A few weeks ago, Young Adult author and Rita nominee Tera Lynn Childs blogged with us. We are excited to announce that Tera is no longer a Rita nominee, but a winner! The Rita is the most prestigious award in romance writing. Many of your favorite authors have one, and all of us want one. Here’s Tera’s story about the big night last Saturday.

Four nights ago I achieved every newly published romance author’s dream: I won the RITA award for Best First Book. It feels strange even saying that. The RITA has, for so long, been that “ultimate dream”– far beyond getting an agent, selling a book, and receiving a first fanmail–that it’s surreal to think it really happened. Since I haven’t quite processed these feelings yet, all I can do is share a bit of what went through my mind that night.

I had actually been nominated in two categories, and Young Adult came first in the ceremony. I’d been nominated with my two friends, Tina Ferraro and Rosemary Clement-Moore, and thought we all had a fairly equal chance. When presenter Melissa Marr read the winner’s name and title, Tina and I cheered as Rosemary went up to accept her award.

Then the ceremony went on and my mind began to drift. In my second category, Best First Book, I was up against a ground of varied and very talented new romance authors. With young adult being the sometimes overlooked baby sister of romance, I didn’t think I had much of a chance. I started thinking about my other books, my future RITA chances.

“Goddess Boot Camp isn’t very romance-y,” I thought, “but Forgive My Fins is almost entirely romance. Maybe I’ll have another chance in 2012.”

When they finally got around to Best First Book, I wasn’t nervous, not like I had been for the YA. I wasn’t going to win, so there wasn’t anything to be nervous about. Right? They flashed my slide up on the jumbo screen and I realized I’d been too nervous to really see it the first time.

Then presenter Terri Garey said, “And the RITA for Best First Book goes to…”

I remember looking down at the program, iPhone, and hastily penned (and now obviously unneccessary) acceptance speech clutched in my hands. Then I heard, “Oh.”

My mind went blank. I looked up, heard my mom scream, and blinked a lot. I stood and stared at Rosemary and Tina before finally making my way on shaking legs and very high heels to the aisle. I waited for my editor and took her hand. (A good thing, too, because I don’t think I would have made it up there without her–in more ways than one!)

Somehow, I managed to read my speech in front of two thousand people. (!!!) My parents insist that I didn’t sound like a dork or talk too fast, but I’m not convinced. I just hope I made sense. It’s a moment, a feeling, an experience I’ll never forget.

And I can’t wait to relive it next year when I will hopefully get the chance to present the RITA fir Best First Book to another writer who is about to have the moment of a lifetime.