2009 RITA® Winners & Finalists

Contemporary Series Romance

A Mother's Wish by Karen Templeton - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Special Edition - Gail Chasan

Adopted: Outback Baby by Barbara Hannay - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Romance - Meg Lewis

Antonides' Forbidden Wife by Anne McAllister - HarperCollins, Harlequin Mills & Boon, Modern - Jenny Hutton

The Children's Doctor and the Single Mum by Lilian Darcy - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Medical - Bryony Green

The Cowboy's Christmas Miracle by RaeAnne Thayne - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Special Edition - Gail Chasan

Falling for the Lone Wolf by Crystal Green - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Special Edition - Susan Litman

Last-Minute Proposal by Jessica Hart - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Romance - Maddie Rowe

The Right Mr. Wrong by Cindi Myers - HarperCollins, Harlequin, American Wanda Ottewell

Texas Heir by Linda Warren - HarperCollins, Harlequin, American - Kathleen Scheibling

Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure

Danger Signals by Kathleen Creighton - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Romantic Suspense - Gail Chasan

Cold Case Connection by Kathleen Long - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Intrigue - Allison Lyons

Lethal Attraction by Diana Duncan - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Romantic Suspense - Susan Litman

The Man Behind the Cop by Janice Kay Johnson - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Super Romance - Wanda Ottewell

The Secret Soldier by Jennifer Morey - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Romantic Suspense - Natashya Wilson

A Sexy Time of It by Cara Summers - HarperCollins, Blaze - Brenda Chin

Strangers in the Night by Kerry Connor - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Intrigue - Sean Mackiewicz

Tall, Dark and Lethal by Dana Marton - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Intrigue - Allison Lyons

Twin Targets by Jessica Andersen - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Intrigue - Allison Lyons

Contemporary Single Title Romance

Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson - HarperCollins, Avon - Lucia Macro

No Good Girls by Jane Marie Pierson - Dorchester, Love Spell - Alicia Condon

Out of Time by Samantha Graves - Hachette, Grand Central (Warner), Forever - Frances Jalet-Miller

Snowfall at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Margaret O'Neill Marbury

Sweet Talk by Susan Mallery - HarperCollins, Harlequin, HQN - Tara Parsons

Tall Tales and Wedding Veils by Jane Graves - Hachette, Grand Central (Warner), Forever - Michele Bidelspach

Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Paula Eykelhof

Your Roots Are Showing (aka The Wrong Sort of Wife) by Elise Chidley - Hachette, Grand Central (Warner), 5 Spot - Alex Logan

First Book

Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Dutton - Sarah Shumway

Her One Desire by Kimberly Killion - Kensington, Zebra - Hilary Sares

No Good Girls by Jane Marie Pierson - Dorchester, Love Spell - Alicia Condon

Passionate (aka Fortune's Flower) by Anthea Lawson - Kensington, Zebra Debut - Hilary Sares

Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas - PRH/Random House, Bantam - Caitlin Alexander

The Secret Soldier by Jennifer Morey - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Romantic Suspense - Natashya Wilson

Strangers in the Night by Kerry Connor - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Intrigue - Sean Mackiewicz

Your Roots Are Showing (aka The Wrong Sort of Wife) by Elise Chidley - Hachette, Grand Central (Warner), 5 Spot - Alex Logan

Historical Romance

The Edge of Impropriety by Pam Rosenthal - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, NAL Signet Eclipse - Laura Cifelli

Duchess by Night by Eloisa James - HarperCollins, Avon - Carrie Feron

In Bed with the Devil by Lorraine Heath - HarperCollins, Avon - Lucia Macro & May Chen

Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas - PRH/Random House, Bantam - Caitlyn Alexander

Seduce Me at Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas - Macmillan, St. Martin's - Jennifer Enderlin

The Spymaster's Lady by Joanna Bourne - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Sensation - Wendy McCurdy

To Seduce a Sinner by Elizabeth Hoyt - Hachette, Grand Central (Warner), Forever - Amy Pierpont

Where the Heart Leads by Stephanie Laurens - HarperCollins, Morrow - Lucia Macro

Inspirational Romance

Finding Stefanie by Susan May Warren - Tyndale House - Karen Watson

The Convenient Groom by Denise Hunter - Thomas Nelson - Amanda Bostic & Leslie Peterson

Deep in the Heart of Trouble by Deeanne Gist - Baker, Bethany House - David Long & Julie Klassen

Faking Grace by Tamara Leigh - PRH/Crown, Multnomah - Julee Schwarzburg

Love Starts with Elle by Rachel Hauck - Thomas Nelson - Ami McConnell

Mulberry Park by Judy Duarte - Kensington - John Scognamiglio

The Perfect Life by Robin Lee Hatcher - Thomas Nelson, Women of Faith - Ami McConnell & Leslie Peterson

Where Love Abides by Irene Hannon - HarperCollins, Harlequin Steeple Hill, Love Inspired - Melissa Endlich

Novel with Strong Romantic Elements

Tribute by Nora Roberts - PRH/Penguin, Putnam - Leslie Gelbman

The House on Tradd Street by Karen White - PRH/Penguin, Berkley - Cindy Hwang

Last Dance at Jitterbug Lounge by Pamela Morsi - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Valerie Gray

The Paper Marriage by Susan Kay Law - PRH/Penguin, Berkley - Jackie Cantor

The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner - PRH/Crown, Multnomah - Shannon Marchese

Where Serpents Sleep by C. S. Harris - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, NAL Obsidian - Ellen Edwards

The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley - Allison & Busby - Lara Crisp

Paranormal Romance

Seducing Mr. Darcy by Gwyn Cready - Simon & Schuster, Pocket - Megan McKeever

The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter - HarperCollins, Harlequin, HQN - Tracy Farrell & Margo Lipschultz

Dragon Wytch by Yasmine Galenorn - PRH/Penguin, Berkley - Kate Seaver

The Healer by Sharon Sala - HarperCollins, Harlequin, HQN - Leslie Wainger

Mine to Possess by Nalini Singh - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Sensation - Cindy Hwang

Moonstruck by Susan Grant - HarperCollins, Harlequin, HQN - Tara Parsons

Thunder Moon by Lori Handeland - Macmillan, St. Martin's - Jennifer Enderlin

The Undead Next Door by Kerrelyn Sparks - HarperCollins, Avon - Erika Tsang

Regency Romance

My Lord and Spymaster by Joanna Bourne - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Sensation - Wendy McCurdy

The Dangerous Duke by Christine Wells - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Sensation - Leis Pederson

Duke Most Wanted by Celeste Bradley - Macmillan, St. Martin's - Monique Patterson

The Edge of Desire by Stephanie Laurens - HarperCollins, Avon - Lucia Macro

Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn - HarperCollins, Avon - Lyssa Keusch

Three Nights of Sin by Anne Mallory - HarperCollins, Avon - May Chen

Romance Novella

"The Fall of Rogue Gerard" in It Happened One Night by Stephanie Laurens - HarperCollins, Avon - Lucia Macro

"All He Wants for Christmas" in Heating Up the Holidays by Jill Shalvis - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Blaze - Brenda Chin

"Blame It on the Mistletoe" in One Candlelit Christmas by Terri Brisbin - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Historical - Joanne Carr Grant

"Only You" in It Happened One Night by Jacquie D'Alessandro - HarperCollins, Avon - Lucia Macro

"Our Day" in The Valentine Gift by Jean Brashear - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Super Romance, Everlasting Love - Beverley Sotolov

"Penance" in Aftershock by Sharon Sala - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Nocturne - Leslie Wainger

"Snowy Night with a Highlander" in Snowy Night with a Stranger by Julia London - Simon & Schuster, Pocket - Maggie Crawford

"Thicker Than Blood" in First Blood by Meljean Brook - PRH/Penguin, Berkley - Cindy Hwang

Romantic Suspense

Take No Prisoners by Cindy Gerard - Simon & Schuster, Pocket - Maggie Crawford

The Angel by Carla Neggers - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Margaret Marbury

Killing Fear by Allison Brennan - PRH/Random House, Ballantine - Charlotte Herscher

Night Secrets by Cherry Adair - PRH/Random House, Ballantine - Charlotte Herscher

Now You Die by Roxanne St. Claire - Simon & Schuster, Pocket - Micki Nuding

Scream for Me by Karen Rose - Hachette, Grand Central (Warner), Vision - Karen Kosztolnyik

Stop Me by Brenda Novak - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Paula Eykelhof

Triple Exposure by Colleen Thompson - Dorchester, Leisure, Romantic Suspense - Alicia Condon

Young Adult Romance

Hell Week by Rosemary Clement-Moore - PRH/Random House, Delacorte - Krista Marino

How to Hook a Hottie by Tina Ferraro - PRH/Random House, Delacorte - Krista Marino

Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs - RH/Penguin, Berkley, Dutton - Sarah Shumway