Many of you already heard my news: HER TEMPORARY HERO is a finalist in the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA Awards. So the phone ran around 10 am I think… and I of course, was my usual graceful self. My response when the woman announced she was with RWA? “Seriously? This is really happening?” Yeah, I’m a total dork sometimes.
She assured me HER TEMPORARY HERO had truly been nominated for the RITA in mid-length contemporary. And frankly, she really sounded sure 
I ran out back and told Wizard who was cleaning the pool. “He’s like, wait you’ve been nominated for, and won other RWA awards, right?” He was trying to figure out why I was acting strange (okay stranger than usual). (Also I’m always excited and honored when my books place in any contest!)
It finally dawned on him what I was talking about. “At the chapter/local level, this is national! The RITA’s. You have to be in the top 4 to 6% of scores, it’s like the Academy Awards of Romance. They swear they nominated Her Temporary Hero but I waiting to see if my names shows on the list.”
“JEN!!! YOU DIDN’T TELL ME YOU WERE WAITING FOR THE CALL TODAY!!”
Umm, yeah, he might have yelled that. It’s true, I didn’t say a word to anyone because… “Uhh, I didn’t think they would call.”
“Damn, all these years you worked so hard, and look at you now.” Then Wizard jumped on his computer and started looking at flights and hotels to NY for the big awards ceremony in July.
And me? I sat at my computer, on the announcement page of finalists and did this: Refresh! Refresh! Refresh! Refresh! until my name finally showed. After a few minutes, it finally did! What do you know, it wasn’t a mistake
Here’s the list of others in my category and they are amazing!
Contemporary Romance: Mid-Length
Carolina Man
by Virginia Kantra
Penguin Publishing Group USA, Berkley Sensation
Cindy Hwang, editor
Her Cowboy Hero
by Tanya Michaels
Harlequin, American Romance
Johanna Raisanen, editor
Her Kind of Trouble
by Sarah Mayberry
Harlequin, Superromance
Wanda Ottewell, editor
Her Temporary Hero
by Jennifer Apodaca
Entangled Publishing, Indulgence
Kate Fall and Alethea Spiridon Hopson, editors
Love with a Perfect Cowboy
by Lori Wilde
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books
Lucia Macro, editor
Once a Family
by Tara Taylor Quinn
Harlequin, Superromance
Paula Eykelhof, editor
One in a Million
by Jill Shalvis
Grand Central Publishing
Leah Hultenschmidt and Alex Logan, editors
Reforming the Playboy
by Inara Scott
Entangled Publishing, Indulgence
Alethea Spiridon Hopson, editor
Starting with June
by Emilie Rose
Harlequin, Superromance
Wanda Ottewell and Karen Reid, editors
Worth the Fall
by Caitie Quinn
Self-published
Jenn Harris, editor
I still don’t know if I’m going to NY or the ceremony, but this is one of those moments I’m thrilled to experience! I also owe thanks to many, many people, including Entangled Publishing and my two editors Kate Fall and Alethea Spiridon Hopson, who supported my effort to show the hero, Logan Knight as a man dealing with PTSD in the most authentic way I’m capable of writing. That was super important to me, as was showing Becky, the heroine, as young but very strong woman and mother. I’m just thrilled to have the book nominated!
Now I have to get back to making CAGED MAGIC shine. This nomination gave me a boost of confidence to tackle it! I’ll be doing that all weekend.
So what are you guys doing this weekend?
March 27th, 2015 at 6:33 am · Link
SQUEE! Of course, you were nominated. Her Temporary Hero is wicked awesome. You deserve the nom and the win. Go you! I hope you’re able to go to NY for the ceremony. (Shoulda got recognition for the Plus One Chronicles, too, but that’s my opinion.)
I’m supposed to get my edits back by Sunday night, so there’s that, plus I have to get some progress made on Fertile Ground. (I’ve been slacking.) Hubs and I are going shopping for boat accessories today. Since we’re done with the projects we had for now, and the weather is getting nice, we can get that boat on the water. Yay. I hear the fishing for crappies is good around here. Fresh fish. Yum. (But Hubs has to clean them. I can bait a hook and catch a fish, but that’s as far as I go.)
March 27th, 2015 at 8:05 am · Link
I’m soooo happy for you!! This is a BIG deal! And you deserve it. You’ve worked hard and your writing is amazing. I did that happy dance with you when I saw it on FB. *cheers girlie* You better take a moment to celebrate this one! *hugs*
March 27th, 2015 at 8:47 am · Link
I am so freaking proud of you! And excited! You’re in there with some amazing company, Jen, but that just goes to show what the rest of us have known forever–you are an amazingly talented writer! Congrats again. <3
And you can always fly in for Saturday's ceremony. I'll share my room for that night.
March 27th, 2015 at 9:08 am · Link
Congrats!! What a wonderful honor. Hope you get to make the trip and share in the moment with the other nominees.
March 27th, 2015 at 10:03 am · Link
B.E., Oh I should have mentioned this — Plus One Chronicles was NOT entered in the Ritas and man I got some serious flack for that from a few people, LOL! But I didn’t have it in a printed format to enter it.
And thank you B.e.!!
Going out on a boat sounds so fun! And you deserve it. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that you have light, manageable edits
March 27th, 2015 at 10:06 am · Link
Ashlynn, thank you! Your excitement was/is awesome
Hope you have a good weekend and that your vertigo is cleaning up.
March 27th, 2015 at 10:09 am · Link
Silver, aw, thank you! It’s all surreal and fun and then I look at the others on the list and think, “Umm, are they SURE they meant me?” LOLOL!
I’m working on NY and will let you know. But then I’ll probably have to give up going to Florida because money, apparently, does not grow on trees
March 27th, 2015 at 10:11 am · Link
Labrat11, thank you! Either way, I’m truly am honored
Have a great weekend!
March 27th, 2015 at 2:57 pm · Link
I am so excited for you. I can see Wizard in my head when it dawned on him how FREAKING COOL this is :). How sweet of him to hop right onto the computer looking into going to NY. I sure hope you two can work it in and go. It’s such an honor, you should truly enjoy the spot light :).
Have fun with Linc. He knows you’ll make him a super star ;).
I don’t really have plans this weekend other than getting salt and caustic for my well water. It is on sale the last Sat. of every month and I need to stock up ;). I pull the muscle that wraps around your hip to you thigh so I think I’m going to lay low.
Have a great weekend and have fun celebrating :).
March 27th, 2015 at 8:39 pm · Link
Viki, thanks again! I value all you guys so much
Linc and I are making a bit of progress today.
Ugh on that muscles, that has to hurt! Please rest and take care of yourself. I’m hoping your hubby or son can pick up the salt and caustic — you need to let that muscle heal, maybe do some ice and heat.
March 28th, 2015 at 11:40 am · Link
Jenn, I took a couple Advil PM and crashed. It feels much better today but still taking it easy. Hubs and youngest son brought the salt down to the basement for me :). I took the gallons of caustic down – I can’t be too whimpy;).
March 28th, 2015 at 4:47 pm · Link
Viki, glad it’s better today, and that hubs and son helped. But (I’m a mom, I can’t help myself!) still take it easy for today and tomorrow.
Also, I can teach you how to be wimpy, i’m getting good at it, LOL!