Sunday, August 16, 2009

So...

I didn't win the Valerie Parv Award. Piqued at the post by Kylie Short who came first AND third and my lovely CP Melissa Smith who came second.

Congrats to both of you!!! I came fourth btw (out of six), which is the same I came in this same contest in 2007! I'm determined to climb that ladder next year :)

Also want to shout a HUGE congrats to my lovely CP Becca J Heath for coming a BRILLIANT second in the RWA Emerald (full mss) Award. Both of us are eagerly awaiting the final judges comments.

Thanks to everyone who left me good luck wishes!!

Friday, August 14, 2009

Tonight's the night...


I'm in the mood!! Mood for drinking wine and hanging out on email/Twitter to follow the Romance Writers of Australia Awards night.

I'm up for the Valerie Parv Award (of which the prize is a year's mentorship with bestselling author of romance, STs and how-to craft books) and one of my dear writing buddies Bec is up for the Emerald (which is a full manuscript contest).

I kinda feel like I've been nominated for a Logie or an Oscar and can't be there to almost wet my pants with fear/nerves/excitment as I await the annoucement. The competition is VERY tough and I may not even place (there are six finalists) but hey, I'm stoked whatever happens cos the mss that finalled is close to my heart!!!

So... what are you doing tonight?

GOOD LUCK Bec!! And good luck to my other CP Melissa Smith, who although not in blogland is also a contender for the VPA. If I don't win... she better :)

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Remember me?

Yep - I've been slightly absent in blogland this last couple of weeks. Been trying to force my current mss (OHHN) into submission.

A lovely writing buddy (Hi Cath) pointed out that although written in quite a lovely style, it had NIL conflict. That's right my lovelies... NADA, ZILCH, NOT A SINGLE SMIDGE of good reason why my gorgeous hero and his delightful leading lady shouldn't buy a house with a white picket fence and live happily ever after.

So I've been brainstorming ways to torture them a little more. I've hopefully given them pasts and present probs that make falling into love and HEA not quite a simple as boy meets girl, boy likes girl, girl likes boy and they say 'I do.'

It's meant that I've done a lot of rewriting, adding and deleting. Gosh it's painful when the wordcount goes up and then rapidly down again, but I'm sure it'll mean a stronger mss in the long run.

In the meantime... I'm still WAITING to hear from M&B about the partial I sent in May! I'm at the stage, where I sort of wouldn't mind an R cos at least I'd know where I stand. I thought being able to send straight to an editor's desk would mean the process was quicker - but apparently that's a fantasy. Oh well... I've started thinking about my Maverick and his Christmas Fairy's conflict so that I can enter the new contest if I still haven't heard on my partial by then!!

Right... thanks for listening to my rambles. Hope you are all well and happy and that next time I'll either have meatier news or an interesting craft thing to discuss!

For all those off to the Aussie conf this weekend - have a BLAST! Am sooooooooooo jealous I won't be there. Especially since I'm up for an Award Sat night. Who wants to drink cyber wine with me and hang out on Twitter to see how I go?!