2004 RITA® Winners & Finalists

Contemporary Single Title Romance

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

Back Roads by Susan Crandall - Hachette, Grand Central (Warner), Forever - Karen Kosztolnyik

Fallen From Grace by Laura Leone - Five Star - Russell Davis

Key Of Light by Nora Roberts - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Leslie Gelbman

The Last Bride In Ballymuir by Dorien Kelly - Simon & Schuster, Pocket - Maggie Crawford

Lover's Lane by Jill Marie Landis - PRH/Random House, Ballantine - Shauna Summers

Only By Your Touch by Catherine Anderson - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, NAL Signet - Ellen Edwards

The Secret Gift by Jaclyn Reding - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, NAL Signet - Claire Zion & Hilary Ross

Small Wonders by Marilyn Pappano - PRH/Random House, Dell - Wendy McCurdy

First Book

Back Roads by Susan Crandall - Hachette, Grand Central (Warner), Forever - Karen Kosztolnyik

Baby, Be Mine by Emily McKay - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Temptation - Brenda Chin

Charming The Highlander by Janet Chapman - Simon & Schuster, Pocket - Selena James

The Ideal Bride by Nonnie St. George - Kensington, Zebra, Regency - Kate Duffy

The Maid Of Dishonor by Tanya Michaels - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Duets - Jennifer Green

Some Like It Sizzling by Jamie Sobrato - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Temptation - Wanda Ottewell

Winter Woman by Jenna Kernan - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Historical - Jessica Regante & Ann Leslie Tuttle

Inspirational Romance

Autumn Dreams by Gayle Roper - PRH/Crown, Multnomah - Julee Schwarzburg

One Tuesday Morning by Karen Kingsbury - Zondervan - Karen Ball & Bob Hudson

When You Believe by Deborah Bedford - Hachette, Grand Central (Warner), Forever - Leslie Peterson

Without A Trace by Colleen Coble - Thomas Nelson - Ami McConnell

Long Contemporary Series Romance

The Top Gun's Return by Kathleen Creighton - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Intimate Moments - Gail Chasan

All A Man Can Be by Virginia Kantra - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Intimate Moments - Mary-Theresa Hussey

Entrapment by Kylie Brant - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Intimate Moments - Mary-Theresa Hussey

Keeping Faith by Day Leclaire - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Forrester Square - Marsha Zinberg

The Last Honorable Man by Vickie Taylor - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Intimate Moments - Ann Leslie Tuttle

Night Watch by Suzanne Brockmann - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Intimate Moments - Gail Chasan

The One Safe Place by Kathleen O'Brien - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Super Romance - Laura Shin

Ring Of Deception by Sandra Marton - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Forrester Square - Marsha Zinberg

Strategic Engagement by Catherine Mann - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Intimate Moments - Melissa Jeglinski

Long Historical Romance

The Destiny by Katherine Givens - Hachette, Grand Central (Warner), Forever - Karen Kosztolnyik

Fool For Love by Eloisa James - HarperCollins, Avon - Lucia Macro

A Kiss To Die For by Claudia Dain - Dorchester, Leisure - Alicia Condon

London's Perfect Scoundrel by Suzanne Enoch - HarperCollins, Avon - Erika Tsang

The Saint by Madeline Hunter - PRH/Random House, Bantam - Wendy McCurdy

The Silver Lion by Lynn Kerstan - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, NAL Onyx - Hilary Ross

To Marry The Duke by Julianne MacLean - HarperCollins, Avon - Kelly Harms

Mainstream Novel with Strong Elements

Between Sisters by Kristin Hannah - PRH/Random House, Ballantine - Linda Marrow

A Piece Of Heaven by Barbara Samuel - PRH/Random House, Ballantine - Shauna Summers

Shore Lights by Barbara Bretton - PRH/Penguin, Berkley - Cindy Hwang

Paranormal Romance

Shades Of Midnight by Linda Fallon - Kensington, Zebra - Amy Garvey

Hunting Midnight by Emma Holly - PRH/Penguin, Berkley - Christine Zika

Night Fires by Karen Harbaugh - PRH/Random House, Bantam - Wendy McCurdy

No More Lies by Susan Squires - Dorchester, Love Spell - Christopher Keeslar

Portrait In Death - J.D. Robb - PRH/Penguin, Berkley - Leslie Gelbman

Skyfall by Catherine Asaro - Macmillan, Tor, Science Fiction - James Minz

Wedding The Highlander by Janet Chapman - Simon & Schuster, Pocket - Selena James

Regency Romance

Prospero's Daughter by Nancy Butler - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, NAL Signet Regency - Hilary Ross

The Ideal Bride by Nonnie St. George - Kensington, Zebra, Regency - Kate Duffy

The Indifferent Earl by Blair Bancroft - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, NAL Signet Regency - Hilary Ross

The Reluctant Rogue by Elizabeth Powell - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, NAL Signet Regency - Hilary Ross

Romance Novella

"Prisoner Of The Tower" in Wedding Chase by Gayle Wilson - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Special Releases - Tracy Farrell

"36 Valentines" in The Further Observations Of Lady Whistledown by Julia Quinn - HarperCollins, Avon - Lyssa Keusch

"Against The Odds" in Where's My Hero? by Lisa Kleypas - HarperCollins, Avon - Lucia Macro

"Run From Twilight" in Two By Twilight by Maggie Shayne - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette - Leslie Wainger

"Seven Days" in Lakota Legacy by Ruth Wind - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette - Lynda Curnyn

"A Tale Of Two Sisters" in Where's My Hero? by Julia Quinn - HarperCollins, Avon - Lyssa Keusch

"Two Hearts" in The Further Observations Of Lady Whistledown by Karen Hawkins - HarperCollins, Avon - Lyssa Keusch

"The Yearning" in His Immortal Embrace by Hannah Howell - Kensington, Zebra - John Scognamiglio

Romantic Suspense

Remember When: Part I (aka Hot Rocks) by Nora Roberts - PRH/Penguin, Putnam - Leslie Gelbman

Caught In The Act by Joyce Lamb - Five Star - Russell Davis

Cold Ridge by Carla Neggers - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Amy Moore-Benson

Kill The Competition by Stephanie Bond - HarperCollins, Avon - Lyssa Keusch

Remember When: Part II (aka Big Jack) by J.D. Robb - PRH/Penguin, Putnam - Leslie Gelbman

Thicker Than Water by Maggie Shayne - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Leslie Wainger

While She Was Sleeping by Suzanne Forster - PRH/Penguin, Berkley - Cindy Hwang

Short Contemporary Romance

The Knight's Kiss by Nicole Burnham - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Romance - Gail Chasan

Baby, Be Mine by Emily McKay - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Temptation - Brenda Chin

Fringe Benefits by Nancy Warren - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Temptation - Jennifer Green

Mistletoe Over Manhattan by Barbara Daly - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Temptation - Jennifer Green

One Naughty Night by Joanne Rock - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Temptation - Wanda Ottewell

Show And Tell by Rhonda Nelson - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Blaze - Brenda Chin

Wicked & Willing by Leslie Kelly - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Temptation - Brenda Chin

"A Wolf River Summer" in Summer Gold by Barbara McCauley - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette - Melissa Jeglinski

Short Historical Romance

Worth Any Price by Julianne MacLean - HarperCollins, Harlequin - Melissa Endlich

The Angel Of Devil's Camp by Lynna Banning - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Historical - none given

Confessions Of a Scoundrel byKaren Hawkins - HarperCollins, Avon - Lyssa Keusch

Love With The Proper Husband by Victoria Alexander - HarperCollins, Avon - Lucia Macro

One Night Of Scandal by Teresa Medeiros - HarperCollins, Avon - Carrie Feron

Wayward Widow by Nicola Cornick - HarperCollins, Harlequin Mills & Boon, Historical - Kimberley Young

Traditional Romance

Her Royal Baby by Marion Lennox - HarperCollins, Harlequin Mills & Boon, Romance - Kate Paice

The Boss's Convenient Proposal by Barbara McMahon - HarperCollins, Harlequin Mills & Boon, Romance - Kimberley Young

A Cradle For Caroline by Nancy Warren - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Duets - Jennifer Green

Her Playboy Challenge by Barbara Hannay - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Kimberley Young

The Snow Bride by Debbie Macomber - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Paula Eykelhof

The Wish by Diane Pershing - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Romance - Mary-Theresa Hussey

The Wish-List Wife by Barbara Dunlop - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Duets - Kathryn Lye