The organization began in 1983 as a chapter of Romance Writers of America. Among the members who joined during that first year are Kay Bergstrom, Carol Caverly, and Jasmine Cresswell.
Jasmine, who was the organization’s first multi-published author, became an invaluable mentor. She willingly lent her expertise to RMFW. She had publishing connections that helped the organization have a Harlequin editor in attendance at its first ever conference in 1984, a successful event that attracted subsequent long-term members.
During the six years that Jasmine lived in Denver, she tirelessly worked for the organization in almost every elected office and non-elected office the organization had, including president, secretary, newsletter editor, hospitality chair, and conference chair. She spoke enthusiastically on behalf of the organization on both the local and national stages, always with a generous can-do attitude that was meant to bring notice to others and RMFW rather than herself. In a word, she was Encourager-in-Chief. Being in critique group with her was an education, and many writers from that era credit Jasmine with providing them with the kind of education in fiction writing they could have never gotten anywhere else. At the same time, her own writing career was thriving as the romance genre was thriving. She was generous with her insider’s knowledge, often making suggestions to her fellow writers that a particular editor or a particular publisher could be interested in the story they were working on.
In 1989, Jasmine moved to Cleveland in response to her husband’s transfer. There was a moment of deep concern about the organization when the Board of Directors began to assess all of the ways in which Jasmine had been a pivotal member. In Jasmine’s classic (not to mention classy) way of being, she insisted the organization would thrive and grow. And, of course, she was right. That same year (1989), RMFW disaffiliated from Romance Writers of America to make way for all the non-romance writers who had found the organization as their home for the continuing support and education they wanted. Once more, that original vision of being welcoming to all was alive, well, and thriving.
The RMFW Board had a strong desire to ensure that Jasmine remain an integral part of the organization. Hers was the first lifetime membership to be awarded, but it seemed not quite enough. And so, a service award was created in her name. The Jasmine Award is meant to honor the long-term service of individuals to the organization in the spirit that Jasmine exemplified during her years in Denver—service, not a desire for self-aggrandizement or recognition. Without exception, that has been the case for every single recipient since the first one.
That first award recipient, Jane Anne Caldwell, was the treasurer who took RMFW’s fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants financial reporting into a formal bookkeeping system with responsible reporting and sound fiscal policies that provided a solid foundation for the organization to thrive. She is representative of all the Jasmine Award recipients, whose many contributions have enriched the organization.
The Executive Committee (the elected officers) of RMFW are entrusted with the difficult task of choosing the annual honoree because they are in the best position to know who goes above and beyond the call; who says yes (often without knowing the full extent of a request); and who exemplifies that level of service Jasmine gave to the organization during her years in Denver. The word honoree is accurate. This isn’t a contest that can be won, but rather a means to acknowledge and honor the dedication a member has to the organization over a period of years. Traditionally, the name of the recipient for this award is kept secret until the announcement at the Awards Banquet at the conference. Choosing the member to receive the Jasmine Award is always one of the most difficult because every year there are numerous members who work tirelessly on behalf of the organization, far more than can ever be acknowledged by a single award.
This award also serves as inspiration for every single member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. One person can (and did) make a positive difference whose ripples continue to expand ever outward.
2023
Sue Duff is an award-winning, bestselling author of The Weir Chronicles series and has several published short stories with Wicked Ink Books and in RMFW’s 2018 anthology, False Faces. She’s been an active member of RMFW since 2009. Over the years, she’s volunteered at yearly RMFW conferences, worked the registration desks, stuffed swag bags, served as room monitor, presenter, and has supported other writers at conferences in the Mentor Rooms. She served as Volunteer Chair in 2017 and since 2018 has coordinated Youth Programming.
Jasmine Award Past Honorees
2022 – Bernadette Marie
2020 – Terri Benson
2019 – Mike Ruchhoeft
2018 – Shannon Baker
2017 – Pamela Nowak
2016 – Mark Stevens
2015 – Wendy Howard
2014 – Susan Brooks
2013 – Vicki Law
2012 – Terry Wright
2011 – Mario Acevedo
2010 – Robin D. Owens
2009 – Susan Smith
2008 – Linda Hull
2007 – Janet Lane
2006 – Peggy Waide
2005 – Diana Rowe
2004 – Karen Duvall
2003 – Margie Lawson
2002 – Jessica Wulf
2001 – Jameson Cole
2000 – Alice Kober
1999 – Liz Hill
1998 – Paula Boyd
1997 – Christine Goff
1996 – Sharon Mignerey
1995 – Carol Rusley
1994 – Janet Grill
1993 – Margaret Porter
1992 – Barbara Blackman
1991 – Lee Karr
1990 – Kay Bergstrom
1989 – Jean Anne Caldwell