Lyn:What does it mean to you to have a book nominated for a RITA?

Author Irene Hannon: It means I’m absolutely thrilled! Even though I’ve won the RITA once and this is my fourth nomination, the thrill never diminishes. For a romance writer, there is no higher honor than a RITA. It’s the Oscar of this genre. So in a very real sense, it’s a validation that all of the hard work of mastering the craft, the longs hours at the computer, and the painful rejections along the way to publication have been worth it.

What makes the RITA especially valuable to me is the judging process. Only published authors judge—five in the first round, five in the second. In other words, a finalist book goes through two complete judging process and is read by 10 published novelists. So the credibility of the contest is very high. For that reason, to me being a RITA finalist is as good as a win in almost any other contest.

I also feel honored to be in the company of so many wonderful authors. The competition is always stiff for this coveted award, but I can honestly say that in the years I’ve been a finalist, I’ve never had an issue with a book that won over mine. In one case in particular, if I’d been a judge I would have picked the book that won! So no matter who wins this year, I still feel like a winner just to be included in such an amazing group of authors.

www.irenehannon.com

Irene’s book is An Eye for An Eye, out by Revell. Drop by a past blog using this link to read about this book.

http://strongwomenbravestories.blogspot.com/2009/09/author-irene-hannon-her-unmarried.html