Wow! Just found out this morning that A MOST IMPROPER GENTLEMAN won the Molly!!

Add that to wins in the Royal Ascot, Heart of the Rockies, Reveal Your Inner Vixen, and the Golden Heart, and Octavia and David are getting some serious love! Actually (*blush*) so far GENTLEMAN has won every contest it's been entered in!

Several requests have come with the wins, though I'm in the midst of making some revisions.... but you can check out the original version of chapter one through the link on the left.

Many, many thanks to the wonderful, generous judges!! 

 

Close on the heels of winning Heart of the Rockies, A MOST IMPROPER GENTLEMAN has won the Historical category of Reveal Your Inner Vixen!  THE DEVIL MAY CARE took second place!  I'm especially thrilled about this because I entered Chapter 3 from each book, instead of the usual Chapters 1 & 2 that have gone to contests.

Now I'm just waiting on the final results from the Molly and the Golden Palm, and my very thrilling Year of Entering Contests will truly be over. 

Sigh.

Luckily, NanoWriMo is nearly here, so my daily adrenaline rush is ensured.

I have to tell you my heart-breaking news, however: I've developed a horrible sensitivity to CAFFEINE (heartburn, insomnia, severe jitters) and NOW I CAN'T HAVE COFFEE OR COLA.  AT ALL. NONE. TOTALLY CUT OFF!!!!  In my Golden Heart acceptance speech, I thanked Diet Coke and said "I truly couldn't have done it without you."  And now.....AAAAARGH!!!!

If you happen to know the Caffeine Gods, please tell them I'm sorry for whatever offense I may be guilty of, and find out if they take blood sacrifice. Or vegetable sacrifice. Or money. PLEASE!! I will love you forever.

NaNoWriMo is just around the corner, and I'm ready to rhumba. Join me over at the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood today, where I'm blogging about how to survive and THRIVE in the NaNo madness.

In other news: I learned over the weekend that A Most Improper Gentleman has won the Historical category of Heart of the Rockies! Woot!

I also did some revisions to the first two chapters, which are headed to the final judge of the Golden Palm, Erika Tsang of Avon. I'll put the new version up on the excerpts page soon!

The winners of the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood's Make It Golden contest are up on the Ruby blog!!

And, last night, whilst I emailed judged entries back to Golden Pen entrants, I got a message (good contest karma again!) telling me that A Most Improper Gentleman has finaled in the last of the contests I entered it in: The Golden Palm.  So, yes, officially, Gentleman has finaled in every contest it's ever been entered in! Go, David and Octavia!  (You can check out an excerpt by clicking the link over on the left.)

I think I'm allowed to say this now....The 2010 Golden Pen Finalists in the Single Title category are:

Katrina Crew, ALL THINGS EASY

Heidi Luchterhand ONCE UPON A MARGARITA

Nancy Evertz / Nan Dixon STEEL HEARTS

It was a special thrill to see these entrants rise to the top of a VERY competitive category, since I kinda sorta know all three.  Nancy is a fellow Unsinkable (2010 Golden Heart Finalist), and both Heidi and Katrina are frequent visitors to the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood blog.  In fact, Heidi is currently a DOUBLE finalist in the Ruby's Make It Golden Contest, and we'll be announcing the three winners this Tuesday, October 5.   

These three manuscripts are terrific, and I expect we'll see them again come 2011 Golden Heart announcement day in March.  Congrats, my friends!!  I'm delighted for you!!  

 

I'm SOOO excited this  morning because I FINALLY got all the judged entries back for the Golden Pen Single Title category, and I get to call the three finalists in the next hour or two (as soon as I spring my six-year-old from a classmate's birthday pool party).

I've entered lots of contests, and judged lots, but this is the first I've helped coordinate one.  It's been an awful lot of work, and making these phone calls is my reward!  I CAN'T WAIT!! 

And then I can head over to the bookstore and grab my very own copy of Jeannie Lin's debut novel BUTTERFLY SWORDS.  A fabulous day all 'round!