Giving Thanks for Awesome People

I am a little short on blog topics right now but in light of the Thanksgiving holiday coming up, I just wanted to say that I'm very grateful to be part of such an awesome online community of writers.  I had had my website up for several months with very little traffic when my friend, Nancy Thompson suggested I come over to Blogger.  Since that time I've met many, many incredibly talented and incredibly kind writers whose advice and work are making me a better writer as we speak.  Sometimes it feels like this writing thing is all in my head.  It's hard to talk about my writing with the non-writers in my life mostly because it bores them to tears but when I get online and hop around to my favorite writer blogs, the whole writing thing that I am secretly mulling over almost 24 hours a day comes alive.  Everyone else is blogging about and discussing the very things I'm interested in!  I get to commiserate and be inspired.  Having other writers to "talk to" even if it's just through blogging and email keeps me going and makes this whole writing dream feel real.  So thank you to all of you for being so brilliant and being so accessible to your fellow aspiring writers!

Speaking of brilliant writers, I'd like to say CONGRATS to the very talented Michael Infinito over at the Wizardry of Otin who just got an agent!  Actually he signed with my agent, Jeanie Pantelakis.  He had gone through the usual channels using the submission guidelines on the Sullivan Maxx website and Jeanie wisely offered him a contract.  So congrats, Mike.  Hope to see you in print soon!

On a different note, I would like to draw your attention again to the Hook for Your Book Finalists in the Fantasy genre.  As you know from my last post, there was some kind of miscommunication between Jeanie and I in terms of how many finalists would be picked.  I take full responsibility for this.  She has actually chosen TWO finalists instead of three.  I thought we had agreed on 3 but alas, looking back over our correspondence, she had said two.  Again, I apologize.  So Jeanie chose what she felt were the best two pitches and the winners are:

Nicole Zoltack for Elena's Pen
When thirteen-year-old Elena's magical pen writes of its own accord about a
mystical fantasy land being overrun by demons, she vows to save the land.
Unfortunately, it's not as simple as writing a happy ending - whenever Elena
uses the pen, someone turns into a demon, and she could be next.

and

S.M. Johnston for Sleeper
Pitch: Being brought back to life runs the risk of something from the other
side coming back over too. Even in a medically controlled death like
eighteen-year-old Mishca Richardson's. Since her heart transplant she's had
nightmares, hallucinations, increased speed and strength. But something else
has been inside her from the start.

Congrats to you ladies!!!  Thank you to everyone who entered.  Again, I apologize for the mix-up in terms of the number of finalists. I am truly sorry.

My daugher's glitter turkey (and a small rocket ship)

Finally, I hope everyone has a very good and very safe holiday!