Constantly on the look out for new books/authors? One great way to find them is to keep your eye on contest when they announce their finalists list. I'm always going to be bias toward Georgia Romance Writer's Maggie Awards but that could be because I'm in charge of it this year. ;)
While the finalists for the 2014 Maggies won't be announced until later this year, the Romance Writers of America's RITA Awards - the Oscars of Romance Writing - have released their list. These are the best of the best. All these books are published and available for purchase, so I encourage you to check them out!
Below I'm giving you the FULL list with book covers, sorted by category! Enjoy! Please be sure to come back and comment if you read any of these books. Let us know what you think!
Best First Book
These books are first sales, so brand new authors!
Note: This is the only category that the finalists can be found twice. Once here and once in their genre category.
Five Days in Skye by Carla Laureano
David C. Cook
John Blase and Tonya Osterhouse, Editors
Inspirational Romance
Inspirational Romance
Fix You by Beck Anderson
Omnific Publishing
Jessica Royer Ocken and Cindy Robinson Campbell, editors
Contemporary Romance
Private Practice by Samanthe Beck
Entangled Publishing, Brazen
Heather Howland, Editor
Erotic Romance
Promise to Return by Elizabeth Byler Younts
Simon & Schuster, Howard Books
Beth Adams and Amanda Demastus, editors
Inspirational Romance
Inspirational Romance
The Sweet Spot by Laura Drake
Grand Central Publishing, Forever
Latoya Smith, editor
Contemporary Romance
Contemporary Romance
Along Came Trouble by Ruthie Knox
Random House Group, Loveswept
Sue Grimshaw, editor
Beach House No. 9 by Christie Ridgway
Harlequin, HQN
Margo Lipschultz, editor
Country Roads by Nancy Herkness
Amazon Publishing, Montlake
Kelli Martin and JoVon Sotak, editors
Crazy Thing Called Love by Molly O'Keefe
Random House Group, Ballantine
Bantam Dell
Shauna Summers, editor
Fix You by Beck Anderson
Omnific Publishing
Jessica Royer Ocken and Cindy Robinson Campbell, editors
First Sale
Half Moon Hill by Toni Blake
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books
May Chen, Editor
Home to Whiskey Creek by Brenda Novak
Harlequin, MIRA
Paula Eykelhof, editor
Homecoming Ranch by Julia London
Amazon Publishing, Montlake
Maria Gomez, editor
It Had to Be You by Jill Shalvis
Grand Central Publishing
Alex Logan, editor
Letters to Nowhere by Julie Cross
Self-Published
Martha Trachtenberg, copyeditor
Rescued by a Stranger by Lizbeth Selvig
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Impulse
Tessa Woodward, editor
Rumor Has It by Jill Shalvis
Berkley Publishing Group
Kate Seaver, editor
The Second Chance Cafe by Alison Kent
Amazon Publishing, Montlake
Lindsay Guzzardo, editor
Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan
Harlequin, HQN
Flo Nicoll, editor
The Sweet Spot by Laura Drake
Grand Central Publishing, Forever
Latoya Smith, editor
First Sale
Talk of the Town by Beth Andrews
Harlequin, Superromance
Wanda Ottewell, editor
The Way You Look Tonight by Bella Andre
Self-Published
Shelley Bates, copyeditor
Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts
Penguin Group USA, G. P. Putnam's Sons
Leslie Gelbman, editor
Erotic Romance
Claim Me by J. Kenner
Random House Group, Bantam
Shauna Summers, editor
Private Practice by Samanthe Beck
Entangled Publishing, Brazen
Heather Howland, Editor
First Sale
When I'm Bad I'm Better
in It Stings So Sweet by Stephanie Darven
Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley Sensation
Cindy Hwang, editor
Historical Romance
Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books
Tessa Woodward, editor
The Autumn Bride by Anne Gracie
Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley Sensation
Wendy McCurdy, editor
The Chieftain's Curse by Frances Housden
Harlequin, MIRA
Kate Cuthbert, editor
The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan
Self-Published
Robin Harders and Keira Soleore, editors
Darius by Grace Burrowes
Sourcebooks, Casablanca
Deb Werksman, editor
Dark Angel: A Gothic Fairy Tale by T J Bennett
Entangled Publishing, Edge
Liz Pelletier and Shannon Godwin, editors
Duke of Midnight by Elizabeth Hoyt
Grand Central Publishing
Amy Pierpont, editor
The Lady and the Laird by Nicola Cornick
Harlequin, HQN
Ann Leslie Tuttle, editor
Love and Other Scandals by Caroline Linden
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books
Lyssa Keusch, Editor
The Luckiest Lady in London by Sherry Thomas
Berkley Publishing Group
Wendy McCurdy, editor
Never Desire a Duke by Lily Dalton
Grand Central Publishing, Forever
Michele Bidelspach, editor
No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books
Carrie Feron, editor
Plaid Tidings by Mia Marlowe
Kensington Publishing Corp., Zebra
Alicia Condon, editor
A Rake's Midnight Kiss by Anna Campbell
Grand Central Publishing, Forever
Amy Pierpont, editor
The Rogue's Proposal by Jennifer Haymore
Grand Central Publishing, Forever
Selina McLemore, editor
Sins of a Ruthless Rogue by Anna Randol
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books
Tessa Woodward, editor
Sonata for a Scoundrel by Anthea Lawson
Self-Published
Inspirational Romance
Grand Central Publishing, Forever
Amy Pierpont, editor
The Rogue's Proposal by Jennifer Haymore
Grand Central Publishing, Forever
Selina McLemore, editor
Sins of a Ruthless Rogue by Anna Randol
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books
Tessa Woodward, editor
Sonata for a Scoundrel by Anthea Lawson
Self-Published
Inspirational Romance
Five Days in Skye by Carla Laureano
David C. Cook
John Blase and Tonya Osterhouse, Editors
First Sale
First Sale
Promise to Return by Elizabeth Byler Younts
Simon & Schuster, Howard Books
Beth Adams and Amanda Demastus, editors
First Sale
Paranormal Romance
The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas
HarperCollins Publishers, Balzer & Bray
Donna Bray, editor
Caged Warrior by Lindsey Piper
Pocket Books
Lauren McKenna, editor
Demon Hunting in a Dive Bar by Lexi George
Kensington Publishing Corp., Brava
Alicia Condon, editor
The Devil's Heart by Cathy Maxwell
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books
Lucia Marco, editor
Diamond Dust by Vivian Arend
Samhain Publishing
Anne Scott, editor
The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley
Sourcebooks, Landmark
Deb Werksman, editor
Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh
Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley Sensation
Cindy Hwang, editor
His Clockwork Canary by Beth Ciotta
Signet
Jhanteigh Kupihea, editor
Immortally Ever After by Angie Fox
St. Martin's Press
Monique Patterson, editor
Shadowdance by Kristen Callihan
Grand Central Publishing, Forever
Alex Logan, editor
Skies of Gold: The Ether Chronicles by Zoe Archer
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Impulse
Amanda Bergeron, editor
Teardrop by Lauren Kate
Random House Group, Delacorte
Tamar Schwartz, editor
Witch Bound by Eleri Stone
Carina Press
Gina Bernal, editor
Romance Navella
The Bridesmaid by Julia London
Sourcebooks, Casablanca
Deb Werksman, editor
Defending Truth by Shannon McNear
in A Pioneer Christmas
Barbour Publishing
Becky Germany, editor
How to Marry a Highlander by Katharine Ashe
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Impulse
Lucia Marco, editor
How to Misbehave by Ruthie Knox
Random House Group, Loveswept
Sue Grimshaw, editor
Imagine Me and You by Maisey Yates
in Animal Attraction
Harlequin, HQN
Margo Lipschultz, editor
Mine Under the Mistletoe by Kat Latham
Carina Press
Angela James, editor
Take Me, Cowboy by Jane Porter
Tule Publishing, Montana Born Books
Tessa Shapcott, editor
Take What You Want by Jeanette Grey
Samhain Publishing
Jennifer Miller, editor
Too Fast to Fall by Victoria Dahl
in Be Mine
Harlequin, HQN
Tara Parsons, editor
Romantic Suspense
Justice for Sara by Erica Spindler
St. Martin's Press
Jennifer Weiss, editor
The Killing Game by Toni Anderson
Self-Published
Off the Edge by Carolyn Crane
Self-Published
Thrill Ride by Julie Ann Walker
Sourcebooks, Casablanca
Leah Hultenschmidt, editor
Short Contemporary Romance
A Conflict of Interest by Barbara Dunlop
Harlequin, Desire
Charles Griemsman, editor
Free Fall by Karen Foley
Harlequin, Blaze
Brenda Chin, editor
Her Accidental Boyfriend by Robin Bielman
Entangled Publishing, Bliss
Stacy Adams and Wendy Chen, editors
Her Secret, His Baby by Tanya Michaels
Harlequin, American Romance
Johanna Raisanen, editor
A Royal Without Rules by Caitlin Crews
Harlequin, Presents
Megan Haslam, editor
Why Resist a Rebel? by Leah Ashton
Harlequin KISS
Meg Lewis, editor
First Sale
Paranormal Romance
The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas
HarperCollins Publishers, Balzer & Bray
Donna Bray, editor
Caged Warrior by Lindsey Piper
Pocket Books
Lauren McKenna, editor
Demon Hunting in a Dive Bar by Lexi George
Kensington Publishing Corp., Brava
Alicia Condon, editor
The Devil's Heart by Cathy Maxwell
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books
Lucia Marco, editor
Diamond Dust by Vivian Arend
Samhain Publishing
Anne Scott, editor
The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley
Sourcebooks, Landmark
Deb Werksman, editor
Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh
Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley Sensation
Cindy Hwang, editor
His Clockwork Canary by Beth Ciotta
Signet
Jhanteigh Kupihea, editor
Immortally Ever After by Angie Fox
St. Martin's Press
Monique Patterson, editor
Shadowdance by Kristen Callihan
Grand Central Publishing, Forever
Alex Logan, editor
Skies of Gold: The Ether Chronicles by Zoe Archer
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Impulse
Amanda Bergeron, editor
Teardrop by Lauren Kate
Random House Group, Delacorte
Tamar Schwartz, editor
Witch Bound by Eleri Stone
Carina Press
Gina Bernal, editor
Romance Navella
The Bridesmaid by Julia London
Sourcebooks, Casablanca
Deb Werksman, editor
Defending Truth by Shannon McNear
in A Pioneer Christmas
Barbour Publishing
Becky Germany, editor
How to Marry a Highlander by Katharine Ashe
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Impulse
Lucia Marco, editor
How to Misbehave by Ruthie Knox
Random House Group, Loveswept
Sue Grimshaw, editor
Imagine Me and You by Maisey Yates
in Animal Attraction
Harlequin, HQN
Margo Lipschultz, editor
Mine Under the Mistletoe by Kat Latham
Carina Press
Angela James, editor
Take Me, Cowboy by Jane Porter
Tule Publishing, Montana Born Books
Tessa Shapcott, editor
Take What You Want by Jeanette Grey
Samhain Publishing
Jennifer Miller, editor
Too Fast to Fall by Victoria Dahl
in Be Mine
Harlequin, HQN
Tara Parsons, editor
Romantic Suspense
Justice for Sara by Erica Spindler
St. Martin's Press
Jennifer Weiss, editor
The Killing Game by Toni Anderson
Self-Published
Off the Edge by Carolyn Crane
Self-Published
Thrill Ride by Julie Ann Walker
Sourcebooks, Casablanca
Leah Hultenschmidt, editor
Short Contemporary Romance
A Conflict of Interest by Barbara Dunlop
Harlequin, Desire
Charles Griemsman, editor
Free Fall by Karen Foley
Harlequin, Blaze
Brenda Chin, editor
Her Accidental Boyfriend by Robin Bielman
Entangled Publishing, Bliss
Stacy Adams and Wendy Chen, editors
Her Secret, His Baby by Tanya Michaels
Harlequin, American Romance
Johanna Raisanen, editor
A Royal Without Rules by Caitlin Crews
Harlequin, Presents
Megan Haslam, editor
Why Resist a Rebel? by Leah Ashton
Harlequin KISS
Meg Lewis, editor
So there you have it! The fabulous lineup of romance novels of 2013 that made the cut for a chance at the coveted RITA Award! Go, get them, read them and watch www.rwa.org on the 26th of July for the winners.
Still want more authors to keep an eye on? The Golden Heart - the Unpublished version of the RITA Awards - list can be found here!
Post a Comment