1999 RITA® Winners & Finalists

Contemporary Single Title Romance

Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips - HarperCollins, Avon - Carrie Feron

Call Of Duty by Merline Lovelace - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, NAL Onyx - Audrey LaFehr

Garden Of Dreams by Patricia Rice - PRH/Random House, Ballantine - Elisa Wares

Girl In The Mirror by Mary Alice Monroe - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Martha Keenan

The Taming Of Billy Jones by Christine Rimmer - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette - Gail Chasan

First Book

My Darling Caroline by Adele Ashworth - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Judith Stern Palais

A Father's Place by Joan Kilby - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Super Romance - Maureen Stonehouse

The Millionaire Meets His Match by Patricia C. Seeley - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Romance - Tina Colombo

Oracle by Katherine Greyle - LionHearted - Mary Ann Heathman

Priceless by Donna M. Schaff - PRH/Random House, Dell - Maggie Crawford

Roses For Chloe by Elaine Grant - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Gail Fortune

Stay... by Allison Leigh - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Special Edition - Tara Gavin & Ann Leslie Tuttle

Inspirational Romance

Patterns of Love by Robin Lee Hatcher - HarperCollins, Harper, HarperTorch - Laura Cifelli

Awakening Heart (aka Thursday's Child) by Melody Carlson - Baker, Bethany House - Helen Motter

The Best Christmas Ever by Cheryl Wolverton - HarperCollins, Harlequin Steeple Hill, Love Inspired - Anne Canadeo & Patience Smith

Forgotten by Lorena McCourtney - PRH/Crown, Multnomah - Jennifer Brooks

The Fugitive Heart by Jane Orcutt - PRH/Crown, WaterBrook - Lisa Bergren & Traci DePree

The Hidden Heart by Jane Orcutt - PRH/Crown, WaterBrook - Lisa Bergren & Traci DePree

The Silver Sword by Angela Elwell Hunt - PRH/Crown, WaterBrook - Lisa Bergren

Long Contemporary Series Romance

Meant to Be Married by Ruth Wind - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Special Edition - Lynda Curnyn

Baby On His Doorstep by Diana Whitney - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Special Edition - Mary-Theresa Hussey

Cowboy On The Run by Anne McAllister - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette - Tara Gavin & Ann Leslie Tuttle

Everyday, Average Jones by Suzanne Brockmann - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Intimate Moments - Gail Chasan

The Family Next Door by Janice Kay Johnson - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Super Romance - Jane Robson

For Christmas, Forever by Ruth Wind - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Intimate Moments - Lynda Curnyn

The Husband She Couldn't Remember (aka Long Gone Lonesome Blues) by Maggie Shayne - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Intimate Moments - Leslie Wainger

The Rescue Of Jenna West by Debra Cowan - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Intimate Moments - Mary-Theresa Hussey

The Wallflower by Jan Freed - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Super Romance - Laura Shin

Long Historical Romance

My Dearest Enemy by Connie Brockway - PRH/Random House, Dell - Maggie Crawford

Another Chance To Dream by Lynn Kurland - PRH/Penguin, Berkley - Gail Fortune

The Bad Luck Wedding Cake by Geralyn Dawson - Simon & Schuster, Pocket - Caroline Tolley

The Bequest by Candice E. Proctor - PRH/Random House, Ballantine, Ivy - Shauna Summers

A Kiss To Dream On'' by Stephanie Mittman - PRH/Random House, Dell - Christine Zika

With Hope by Dorothy Garlock - Hachette, Grand Central (Warner), Forever - Claire Zion

Paranormal Romance

The Bride Finder by Susan Carroll - PRH/Random House, Ballantine, Ivy - Shauna Summers

Aquamarine by Catherine Mulvany - PRH/Random House, Bantam, Loveswept - Joy Abella

Heaven's Time by Susan Plunkett - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Denise Silvestro

Legend by Laura S. Baker - Macmillan - St. Martin's - Glenda Howard

This Time for Keeps by Kathleen Kane - Macmillan - St. Martin's - Jennifer Enderlin

A Well-Favored Gentleman by Christina Dodd - HarperCollins, Avon - Carrie Feron

Regency Romance

His Grace Endures by Emma Jensen - PRH/Random House, Ballantine, Ivy - Carolyn Nichols

Best Laid Schemes by Emma Jensen - PRH/Random House, Ballantine, Ivy - Carolyn Nichols

Celia's Grand Passion by Lynn Kerstan - PRH/Random House, Ballantine, Ivy - Carolyn Nichols

Lord Heartless by Barbara Metzger - Fawcett, Regency - Carolyn Nichols

Romantic Suspense

Cool Shade by Theresa Weir - HarperCollins, Harper - Sharon Morey

The Brother's Wife by Amanda Stevens - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Intrigue - Natashya Wilson

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

Homeport by Nora Roberts - PRH/Penguin, Berkely - Leslie Gelbman

If a Man Answers by Merline Lovelace - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Intimate Moments - Gail Chasan

Ransom My Heart by Gayle Wilson - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Intrigue - Huntley Fitzpatrick

Return to Sender by Merline Lovelace - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Intimate Moments - Gail Chasan

Short Contemporary Romance

The Notorious Groom by Caroline Cross - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Desire - Debra Robertson

Chase the Dream by Maris Soule - PRH/Random House, Bantam, Loveswept - Elizabeth Barrett

Courtship in Granite Ridge by Barbara McCauley - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Desire - Melissa Jeglinski

Just a Little Bit Pregnant by Eileen Wilks - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Desire - Cristine Grace

Kids Is a 4-Letter Word by Stephanie Bond - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Love & Laughter - Brenda Chin

The Lone Rider Takes a Bride by Leanne Banks - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Desire - Karen Kosztolnyik

One Wicked Night by Jo Leigh - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Temptation - Birgit Todd-Davis

Tall, Dark and Reckless by Lyn Ellis - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Temptation - Brenda Chin

Short Historical Romance

Merely Married by Patricia Coughlin - PRH/Random House, Bantam -

Devil's Diamond by Connie Laux - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, NAL Topaz - Cecilia Oh

Heaven Forbids by Karen Ranney - Kensington, Zebra - Tracy Bernstein

In His Arms by Robin Lee Hatcher - HarperCollins, Harper, HarperTorch - Laura Cifelli

Nobody's Darling by Teresa Medeiros - PRH/Random House, Bantam - Wendy McCurdy

Rachel LeMoyne by Eileen Charbonneau - Macmillan, Tor, Forge - Natalia Aponte

Sleeping Beauty by Judith Ivory - HarperCollins, Avon - Carrie Feron

The Tiger's Bride by Merline Lovelace - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Historical - Margaret Marbury

Traditional Romance

Monday Man by Kristin Gabriel - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Love & Laughter - Malle Vallik

And Cowboy Makes Three by Martha Shields - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Romance - Mary-Theresa Hussey

The Boss, the Baby and the Bride by Day Leclaire - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Romance - Gillian Green

Married by Mistake by Renee Roszel - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Romance - Linda Fildew

Stranded with a Tall Dark Stranger by Laura Anthony - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Romance - Melissa Jeglinski

The Twenty-Four Hour Bride by Day Leclaire - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Romance - Gillian Green

With This Child... by Sally Carleen - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Romance - Mary-Theresa Hussey