RITA Winners
By Jane • Jul 14th, 2007 • Category: Misc, RWA • •Best Traditional Romance
Barb Hannay is from Australia and was not present to accept her award.
Claiming His Family by Barbara Hannay, Harlequin Mills & Boon, Romance - (373039077)
Kimberley Young, editor
Best Short Contemporary Romance
Jessica Bird/J.R. Ward
From The First by Jessica Bird, Harlequin Enterprises, Silhouette Special Edition - (0373247508), Stacy Boyd, editor
Best Long Contemporary Romance
Lori Handeland who has an urban fantasy series debuting in 2008
The Mommy Quest by Lori Handeland, Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin Superromance - (373713347), Johanna Raisanen, editor
Best Inspirational Romance
Tamera Alexander, whom I accosted as she was trying to make her way back to her room. She was accompanied by her lovely mother and editor
Revealed by Tamera Alexander, Bethany House Publishers - (0764201093), Karen Schurrer, editor
Best Romantic Novella
I took a picture of Roxanne St. Claire, who looked beautiful by the way, but somehow it was eaten by my camera.
“‘Tis the Silly Season” in A NASCAR Holiday by Roxanne St.Claire, Harlequin Enterprises, HQN - (373771568), Abby Zidle, editor (yeah for her)
Best Paranormal Romance
Kresley Cole.
A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole, Pocket Books, Star - (1416509879), Lauren McKenna, editor (yeah!)
Best First Book
Tracy Anne Warren
The Husband Trap by Tracy Anne Warren, Ballantine - (345483081), Charlotte Herscher, editor (haven’t read her, but Congratulations).
Best Short Historical Romance
Betina Krahn
The Book of True Desires by Betina Krahn, Berkley, Jove - (515141704), Christine Zika, editor (color me completely shocked but its a non Regency historical). Wendy commented that she likes what Berkley is doing in the historical genre with all the different time periods and settings.
Best Long Historical Romance
Julia Qinn
On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn, Avon Books - (0060531258), Lyssa Keusch, editor (Congratulations. She finalled 7 times. I can’t recall if she won before. It’s well deserved). Update: This is Quinn’s first win.
Novel with Strong Romantic Elements
Jennifer Ashley aka Laurien Gardner
A Lady Raised High: A Novel of Anne Boleyn by Jennifer Ashley writing as Laurien Gardner, Berkley - (515140899), Ginjer Buchanon, editor (Way to go, Ashley. She’s writing those Dorchester Immortal series. My blogging partner should read this RITA winning book. It’s got a gorgeous cover).
Best Romantic Suspense
Annie Solomon
Blackout by Annie Solomon, Warner Books - (446616311), Melanie Murray, editor (I haven’t read this one but I thought Dead Shot was a great suspense and obviously this one was the winner for the RITA judges).
Best Contemporary Single Title Romance
Caridad Ferrer. I totally had a better picture that this one. I don’t really know what happened.
Adios to My Old Life by Caridad Ferrer, Pocket Books, MTV Books - (1416524738), Lauren McKenna, editor (This shocks me as well. It’s a young adult book winning a Romance RITA. Amazing. Ferrer bought Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Oscar dress. Guess it paid off).
Congratulations to all the authors who won and finalled. What do you readers think? Agree/Disagree? Shocked? Totally called it? Off to take some pictures.
Jane is a long time romance reader whose passion is, you guessed it, reading. Jane also does not like to talk about herself in the third person, but apparently this is the way that this biography thing works (although in a true biography, someone else would be writing this blurb). Anyway, currently Jane loves urban fantasy authors Patricia Briggs and Ilona Andrews. She's really excited about this year's crop of historicals including Joanna Bourne's The Spymaster's Lady and Sherry Thomas' Private Arrangements and the upcoming Loretta Chase Her Scandalous Ways.
She's looking for a good contemporary author. Email her with a recommendation!
Email this author | All posts by Jane
I’m glad Kresley Cole won. I really loved A HUNGER LIKE NO OTHER.
Though part of me is devastated that Marjorie Liu didn’t win. I am a total Liu-fangirl.
That’s a @#$%^&* disgrace that Caridad Ferrer won in the Single Title for a YA book. Further proof that the Rita awards are crap.
I’m thrilled that Barb (Caridad) won — she’s a terrific person. I haven’t read ADIOS yet, so I can’t comment about a YA book winning a RITA. But it wasn’t too long ago that Neil Gaiman’s SANDMAN comic book won a literary award. Genres blur, as do audiences.
Loved Hunger Like No Other, so glad to see it win. There were an awful lot of very, very good paranormals this year, so it couldn’t have been easy to choose the winner. I’m surprised at how many of the winning books I haven’t read or heard much about. And I could be wrong, but I think YA has been a category for a while, maybe there weren’t enough entries for it this year so the book got moved to the next best category?
I’ve heard a lot of really good buzz about Adios. Totally not surprised to see it win.
Forgot to say, hooray for Julia Quinn! She’s been a favorite of mine for years, since Dancing at Midnight. If she hasn’t won before, it’s long overdue!
I LOVE that ADIOS won.
Awhile back I posted a bit of the story behind her book and how it came to be in the single title category.
bitter much? por que?
I think it’s marvelous that ADIOS won.
YEA! Jennifer Ashley! I am so glad she won! She is going to have a new historical out at the end of the year writing as Laurien Gardner and I can’t wait to read it. A Lady Raised High is out of print.
Did you know she writes under several different names? LOL we’ve nicknamed her Sybill!!!
Congrats also for Caridad and all of the other winners.
I am speechless and disappointed that a YA book won the single title catagory. I’ve read many of the books that were nominated and I feel Jill Shalvis (hands down my favorite) or Stef Ann Holm should have won. I don’t feel a YA book should be included with the big girls. Hopefully, this won’t happen again.
I don’t think it’s fair to disparage the winner if you haven’t read all the nominees.
And the comments that YA lit is not as good as adult books rankles. What makes adult books so much better than YA? I am admittedly biased, but if the writing in a YA book is as good or better than an adult book (as it often is), why shouldn’t it compete with adult books if there’s nothing in the eligibility requirements forbidding this? Just because the intended audience is younger doesn’t make a book or its readers any less smart or deserving.
Congratulations to all the winners.
I’m thrilled that Adios to My Old Life won. It wasn’t Barb’s (Caridad’s) first or even second choice of category either. They cancelled the YA category and don’t allow people to enter Best First Book without entering another category as well. If yuou’re bitter, blame the ruels. Barb only had one chance to enter Best First Book, so she took it. I think most people would do the same.
As for those making YA novels out to be not as good as adult novels, I suggest they read Adios. It’s a fabulous novel. This from someone who never reads YA–didn’t even read it when I was YA age–and doesn’t write YA either. Obviously the judges felt it was the best of the books they were given to judge. The best book won–as it should be.
WTG Barb/Caridad!
I totally missed Jennifer Ashley/Allyson James’ win! Too many pen names, I didn’t even know about that one.
They did? Geez.
Well then, I’m doubly proud of Barb. I’ve been hearing terrific things about ADIOS — I think that the Bitches gave it an A- — and I can’t wait to find the time to read the book.
And I agree with Kim and Trisha — if anyone has a problem that a YA title took the Rita, take the complaint to the RWA. But after thinking more about it, I’m not sure why this is such a big deal. If a book is that good, whether YA or adult, it deserves to win. If the RWA took away the YA category, they obviously must be okay with YA and adult competing for the same prize.
And I do think this is going to make the competition steeper — I’ve heard marvelous things about Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely, for example. I wonder, would the same uproar occur if a YA took the paranormal prize?
Congrats again to Barb, and to all winners! I haven’t read Kresley’s book yet, but I’ve heard great things about it (even before she won the Rita).
I would like to say congratulations to all the winners…yes, I too was surprised at some of the winners…but heck what do I know, I just buy and read the books.
By the way Jane, are you giving away a booby prize for someone who probably didn’t pick one winner in any of the categories?????
Solomon, Ferrer, and Quinn, were just about the only names I recognised from that lot. I don’t think I’ll be racing out anytime soon to purchase the other winners.
By the way, isn’t Jessica Bird, JR Ward?
I had a feeling Kresley Cole would win too, she’s had lots of positive feedback for A Hunger Like No Other. Not read it though, and probably wont, because of my paranormal prejudice.
Thrilled to pieces that Barb/Caridad won. The book is just amazing, YA or not.
Congratulations to all the winners, but especially to Annie Solomon, first time Rita winner and fellow Music City Romance Writer member!!!! BLACKOUT rocked!
I read a book years ago by Jennifer Ashley under a different pen name (last name starts with an M) and loved it. Only for the longest time, i couldn’t remember the title or author and I’d lost the book during a period of many moves. I happened to find it again under her Ashley pen name but didn’t know it was the same book until I started to read it. I was thrilled to find it again so I will be looking for this.
And when do we find out who the winners are for the RITA contest?
Karen this is the first year in MANY that I’ve actually known the names and have read some of the books of the winners. Usually I end up just scratching my head and muttering, “Who?”
Congratulations to all the winners! Also don’t quite follow the negative commentary against YA adult novel winning. There are some wonderful YA novels out there and I need to get this one since it won and many readers enjoyed it.
Jayne, have you read Ashley’s Regency pirate series? Although Ashley’s books are hit and miss for me (which I think is understandable considering how many she’s written!), I LOVED her pirate books, which were the first of hers I read. Highly recommend them, in large part because she’s campy ON PURPOSE — so you always feel like Ashley’s in on the joke. Now I’ll have to read her winning book.
I don’t agree with all the winners, and I certainly don’t endorse trashing a book that won for being YA, but I DO think that, again, there’s just a whackiness to the way the RITAs are categorized that invites these complaints of unfair or unequal competition between books. On the one hand, why shouldn’t YA books compete in the same category as adult Romance? But if that’s the case, why shouldn’t paranormals be competing against straight contemps, for example?
My biggest disappointment is not having Shana Abe win for The Smoke Thief, which outshone almost every other Romance published that year for me. As much as I love Kresley’s Cole’s books, especially her Valkyrie series, Abe’s book was so emotional, so well-crafted, so tightly written, so masterful in the way it used historical Romance conventions and upturned them at the same time, that it just blew me away — I even read it back to back four times, something I’ve never done with a Romance before. I was also rooting for Pam Rosenthal’s book in the long historical category, but I think there were quite a few strong books there — in fact, IIRC, that was one of the overall strongest categories in terms of popular entries (along with the paranormal category).
As for the Golden Heart, which I generally don’t take long-term note of, I recognize Bronwyn Clarke’s name from the survey she’s doing, and I think that’s really cool. Hopefully she’ll be able to get a nice publishing deal now!
BTW, does anyone know the percentages of Golden Heart winners who go on to get publishing contracts for their winning books?
I was really happy for Barb. She looked beautiful. And happy.
What does being ‘a terrific person’ have to do with winning a RITA?
I agree she looked great, was very nice and seemed beyond happy to have won but I don’t see what any of that has to do with winning a RITA. From the amount of people I have seen and heard say “I haven’t read the book but am so glad it won because she is nice, got screwed, worked hard, name reason here that has NOTHING to do with the writing of the book” it calls into question why the book won.
I am curious for those of you who think it was the best of the best - and have read the book - what stood out about this book to make it the clear winner?
I am starting to read more YA and do think some of it is great. At the same time I do question why The Romance Writers Association needs to include YA fiction in the RITA’s.
What does it say when you haven’t read any of these books? I’m in the so-called coveted demographic (younger with large disposable income), and yet none of those books appealed to me. Is that why the romance readership is not growing?
I’m completely biased on this topic, so you may feel free to take my words with a metric f*ckload of salt. I’m also the first one to question anything the RWA does. This time, I think they got it right. I think Adios is brilliant, and the romance within it moving and realistic.
I don’t know that the RWA needs to include YA any more than it needs to include fiction with strong romantic elements, or romantic suspense, or even paranormal romance. As has been pointed out repeatedly, they are a private organization who can choose to do pretty much anything (recognize, offer benefits, and structure their contests) any way they want.
Clearly, the first round judges thought that Adios had enough romance within its plot to let it final — which they didn’t have to do, there’s a place to check “not a romance” on the scoresheets — and the final round judges thought it was the best of the best. No one forced the judges to conclude that the book was eligible within the category guidelines, and no one forced them to decide it was best. Barb took a chance when she entered it. If it had been disqualified or hadn’t done well due to being marked down as “not a romance,” she’d have lost her entrance fee.
The chance paid off. The fact that Barb happens to be a delightful person is merely a happy coincidence. As this is her first book, I doubt many of the judges knew her at all.
I am curious for those of you who think it was the best of the best - and have read the book - what stood out about this book to make it the clear winner?
I haven’t read it myself, but there was a very good review of it here by Smart Bitch Sarah, which she wrote before the conference.
At the same time I do question why The Romance Writers Association needs to include YA fiction in the RITA’s.
From what I’ve read, people consider it to be a YA romance.
I’ve seen people question whether the popularity of Meljean Brook’s books have to do with the fact that she has such a winning online presence, so I understand where you’re coming from here, Selah. OTOH, I think there’s a difference between someone praising a book’s win *because it’s a wonderful book* and praising the win *because of the author’s personality*. That the first thing praised is the author’s personality and not her work seems, I don’t know, backward, I guess. Whether or not the judges deemed the *book* to be the best (and I have not read it, so I have no opinion on it either way), what does it say when public recognition of the win seems to be focused on the author as a *person* and not the *quality of her work*? I think it goes back to the questions abounding as to whether the RITA is a popularity contest, or, for me, at least, back to the extent to which within the Romance community authors are merged with their work to the point where the author’s persona, rather than their books, are the focus.
Robin - I see where you’re coming from, too. It sort of sets up a dilemma for the author, doesn’t it? Be personable and well-liked and have everyone assume your books win contests due to your popularity, or be a bitch and make all the “authors behaving badly” lists. Or maybe stay off the radar altogether and make no impression at all?
Luckily for Barbara — and the rest of us — her book really does speak for itself. I urge you to read it. If you don’t care for it, email me and I’ll refund the price of your copy. ;)
This offer valid for Robin only, gang. Someday I might be able to buy the world a Coke and all the books it could ever read, but that day’s not today. :)
I don’t really know if it sets up a dilemma for the author, Selah, because to some degree authors *as personalities* will be loved or hated by different people. And I don’t want authors to be so busy worrying about how people view them that they’re distracted from writing the best books they can — because already I see authors saying such things (i.e. Lisa Valdez). And then there are cases where an author’s popularity *for her books* will give her incredible latitude in how people perceive her personality, so it works in different directions, I think. I’ve seen new authors trashed for opinions that when spoken by veterans are treated like manna from the gods. My own — not fully formed — opinion is that the Romance community is still struggling with its own fannish tendencies. And when we go back to that same old conversation about why the genre don’t get no respect, I honestly think that contributes hugely to that marginalization.
Like you, on a purely personal level I like it that some books I adore also have wonderful authorial personae attached to them (or personalities, depending on the extent to which one is familiar with the author in question). Because really, that’s hard to resist as something to appreciate as a human being. And I don’t think the comments on Ferrer being a wonderful person are at all inappropriate — after all, we’re a community of *people* who read, not automatons. But at the same time, I do wish for a bit more separation between books and authors, at least when we’re talking about those awards that are aimed at rewarding excellence in the genre.
I’ll let you know when I read Ferrer’s book how it worked for me (although I’ve yet to ask for a refund on a book, no matter how I disliked it). Thanks for the offer, though!
I can’t disagree with a word of this, Robin. Thanks for the insight.
Arrrgh, Robin I goofed. The author I was thinking of is Jennifer Blake. Though I have read a book by Ashley but it’s a contemp about a radio DJ heroine who adores fancy lingerie. That’ll teach me to post before being completely awake.
I’ve never tried one of her regency pirate books but I believe I have most or all of them TBR.
Yeah, Confessions of a Lingerie Addict. Not a great book, IMO, although I was impressed that she wrote a commitment phobic heroine who thought she wanted a real relationship and a hero who was stable but not emotionally bullet proof. The pirate books are BY FAR my favorites of her books that I’ve read.
I don’t think I’ve read anything by Jennifer Blake, though. What was the book you read of hers and loved, Jayne?
What I think is a little interesting is that with the Ferrer win, it seems to validate the RITA process which is the same as it was before the Ferrer win. I haven’t fully thought the win through, but my knee jerk reaction was that it wasn’t right, no matter the quality of the book but I’ve come to think that so long as it was a romance and not a novel with romantic elements that it’s probably okay.
There is no entry that got all the results right. I’ll filter them tomorrow and hopefully announce a winner to the RITA contest on Tuesday. I still have a few books to buy.
Yay Betina! I’m such a huge fan of her work and hope this RITA win will mean more books from her in the future.
And Ann Bruce: as I said on bam’s blog, where is this so-called younger generation going to come from when the YA genre offers everything the “adult” genres offer? And I too am of that coveted demographic and have a hard time finding books that wow me from just a blurb these days. (part of the reason why I am deep in back-lists of all sorts of authors).
And Robin I am a TOTAL Jennifer Blake fangirl. I recommend Midnight Waltz, Louisiana Dawn, Arrow to the Heart, Royal Seduction and Spanish Serenade.
Robin, it wasn’t Abe’s The Smoke Thief that was up for the RITA, but rather her sequel to it, The Dream Thief.
LOL, Janine — I ALWAYS mentally change the date of that book, since I picked it up in paperback and read it in 2006. I was going to blame the upcoming Bar exam on my bran drain, but I can’t in this case, because it’s a mistake I make consistently! I must confess that I only read The Dream Thief twice in a row, so I can’t give it the 4x recommendation, but it’s still the same sense of disappointment, as both those books read as absolute masterpieces to me. And it’s interesting because TDT didn’t even have the same level of controversy attached to it as TST did.
Thanks, Angela, I will definitely add these to my list — even the titles sound, well, interesting, which is a refreshing change (not a hint of savage love anywhere!).
Robin, the title of the Blake novel I loved is “Sweet Piracy.” It’s set in LA/MS around 1800 or so and was written under her other name of Patrica Maxwell in 1978 with the title “The Abducted heart.” I guess it was renamed as an ebook and the funny thing is that her website makes no mention of the previous version.
Yep, Jessica Bird is JR Ward. And her book shouldn’t have won the short contemp. House of Midnight Fantasies was a far superior book. Only problem was that Silhouette put a crappy cover on it and most readers didn’t pick it up because of the cover. It had a touch of history, tantrick sex, psychic abilities and romance all rolled up in one great story. Shame it didn’t get the recognition it deserved.
Interesting thought Sonia. Are you saying the RITA voters didn’t read the book because of the cover? It is my understanding RITA is like most RWA chapter contests.
The few I have judged sent me X amount of books to rank either in order and/or against each other. I judged on the content from the author not the cover or title which the author generally doesn’t have much to do with. I have a hard time believing authors would lie and not read a book they were sent to judge. (I am not saying it doesn’t happen or has never happened just as a rule I would hope it doesn’t)
Out of the three I have read, I can’t say I even heard of HoM but have read Gold before. What Harlequin line was it in?
I didn’t write that well. I’m sure the Rita judges read the book. It’s the general reading public I’m referring to. The book is a Silhouette Desire and the cover was the most gosh-awful thing I’ve ever seen. It’s almost as if Harlequin wanted the book to fail. I honestly can’t believe that an editor would let that cover go through.
I never judge a book by its cover. I know the authors have no control. Sure, a snappy cover might catch my eye, but if the blurb doesn’t catch me, or reading the first few pages doesn’t hook my interest, then I don’t buy the book. Likewise a horrid cover won’t dissuade me if the back blurb and first few pages capture my interest.
HoMF was, IMHO, simply a superior book to the book that won. I just have to wonder, though, if the JR Ward name had any effect. Sure the book was written as Jessica Bird, but all you have to do is look at the photo and you know who it is.
I’m so pleased for all of the winners……congratulations to all. I’m especially pleased for author, Roxanne St. Claire for Tis the Silly Season. It was a wonderful holiday read and extremely entertainingt!
I envy all who were able to attend and love reading and hearing about it.