Rita Clay Estrada

24 featured booksRita Clay Estrada

Rita Clay was born on 31 July 1941 in Michigan, U.S.A.. Her mother was a former Miss Michigan, while her father was a U.S. Air Force pilot. She spent much of her early years living in Europe. Rita married very young with her high school sweetheart, and she stayed at home to raise their four children. In 1977, when she had been married about 20 years, her husband brought her a typewriter and said, "'You said you always wanted to write. Now write." She and her mother, Rita Gallagher, accepted the challenge. While beginning to write, they learned how to publish books and made great friendships with other writers. Rita's first attempt of publication was a long historical romance which was promptly rejected. Her next manuscript, a contemporary romance, was like wise rejected. But her third manuscript, Wanderer's Dream, was sold to Silhouette Books. She used her maiden name, Rita Clay for her titles for Silhouette. In 1982, she moved to Dell to write for their Candlelight Ecstasy line and she wrote as Tira Lacy, an anagram of Rita Clay, because Harlequin owned her pen name. In 1985 she resigned from Harlequin and asked to use her fullname, Rita Clay Estrada, on all future books. Rita, her mother, and 35 other authors, decided that an association was needed to defend their published members. They founded the Romance Writers of America (R.W.A), that years later persuaded Harlequin books to register copyrights for authors' works and to allow writers to own their own pseudonyms. Previously, the authors were forced to leave their pseudonym behind if they switched publishing houses, making it more difficult fortheir fans to follow. R.W.A. signature award, the RITA, which is the highest award of excellence given in the genre of romantic fiction, is named after her. The R.W.A. also awarded Estrada their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000.

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OL20606A

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24 representative editions

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Display name
Rita Clay Estrada
Personal name
Rita Clay Estrada
Source identifier
OL20606A

Featured books

Representative editions for works actually authored by this person.

Works in catalog

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Blissful
Representative edition published 2004
Open Work
Ask Dr. Kate
Representative edition published 2003
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Bedazzled
Representative edition published 2002
Open Work
Million dollar valentine
Representative edition published 2001
Open Work
Too wicked to love
Representative edition published 2001
Open Work
Million Dollar Valentine
Representative edition published 2000
Open Work
EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM
Representative edition published 2000
Open Work
One Wild Weekend (Bachelor Auction)
Representative edition published 1999
Open Work
You can write a mystery
Representative edition published 1999
Open Work
You Can Write a Romance (You Can Write)
Representative edition published 1999
Open Work
One Wild Weekend
Representative edition published 1999
Open Work
Dreams
Representative edition published 1998
Open Work
Wishes
Representative edition published 1997
Open Work
Writing romances
Representative edition published 1997
Open Work
Stormchaser (Rebels And Rogues)
Representative edition published 1996
Open Work
The Best Things in Life (Western Lovers
Representative edition published 1995
Open Work
Forms of love
Representative edition published 1995
Open Work
The twelve gifts of Christmas
Representative edition published 1995
Open Work
The Colonel's daughter
Representative edition published 1994
Open Work
Conveniently Yours
Representative edition published 1994
Open Work
Valentine Sampler
Representative edition published 1993
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To Have and To Hold
Representative edition published 1992
Open Work
Twice Loved
Representative edition published 1992
Open Work
Lady Says No
Representative edition published 1991
Open Work