Shhhh…. The “real” acceptance speech

In Deb’s post last week, she shared the story behind her accepting the Carol Award for my novel A Million Little Choices at this year’s ACFW Conference.

But have you seen the video of her reading that acceptance speech?

If you didn’t read Deb’s post, here’s a quick recap of events:
* Earlier this summer, I’m notified I’m a finalist for a Carol Award and ask Deb if she’ll accept the award for me since she’s attending the ACFW conference (where she is being honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award!), and I’m not going due to deadlines and obligations.
* Deb agrees to accept the award
* Deb forgets she’s agreed to accept the award
* Deb is sitting at her table during the awards program (which I’m streaming from home) when it occurs to her, “I wonder who is accepting Tammy’s award?”
* So she texts me asking that question, to which I text back YOU!
* Texts start flying
* I text, “Didn’t you get my speech I sent you?” (having never sent her one—I sent the real speech to her husband Ken two weeks earlier, and Ken agreed to print it out and have it ready in case my name is called)
* More texts fly
* Deb asks (with several exclamation points) for my speech again
* Having such fun with this, I text her a “fake” speech
* Texts stop flying
* Minutes later, they announce the winner for Best Contemporary Novel…and it’s A MILLION LITTLE CHOICES!

* As Deb is getting up from the table, her husband Ken hands her a piece of paper and says, “Read this one. This is the real speech.”
* And so she does…
* And the contagious laughter you hear in the background belongs to none other than writing buddy Tricia Goyer who recorded the video (thanks, Tricia!)

It was such a fun experience, both winning the Carol (from afar) and honoring Deb and her Lifetime Achievement Award. : )

Deb’s gorgeous Lifetime Achievement Award and my lovely Carol Award for A Million Little Choices

The kicker is, Deb would have never read those things about herself had she known what was coming. So I really had no choice. : )

When’s the last time you’ve been really surprised by something? What was the occasion (if you’re willing to share). And do you even like surprises?

Much love from Nashville,

Tammy

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