The Last Daughter - A GREATER DETROIT RWA 2014 BBA FINALIST!

The Greater Detroit RWA 2014 Booksellers Best Award announced the finalist for their annual contest, and guess what! The Last Daughter is one of them! If you remember, in my previous post, I wondered if I would ever write again so this is just the shot of encouragement I need to MAKE time. Sometimes it seems like too much of a challenge between the wedding planning, retired hubby, church work, renovation and decorating. Surely I don't have a touch of laziness! Surely not!

I'm not really familiar with this contest. Every month or so, we RWA members get our trade magazine that lists contests and conferences and I decided to enter The Last Daughter in the novella category. I chose this contest because of the judges. They're booksellers. That makes being a finalist even more special to me. I had to print out several copies of The Last Daughter and have them bound for the judges. It was time consuming and at times I wondered if I was wasting a tree, but now ... I'm so glad I took the time. I'm flattered and honored, excited and  super-pumped, even though I've got some wonderful competition in the other five contestants.

 

Winners will be announced at the RWA National Conference in San Antonio, Texas.

  

In no particular order, the following is a list of finalists. Those listed with an asterisk are also nominated for Best First Book.  When I see contest winners, I'm always curious about the publishers and editors so if you'd like to know who they are, go to the Greater Detroit RWA 2014 Booksellers Best Award link.

 

Congratulations! Congratulations! Congratulations!

TRADITIONAL

Last Chance Proposal Barbara DeLeo

The Courage to Say Yes Barbara Wallace

The Cattleman's Ready-Made Family Michelle Douglas

First Comes Baby Michelle Douglas

A Marriage Made in Italy Rebecca Winteres

Crashing into Tess Lilly Christine

SHORT HISTORICAL

The Witch Finder Blythe Gifford

Before the Larkspur Blooms  Caroline Fyffe

Lachlan's Bride Kathleen Harrington

Surrender to the Earl Gayle Callen

At the Highlander's Mercy Terri Brisbin

SINGLE TITLE

Mystic Cowboy Sarah M. Anderson

The Time Between Karen White

Home to Whisky Creek Brenda Novak

Lost Melody Dolores W. Maroney

The Pieces We Keep Kristina McMorris

SHORT CONTEMPORARY

The Rancher She Loved Ann Roth

*Doctor, Soldier, Daddy  Caro Carson

Conceal, Protect Carol Ericson

To Tame a Cowboy Jules Bennett

His Southern Temptation Robin Covington

LONG CONTEMPORARY

Kidnapped Cowboy  Lindsey Brookes

Out of his League Cathryn Parry

A Kiss to Die for Gail Barrett

The Cowboy's Christmas Baby Carolyn Brown

Seduced by his Target Gail Barrett

PARANORMAL

Midnight's Kiss  Donna Grant

Omega Susannah Sandlin

Allegiance Sworn  Kylie Griffin

Fire of the Dragon Lori Dillon

Tempt Me Tamara Hogan

The Reunited Shiloh Walker

INSPIRATIONAL

Vanished by  Irene Hannon

Cozy Christmas by Valerie Hansen

Shenandoah Nights by  Lisa Belcastro

Wedding On the Rocks by Rose Ross Zediker

Healing the Forest Ranger by Leigh Bale

LONG HISTORICAL

*For the Love of A Soldier  Victoria Morgan

The Hunter  Monica McCarty

Lady Vivian Defies a Duke  Samantha Grace

Love's Price Cheryl Holt

What a Duke Desires Sabrina Jeffries

YOUNG ADULT

Camp Boyfriend J.K. Rock

*Running On Empty  Colette Ballard

Briar Rose Jana Oliver

Dirty Little Secret Jennifer Echols

*Playing Tyler  TL Costa

EROTIC

On her Masters Service Lexi Blake

Unforgettable Alison Kent

Avoiding Mr. Right  C.J. Ellison

* Masque   Lexi Post

Too Fast  Alexia Haynes

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

Trapped  Irene Hannon

Ashes, Ashes, They All Fall Dead Lena Diaz

Til' Death Sharon Sala

Hard Target Kay Thomas

Pieces of You- A Snowy Creek Novel Loreth Anne White

NOVELLA

Christmas At Copper Mountain Jane Porter

Outside the Lines Kimberly Kincaid

The Last Daughter Jessica Ferguson

One True Love  Lori Wilde

Take Me, Cowboy Jane Porter

A Cowboy for Christmas Katheirne Garbera

 

Insecure Writers Support Group

It's IWSG Day! IWSG stands for Insecure Writers Support Group and was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. You can follow other IWSG members here  and on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG.
Our purpose is to share and encourage.

These days I wonder if I'll ever write again. Retirement, renovation, weddings... set backs! Renovation is complete but now we have to put the house back in order. A challenge. Not as fun as it should be.

And while I'm contemplating where the new sofa will go, or what color rug to purchase to complement the new wood floors, time marches on, technology changes, marketing and social media become more and more important and complicated ... and I'm behind on keeping up with it all.

I know it's true that if we quit writing, we forget how to write. I've been there/done that before. The old saying if you don't use it you lose it is true. This is what writer's block is made of: fear. Fear that life is rushing by and I'm not accomplishing anything. I just pile ideas in my cell phone and hope someday my life gets back to normal.

Then I ask myself: what's normal? Haven't I been hearing a lot about the "new normal." Surely this isn't MY new normal! If so, I don't like it! I don't want it!

I'm keeping the quote by S.K. Gipson at the forefront of my mind: "Success may be measured in determination, but only those who persevere ever see success."

Persevere.

P. E. R. S. E. V. E. R. E.

Let's make a pact to persevere.