Happy Halloween!

Tomorrow is the beginning of National Novel Writing Month, so don’t expect too many entries as I try to reach the fifty-thousand word goal.

Good luck to all the other NaNoWriMo participants! Happy writing!

My last two contest finals were decided this weekend.

I’m very happy to say that Faith of the Heart won the Single Title category of Lone Star. I have a few friends who were at the North Houston RWA conference where they announced winners, and they passed that information along to me. In fourteen finals, that’s the second time I won my category. And both wins were with this story.

The win took a little of the sting out of finding out that The Reluctant Amazon was fourth in PASIC’s Book of Your Heart. Yes, I keep telling myself all the things I tell other people who are disappointed with contest placings. It’s a honor to be a finalist. Judging is subjective. You were competing again published authors.

Funny. It’s easier to give all that comforting advice, but it’s so very hard to take it.

I remember Sleeping Beauty.

In the days of old (translates as when I was a kid), we didn’t have VHS or DVD. We had records. My mother would buy us all the Disney records. Cinderella. Snow White. And my favorite – Sleeping Beauty.

God, I wore that one out. I sang along with all the songs. I pretended I was Aurora. I fell in love with Prince Phillip. I laughed at Fauna and Flora and Merryweather. I hated Maleficent. And I was scared of the spinning wheel because it could prick my finger and make me die on my sixteenth birthday. I was a princess, after all.

What I hadn’t realized at the time was that I had fallen in love with my first “romance.” That’s exactly what Sleeping Beauty is – a romance. Beautiful heroine. Handsome hero. Falling in love. Obstacles to overcome. And a happily ever after.
I wonder if little girls all over the world are learning how to love from all the Disney stories I grew up adoring.

I bought Sleeping Beauty on DVD yesterday. I’ve already watched it five times. And my memory is much better than I thought. I knew every single word, every little bit of it by heart. And it still made me sigh in pleasure.

The world needs more romance.

Wow.

I received my first book cover yesterday. (Click on the image to enlarge.) Even though I’m a writer and try to use words to convey emotion, I can’t think of the right things to say about how I felt.

It’s perfect. Not because it’s mine and not because it’s my first book. It’s perfect because the artist, Jinger Heaston, caught the attitude of the story so well!

I have to admit being worried that the cover might be too racy. Because I’m a teacher, I’m afraid that some narrow-minded person will take offense to the fact I write romance. A cover with too much skin or sensuality wouldn’t work well. But this one was absolutely… perfect.

I’m proud. I’m thrilled. I’m a bit overwhelmed. Someone made that fabulous cover for my book. MY book.

All I can say is… wow.

I’m very flattered to be a guest blogger today on Equestrian Ink.

I had a pleasant surprise this afternoon.

I had entered The Impetuous Amazon in the Heart of the Rockies contest. My scores were really good, but I was disappointed I hadn’t finaled. But c’est la vie. So I let it go.

This afternoon they posted the final rankings. I was fourth. How about that? I think that gives me a little more confidence that Maureen is going to be able to find a good home for my Amazons.

The third book is going well. I have a former student (Hi, Kyle!) who loves researching gods and goddesses as much as I do. We were sending messages back and forth last night, and I let him (translates as begged him to) beta read the scenes with the “bad guy” goddess in The Brazen Amazon. He pronounced them good, so I was glad to know I’m on the right track there.

Feedback like I’ve had lately is sublime.

I’m a glutton for punishment.

Being as the Type A in me loves a challenge, I’ve signed up for NaNoWriMo. November is National Novel Writing Month. A challenge is issued to write 50,000 words in November. I’m stupid enough to pick up the gauntlet.

That means I need to write an average of 1667 words per day. What better way to get a big start on the fourth Amazon story? Tenatively calling it The Redeeming Amazon. Being as most of my stories “tell” me their real title later, we’ll see if it sticks.

So who else is up to the challenge?

One down, one to go.

I learned my placing in Heart of the West. Pleased to say The Impetuous Amazon was second. (Actually, those of you who know me realize I really wasn’t pleased. I’m very driven and hard on myself. I wanted the win.)

PASIC is in the middle of announcing the Book of Your Heart placings. I don’t hold out a lot of hope for that contest. While I think The Reluctant Amazon is a great book, the editor had seen a very early version of it for Where the Magic Begins and placed it third out of three. Unless she really, really liked the changes — and there have been quite a few based on her suggestions — I don’t expect it to win.

I guess I’ll have to wait and see.

I’m waiting out my last few contest finals.

I should hear results from PASIC’s Book of Your Heart soon. The Reluctant Amazon is a paranormal finalist. They were supposed to announce last Saturday, but I think they extended the entry deadline. That always means everything else gets pushed back too. I think Heart of the West gives their final placings at their conference this weekend. The Impetuous Amazon is being judged there.

I will miss being a contest diva. That adrenaline rush when you get the call or email that you’re a finalist is exquisite. A final means validation. A final means other people truly appreciate your work. And a final means you don’t feel quite so alone.

The only thing that gave me a stronger endorphin high was when Maureen called me to offer representation. I seriously don’t remember much of what I said. I was too busy trying to get my heart to stop pounding so that the “whoosh whoosh” sound would die down and I could hear her voice.

I finished the rewrites that Maureen and Katie requested on The Reluctant Amazon, and I’m waiting to hear if I’ll need another round. I sincerely hope I pleased them both and that we can start submissions.

I’ll keep you posted on any news from contests, but with my track history of always being a bridesmaid rather than the bride, I wouldn’t hold your breath.