Nora Roberts, who has in the past won twenty RITA and Golden Medallion awards from the Romance Writers of America (RWA), did not walk away from the July 31, 2010 closing ceremonies of the RWA's annual conference with her twenty-first. Instead Laura Griffin accepted the 2010 RITA for Best Romantic Suspense Novel for her 2009 book, Whisper of Warning. Roberts' In Death series novel Promises in Death, written under her J.D. Robb pseudonym, had been included in that category as well.
Griffin is a former journalist whose 2007 debut novel, One Last Breath, won the Booksellers Best Award for romantic suspense. Her other works include three books in her Tracers series – Untraceable (2009), Unspeakable (2010) and Unforgivable (2010) – and the standalone novels One Wrong Step (2008), Thread of Fear (2008) and the RITA winning Whisper of Warning.
Historical romance author Sabrina Jeffries was Master of Ceremonies at the RITA Awards Banquet, where winners in the following eleven additional categories were named:
- 2010 RITA Award for Best Young Adult Romance – Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
- 2010 RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance – The Inheritance by Tamera Alexander
- 2010 RITA Award for Best Novel With Strong Romantic Elements – The Lost Recipe for Happiness by Barbara O'Neal
- 2010 RITA Award for Best Romance Novella – "The Christmas Eve Promise" by Molly O'Keefe in The Night Before Christmas
- 2010 RITA Award for Best Contemporary Series Romance – A Not-So-Perfect Past by Beth Andrews
- 2010 RITA Award for Best Contemporary Series Romance, Suspense/Adventure –The Soldier's Secret Daughter by Cindy Dees
- 2010 RITA Award for Best Historical Romance – Not Quite A Husband by Sherry Thomas
- 2010 RITA Award for Best Regency Historical Romance – What Happens In London by Julia Quinn
- 2010 RITA Award for Best Paranormal Romance – Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole
- 2010 RITA Award for Best First Book – One Scream Away by Kate Brady
- 2010 RITA Award for Best Contemporary Single Title Romance – Too Good To Be True by Kristin Higgins
Also announced at the RITA Awards Banquet were winners of the RWA's Golden Heart Awards for unpublished manuscripts. These and the RITA Award winners are listed on the RWA website. The slideshow below illustrates the covers of those books receiving RITA Awards.
J.D. Robb novel 'Promises in Death' among finalists for 2010 Best Romantic Suspense RITA Award
Nora Roberts has long history of winning RITA Awards
Nora Roberts involved in five events at 2010 RWA Conference
RWA's 2010 Literacy Autographing receives widespread media coverage
Nora Roberts speaks to RWA conference on surmounting difficulties in getting published>
Comments
Laura is my absolute favorite RS author! That book deserved the Rita! Congrats to the other finalists as well. My friend, Cat Schield, was one of the Golden Heart winners.
Hi Lexi. Please give my congratulations as well to your friend Cat Schield for winning the 2010 Golden Heart for
Best Contemporary Series Romance Manuscript for 'Fake Fiancee, Real Love.' I am enjoying Laura Griffin's books, too. I especially like her Tracers series.
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