2009 RITA® Winners & Finalists

Contemporary Series Romance

* Winner: A Mother's Wish - Karen Templeton

• Finalists:

Adopted: Outback Baby - Barbara Hannay

Antonides' Forbidden Wife - Anne McAllister

The Children's Doctor And The Single Mum - Lilian Darcy

The Cowboy's Christmas Miracle - RaeAnne Thayne

Falling For The Lone Wolf - Crystal Green

Last-Minute Proposal - Jessica Hart

The Right Mr. Wrong - Cindi Myers

Texas Heir - Linda Warren

Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure

* Winner: Danger Signals - Kathleen Creighton

• Finalists:

Cold Case Connection - Kathleen Long

Lethal Attraction - Diana Duncan

The Man Behind The Cop - Janice Kay Johnson

The Secret Soldier - Jennifer Morey

A Sexy Time Of It - Cara Summers

Strangers In The Night - Kerry Connor

Tall, Dark And Lethal - Dana Marton

Twin Targets - Jessica Andersen

Contemporary Single Title Romance

* Winner: Not Another Bad Date - Rachel Gibson

• Finalists:

No Good Girls - Jane Marie Pierson

Out Of Time - Samantha Graves

Snowfall At Willow Lake - Susan Wiggs

Sweet Talk - Susan Mallery

Tall Tales And Wedding Veils - Jane Graves

Twenty Wishes - Debbie Macomber

Your Roots Are Showing (aka The Wrong Sort Of Wife) - Elise Chidley

First Book

* Winner: Oh. My. Gods. - Tera Lynn Childs

• Finalists:

Her One Desire - Kimberly Killion

No Good Girls - Jane Marie Pierson

Passionate (aka Fortune's Flower) - Anthea Lawson

Private Arrangements - Sherry Thomas

The Secret Soldier - Jennifer Morey

Strangers In The Night - Kerry Connor

Your Roots Are Showing (aka The Wrong Sort of Wife) - Elise Chidley

Historical Romance

* Winner: The Edge Of Impropriety - Pam Rosenthal

• Finalists:

Duchess By Night - Eloisa James

In Bed With The Devil - Lorraine Heath

Private Arrangements - Sherry Thomas

Seduce Me At Sunrise - Lisa Kleypas

The Spymaster's Lady - Joanna Bourne

To Seduce A Sinner - Elizabeth Hoyt

Where The Heart Leads - Stephanie Laurens

Inspirational Romance

* Winner: Finding Stefanie - Susan May Warren

• Finalists:

The Convenient Groom - Denise Hunter

Deep In The Heart Of Trouble - Deeanne Gist

Faking Grace - Tamara Leigh

Love Starts With Elle - Rachel Hauck

Mulberry Park - Judy Duarte

The Perfect Life - Robin Lee Hatcher

Where Love Abides - Irene Hannon

Novel with Strong Romantic Elements

* Winner: Tribute - Nora Roberts

• Finalists:

The House On Tradd Street - Karen White

Last Dance At Jitterbug Lounge - Pamela Morsi

The Paper Marriage - Susan Kay Law

The Shape Of Mercy - Susan Meissner

Where Serpents Sleep - C.S. Harris

The Winter Sea - Susanna Kearsley

Paranormal Romance

* Winner: Seducing Mr. Darcy - Gwyn Cready

• Finalists:

The Darkest Night - Gena Showalter

Dragon Wytch - Yasmine Galenorn

The Healer - Sharon Sala

Mine To Possess - Nalini Singh

Moonstruck - Susan Grant

Thunder Moon - Lori Handeland

The Undead Next Door - Kerrelyn Sparks

Regency Romance

* Winner: My Lord And Spymaster - Joanna Bourne

• Finalists:

The Dangerous Duke - Christine Wells

Duke Most Wanted - Celeste Bradley

The Edge Of Desire - Stephanie Laurens

Mr. Cavendish, I Presume - Julia Quinn

Three Nights Of Sin - Anne Mallory

Romance Novella

* Winner: "The Fall Of Rogue Gerard" in It Happened One Night - Stephanie Laurens

• Finalists:

"All He Wants For Christmas" in Heating Up The Holidays - Jill Shalvis

"Blame It On The Mistletoe" in One Candlelit Christmas - Terri Brisbin

"Only You" in It Happened One Night - Jacquie D'Alessandro

"Our Day" in The Valentine Gift - Jean Brashear

"Penance" in Aftershock - Sharon Sala

"Snowy Night With A Highlander" in Snowy Night With A Stranger - Julia London

"Thicker Than Blood" in First Blood - Meljean Brook

Romantic Suspense

* Winner: Take No Prisoners - Cindy Gerard

• Finalists:

The Angel - Carla Neggers

Killing Fear - Allison Brennan

Night Secrets - Cherry Adair

Now You Die - Roxanne St. Claire

Scream For Me - Karen Rose

Stop Me - Brenda Novak

Triple Exposure - Colleen Thompson

Young Adult Romance

* Winner: Hell Week - Rosemary Clement-Moore

• Finalists:

How To Hook A Hottie - Tina Ferraro

Oh. My. Gods. - Tera Lynn Childs