I envy all who were able to attend and love reading and hearing about it.

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.

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?

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.

And Robin I am a TOTAL Jennifer Blake fangirl. I recommend Midnight Waltz, Louisiana Dawn, Arrow to the Heart, Royal Seduction and Spanish Serenade.

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!).

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.

Though I have read a book by Ashley but it’s a contemp about a radio DJ heroine who adores fancy lingerie.

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?

I’ve never tried one of her regency pirate books but I believe I have most or all of them TBR.

…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 can’t disagree with a word of this, Robin. Thanks for the insight.

It sort of sets up a dilemma for the author, doesn’t it?

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!

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. :)

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’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.

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 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 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.