Tuesday, March 01, 2016

I WON! I'm getting published!


Yes.  They announced the winners this morning here -- and my story won!  I'm pretty flabbergasted about that fact, because I wrote a western, as you can probably tell from the title (and if you know me at all, you know westerns are my jam, jelly, peanut butter, honey, and mayonnaise), and westerns are just not all that popular anymore.  They're a hard sell.  And also... not to get too spoilified here, but my story contains no magic.  Zero magical spindles.  And the title of the collection, obviously, is all about magic spindles.  So I kind of expected that to be a big count against me.

However, thanks to an enormous amount of mentorific help from DKoren, as well as many long evenings listening to western soundtracks and beating my head against my laptop, I created a story I was pretty doggone proud of, and God has blessed my efforts!  I've got quite a bit of editing to do in the next few months, of course, but this summer, people will be able to buy a book containing a story I wrote, and that is an absolute dream come true.

Here's what the cover will look like:


I should probably lay off the coffee (three cups before lunch is two more than I'm used to), but boy howdy, I'm too excited to quit bouncing even without its help, and coffee is so tasty...

70 comments:

  1. I just read the results at the website, and I was so excited when I saw your name there at the top! So happy for you! And it is awesome to see a Western placing in a contest like this, too. Is this the story you were calling "The Rose-Covered Cabin" before?

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    1. Thanks, Elisabeth! And yes, I originally called it "The Rose-Covered Cabin," but this sounds a bit more distinctly western (and less like it should have been in the "Five Enchanted Roses" collection, hee).

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  2. WOWWW CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!! <3 I'm sure you deserve it completely. Now I just want to read it! :-) Well done - I'm so happy for you.

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    1. Thanks, Naomi! You'll get to read it eventually :-) Once I'm done with what they keep warning will be a rigorous revision process!

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  3. I'm SO extremely happy for you Hamlette!!! I'm almost wild to read it. :)

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    1. Thanks, Eowyn! I hope you like it when you do get to read it :-)

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  4. Yay! I almost cheered when I saw your name on Rooglewood's site, but I was in the middle of the library and figured they'd frown upon that ;)

    Congrats! I can't wait to read it!

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    1. Thanks, Hayden! Yeah, librarians don't seem to like indoor cheering. I gave a loud yelp myself when I found out, but happily I was at home :-)

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  5. CONGRATS, Rachel! I'm so happy for you. Looking forward to reading your story when I snag a copy of this collection. I'm sure it's wonderful. :) :) :)

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    1. Thanks, Rissi! I look forward to hearing what you think of it :-)

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  6. OH MY GOODNESS CONGRATULATIONS!!!! That is SO awesome! I need to read your story now :) So happy for you!

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    1. Thanks, Mary! I believe they'll release the anthology this summer sometime -- seems like forever to wait, to me, but I'm sure it will go quickly.

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  7. YAAAAAYYY!!!!!! Congratulations!!!! You really deserve to win. ;-) Gaaaaaaahhhhh, this is so exciting!!!! I can't wait to read it.

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    1. Thanks, Emma Jane! I am still giddy about this, almost 12 hours after I read the website.

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  8. Wonderful news! So pleased your hard work paid off - and I love a western.

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    1. Thanks, Caftan Woman! I adore westerns too, whether they be films and novels and TV shows. I sometimes wish I was writing back in the 1940s and '50s when magazines and pulps and publishing houses were buying them like mad.

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  9. Congrats! Congrats! Congrats! So exciting! Can't wait to read it!

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    1. Thanks, Jamie :-) I can't wait to read the whole collection!

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  10. Congratulations! I saw you comment on Anne Elisabeth's blog and was trying to figure out which of the authors was you! haha. I kind of figured it was the western one, but wasn't quite sure. Seriously, congrats! Can't wait to read your story (I love westerns... though I tend to watch them in movie form rather than read them, for the most part... so I'm really looking forward to a Sleeping Beauty Western.... that sounds quite intriguing!)

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    1. Thanks, Jenelle! Heh, I kind of forgot in the joy of the moment that my username doesn't match the name under my story -- oops!

      I watch a lot more westerns than I read, but over the last couple of years I've started digging into the classic authors like Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour and really enjoying them. I'd read a few westerns over the years, but not many, and I'm not sure why, because I'm finding them so much fun!

      But anyway, yes... a western Sleeping Beauty. It was a fun challenge!

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  11. Hip Hip Horray! Congratulation Hamlette!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    A western. Oh, I can't wait for it to come out!

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    1. Thank you, Annie! I hope you like it when you do read it :-)

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  12. WHAAAAAAATTTTT.

    HAMLETTE!!! YOU'RE GETTING PUBLISHED!!!!!

    Wow!! I'm so happy for you--that is FANTASTIC!!!!!!!! Now all I have to do is wait to read it--which will be HARD. But it gives me something to look forward to!

    I'm so, so, SO happy! My day just got a lot better, thanks to you :-)

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    1. Jessica, yeeeeeeeeeeeeeees. It's true. Still hard for me to quite believe, but true! Thank you for your kind words! I'm touched that my news made your day improve -- that's quite something!

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  13. That's really neat! Congratulations! =)

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    1. Thanks, Charity! Don't worry, I'm not giving up my day job at Femnista ;-)

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  14. Beverly Ohlendorf9:09 PM, March 01, 2016

    I'm so happy and proud of you, my daughter! You are an excellent writer, and have been ever since a little girl. It doesn't surprise me that your first published story is a Western = after all the Westerns we watched when you were growing up. Can't wait to buy your book. Love to see all your followers <3

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    1. Thanks, Mom! Yes, it's no big surprise, huh? Especially since I've given up writing anything but westerns for these past 3 years or so :-)

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  15. Wow, that's soooo exciting!! :D Congratulations! That must be one amazing feeling. ;D
    ~Miss Meg

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    1. Thanks, Miss Meg! It's definitely an amazing feeling. I couldn't get to sleep until almost 11:30 last night -- just lay there basking in it :-)

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  16. That's awesome! Congratulations! I'm glad Westerns aren't obsolete, because I like them a lot.

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    1. Thanks, Connie! I love them dearly, so yes, super exciting there are still places willing to publish them.

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  17. Oh my goodness, that's so amazing Hamlette!! Congratulations!!!! :D I'm glad all that hard work paid off for you! It sounds like a total dream come true. :)

    So, your story doesn't have a magic spindle, but is it a Sleeping Beauty kind-of story?

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    1. Thanks, Sarah! My story does have a spinning wheel with a spindle, a young woman in a deep sleep, an angry woman, a sort of good-fairy midwife, and a handsome gunfighter instead of a prince -- it's got all the elements, just not the magic.

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    2. Oh oh oh! Just just a *magic* spindle. Well that sounds great! Obviously it doesn't need the magic to be good. :D

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    3. Sarah, exactly. I pondered doing it as a magical-realism western, but I just couldn't make it make sense to my self, and I knew then it wouldn't work for anyone else either, so dropped the magic and stuck to the western.

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  18. Congratulations. Getting published is not an easy task as my brother can testify.

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  19. Awesome! I have to admit, I don't read much in the Western genre, but the summary provided snatched my attention. Also, it's just really cool that your story got picked despite it being so "different" and without the typical fairy tale stuff. I can't wait to read it!! Also, both your old title and this one are fantastic. Cheers!

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    1. Thanks, Rebeka! I'm hoping that people who aren't all that into westerns will still enjoy it :-) And yes, I'm really excited that they liked it well enough to overlook (or embrace?) its "differences."

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  20. Hey, I found you! This is such a fun blog with a great following. Congrats on your win and I look forward to getting to know you!

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    1. Hi, Michelle :-) Glad you think my blog is fun! And thanks -- congrats to you again too!

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  21. I'm so excited for you!!! This is going to be an amazing experience for you! Can't wait to read your story!

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    1. Thanks, Savannah! I think this will be a wonderful time of learning and learning and learning some more. Can't wait to hear what you think of it!

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  22. Congratulations! And here's to many more stories getting published. ( The thrill of publication does not wane, even after many books ).

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    1. Thanks! I feel sure that's true, and am rather eager to find out for myself :-)

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  23. Congratulations, Hamlette!!!!

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  24. That is so awesome, and I love the cover! Beautiful artwork! Looking forward to getting my copy!

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    1. DKoren, thanks! I know, it is lovely, isn't it? (I'm now consumed with the desire to go recreate the cover in a photo shoot.)

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  25. First, it's a pleasure to meet you. And second, congrats on winning! Your story sounds so unique and interesting. :-D

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    1. Thanks, Grace! It's great to meet you too :-) I have a feeling we'll be getting to know one another pretty well over the next few months! Looking forward to it :-)

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  26. Just to make it Public and Official and All That... ;D CONGRATULATIONS, my friend!!!!!!! I really and honestly can't WAIT to read TRCC/MotBH again in all its splendor! :D

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    1. Thank you, dear Heidi :-) You are and awesome friend! And you know what? I can't wait to read the final version either... because that means I'll be done revising it once and for all, hee hee :-)

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  27. CONGRATULATIONS!!! This is so awesome!

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  28. CONGRATS!!!! How awesome is this?!! I can't wait to read your Sleeping Beauty story when it comes out! :D

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    1. Thanks, Faith! Yeah, I think it's pretty awesome :-D I'm eager to hear what you think of it!

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  29. Congratulations, Hamlette!! That is so amazing!

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    1. Thanks, Rose! I'm still having trouble quite grasping that yes, this is real :-)

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  30. That is amazing to hear, Hamlette! Congratulations!

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  31. Congratulations!!!!!!!! I'm so thrilled for you!!!!!! <3

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