Last Saturday, at the end of a busy and fun Romance Writers of America National Conference, the top industry honor — the RITAs — were awarded at a glamorous ceremony. Yes, this is the Oscars of the romance world but true to the encouraging spirit that is so intrinsic to the RWA, Golden Heart awards are also given out to aspiring writers.

Congratulations to the following winners from Harlequin!

2010 RITA Winner for Best Romance Novella

“The Christmas Eve Promise”

In The Night Before Christmas
by Molly O’Keefe
Harlequin Enterprises, Silhouette Special Releases
Stacy Boyd, editor

2010 RITA Winner for Best Contemporary Series Romance

A Not-So-Perfect Past
by Beth Andrews

Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin Superromance
Victoria Curran, editor

2010 Romantic Suspense

The Soldier’s Secret Daughter

by Cindy Dees

Harlequin Enterprises, Silhouette Romantic Suspense

Patience Smith, editor

2010 RITA Winner for Best Contemporary Single Title Romance

Too Good To Be True
by Kristan Higgins

Harlequin Enterprises, HQN
Keyren Gerlach and Tracy Farrell, editors

Yesterday, the Romance Writers of America announced the 2010 RITA Award nominations. We’re very proud and honored to say that Harlequin has garnered a whopping 34 nominations in ten categories!  Congratulations to the wonderful authors and editors whose books have been nominated. Here is the complete list of nominations:

Best First Book:

Carla Capshaw: The Gladiator, Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical

Mary Brady: He Calls Her Doc, Harlequin Superromance

Contemporary Series Romance:

Anne McAllister: One Night Mistress…Convenient Wife, Harlequin Presents

Beth Andrews: A Not-So-Perfect Past, Harlequin Superromance

Christie Ridgeway: I Still Do, Silhouette Special Edition

Helen Brenna: From the Outside, NASCAR

Jane Porter: Duty, Desire and the Desert King, Mills and Boon Modern

Jennie Lucas: The Christmas Love-Child, Harlequin Presents

Kelly Hunter: Revealed: A Prince and a Pregnancy, Mills and Boon Modern Heat

Linda Goodnight: The Snow-Kissed Bride, Harlequin Romance

Teresa Hill: Single Mom Seeks…, Silhouette Special Edition

Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure

Jessica Andersen: Mountain Investigation, Harlequin Intrigue

Beth Cornelison: The Christmas Stranger, Silhouette Romantic Suspense

Cindy Dees: The Soldier’s Secret Daughter, Silhouette Romantic Suspense

Elle Kennedy: Silent Watch, Silhouette Romantic Suspense

Kathleen Eagle: In Care of Sam Beaudry, Silhouette Special Edition

Loreth Anne White: Cold Case Affair, Silhouette Romantic Suspense

Tracy Wolff: The Christmas Present, Harlequin Superromance

Contemporary Single Title Romance

Kristan Higgins: Too Good to Be True, HQN

Susan Wiggs: Fireside, MIRA Books

Victoria Dahl: Talk Me Down, HQN

Historical Romance

Betina Krahn: Make Me Yours, Harlequin Blaze

Michelle Willingham: Taming Her Irish Warrior, Harlequin Historical

Inspirational Romance

Carla Capshaw: The Gladiator, Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical

Novel with Strong Romantic Elements

Deanna Raybourn: Silent on the Moor, MIRA Books

Pamela Morsi: Red’s Hot Honky Tonk Bar, MIRA Books

Susan Wiggs: Lakeshore Christmas, MIRA Books

Regency Historical Romance

Elizabeth Rolls: Lord Braybrook’s Penniless Bride, Harlequin Historical

Romance Novella

Amanda McCabe: “Charlotte and the Wicked Lord” in The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor, Harlequin Historical

Brenda Novak: “On a Snowy Christmas” in The Night Before Christmas, Harlequin Historical

Courtney Milan: “This Wicked Gift” in The Heart of Christmas, HQN

Deb Marlowe: “Annalise and the Scandalous Rake” in The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor, Harlequin Historical

Molly O’Keefe: “The Christmas Eve Promise” in The Night Before Christmas, Silhouette Special Releases

RWA Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award

Debbie Macomber

Winners of the 2010 RITA Awards will be announced at the 30^th annual RWA Conference in Nashville, TN.

Best of luck, Harlequin authors!

by Olga Kwak, quoth the blogger, “Nevermore.”

We certainly love this book and we’re pleased that the Mystery Writers of America association agrees!

I’m very happy to announce that Heather Gudenkauf’s The Weight of Silence has been nominated for an Edgar Award in the Best New Novel category.

Winners will be announced on April 29, 2010 in New York City.

The Weight of Silence is Heather’s first novel and it has already spent an incredible twenty weeks on the New York Times bestsellers list.

Congratulations to Heather!

For a sample of The Weight of Silence click on the Browse the Book widget below.

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by Malle Vallik, Digital Team

We’re very excited to announce that The Tenth Case by Joseph Teller has won the Nero Award, a very prestigious award in the mystery and thriller community. It is judged by an expert panel and given to only one book per year.

The Tenth Case is the first book in the author’s Jaywalker series of legal thrillers and is followed by Bronx Justice and Depraved Indifference. The next book in the series, Overkill, will be published in August 2010.

You can listen to a podcast with Joseph Teller discussing his inspiration and own background that influenced The Tenth Case.

Congratulation to Joseph!

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