ANNUAL NOMINEES FOR BEST BOOKS AND AUTHORS OF 2010 Dear Book Lovers, 2010 WAS ANOTHER great year for readers. So many fabulous books were published! We reviewed more than 250 books in each issue of RT BOOK REVIEWS — more than 3,000 titles for the entire year. Our ace reviewers and editors have scoured 12 months’ worth of reviews to compile the best of the best for the annual RT BOOK REVIEWS Career Achievement and Reviewers’ Choice Awards. For the Reviewers’ Choice nominees, our star team selected only those novels that deeply resonated with them. The Career Achievement nominees have continuously crafted superior books throughout their careers in each category. Winners will be announced in the May issue of RT, just prior to our 28th annual Booklovers Convention in Los Angeles, Calif., April 6 - April 10, 2011. Winners will be honored at a ceremony on Thursday, April 8, and awards will be presented to the authors in attendance. We hope you will be there to celebrate with your favorites! Career Achievement Nominees Contemporary\ Lisa Kleypas Mystery,Suspense Romantic Suspense\ Justine Davis Robyn Carr Julia Quinn & Thriller\ Beverly Barton Brenda Jackson Catherine Coulter Jo Leigh Brenda Jackson Inspirational\ Carole Nelson Douglas Cathie Linz Tess Gerritsen Jayne Ann Krentz Jenna Mills Terri Blackstock Linda Lael Miller Dennis Lehane Shannon McKenna Urban Fantasy Melody Carlson S.J. Rozan Carla Neggers \ Erotica Brandilyn Collins Rachel Caine \ Karin Slaughter Sci Fi/Fantasy Kate Douglas Lauraine Snelling Charles Todd \ P.N. Elrod Diane Duane Simon R. Green Joey W. Hill Mainstream\ Ann Jacobs Paranormal\ Lynn Flewelling Laurel K. Hamilton Beth Williamson Emily Giffin Amanda Ashley Guy Gavriel Kay Kim Harrison Susan Mallery Historical L.A. Banks Sharon Shinn Young Adult \ Fern Michaels MaryJanice Davidson Connie Willis \ Jennifer Ashley Mary B. Morrison Maggie Shayne Caroline B. Cooney Connie Brockway Carl Weber Rebecca York Series\ R.L. Stine Christina Dodd C.J. Carmichael Robin McKinley Reviewers’ Choice Nominees: Best Romantic Suspense Novels 2010 Romantic DEADLY PURSUIT DEATH ECHO Paranormal Romantic FIRED UP Suspense\ Ann Christopher Elizabeth Lowell Suspense\ Jayne Ann Krentz Dafina (Nov.) Morrow (Jun.) Putnam (Jan.) DEADLY LITTLE SECRETS SKIN TIGHT Jeanne Adams UNSPEAKABLE LAST CHANCE Ava Gray FADE TO MIDNIGHT Zebra (Sep.) Laura Griffin Christy Reece Berkley Sensation (Jun.) Shannon McKenna Pocket (Jul.) Ballantine (May) Brava (Jun.) HER LAST CHANCE BLOOD TIES Michele Albert Kay Hooper Pocket (Mar.) Bantam (Feb.) Best Multicultural Novels 2010 Multicultural Romance\ WHAT LOVE TASTES LIKE Multicultural HEAVEN FORBID BREAKAWAY Zuri Day Fiction Novel\ Lutishia Lovely Dafina (Aug.) Dafina (Aug.) Rochelle Alers HOLY ROLLERS Kimani/Arabesque (May) WRAPPED IN PLEASURE ReShonda Tate Billingsley UN-NAPPILY IN LOVE OPERATION PRINCE CHARMING Brenda Jackson Gallery (Jul.) Trisha R. Thomas Kimani/Arabesque (Jan.) St. Martin’s Griffin (Jun.) Phyllis Bourne A SECOND HELPING Love Spell (Jul.) IT HAD TO BE YOU Beverly Jenkins BIG GIRLS DO CRY HEART’S SECRET Francis Ray Avon A (Jan.) Carl Weber Adrianne Byrd St. Martin’s (May) Dafina (Feb.) Kimani/Arabesque (Jun.) January 2011 RT BOOKREVIEWS 115 ANNUAL NOMINEES Best Contemporary & Paranormal Romances 2010 Contemporary Futuristic ETERNAL KISS TOUCH OF SEDUCTION THE IRON DUKE MY WAY TO HELL Romance\ Romance\ OF DARKNESS Rhyannon Byrd Meljean Brook Dakota Cassidy HQN (Mar.) Berkley Sensation Berkley Sensation ANGEL’S PEAK CLOSE CONTACT Jeaniene Frost Avon (Aug.) (Oct.) (Jul.) Robyn Carr Katherine Allred WHISPER KISS Mira (Feb.) Eos (Jun.) BLOOD BORN Deborah Cooke LIVING NIGHTMARE UNDEAD AND Signet Eclipse (Aug.) TEMPT ME ENEMY WITHIN Linda Howard Shannon K. Butcher UNFINISHED Signet (Nov.) IF YOU CAN Marcella Burnard & Linda Jones INTHEDARK MaryJanice Ballantine (May) Janet Chapman Berkley Sensation OF DREAMS WATER BOUND Davidson Pocket Star (Mar.) (Nov.) DEVOURED BY Marjorie M. Liu Christine Feehan Berkley (Jul.) Avon (Dec.) Jove (Aug.) MAYBE THIS TIME MIDNIGHT CRYSTAL DARKNESS NICE GIRLS DON’T LIVE FOREVER Jennifer Crusie Jayne Castle Alexandra Ivy PLAY OF PASSION LION’S HEAT St. Martin’s (Sep.) Jove (Sep.) Zebra (Dec.) Nalini Singh Lora Leigh Molly Harper Berkley Sensation Berkley Sensation Pocket Star (Jan.) CHRISTMAS EVE AT REBELS AND LOVERS LOVER MINE (Nov.) (Apr.) SOMETHING WICKED FRIDAY HARBOR Linnea Sinclair J.R. Ward NAL (May) Lisa Kleypas Bantam (Apr.) DAY OF THE DRAGON BONDS OF JUSTICE Michelle Rowen Berkley Sensation St. Martin’s (Nov.) BEYOND THE NIGHT Rebecca York Nalini Singh Shapeshifter Berkley Sensation BerkleySensation(Jul.) (Oct.) CRUSH ON YOU Joss Ware Romance\ (Dec.) TRULY, MADLY Christie Ridgway Avon (Jan.) Berkley Sensation SERPENT MOON Paranormal Heather Webber (Jun.) Vampire C.T. Adams & Paranormal Fiction\ St. Martin’s (Feb.) Romance Cathy Clamp Romance\ HAUNTED WELCOME TO \ Tor (Mar.) HARMONY CROSS YOUR HEART BAYOU MOON HONEYMOON Jodi Thomas Michele Bardsley Ilona Andrews Marta Acosta Berkley (Jun.) Signet Eclipse (Sep.) Ace (Oct.) Gallery (Oct.) Best Urban Fantasy Novels 2010 Urban Fantasy DOUBLE CROSS DUST Gin Blanco Janet Begay Elena Deveraux Novel\ Carolyn Crane JoanFrances Turner SPIDER’S BITE STORMWALKER ARCHANGEL’S KISS Bantam Spectra (Oct.) Ace (Sep.) MAGIC BLEEDS Jennifer Estep Allyson James Nalini Singh Ilona Andrews MOB RULES UrbanFantasy Pocket (Feb.) Berkley Sensation Berkley Sensation Ace (Jun.) Cameron Haley Amanda Feral (May) (Feb.) Luna (Sep.) Protagonist\ TOTAL ECLIPSE BATTLE OF THE Marissa Holloway Rachel Caine CHOSEN Jace Valchek NETWORK ZOMBIES RED HOT FURY Roc (Aug.) Jeanne C. Stein DEATH BLOWS Mark Henry Kasey Mackenzie Ace (Sep.) DD Barant Kensington (Mar.) Ace (Jul.) St. Martin’s (Apr.) Best Mystery & Suspense Novels 2010 Contemporary Historical Mystery\ First Mystery\ Suspense/ Amateur Sleuth\ Mystery\ ROYAL BLOOD BLACKLANDS Thriller\ A NOSE FOR JUSTICE 212 Rhys Bowen Belinda Bauer ONE GRAVE LESS Rita Mae Brown Alafair Burke Prime Crime (Sep.) Simon & Schuster (Jan.) Beverly Connor Ballantine (Oct.) Harper (Apr.) DARK ROAD TO DARJEELING DEVOURED Obsidian (Dec.) CAT IN AN ULTRAMARINE PRAY FOR SILENCE Deanna Raybourne Denise Meredith LIVE TO TELL SCHEME Linda Castillo Mira (Oct.) Minotaur (Nov.) Lisa Gardner Carole Nelson Minotaur (Jun.) CITY OF DRAGONS THE ARK Bantam (Jul.) Douglas Forge (Aug.) CROOKED LETTER, Kelli Stanley Boyd Morrison THEY’RE WATCHING CROOKED LETTER Minotaur (Feb.) Touchstone (May) Gregg Hurwitz BONE APPETIT Tom Franklin AN IMPARTIAL WITNESS MURDER AT St. Martin’s (Jul.) Carolyn Haines Minotaur (Jul.) Morrow (Oct.) Charles Todd MANSFIELD PARK EIGHT DAYS TO LIVE MOONLIGHT MILE Morrow (Sep.) Lynn Shepherd Iris Johansen GHOULS GONE WILD Dennis Lehane THE DEMON’S PARCHMENT St. Martin’s Griffin (Aug.) St. Martin’s (Apr.) Victoria Laurie Obsidian (Mar.) Morrow (Nov.) Jeri Westerson STILL MISSING BROKEN ON THE LINE Minotaur (Oct.) Chevy Stevens Karin Slaughter THE QUICK AND S.J. Rozan St. Martin’s (Jul.) Delacorte (Jul.) THE THREAD Minotaur (Oct.) Amanda Lee Obsidian (Aug.) 116 WWW.RTBOOKREVIEWS.COM January 2011 FOR BEST BOOKS AND AUTHORS OF 2010 Best Historical Novels 2010 Historical Romance LAST NIGHT’S SCANDAL Regency-Set Historical IF HE’S WILD Historical Fiction\ of the Year\ Loretta Chase Romance\ Hannah Howell WHITER THAN SNOW Avon (Aug.) Zebra (Jun.) THE GOLDEN SEASON A SECRET AFFAIR Sandra Dallas Connie Brockway A KISS AT MIDNIGHT Mary Balogh THE FIRE LORD’S LOVER St. Martin’s (Apr.) Onyx (Feb.) Eloisa James Delacorte (Jun.) Kathryne Kennedy THE RED QUEEN Avon (Aug.) Sourcebooks (Jul.) ONE TOUCH OF SCANDAL ONE DANCE WITH A DUKE Philippa Gregory Liz Carlyle HOW TO WED A BARON Tessa Dare A HIGHLANDER’S Touchstone (Aug.) Avon (Oct.) Kasey Michaels Ballantine (Jun.) HOMECOMING THE IRISH DUKE HQN (Dec.) NEVER TRUST A ROGUE CHARMING THE DEVIL Melissa Mayhue Virginia Henley Pocket (Feb.) Olivia Drake THE WICKED WYCKERLY Lois Greiman Signet Eclipse (Mar.) St. Martin’s (Sep.) Patricia Rice Avon (Feb.) AMETHYST DESTINY THE WINTER SEA Signet Eclipse (Jul..) BARELY A LADY IN SCANDAL THEY WED Pamela Montgomerie Susanna Kearsley Berkley Sensation (May) Eileen Dreyer Sophie Jordan Sourcebooks (Dec.) Foever (Jul.) Innovative Historical Avon (Apr.) A BEWITCHING BRIDE Romance\ THE WIVES OF THE PROMISE LESSONS IN FRENCH Elizabeth Thornton HENRY OADES Berkley Sensation (Nov.) Brenda Joyce LADY ISABELLA’S Laura Kinsale Joanna Moran HQN (Dec.) SCANDALOUS MARRIAGE Sourcebooks (Feb.) Ballantine (Mar.) Jennifer Ashley Historical Romantic PASSIONS OF A Berkley Sensation (Jul.) THE MARRIAGE RING Adventure\ THE BETRAYAL WICKED EARL Cathy Maxwell OF THE BLOOD LILY Lorraine Heath SEVEN NIGHTS Avon (Mar.) TRIUMPH IN ARMS Lauren Willig Avon (Nov.) TO FOREVER Jennifer Blake Dutton (Jan.) Evangeline Collins TO TEMPT A SAINT Mira (Feb.) LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON Berkley Sensation (Nov.) Kate Moore Historical K.I.S.S. Lisa Kleypas Berkley Sensation (Jan.) THE FORBIDDEN ROSE St. Martin’s (Jul.) A TOUCH OF SCANDAL Joanna Bourne Hero\ Jennifer Haymore WICKED DELIGHTS Berkley Sensation (Jun.) Edward Neville THAT PERFECT SOMEONE Forever (Apr.) OF A BRIDAL BED IN BED WITH THE DUKE LORD LIGHTNING Johanna Lindsey Tracy Anne Warren Gallery (May) WICKED INTENTIONS Christina Dodd Jenny Brown Elizabeth Hoyt Avon (Sep.) Signet (Mar.) Avon (Oct.) NINE RULES TO BREAK Grand Central (Aug.) Aidan Phillips WHEN ROMANCING A RAKE Scotland-Set MY DANGEROUS DUKE MOST EAGERLY YOURS Sarah MacLean THE TRUTH ABOUT Historical Gaelen Foley Avon (Apr.) LORD STONEVILLE Romance\