Hi, friends!! The last time we spoke, we were sipping iced drinks on the porch, trying to stay cool in the summer heat. Now, fall has ushered in and I'm cozy with a sweatshirt and apple crisp latte from my fave local coffee house. Life keeps on changing, doesn't it? Well, one thing remains the same and that is my gratefulness that you're here. Let's catch up!
Still can't believe this happened
Remember back in the spring when I shared that I was a semi-finalist for the Genesis contest? If you've slept since then and you can't remember, the Genesis contest is the biggest writing contest for non-published authors through the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) organization. I entered my contemporary romance novel and learned in May that I was a semi-finalist. Huge shock and huge honor. Well, in late August I learned that I was a FINALIST.
TOP. THREE.
😮
Cue the screaming and the shaking and the laughing. So much laughing.
I seriously still can't believe it sometimes. And even though I didn't win, being a finalist is such a huge accomplishment. I'm so grateful to God for his favor and for how he's consistently shown me how he has my writing career in his capable hands. And don't worry... my family made sure we still celebrated well. ❤️ We had a watch party where we watched the awards ceremony livestream and I even read my acceptance speech to them. While writing my speech, it struck me that it's often said that the writing life is a lonely one. But I've been blessed to have SO many people with me on this journey. Whether it's fellow authors, friends and family who are cheering me on, or readers like you, I can say with confidence that I'm not alone on this journey. And I'm beyond grateful for each person.