Bestselling Author Irene Hannon Wins 3rd RITA Award, Enters Romance Writers Hall of Fame
On July 25, Irene Hannon, bestselling author of more than 50 novels, won her third RITA® Award and was inducted into the Romance Writers of America (RWA) Hall of Fame in a special presentation held in New York.
The black-tie awards and induction ceremony took place before an audience of more than 2,000 publishing industry professionals from around the world.
During the 35-year history of RWA, only 16 authors have achieved Hall of Fame status. Other notable members include Nora Roberts, Julia Quinn and Susan Elizabeth Phillips. The only other inspirational author to achieve this milestone is Francine Rivers.
Hannon’s seventh nomination and third RITA win was for her bestselling suspense novel Deceived.
Romance Writers of America’s more than 10,000 members include authors, publishers and agents from around the world. More than a dozen countries were represented at the New York event.
The RITA Award is given annually by Romance Writers of America to authors whose works are judged to represent the best romance fiction of the year. One winner in each of 12 categories is selected from approximately 2,000 entries during a rigorous judging process.
Irene Hannon, referred to as the “Queen of Inspirational Romantic Suspense” by Library Journal, is the bestselling author of more than 50 novels and the recipient of many publishing industry honors, including the RITA, HOLT Medallion, Carol Award, Daphne du Maurier Award, Readers Choice, Booksellers Best, Retailers Choice, and the Booklist Top 10. Her books are available worldwide and have been translated into many languages, including Afrikaans, Dutch, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Russian, Turkish and Vietnamese. Audio recordings of Hannon’s books are by Recorded Books.