Romance Writers of America (RWA), the trade association for romance fiction authors, has announced the finalists for the 2019 RITA® and Golden Heart® Awards. The RITA recognizes excellence in published romance novels and novellas. The Golden Heart recognizes excellence in unpublished romance manuscripts.
The winners will be announced at the 2019 RWA Annual Conference in New York City, July 24-27.
Categories that include works of genre interest are listed below. The complete list is here.
2019 RITA Finalists
Best First Book
Celebrity Spin Doctor by Celia
Mulder
InkSpell Publishing
Audrey Bobak, editor
Lady in Waiting by Marie Tremayne
HarperCollins, Avon Impulse
Elle Keck, editor
The Last Wolf by Maria Vale
Sourcebooks, Casablanca
Deb Werksman, editor
A Wicked Kind of Husband by Mia Vincy
Self-published
Paranormal Romance
To Catch a Rogue by Bec
McMaster
Self-published
Olivia Ventura, editor
Dearest Ivie by J. R. Ward
Ballantine Bantam Dell, Ballantine Books
Kara Walsh, editor
Debriefing the Dead by Kerry Blaisdell
The Wild Rose Press, Black Rose
Callie Lynn Wolfe, editor
Haunted Hearts by Kimberly Dean
Self-published
The Last Wolf by Maria Vale
Sourcebooks, Casablanca
Deb Werksman, editor
Out of Body by Suzanne Brockmann
Self-published
Romance Novella
Bad Blood by M. Malone
Self-published
Angela Ramey, editor
Catching Irish by Katy Regnery
Self-published
Tessa Shapcott, editor
Dragon Lord by Dana Marton
Self-published
Diane Flindt and Linda Ingmanson, editors
“The Dragons of Summer” by Jeffe Kennedy
in Seasons of Sorcery
Self-published
“Lead Counsel” by Aurora Rey
in The Boss of Her: Office Romance Novellas
Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
Ashley Tillman, editor
Loving the Secret Billionaire by Adriana Anders
Self-published
Kim Cannon and Nancy Smay, editors
Saved by the Cowboy by A. J. Pine
Grand Central Publishing, Forever Yours
Madeline Colavita, editor
2019 Golden Heart Finalists
Paranormal Romance
- Bless Your Heart and Other Southern Curses by Heather Leonard
- Touch 3.3 by Valen Cox
- The Transformation of Alexis Doe by Jilly Wood
- Warrior of Eden by Fenley Grant
- Witch Way Down by Chelly Pike