killernashville.com, is an international writers’ conference for authors in all subgenres of mystery, thriller, and suspense. It offers educational sessions, opportunities to meet agents and editors, book signings, forensic presentations, and professional networking.
Aitken, a NSNC lifetime member, is a former science educator who became a freelance writer and boating safety and environmental columnist, a career spanning nineteen years. Known for her humorous writing, she is also the author of the nonfiction book It Only Happens To Me… She later expanded into romantic comedies, suspenseful romantic comedies, and mysteries.
Her newest novel, “Trouble on Salter Path,” is the first book in her Bogue Banks series. The suspenseful romantic comedy is set in Salter Path on North Carolina’s Bogue Banks.
Her books are available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
For newsletter and blog information, visit www.helenaitkenbooks.com or email helen.aitkenbooks@gmail.com.
