Tag Archive for: Debra Goldstein

Looking Forward to Mystery Short Story Award Season

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by Paula
Gail Benson
The time
is quickly approaching for recognizing short story excellence in the mystery
field. The following authors have been nominated for Agathas for their short
stories, an award presented at the Malice Domestic conference at the end of
April:

Best
Short Story
“Double Deck the Halls” by Gretchen Archer (Henery
Press)
“Whose Wine is it Anyway”
by Barb Goffman in 50 Shades of Cabernet (Koehler Books)
“The Night They Burned Miss Dixie’s
Place” by Debra Goldstein in Alfred Hitchcock’s
Mystery Magazine (May/June 2017)
“The Library Ghost of Tanglewood Inn”
by Gigi Pandian (Henery Press)
“A Necessary Ingredient”
by Art Taylor in Coast to Coast: Private Eyes from Sea to Shining Seat
(Down & Out Books)

Please
notice that each of the nominated stories has a link that will allow you to
read it. Let me assure you that you’ll enjoy each one. Next month, we’ll have
an interview with the authors.

In
2013, I surveyed the awards given to mystery short stories in a post for
Writers Who Kill. Here’s a link to that post: http://writerswhokill.blogspot.com/2013/08/awards-for-writing-mystery-short-stories.html

For
a comprehensive list of crime fiction awards given internationally, please
click on this link.
http://awards.omnimystery.com/mystery-awards.html

Here’s
an update of national awards given to mystery short stories:

Agatha

The
Agatha Awards have been presented since 1988 by Malice Domestic at its annual
conference. The awards recognize the traditional mystery written in the style
of Agatha Christie, having no explicit sex, excessive gore, or gratuitous
violence.

Nominees
are selected by ballot from persons registered for the conference by December
31.
Nomination
forms are tallied by the Agatha Committee. The top five choices in each
category are placed on the ballot. Attendees vote by secret ballot at the
conference and the awards are presented at the banquet. The awards are
porcelain tea pots.
Anthony

The
Anthony awards, named for Anthony Boucher (writer, critic, and a founder of the
Mystery Writers of America) have been presented since 1986 at the annual
Bouchercon World Mystery Convention. The Anthonys feature a Best Anthology
category as well as best short story. In Toronto, the Anthonys included a
category for Best Novella for a work of 8,000-40,000
words. B.J. Stevens posthumously won the inaugural award for
“The Last Blue Glass.”

Nominating
ballots are emailed to the registered attendees. Awards are determined by the
persons attending Bouchercon.
Black Orchid Novella

Entries
of 15,000 to 20,000 words submitted by May 31 are eligible for the Black Orchid
Novella Award. The winner is announced at the The Wolfe Pack’s (a society
devoted to Nero Wolfe) Annual Banquet. The award winning story has often been
published in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine.

Derringer

The
Derringer Awards, named after the palm-sized handgun, have been presented since
1997 by the Short Mystery Fiction Society (SMFS). Presentations are made in
March. Members and editors may submit stories for an initial blind
consideration by volunteer judges who select five nominees in each category. To
be eligible to vote for the awards, a person must join the SMFS by December 31.

The
awards are presented by category: (1) best story of 1000 words or less; (2)
best story of 1001 to 4000 words; (3) best story of 4001 to 8000 words; and (4)
best story of 8001 to 17,500 words. 



Best Flash Story (Up to 1,000
words)
Best Short Story (1,001 to 4,000
words)
Best Long Story (4,001 to 8,000
words)
Best Novelette (8,001 to 20,000
words)


See
the following web page for the complete selection procedure: https://shortmystery.blogspot.com/2008/08/smfs-derringer-awards-procedure.html 


Edgar 
The
Edgar Allan Poe Awards have been presented annually since 1946 by the Mystery
Writers of America. Authors who submit their stories for consideration must
meet the requirements for active status in the MWA whether or not they are
members of MWA. For more information, see:



Short stories
are considered works up to 22,000 words from approved magazines, periodicals,
anthologies, and websites. Submissions meeting the requirements may be made
online at:

The Robert L. Fish
Memorial Award is presented for the best first published mystery short story by
a previously unpublished author.



Macavity

Each year since 1987, members of the Mystery Readers International organization
vote and present the Macavity awards in four categories. The Macavity award is
named for T.S. Eliot’s  “mystery
cat” in the Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. For more information,
see: http://mysteryreaders.org/macavity-awards/


Shamus

Honoring
publications since 1981, the Shamus awards, created by Robert J. Randisi, have
been presented by the Private Eye Writers of America. PWA committee members
select the nominees and winners in a manner similar to the Edgar selections. A
“private eye” is considered the protagonist of a mystery who is a professional
investigator, but not a police officer or government agent. For more
information, see: http://www.privateeyewriters.com/shamus_awards.html



Silver Falchion

For
the last two years, an award for the best anthology or collection has been
presented at Killer Nashville, which honors recipients with the Silver
Falchion. For more information, see: https://killernashville.com/awards/silver-falchion-award/


Thriller

Presented since 2006 by the
International Thriller Writers, the Thrillers are announced at the annual
Thrillerfest conference. Short stories of up to 35,000 words are considered so
that novellas qualify for submission. An entry must be published in print or
e-zine format during the previous year. For more information, see: http://thrillerwriters.org/programs/award-nominees-and-winners/

Why I Like the Word Send by Debra H. Goldstein

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For a writer, “end” often is
considered the most wonderful word. I prefer adding an “s” and changing “end”
to “send.” Why? Because until a story is accepted and published, I don’t
consider it to be a final piece. Rather, the story can be edited and improved.

Often, a writer thinks a
story is ready for publication, but when it is rejected, the writer realizes
there are ways to make it better. For example, I recently submitted a story,
Day After Thanksgiving Soup, to an open anthology call. The story received fair
consideration, but ultimately was rejected. After receiving notice of the
rejection, I read the story again and several things jumped out at me. Even
though I had thought the story was written and edited to perfection before I
submitted it, I now saw several flaws. There was an instance of poor word
choice and several places I could tighten the tale. I revised the piece and sent
it to Mystery Weekly. A few days later, I received word Mystery Weekly wanted
to purchase it. Last week, not only did Day After Thanksgiving Soup appear in
the paperback version of Mystery Weekly, it was featured on the cover.

This isn’t the first time
I’ve written a short story, submitted it, had it rejected, rewritten it and
found a home for the “new and improved” version. In fact, in a few instances,
the rejection step occurred multiple times, but the final published piece was
always far better than the one I started with. The same has held true with my
novels.

Whenever they were
rejected or criticized by an agent, publisher, or beta reader, I carefully
reviewed their comments and looked to see if there was a way to make the
manuscript better. There almost always was.

Writing is an ongoing
process. If one willingly revises and is flexible, one’s writing is going to
improve. The consequence of improvement is more acceptances – even if it isn’t
at the first point of submission.

How many times was your typed “end” really “send?”

Are Blogs Passe?

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Are
Blogs Passe? by Debra H. Goldstein

When my first book, Maze in Blue, a mystery set on the
University of Michigan’s campus in the 1970’s was about to be published, I was
advised to quickly create a website, social media presence, and a blog. The
result was:
Website: www.DebraHGoldstein.com
Twitter: @DebraHGoldstein
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-h-goldstein-72473a11/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DebraHGoldsteinAuthor/
Personal blog, “It’s Not
Always a Mystery” – www.DebraHGoldstein.com/blog
I was set, or so I
thought. What I discovered during the time that elapsed between the original
publication of my 2012 IPPY award winning Maze
in Blue, its reissuance by Harlequin Worldwide Mystery as a May 2014
selection, and Five Star’s 2016 publication of Should Have Played Poker: a Carrie Martin and the Mah Jongg Players
Mystery, was that technology changed what was needed to attract readers. Websites
had to be more interactive and mobile friendly, pictures and crafts demanded a
presence on Instagram and Pinterest, and besides having a personal blog, it was
beneficial for emotional support and reaching other readers to be part of a
group blog, like The Stiletto Gang.
Of course, even though it
meant redesigning my website, devoting more time to social media, and writing
three blog posts a month (I write the
Stiletto Gang blogs posted on the 2nd and 4th Fridays
of the month and alternate having a guest post or one by me every other Monday
for It’s Not Always a Mystery), I
complied. In my free time, I enjoyed life, produced twenty short stories that
have been published and a few still looking for a home, and wrote the first
book for a new series that will soon be shopped by my agent.
In five years, both the
world of publishing and suggested means of connecting with readers has

changed
significantly. One of the most discussed things is the role of the blog. Some
argue, there are simply too many, so none are being read. Others contend blogs
are the only thing giving readers a consistent way of interacting with an author
by providing an opportunity to read and comment on their thoughts and
activities.

Personally, making blog
deadlines is sometimes onerous, but I’m always glad when I complete one. I like
sharing a bit of myself with you. I also enjoy reading blogs written by others.
I always read everyone’s postings on The Stiletto Gang because we are all so
different. Although I may not always write a comment on the blog itself or when
it is reprinted on our Facebook page, I respect and value the different views
we express.
But, what do you think
about blogging? Do you think they have served their purpose? Do you look
forward to them? Do you prefer ones written by individuals like It’s Not Always a Mystery or group blogs
that appear more often, but are written by more authors like The Stiletto Gang?  

Where I Work

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Where
I Work by Debra H. Goldstein

When I wrote my first author bio, I noted my ideas and my
writings are diverse. Consequently, I named my personal blog (www.DebraHGoldstein.com/blog) “It’s
Not Always a Mystery.” That blog title still captures my personality and
authored works perfectly, but recently, I noticed there is another area in
which I vary what I do – where I write.

I’ve always kidded if I can see water, even if it is
bathwater, I am my most productive. That holds true – rolling ocean or gulf
waves, rippling lakes, or placid tub water all calm me enough to create or
clarify thoughts. Unfortunately, I live in a landlocked area and since my November foot
surgery, I’ve been limited to showers (that’s another story to be told —
think fat naked lady trying to decide if she needs to call 911). Consequently,
I’ve had to find other places for stimulation.

As I write this and later today do a final edit on what I
hope will be my next book, I’m sitting in my living room in a one-hundred plus
year old chair (recovered a couple of times during that period) that originally
belonged to my grandmother. This room, decorated in blue, gold and orange is my
favorite in the house we downsized to twelve years ago. It is bright, but
comforting. The colors are restful, but bold. Two chairs, an ornate couch, and four
mahogany tables belonged to my grandmother, my aunt, and then to me. Two end
chairs, with backs that make me think of a harp, perhaps because they are
placed near the piano bought for me when I was six, were my mother’s pride and
joy. There is a mirror and vases over the fireplace, inherited from my

mother-in-law, that match the two Capodimonte lamps that no one in the family
treasured except my grandmother and me. Although I may play music on the piano
or through an iPod, there is no television or other distractions. I work
diligently in this room and I am at peace.

Working in the over-sized club chair in my bedroom is
different. That chair, which was designed for my father, who like me had long
legs, has an extra depth of two inches. Add those two inches to the ottoman
that can be pulled to touch the chair, and perfect comfort can be achieved. It
is a room for drafts – for starts and stops – for formulating ideas and letting
them percolate while the television in front of me calls my name to turn it on
and make short shrift of my work. Despite my willingness to be distracted in
this room, I am proud of the work product produced there.

Ironically, my least productive writing room is my office
even though I spend most of my time there. In our former house, my office was a
600-square foot sanctuary with a wall lined with bookcases. When we downsized,
I adopted a 13×15 bedroom and placed my computer on a credenza between the two
windows so I could write looking over the tops of the neighborhood’s houses. I
hung an inspirational picture above the credenza. Turning my back to the
credenza, brings me to my oversized desk which sits before a smart television.
The sides of the room have free standing floor to ceiling bookcases – biography
on one wall, mysteries overflowing on the other. Because of the limited space,
I had to move novels and literature to the hallway, children’s books, plays,
and non-fiction to another bedroom. Although I write some drafts in this room,
most of the time, I use my stand-alone desktop to polish manuscripts, make sure
spacing and formatting is correct, and to send the final copy from. Paperwork,
social media, promotional activities, and all business-related chores are
handled in my office. There is creativity present in the room, but it is tinged
with reality.

Having had my step climbing limited the past six months, I moved
key parts of my office into my dining room (computer, printer, paper, pens).
That elegant room now looks like the Martians have landed and it wasn’t pretty.
It is not restful or enjoyable to work there. My chair, wonderful for formal
dinner parties, is stiff for creativity. The room, which is fun to laugh and
spend an evening in with friends, is lonely when I’m alone. Working in there is
a stop and go process interspersed with games of spider solitaire. I want my
dining room back the way it was meant to be.

The interesting thing to me is how different the places I
write or do author related things are. As diverse as they are, they represent
the diversity that is part of being an author and what makes me who I am as a
person. Where do you write and how does it impact you?

The Merits of Spider Solitaire and Writing

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The Merits of Spider
Solitaire and Writing by Debra H. Goldstein

When my writing isn’t
going well or I’m simply bored, I play Spider Solitaire.  In the old days, before I bought my latest
computers, my game of choice was Solitaire. 
Occasionally, even now, I’ll play a hand of Solitaire, but usually I
devote my energies to Spider Solitaire. I find it more of a challenge, plus it
wastes more time.

Let me be a bit more
specific. The merits of the game are simple – it is a challenge (I’m still at
the mid-level of play), it’s fun, and more important it distracts me from the
project at hand for 3-5 minutes.  If I
play enough games of Spider Solitaire, an hour can easily fly by.  That’s something that doesn’t always happen
with my writing.  When I’m drawing a
blank or the words coming out can best be defined as trash, time moves
slowly.  In fact, it crawls at a pace
that the fastest thing I can do is hit delete and realize the dead feeling I
have is despair.

That’s not the case when I
play Spider Solitaire.  The hand may not
work out, but a message flashes that lets me know I played a good game.  I smile and begin another game.  There is no gap thinking I’ll never find my
way.  A click and I’m there.  Not bad, but not good, either.  Because instinctively, I know that if I click
away all the hours, in the end I’ll feel worse for not having tried to find a
way to communicate my thoughts. 

I write to express myself.
I play Spider Solitaire as a means of avoidance.  Both have a complimentary place – the key is
to find a balance between the two.  Those
who do, write.  Those who don’t, mourn
what could have been.

The Year of the Short Story

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by Paula Gail Benson

From right, Art Taylor, Debra Goldstein, Cathy Pickens and husband Bob, and me.

Like
Debra Goldstein, I’m a writing conference junkie. I completely understand the
attraction that compels so many sci fi and graphic novel enthusiasts to flock
to cons. First, you’re surrounded by people who have as great a love of the
subject as you do, and second, you draw inspiration from proximity to the
practitioners.

I’ll
never forget my first visit to Malice Domestic about fifteen years ago. Everything about it seemed to
spell impossible expectation. The time of year. The distance to travel. Getting
leave from work. Arranging for my mother to travel with me. Yet, Mary Higgins
Clark would be there, and I was obsessed with her books. When I imagined my
future, it was writing novels like Mary Higgins Clark’s.

Somehow,
all the pieces came together. Impossibility became reality. I went. Standing in
line to get my picture with Mary Higgins Clark, I met Dana Cameron, who has
become a wonderful, supportive friend. The photo with Mary Higgins Clark and
her daughter Carol Higgins Clark has become a talisman for me, a symbol of what
I can achieve. When one of my relatives asked who those people were (not
recognizing me), I convinced myself I looked enough like an author to be
mistaken for one. I’ve continued that happy delusion ever since.

I
dub this year’s Malice “a celebration of the short story.” Malice revived its
tradition of publishing anthologies with Malice Domestic’s Murder Most
Conventional, with twenty two original stories and one reprint all set at
conventions. (Another anthology is planned for next year featuring historicals.)
While I missed lunch with the Guppies, I had a wonderful time with Debra Goldstein, Barb
Goffman, and others. Barb won her first Agatha this year for “A Year Without
Santa Claus,” her first publication in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine.
At
the SinC Breakfast, the announcement of a new initiative, “We Love Short
Stories,” organized by Debra Goldstein, was met with applause and great expectations.
I thoroughly enjoyed being on a short story panel with James Lincoln Warren (a first class moderator who brought his panelists California wine), Teresa Inge, K.B. Inglee, and Jayne Ormerod. We missed being with Eleanor Cawood Jones, a contributor to the new Malice anthology, who had became ill. During our discussion time, we explored the diverse themes, characters, and settings for mystery short stories. Jim kindly read selections from each panelist’s stories to the audience.  
At the banquet, so many attending had backgrounds as both short story writers and novelists. Terrie Farley Moran, who won an Agatha for best first novel last year, was nominated in the short story category this year. B.K. Stevens, who broke her arm and sadly could not be there, had a table full of supporters, cheering her nominations for short story and young adult novel. (Notice in the photo below that B.K.’s daughter Rachel and publisher Carla Coupe are holding up Her Infinite Variety, a new collection of B.K.’s short stories.) I had the pleasure of celebrating with Art Taylor when his novel in short stories, On the Road with Del and Louise, received the teapot as best first novel.
Hurray for another wonderful Malice and double hurray for the recognition of the importance of the mystery short story. It’s going to be a wonderful year for reading! 

Cause and Effect

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Cause and Effect by Debra H. Goldstein

Cause and effect. I find the philosophy of causality, that B immediately results from event A interesting conceptually; but as a mystery writer, I don’t believe things happen in a perfectly linear way. My vision is skewed. For me, rather than the main path being A to B, there always seems to be a few A++ along the way.

For example, my “A” this week was the receipt of editorial comments on a first draft. “B” should have been my rewrite. It hasn’t happened yet. Oh, I’ve been thinking about the changes I need to make, but the pluses I referred to have kept B from becoming anything more than a thought in my head. I wonder if your cause and effect ever runs like this:

A – Receipt of Editorial comments
A+ – Read the comments and scratch head to understand them
A++-Go to gym to clear head
A+++-Stop in gym cafeteria for a smoothie and think about how much I hate exercise
A++++-Go home and look at manuscript and manuscript comments. Play solitaire
A+++++-Glance at printer next to computer and remember the paper tray is broken
A++++++-Check e-mail. Notice, conveniently, Best Buy has new printer on sale
A+++++++-Run to Best Buy and purchase printer during twenty-four hour sale
A++++++++-Get it up to my office but notice the office is dusty and cluttered
A+++++++++-Begin two day cleaning-purge four boxes and a bag. Play solitaire
A++++++++++-Set up new printer but have to figure out how to do wireless set-up
A+++++++++++-Shower. Rush not to be late for Mah jongg game
A++++++++++++-Throw concepts around with editor. Play solitaire. Gym
A++++++++++++++-Research and draft remarks for Temple Selichot program
A+++++++++++++++-Review notes, deliver speech and participate in panel. Exhausted
A++++++++++++++++-Write Stiletto blogs and set up It’s Not a Mystery blog
A+++++++++++++++++-Take a nap. Worn out, but mind keeps working overtime
B – Adopt Scarlett O’Hara’s philosophy: “I’ll think about it tomorrow.”

Mystery writing compares to my A to B. Red herrings, turns and twists, and unforeseen character demands prevent the story from merely being simple cause and effect. I’m glad. Think how boring going only from A to B would be.

Writing Camp or Writing Work in Iowa

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Writing Camp or Writing Work in Iowa by Debra H. Goldstein

Fun – Freedom – Frolic are all things children experience when they attend summer camp.  I recently had these same experiences plus a constant writing high when I spent ten days as a student at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival. Everyday responsibilities and obligations faded and were forgotten while I took classes in setting, conflict, and characterization in genre.

The courses combined limited lectures, writing assignments, and critical workshopping. What was probably the most surprising thing is that as much as I learned from my three excellent teachers, I can’t even begin to explain how much I benefited from hearing my work and that of my fellow students evaluated by my teachers and classmates. Their critiques were kind, but nothing was sugarcoated.

Considering how writers often are often upset by bad Amazon or Goodreads reviews, one would think constant writing exercises and critiques would be demoralizing, but they weren’t.  Rather, they were invigorating.  The combination of learning, translating new knowledge into writing, and being given the tools to improve our work product was exciting.

During the ten days I was in Iowa (which really is flat), I was thrilled Kings River Life published my short story, Exotic, ( http://kingsriverlife.com/07/04/exotic-a-mystery-story/ ), Bethlehem Writers Roundtable informed me that its September/October 2015 issues will contain my short story, That’s Where I Buried My Wives, and Five Star sent me the first jpeg cover of my new book, Should Have Played Poker: a Carrie Martin and the Mah Jongg Players Mystery (coming February 2016).  By the time I finished my three workshops, I realized that the goal of learning was accomplished but better yet, I came up with new pieces – a few of which I bet will find homes in the next year.  Not a bad result from going to camp.

A Critical Eye For Weddings and Writing

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A Critical Eye for Weddings and Writing 
by Debra H. Goldstein

Weddings are a time of joy, unbridled nerves, and warm, sweet and catty family moments. Last year, as the mother of the bride, I was the chief wedding planner and put-out-the-fires” behind the scenes person, responsible for keeping everything and everybody balanced so that my daughter could relax and enjoy herself.  At the beautiful wedding I attended last week, people kept coming up to me and saying, “I bet you’re thrilled you’re not the one in charge” or “Nice to be a guest, isn’t it?” Smiling, I assured all of them how right they were, but that wasn’t true.

The truth is that I can’t help attending weddings without dissecting them. Rather than simply taking in the beauty of the flowers, I take note of the number and style of arrangements, if they vary in height, whether they are composed of flowers (and if so, what kind) or if they contain cheaper accent pieces like wood or candles.  If there is a chuppa or canopy, I look to see if the décor is carried down the support legs or simply greenery wrapped across the top.  I also mentally record if the evening is black tie, the bar is open all evening, if the better liquor tiers are served, and whether the menu is multi-faceted or disguised chicken.  I also look and listen closely to understand the interaction between the different family members.

My enjoyment of weddings hasn’t diminished, but my approach to them has been significantly altered. My reading habits have undergone a similar modification since I began writing seriously. I bring the same critical approach to works I create and those, written by others, that I read. Although I take the time to rave about books or stories that are well-written and engage me, my level of tolerance for repetitive language, poor grammar, shifts in viewpoint, and plots that don’t work has diminished.

Perhaps my current reaction to weddings and things I read is an outgrowth of the hours of research needed to plan my daughter’s wedding or it could be that it reflects my efforts to improve my writing techniques.  The irony is that whatever clouds my perspective when I read is the same thing that is helping to make me a better writer.  Technique and fundamentals colored by creativity are teaching me things that work, things to be avoided, and things to be experimented with. The result, I hope, is that although my ability to read for pure pleasure has been forever changed, I have and am growing from the experience.

Fulfilling a Passion by Debra H. Goldstein

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Fulfilling a Passion by Debra H. Goldstein

Passion.  Aging.  Wanting to fulfill my passion to be a writer (even a mid-list writer) before my arms go beyond their present flabby state.  These are things I’ve been thinking about a lot lately because of a wonderful award I received on July 31.  Positive Maturity, a United Way agency in Birmingham that addresses issues associated with senior citizens, in partnership with the city of Birmingham and B-Metro Magazine, honored an inaugural class of fifty individuals based upon their achievements in business, personal life and civic engagement.

Besides being 50 or older at the time of the event, the honorees must have demonstrated success in one of the following areas:  current career (including encore careers), civic engagement, personal goals such as training for a marathon later in life, or beginning and succeeding at a new career based upon a lifelong passion.  When I learned the 2014 winners would include University of Alabama Coach Nick Saban and 2011 James Beard Who’s Who of Outstanding Chef Frank Stitt, I was appreciative and a little unbelieving that I was included in their company.

In other words, someone goofed.  True, I have been active in the community and there were some pretty high highs in my legal career, but I’ve always tried, and for the most part succeeded, in flying under the radar. I thought about saying “no,” but three things made me agree to be an honoree:  1) to be a part of a fundraising event for an agency that does so much good; 2) that my son informed me that he would fly in from Chicago to attend the event – “oh, and do you think you could arrange for me to get a picture with Coach Saban?” and 3) when I was told I had been selected as the poster child for my success as an individual who walked away from a well-paying cushy judgeship to follow a lifelong passion – my dream to be a writer.

It didn’t matter to the nominating committee that my first book, Maze in Blue, failed to make the New York Times best-seller list.  They thought the weeks it spent on Birmingham’s best-seller list, how it engaged members of the public, and the support various community groups received from my book signings and talks was more important.  The selection committee didn’t look to see how the book was published by now defunct Chalet Publishers, LLC, kept alive through a Creative Space edition, and then purchased and published as a May 2014 Harlequin Worldwide Mystery book of the month.  Instead, the committee looked at the pure joy I have had being a writer of short stories, essays and what I hope will soon be two novels.  They chose to recognize the passion that consumes me.

Writing isn’t an easy path.  I marvel more and more at the writers I meet and their personal stories.  One thing those at the top of the pinnacle, the mid-list writers, and the wannabes like me have in common is our passion.  There are many other things we could do with our time – perhaps performing those things far better than we write – but we can’t help ourselves.  We have to write.  Our writings aren’t always pretty or perfect, but they are expressions of thoughts we must share.  It hurts when others reject our writings, but we simply put our efforts into a new project.  We can’t turn off the passion.

I was proud and humbled to be a 50 Over 50 award recipient. I am prouder to be part of the passionate group who make up the writing community.