Congratulations to all our RITA and Golden Heart finalists! If you’ve finaled or know someone who has, please either leave a note in the Comment trail or email me with your name, contest entered, category entered, and title of manuscript. I’ll update the finalists throughout the day as the news comes in.
**UPDATED 12: 15 p.m. Pacific Standard Time**
****I think the final listings are up on the RWA website now. If I’ve missed anyone, or misspelled your name, or linked to the wrong website, please let me know. My eyes are toast!
RITA FINALISTS – Published Romance Novels
Best First Book:
Kerry Connor, STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT
Elise Chidley, YOUR ROOTS ARE SHOWING
Tera Lynn Childs, OH. MY. GODS.
Anthea Lawson, PASSIONATE
Jennifer Morey, THE SECRET SOLDIER
Jean Marie Pierson, NO GOOD GIRLS
Sherry Thomas, PRIVATE ARRANGEMENTS
Contemporary Series Romance:
Lillian Darcy, THE CHILDREN’S DOCTOR AND THE SINGLE MOM
Crystal Green, FALLING FOR THE LONE WOLF
Barbara Hannay, ADOPTED: OUTBACK BABY
Jessica Hart, LAST-MINUTE PROPOSAL
Anne McAllister, ANTONIDES’ FORBIDDEN WIFE
Cindi Myers, THE RIGHT MR. WRONG
Karen Temptleton, A MOTHER’S WISH
RaeAnne Thayne, THE COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS MIRACLE
Linda Warren, TEXAS HEIR
Contemporary Series Romance, Suspense/Adventure:
Jessica Anderson, TWIN TARGETS
Kerry Connor, STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT
Kathleen Creighton, DANGER SIGNALS
Diana Duncan, LETHAL ATTRACTION
Janice Kay Johnson, THE MAN BEHIND THE COP
Kathleen Long, COLD CASE CONNECTION
Dana Marton, TALL, DARK AND LETHAL
Jennifer Morey, THE SECRET SOLDIER
Cara Summers, A SEXY TIME OF IT
Contemporary Single Title:
Elise Chidley, YOUR ROOTS ARE SHOWING
Rachel Gibson, NOT ANOTHER BAD DATE
Jane Graves, TALL TALES AND WEDDING VEILS
Samantha Graves, OUT OF TIME
Debbie Macomber, TWENTY WISHES
Susan Mallery, SWEET TALK
Jean Marie Pierson, NO GOOD GIRLS
Susan Wiggs, SNOWFALL AT WILLOW LAKE
Historical Romance:
Joanna Bourne, THE SPYMASTER’S LADY
Lorraine Heath, IN BED WITH THE DEVIL
Elizabeth Hoyt, TO SEDUCE A SINNER
Eloisa James, DUCHESS BY NIGHT
Lisa Kleypas, SEDUCE ME AT SUNRISE
Stephanie Laurens, WHERE THE HEART LEADS
Pam Rosenthal, THE EDGE OF IMPROPRIETY
Sherry Thomas, PRIVATE ARRANGEMENTS
Inspirational Romance:
Judy Duarte, MULBERRY PARK
Deeanne Gist, DEEP IN THE HEART OF TROUBLE
Irene Hannon, WHERE LOVE ABIDES
Robin Lee Hatcher, THE PERFECT LIFE
Rachel Hauck, LOVE STARTS WITH ELLE
Denise Hunter, THE CONVENIENT GROOM
Tamara Leigh, FAKING GRACE
Susan May Warren, FINDING STEFANIE
Novel with Strong Romantic Elements:
C.S. Harris, WHERE SERPENTS SLEEP
Susanna Kearsely, THE WINTER SEA
Susan K. Law, THE PAPER MARRIAGE
Susan Meissner, THE SHAPE OF MERCY
Pamela Morsi, LAST DANCE AT JITTERBUG LOUNGE
Nora Roberts, TRIBUTE
Karen White, THE HOUSE ON TRADD STREET
Paranormal Romance:
Gwen Cready, SEDUCING MR. DARCY
Yasmine Galenorn, DRAGON WYTCH
Susan Grant, MOONSTRUCK
Lori Handeland, THUNDER MOON
Sharon Sala, THE HEALER
Gena Showalter, THE DARKEST NIGHT
Nalini Singh, MINE TO POSSESS
Kerrelyn Sparks, THE UNDEAD NEXT DOOR
Regency Historical Romance:
Joanna Bourne, MY LORD AND SPYMASTER
Celeste Bradley, DUKE MOST WANTED
Stephanie Laurens, THE EDGE OF DESIRE
Anne Mallory, THREE NIGHTS OF SIN
Julia Quinn, MR. CAVENDISH, I PRESUME
Christine Wells, THE DANGEROUS DUKE
Romance Novella:
Jean Brashear, “Our Day” in THE VALENTINE GIFT
Terri Brisbin, “Blame it on the Mistletoe” in ONE CANDLELIT CHRISTMAS
Meljean Brooke, “Thicker than Blood” in FIRST BLOOD
Jacquie D’Alessandro, “Only You” in IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT
Stephanie Laurens, “The Fall of Rogue Gerard” in IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT
Julia London, “Snowy Night with a Highlander” in SNOWY NIGHT WITH A STRANGER
Sharon Sala, “Penance” in AFTERSHOCK
Jill Shalvis, “All He Wants for Christmas” in HEATING UP THE HOLIDAYS
Romantic Suspense:
Cherry Adair, NIGHT SECRETS
Allison Brennan, KILLING FEAR
Cindy Gerard, TAKE NO PRISONERS
Carla Neggers, THE ANGEL
Brenda Novak, STOP ME
Karen Rose, SCREAM FOR ME
Roxanne St. Claire, NOW YOU DIE
Colleen Thompson, TRIPLE EXPOSURE
Young Adult:
Tera Lynn Childs, OH. MY. GODS.
Rosemary Clement-Moore, HELL WEEK
Tina Ferraro, HOW TO HOOK A HOTTIE
GOLDEN HEART FINALITS – Unpublished Romance Manuscripts
Contemporary Series:
Melissa Jackson Brister, INTO THE NIGHT
Lindsey Brookes, ANGEL IN TRAINING
Laurie DeSalvo, FOR LOVE OR RAVIOLI
Jacqueline M. Floyd, MEET YOUR MATE
Kim Grooms w/a Kim Law, SECOND CHANCE FOR A FAMILY
Anastasia Huff, THE GREEK’S MISTRESS REVENGE
Laurie Kellogg, THE GREAT BEDROOM WAR
Katherine Worsham, BENEATH THE SURFACE
Contemporary Series, Suspense/Adventure:
Dianne Gerber w/a Autumn Jordan, HIS WITNESS
Jamie Michele, ROMANCE OR RETRIBUTION
Kim Howe, BREATHLESS
Contemporary Single Title:
Vivi Andrews, EASY MONEY
Elizabeth Bemis, LIGHTS…CAMERA…MARRIAGE!
Elizabeth Bemis, LOVE & OREOS
Lindsey Brookes, OPERATION: DATE ESCAPE
Kathryn Graykowski, SUMMER IN AUSTIN
Robin Lanier, FOR LOVE OR MONEY
June Love, TEXAS HOLD’ER
Virginia McCullough, ISLAND HEALING
Historical Romance:
Jennifer Bray-Weber, UPON A MOONLIT SEA
CJ Eernisse Chase, THE OTHER BROTHER
Pat Detweiler, FORFEIT’S LADY
Jeannie Lin, BUTTERFLY SWORDS
Kate Parker, THE ART OF A LADY
Jenna Stuart, HIGHLAND HONOR
Tatia Talbot, LILY’S OUTLAW
Inspirational Romance:
Yvonne L. Harris, MONTANA RAINBOW
Kelly Ann Riley, KITTY’S FIRE
Cara Slaughter, LOVE ON A DIME
Kayla Lynn Westra, KASEY’S SECRET
Novel with Strong Romantic Elements:
Sherri Buerkle, DARK SECRETS
Elizabeth Devlin, HOME WATERS
Kelly Fitzpatrick, PLEASANT LAKE P.D.
Diane O’Brien Kelly, DEATH, TAXES AND A FRENCH MANICURE
Kim Howe, ONE SHOT, TWO KILLS
L.A. Mitchell, UNTIL MIDNIGHT
Bev Petterson, COLOR MY HORSE
Julie Whitby, CALL SIGN SCARLETT
Paranormal Romance:
Sharon Fisher, GHOST PLANET
Jacquie Jacoby, MAGIC MAN
Darynda Jones, FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT
Tammy Hoganson, UNDERBELLY
Morgan Karpiel, HEART OF THE DRAGON
Nancy Litzau, JUST IN TIME
Heather McCollum, MAGICK
Cate Rowan, KISMET’S KISS
Regency Historical Romance:
Elizabeth Baldwin, DEFIANT
Anne Barton, MIDNIGHT PROMISES
Elisa Griffith Beatty, SHAMELESS
Pamela Bolton-Holifield w/a Louisa Cornell, THE RAVEN’S HEART
Amy Talley, NO SHRINKING VIOLET
Sara Wampler, AN INCONVENIENT MARRIAGE
Romantic Suspense:
Ann Marie Becker, ONLY FEAR
Tina Joyce Butts, THE SURROGATE
Shelley Corriell, THE BROKEN
Sandy Randel Eggert, TRUST FALL
Rita O. Henuber, GUARDIAN ANGEL
Diane Maggiora, TRUST NO ONE
Cynthia Mealer, INTRUSION
Joan Swan, SAFE IN ENEMY ARMS
Young Adult Romance:
Vanessa Barneveld, CALL ME CRAZY
Amanda Brice, CODENAME: DANCER
Shoshana Brown, STAGE FRIGHT
Addison Fox, MY BIG FAT ROCKIN’ REALITY
Elizabeth Langston, I WISHED
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Congratulations, everyone!