2002 RITA® Winners & Finalists

Contemporary Single Title Romance

True Confessions by Rachel Gibson - HarperCollins, Avon - Lucia Macro

The Four Seasons by Mary Alice Monroe - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Martha Keenan

I Got You, Babe by Jane Graves - PRH/Random House, Ballantine, Ivy - Shauna Summers

Midnight Bayou by Nora Roberts - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Leslie Gelbman

Some Kind of Wonderful by Barbara Freethy - HarperCollins, Avon - Lucia Macro

First Book

The Border Bride by Elizabeth English - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Cindy Hwang

Fallen by Celeste Bradley - Dorchester, Leisure - Christopher Keeslar

Heart Mate by Robin D. Owens - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Cindy Hwang

Hide-and-Sheikh by Gail Dayton - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Desire - Jennifer Walsh & Stephanie Maurer

The Nightingale's Song by Kathleen Eschenburg - HarperCollins, Harper, HarperTorch - Carrie Feron

Secret Vows by Mary Reed McCall - HarperCollins, Avon by Lyssa Keusch

Inspirational Romance

Beneath a Southern Sky by Deborah Raney - PRH/Crown, WaterBrook - Lisa Bergren & Traci DePree

The Guardian by Dee Henderson - PRH/Crown, Multnomah - Julee Schwarzburg

The Protector;; by Dee Henderson - PRH/Crown, Multnomah - Julee Schwarzburg

Ribbon of Years by Robin Lee Hatcher - Tyndale House - Becky Nesbitt & Traci DePree

Long Contemporary Series Romance

Coming Home to You by Fay Robinson - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Super Romance - Paula Eykelhof

In Close Quarters by Candace Irvin - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Intimate Moments - Allison Lyons

Madigan's Wife by Linda Winstead Jones - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Intimate Moments - Mary-Theresa Hussey

Magic in a Jelly Jar by Sally Tyler Hayes - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Special Edition - Kim Nadelson & Natashya Wilson

The Money Man by Carolyn McSparren - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Super Romance - Zilla Soriano

Notorious by Vicki Lewis Thompson - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Blaze - Brenda Chin

Plain-Jane Princess by Karen Templeton - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Intimate Moments - Gail Chasan

The Word of a Child by Janice Kay Johnson - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Super Romance - Laura Shin

Long Historical Romance

The Bridal Season by Connie Brockway - PRH/Random House, Dell - Wendy McCurdy

The Border Bride by Elizabeth English - PH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Cindy Hwang

The Dragon's Bride by Jo Beverley - PH/Penguin, Berkley - Audrey LaFehr

Enchanting Pleasures by Eloisa James - PRH/Random House, Delacorte - Jackie Cantor

The Husband Test by Betina Krahn - PRH/Random House - Bantam - Wendy McCurdy

A Kiss to Remember by Teresa Medeiros - PRH/Random House - Bantam - Wendy McCurdy

Nightingale's Gate by Linda Francis Lee - PRH/Random House, Ballantine, Ivy - Shauna Summers

The Secret Swan by Shana Abe - PRH/Random House, Bantam - Wendy McCurdy

Summer Moon by Jill Marie Landis - PRH/Random House, Ballantine, Ivy - Shauna Summers

Paranormal Romance

Heart Mate by Robin D. Owens - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Cindy Hwang

Aphrodite's Kiss by Julie Kenner - Dorchester, Love Spell - Christopher Keeslar

Dance upon the Air by Nora Roberts - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Leslie Gelbman

Destiny by Maggie Shayne - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Cindy Hwang

Heaven and Earth by Nora Roberts - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Leslie Gelbman

To Charm a Knight by Linda Kay - Kensington, Zebra - John Scognamiglio

Regency Romance

Much Obliged by Jessica Benson - Kensington, Zebra - John Scognamiglio

One Good Turn by Carla Kelly - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, NAL Signet Regency - Hilary Ross

The Painted Lady by Barbara Metzger - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, NAL Signet Regency - Hilary Ross

Under the Kissing Bough by Shannon Donnelly - Kensington, Zebra, Regency - Amy Garvey

Romance Novella

"I Will" in Wish List by Lisa Kleypas - Dorchester, Leisure - Alicia Condon

"The Demon's Mistress" in In Praise of Younger Men by Jo Beverley - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, NAL Signet - Cecilia Oh

"Night" in Night and Day by Anne Stuart - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Intrigue - Tracy Farrell

"The Rose and the Sword" in Once Upon a Rose by Jill Gregory - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Cindy Hwang

"Santa Baby" in Naughty or Nice? by Patricia Ryan - Macmillan, St. Martin's - Jennifer Enderlin

"Winter Rose" in Once Upon a Rose by Nora Roberts - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Leslie Gelbman

Romantic Suspense

The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen - PRH/Random House, Ballantine - Linda Marrow

Betrayal in Death by J. D. Robb - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Leslie Gelbman

Blind Faith by Christiane Heggan - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Amy Moore-Benson

Dark Side of Dawn by Merline Lovelace - PRH, Penguin, Berkley, NAL Signet - Audrey LaFehr

Darkling, I Listen by Katherine Sutcliffe - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Christine Zika

Mercy by Julie Garwood - Simon & Schuster, Pocket - Maggie Crawford

The Perfect Princess by Elizabeth Thornton - PRH/Random House, Bantam - Wendy McCurdy

Princess Charming by Elizabeth Thornton - PRH/Random House, Bantam - Wendy McCurdy

Short Contemporary Romance

A Long Hot Christmas by Barbara Daly - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Temptation - Susan Sheppard

Fortune's Secret Daughter by Barbara McCauley - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Desire - Ann Leslie Tuttle

In Dante's Debt by Jane Porter - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Presents - Tessa Shapcott

The Inconvenient Bride by Anne McAllister - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Presents - Sarah Wood

Jingle Bell Bride? by Jennifer LaBrecque - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Duets - Brenda Chin

The Matchmaker's Mistake by Jane Sullivan - HarperCollins, Harlequin Duets - Jennifer Tam

Sinclair's Surprise Baby by Barbara McCauley - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Desire - Melissa Jeglinski

Under the Covers by Jamie Ann Denton - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Temptation - Jennifer Tam

Short Historical Romance

Tempt Me Twice - Barbara Dawson Smith - Macmillan, St. Martin's - Jennifer Enderlin

Halfway to Heaven by Susan Wiggs - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Dianne Moggy & Martha Keenan

The Horse Soldier by Merline Lovelace - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Martha Keenan

Never Marry a Cowboy by Lorraine Heath - HarperCollins, Avon - Lucia Macro

Once a Mistress by Rebecca Hagan Lee - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Cindy Hwang

Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas - HarperCollins, Avon - Lucia Macro

White Lion's Lady by Tina St. John - PRH/Random House, Ballantine - Shauna Summers

Traditional Romance

Quinn's Complete Seduction by Sandra Steffen - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Romance - Melissa Jeglinski

Accidental Fiancee by Renee Roszel - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Romance - Linda Fildew

Adopted: Twins! by Marion Lennox - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Romance - Ceri Tomlins

The Bachelor's Baby by Liz Fielding - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Romance - Ceri Tomlins

Doctor on Loan by Marion Lennox - HarperCollins, Harlequin Mills & Boon - Medical - Ceri Tomlins

His Baby, Her Heart by Sue Swift - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Romance - Kim Nadelson

Just One Kiss by Carla Cassidy - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Romance - Melissa Jeglinski