The 2011 finalists for both the RITA and Golden Heart Awards were recently announced and I have to say there are quite a few on the lists I’m quite excited about! Especially one in particular:

The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells - Nominated for both the Best First Book and Young Adult Romance awards. I reviewed Amanda’s novel not too long ago and absolutely adored! I am absolutely crossing my fingers for her on both accounts because not only is the book incredible, but she is as well.

What is the RWA all about? The Romance Writers of America® (RWA) was chartered in 1981 to serve as a nonprofit trade association for romance writers. Each year the RWA also sponsors the romance publishing industry’s prestigious awards for published and unpublished romance writers — the RITA Awards and the Golden Heart Awards. These awards recognize excellence in romance fiction.

Both Awards have various categories with numerous books being selected as finalists. Take a look at the categories:

For the RITA Awards:
Best First Book
Contemporary Series Romance
Contemporary Series Romance:Suspense/Adventure
Contemporary Single Title
Historical Romance
Inspirational Romance
Novel with Strong Romantic Elements
Paranormal Romance
Regency Historical Romance
Romance Novella
Romantic Suspense
Young Adult Romance

Golden Heart Award Finalist Categories:
Contemporary Series Romance
Contemporary Series Romance:Suspense/Adventure
Contemporary Single Title
Historical Romance
Inspirational Romance
Novel with Strong Romantic Elements
Paranormal Romance
Regency Historical Romance
Romantic Suspense
Young Adult Romance

Winners will be announced on July 1, 2025 at a ceremony taking place during the RWA’s Annual Conference in New York, New York. Do you have any favorites?

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