Tonight's the night! Saturday night of RWA's National Conference is the BIG awards ceremony! This is the ceremony where romance writers honor their own with the Rita and Golden Heart awards, our industry's equivalent of the Oscars, Emmys, or Grammys.
As you know, the Banditas were all finalists in the 2006 Golden Heart contest. That is where we "found" each other, and so this award has a very special place in all our hearts! In case you didn't know, the Golden Heart contest recognizes outstanding unpublished romance manuscripts in ten different categories
. Up to 1200 entries are judged by members of RWA and are narrowed down to around 100 finalists. Editors from acquiring romance publishers judge the final round, and winners receive a beautiful pendant.This year, our Bandita KJ Howe is a finalist in the Contemporary Series Suspense/Adventure category. KJ is a fantastic writer and we are all pulling for her to be the BIG WINNER in her category tonight!
Did you know the Rita award was named for RWA's first president Rita Clay Estrada? (Be sure to file that away for future trivia contests.) This award is for outstanding published romance novels and novellas an
d the contest has twelve categories. Once again, approximately 1200 entries are narrowed by judges to about 100 finalists. Winners receive a beautiful statuette much like an Oscar or Emmy.This year A Not-So-Perfect Past by our Bandita Beth Andrews is a Rita finalist in the Contemporary Series Romance category. So many of us Banditas and BBs LOVED Nina and Dillon's story and we will all be hoping that our Wonder-Beth will be the first Bandita to bring home the lovely Rita statue!
There are many wonderful writers and books up for Golden Heart and Rita awards this year. By this time tomorrow, it will all be over and the winners will be announced. We'll get to see all the fabulous pictures and share the triumphs. But they are ALL WINNERS just to have been finalists!
Awards are so much fun! We all deserve to win one once in awhile. For instance, Posh, Jo-Mama, and I, along with Lars, Marcus, Zach, and Paolo all deserve a "Holding-Down-The -Fort" award! What about you? What kind of award would you create and who would win it?
50 comments:
How about a GR award!
Yes you are all winners in my book. So you all deserve a large trophy with the GR on top of it.
LOL! Congrats, Virginia! You have indeed been awarded the GR for the day. But I'm not sure if that's an honor or not, considering...
;-)
AC
Thank you Virginia!
Is there any way you can make the GR trophy chocolate?!?!
AC
I have to agree with Virginia...something like the Golden Rooster Gilded Spirit award. If it's chocolate, make sure it's solid chocolate and at least three feet tall. Gnaw on it with someone you love. :)
congrats, Virginia!
Good work Virginia although I am not sure whether he is the original or a clone because I have seen pictures from Orlando with the GR in them.
AC
I have my fingers crossed for all of the nominees it really must be such an honour for all of the hard work you writers put in Way to go Ladies.
An award I would like for how many books I read a year and yes it could be a very big chocolate shaped like a book LOL
Have Fun
Helen
Congrats on the GR, Virginia.
Hey Aunty Cindy,
Ooh, can I have a piece of that "Holding-Down-The -Fort" award? I don't have any special skills so I'm probably in the running for some dubious awards.
Hi all - Giving a shoutout from Orlando. It's been great here connecting with the other banditas and bandita buddies. The rooster is running amok through the hotel, not sure where that wily fellow has gotten too. Last that I saw him, he was smoozing with people in line at Susan Sey's book signing. I'm playing hookey today (ssh)and skipping out to the Harry Potter ride at Universal. I'll be back in time for the awards ceremoney tonight.
Doesn't that picture of KJ look great! So exotic and writerly. I've pretty much lost my voice already, but I'll be screaming tonight with the rest of the banditas at the awards ceremony...just not sure if much more than a rasp will come out.
Virginia, the only GR award you will get is the GR himself. I'm not sure that's an award anyone really wants! *g* I know you can whip him into shape, though, so no worries for you today!!
Aww, Virginia, we love you too!I'm with Pink in thinking the Golden Rooster Gilded Spirit Award should be chocolate. Definitely something ephermeral, guaranteed to last no more than 24 hours. ;-)
Aunty Cindy, I think we should have a Bandita Booster award for our spirited Bandita Buddies! You guys pump us up so much and make us want to come out and play. Hoorah for the BBs!!
I will take a Holding Down the Fort award, especially if it comes with a repairman attached. My washing machine has died, mid-load, and the repairmen all seem to be at the beach this weekend!
Exciting post, Cindy! For those of us who write romance, tonight's event is the much anticipated of the year.
Good luck to our own Banditas Beth and KJ!
LOL, Virigina, yes, we definitely need a GR award. How about one for the reader who's captured him the most times????
Yes, AC! Definitely chocolate. All awards must be related to chocolate in some way.
Hmmmm, I have some Hershey kisses in my freezer. Is it too early to indulge?
Hi, Helen! Yes, tonight's award ceremony is full of excitement, tears, giggles, and just plain fun!
We all met through being finalists in 2006, so we'll all have a special place in our hearts for this one!
Love that name for the rooster award, Pink!
The GRGS Award -- sounds like a secret government acronymed organization!
Oh, no, Caren! Not the washing machine! That's the dread of all mothers with kids at home. Shuddering for you and hoping it gets repaired soon!
Jane, you'd definitely be in the running for a Bandita Buddy award!
Hi, Donna! Thanks for checking in. We had a feeling the rooster was doing double duty, being here and in Orlando at the same time. Or maybe cloned himself.
Ooooh, the Harry Potter ride. We must have a full report when you return.
Don't scream too much. We want to hear your lovely Mae West voice!
Good luck to the Bandita finalists tonight. I think they should televise the Ritas. I'm more interested in them than in any of the award shows that are televised. I'll be following #rwa10tweets tonight and checking out the tweet pics. That's the next best thing to seeing the ceremony on my TV screen.
Why stop at one award? I think the Banditas could do their own annual BIG Awards Ceremony and give a chocolate rooster wrapped in gold foil for the funniest Bandita post, the most thought-provoking, the one that garnered the most responses, the coolest book celebration, etc.
Pink,
I LURVE the idea of the Golden Rooster Gilded Spirit award, and as Jo-Mama says, GRGS are KEWL sounding initials!
I think you deserve the first one for creating the award! ;-)
AC
Helen,
GREAT idea for an award that is choccie and shaped like a book! Think we could get Tim Tams to make it?!?!
Yes, it is very exciting to be at the awards ceremony, with a lot of people VERY dressed up, and as Jo says lots of smiles, tears, and FUN!
And I agree with Janga, it SHOULD be televised on a major network (I don't get cable)! It is faar more interesting than most of these award shows where I don't know the people anyway. :-P
AC
Jane,
NO dubious awards for you! You are definitely entitled to part of the "Holding-Down-the-Fort" award, and a GRGS award, and one of Helen's choccie book awards for being a Reader with Extraordinary Tastes. ;-)
AC
Hi Donna!
Thanks for popping by on your way to Harry Potter world. We won't tell on you for skipping workshops. ;-)
And yes, that piccie of KJ is soo glamorous! She deserves an award for that alone!
Can't wait to see pictures and get a full report from you on the conference!
AC
Congratulations to all the finalists.
I think I should get a longevity award for being married to the same(not always easy to get along with) guy for 41 years roflmao.
Oh NO, Posh!
Sincere condolences on the washer! Nothing worse than when a major appliance breaks down... well, that or the car. UGH!
And BIG YES on the Bandita Booster award for all our BBs! I'm thinking a trophy made of various flavors of Tim Tams. ;-)
AC
Janga,
What a GREAT IDEA to have our very own awards ceremony! Of course it will be hard to select individual posts since almost all of them are FABULOUS! ;-)
And we MUST include those Bandita Booster awards for our BBs. YOU would definitely be receiving one for your good ideas as well as impeccable reading tasts!
AC
41 YEARS, Catslady??!?!
You DEFINITELY deserve an award! And a pitcher of maragaritas!!! Lars?!?! Could you or Paolo whip up a frosty pitcher just for our BB Catslady?
AC
Catslady, you definitely deserve an award for a long marriage. We don't see too many of those nowadays! Good for you two!
What a great idea, Janga! I agree. We should have our own Awards Ceremony. Wouldn't that be fun?
What's the link for the RWA twitter?
Rewards are definitely deserved for holding down this fort. I just finished feeding Ermingarde and that lady is getting testy! She bared her teeth and puffed smoke at me! I was a little late I admit but I was working on something important, really! Take a look Banditas and BBs.
http://hrdwrkdmom.com/Banditas/Awards/awards.html
You will all be relieved to know that my washer is FIXED! I went to church to help pack sack lunches for the Raleigh Rescue Mission and my friend Marilyn told me I should call her repair guy, Wally.
So I gave Wally a call and he swung by after his last service call of the day. He walked in, pushed the knob in, pulled it out and knew exactly what the problem was. Ten minutes and $20 later, it was fixed!
I feel like having a party now!!
Catslady, you DEFINITELY qualify for a longevity award! My husband and I will celebrate our 18th anniversary this year and that seems like forever. *g* We did date for 4-1/2 yrs before we married, so I guess it IS forever. Half my life, as a matter of fact!
OH MY GOSH! Dianna, those are BRILLIANT!! You are a wizard, woman, and so beautifully kind to us!
I hope you gave yourself a Bandita Booster award, because you deserve a huge one! Hugs and kisses from me to you, love!
WOW DE WOW WOW!!!!
Dianna, those are FABULOUS AWARDS!!!
THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!! From the bottom of my heart, and that semi-grateful lil wretch Ermingarde too!
OOOOO! I LURVE the Nekkid HUNK on the top of my trophy! I'm quite sure Sven will claim he posed for that. ;-)
And the BB award with the GR on top goes to ALL our Wonderful BBs!!! We wouldn't be here without ALL of you!
AC
Posh,
I'm sooo happy to hear that you had Wally to the rescue! What kind of guy only charges $20 for a house call on Sat?!?! Truly a CLASS ACT! Wish we had a Wally around here.
AC
I wish I had a Wally that did home construction! I desparately need more room. LOL
I am trying to figure out how I can cut into my paneling and make book shelves between the walls, I am telling you things are getting intense, I may have to give up some of my books and I don't wanna!
OOOOO! I LURVE the Nekkid HUNK on the top of my trophy! I'm quite sure Sven will claim he posed for that. ;-)
He isn't quite nekkie Aunty, he has a loin cloth but when I covered him in gold, it kind of blended in.....LOL
"Long-Suffering Spouse of the Year"
Award won for the 49th year by my
sweet Honey! Given in honor of all
he has done for us, he just asks:
when, how much, and hands over his wallet!!
Another award: "The Good Friends"
Award, given to the Banditas and
Buddies for the support and aid
presented to each other over the
years!
Pat Cochran
Ladies, Where is a good place to
keep track of the award-winners?
Someone mentioned Twitter but I'm
not signed on for that. Is there another site with fairly easy
access?
Pat Cochran
Catslady's award is up ladies!
http://hrdwrkdmom.com/Banditas/Awards/awards.html
WOOHOO ----
BETH WON HER RITA!!!
YAY, BETH!!!!
Pat Cochran
Woot!! Woot!!! GO BETH!!
Whhhhoooohoooo for Beth. Congrats on winning your RITA.
Dianna, your awards are great! What fun!
Giving it up for the night my friends. Niters!!
BETH WON THE RITA!!!!!
Donna just called me (she really did almost lose her voice today) and told me that Beth won the RITA Award! YIPPEEE!!!!
Lots of virtual champagne for everyone!!
Dianna,
Honey and I just got a look at the
awards! They are wonderful! Thanks
so much! Ken got the biggest grin
on his face when he saw your great
work!
Pat Cochran
Pat, you said your honey and I didn't know his name.....LOL I thought about putting Honey on it but decided he would know who he was.
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