2009 RITA and Golden Heart Finalists

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!