If you read it for the first time during 1998, it's eligible for nomination.
Backlist reads are eligible.
Try to stay within the romance genre, however, sneaking outside to pick up a particularly romantic other-genre book is acceptable. Nominations are limited to three per person per category. Unlike the nomination phase, the only restriction in the final voting phase is that you must, at some time, have read the book. After much thought and serious consideration, I have decided to make the Francis purely a readers award. Therefore, authors are encouraged to nominate and vote in the capacity of readers but are not allowed to vote in any phase for their own books.