Holy cow, what a shock to get a call early this morning to find out that I’m a finalist in RWA’s Golden Heart® contest!!!!
I think I squealed, and jumped around on the couch a little, and directed Superman (who happened to be home, on his first day of vacation) to the word “Finalist!” I’d scribbled on a piece of paper. And then I grabbed this fortune-cookie paper off the ottoman tray and handed it to him while I was listening to the rest of the phone call. We’d read the fortune together last night. It said “Your hidden creative talents will soon be revealed.”
I asked a few questions on the phone, hung up in shock, and then hugged Superman and floated around on Cloud Nine a little.
I then emailed my critique partner Patti. She had to be the first to know. She helped me sooooooooooooooo much on this story, and read at least a gazillion drafts. And she listened as I walked through all my variations and listened as I whined about all my rewrites, and helped me through each and every one. I knew she’d be thrilled for me.
The finalist acknowledgement is for “Earning Wings,” my first full manuscript, which finalled in the “Single-Title Contemporary” category, along with six others.The winners will be announced at the huge RWA Nationals Event, which this year happens to be in Anaheim (practically in my back yard!) in July. (Last year it was in NYC, previously in Dallas, San Fran, etc.) I had already been talking to my mom about us going this year, since it’s so close, and already saving my pennies to purchase tickets to the weekend-long affair.
The Golden Heart is a contest among unpublished writers. At the same event at Nationals, RWA also announces the winners of the “Rita” Contest, which is like the Academy Awards of romance books. Nora Roberts is up for a Rita this year, along with Eloisa James, and many more of my romance-writing heroes!
I’M SO EXCITED!!!!
I’M SO EXCITED!!!!
Wow, that’s fantastic news, Laurie!!!!! You’re on your way…
(I’m not the least bit surprised, though.)
I have been on Twitter all day listening to my favorite authors squeal about getting a RITA nomination, watching the list as it grew, and hearing about the phone calls. After I signed up to review three books from the RITA list over at Smart Bitches, I glanced at my Google Reader and just saw this post.
I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU TOO!!!! I totally know what it MEANS to get one of these and I am in AWE that I was even able to read the first few chapters of your novel way back when!
Hard work pays off and you TOTALLY rock. Good job. Take the day off! haha!
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Told ya! Told ya! Told Ya! You made the top ten!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Squeee! Now I can put it on Facebook!!!!!! Oh and I am so-o happy….told ya!! So now you have to go to Nationals. And you have to Join RWA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have to leave another message. I’m beyond thrilled, and you listened to me whine as much as I listened to you!!!!!!!!! But I told ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congratulations! You rock!
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I knew all along, I must say, since you won that Michael L. Roston award back in high school! I knew that some day people would be turned on to your writing! You are so talented!
I just could not be happier for you! So proud!
I see every day the hard work and time and dedication that you put into your writing and you just deserve this so much, because Laurie you are just flat out good! Really good. If you could get a guy like me to like this novel then that should tell you something right there!
I AM SOOOOO EXCITED FOR YOU! I am not surprised, because I loved Earning Wings and now I can say I was one of your first readers of it, yay! It looks like everything was lined up perfectly for you right down from the location to the fortune cookie! I knew you would get published! CONGRATULATIONS!!!
I am really so glad that you are one of the finalist! Goo Luck for you.. You can to do it!
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Way to go, Laurie! Best of luck to you!
Thanks so much, all! All of your enthusiasm and support really means the world to me!
I expect the heartfelt, “None of this would be possible without the love, support and understanding of my WONDERFUL husband…yada yada yada…” stuff ain your acceptance speech!