To Contest or Not to Contest

Have you ever done something you weren't sure you should? Okay, hit the pause button. That's a bit of a dumb question, because...well, I imagine everyone has leapt into a situation then said, "Oh, crap. What did I just do?" But whatever. Let's just go with it for a minute and ignore the blantant duh factor. Why? I did something a while back that I wasn't convinced I should do.

"Go on," my friend said.

"Oh, I dunno," I replied, uncertain, a little queasy at the thought.

She huffed. "Stop being such a pansy, for heaven's sake, and take a chance!"

All right, granted...my friend doesn't mince words. Or have any patience for vacilators. Normally, I'm the same, but when it came to entering Fury of Fire (my debut novel) in a published authors contest, I have to say, my courage departed for places unknown.

Why? It's hard to say. Perhaps because there are so many talented authors out there writing fabulous stories. Maybe I contracted the bock-bock gene somewhere along the way. All I know is she suggested. I cringed. She shoved, and I folded like a dirty shirt, threw my hands in the air and said "All right!" just to shut her up.

Well as it turns out, she was right. I was...ahem...wrong. And boy, am I ever glad that I was, and that my friend bullied me into taking the leap of faith. She is clearly a much wiser person than I, because...

Fury of Fire (A Dragonfury Novel, book 1) is a double nominee in the NJRW 2012 Golden Leaf contest in the Best Paranormal and Best First Book categories. So completely fabulous! The winners will be announced at the Put Your Heart in a Book Conference on October 12th, and I couldn't be more excited to be counted among such wonderful finalists.

I guess that just goes to show when you take a chance and put yourself out there, good things happen. Clearly, I owe my friend a nice bottle of wine. Oh, and maybe a box of fancy truffles too (which, of course, I will help her eat. Fair's fair, after all).