184:. She used her maiden name, Rita Clay for that and an additional seven titles for Silhouette. In 1982, she moved to Dell to write for their Candlelight Ecstasy line. Harlequin owned her pen name, so she wrote as Tira Lacy, an anagram of Rita Clay. In 1985 she re-signed with Harlequin and asked to use her full name, Rita Clay Estrada, on all future books.
173:. She spent much of her early years living in Europe. She married her high school sweetheart when she was very young and 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.'"
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She generally takes 4.5 months to write a novel. Except for punctuation and fact-checking, she does very little rewriting, as "that's why there are editors." Generally, she writes five pages each night and more on the weekends. Her novels have been translated in 23 languages.
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Her first attempt was a long historical romance which was promptly rejected. Her next manuscript, a contemporary romance, was likewise rejected. Her third manuscript,
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195:(RWA). Their signature award from 1990 to 2019, the RITA, which is the highest award of excellence given in the genre of
169:, was a former Miss Michigan, a romance novelist and a noted writing instructor, while her father was a pilot with the
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145:, she has also written non-fiction books about writing romance novels. She was the first president of the
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Estrada was a founding member and the first president of the
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Visible Heart / Handyman
Special / Wanderer's Dream
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573:(1994) (with Sally Bradford and Bobby Hutchinson)
352:Western Lovers: Ranchin' Dads Series Multi-Author
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722:"RWA National 2000: Contrasting Passions"
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784:American women romantic fiction writers
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764:Writers of books about writing fiction
149:, and founding member with her mother
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465:Bachelor Auction Series Multi-Author
161:Born Rita Clay on July 31, 1941, in
794:21st-century American women writers
789:20th-century American women writers
202:She and her husband are divorced.
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759:American romantic fiction writers
662:Racine, Marty (August 26, 1995).
413:The Wrong Bed Series Multi-Author
427:Rebels & Rogues Multi-Author
754:21st-century American novelists
749:20th-century American novelists
366:Montclair Emeralds Multi-Author
399:Lost Loves Series Multi-Author
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526:The Twelve Gifts of Christmas
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695:Romance Writers of America
635:List of romantic novelists
193:Romance Writers of America
147:Romance Writers of America
779:American women novelists
551:Omnibus in collaboration
532:Million Dollar Valentine
309:With time and tenderness
277:Omnibus in collaboration
129:, US) is a US writer of
125:(born July 31, 1941, in
618:You Can Write a Romance
380:Bartholomew Family Saga
359:The Best Things in Life
327:Will and the Way Series
514:The Colonel's Daughter
440:Gallagher Sisters Saga
345:Something to Treasure
664:"Romancing the word"
595:Vicki Lewis Thompson
567:and Barbara Bretton)
458:Everything About Him
420:Love Me, Love My Bed
322:As Rita Clay Estrada
557:To Have and to Hold
165:, US. Her mother,
720:Ward, Jean Marie.
583:and Michelle Reid)
571:Conveniently Yours
544:Too Wicked to Love
270:Recapture the Love
245:Experiment in Love
239:Yesterday's Dreams
669:Houston Chronicle
520:Interlude in Time
258:Wise Folly Series
178:Wanderer's Dream,
143:Rita Clay Estrada
123:Rita Clay Estrada
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16:American novelist
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697:. Archived from
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608:Writing Romances
591:Jayne Ann Krentz
581:Barbara Delinsky
471:One Wild Weekend
392:The Lady Says No
339:A Woman's Choice
333:Will and the Way
227:Wanderer's Dream
197:romantic fiction
182:Silhouette Books
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726:. Retrieved
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774:1941 births
602:Non-fiction
502:Twice Loved
251:Summer Song
76:Nationality
743:Categories
675:August 16,
641:References
577:Expecting!
264:Wise Folly
68:Occupation
61:Tira Lacy,
59:Rita Clay,
39:1941-07-31
587:Bedazzled
157:Biography
139:Tira Lacy
135:Rita Clay
110:Relatives
87:1982–2001
34:Rita Clay
629:See also
538:Blissful
180:sold to
163:Michigan
127:Michigan
116:(mother)
102:Children
79:American
71:Novelist
56:Pen name
49:Michigan
728:July 4,
705:July 4,
96:Romance
546:(2001)
540:(2000)
534:(2000)
528:(1994)
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473:(1999)
460:(1998)
454:(1998)
452:Dreams
448:(1997)
446:Wishes
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211:Novels
84:Period
373:Trust
206:Works
92:Genre
730:2007
707:2007
677:2007
593:and
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141:and
51:, US
31:Born
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