Yesterday I was surprised and delighted to receive notice that the third book in my Goddesses Rising series, Sunroper, is a finalist in the 2014 Prism Awards Light Paranormal/Urban Fantasy category!
The Prism awards are sponsored each year by Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal Romance Writers, a special interest chapter of Romance Writers of America. The Prism is their published works contest and includes the following categories: Dark Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Futuristic, Light Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, Novella, Adult.
I am so very honored and excited to have finaled in this contest. When I first wrote Sunroper, I knew what I wanted the story to be, but I didn’t even come close to achieving it. Kerri-Leigh Grady offered preliminary thoughts on the book’s issues, and Danielle Poiesz, as she had done with Heavy Metal, provided me with a detailed map for reversing all the bad stuff and achieving that vision. She helped me with the hardest part of starting the third book in a series: the backstory! Finding the balance between boring people who’d just read the previous books and educating those who haven’t read them at all is nigh impossible. First I underwrote, and then I overwrote, and then Danielle wielded her sword (aka red pen) and got it just right. After that, she explained how I’d missed the mark on motivation, emotional intensity, and story logic. I literally rewrote half the book, and she encouraged me every step of the way. She never lost her cool, calm, optimistic demeanor, even when deadlines got crazy and despite the shocking start. I mean, I imagined her storming around her office tearing her hair out after she read it the first time. LOL But somehow, she saw my vision and infused it with the ingredients necessary to manifest it.
We readers like to imagine our favorite authors spinning a perfect story right from the get-go, because we only get to see the finished product that dazzles us. But this nomination is proof that a partnership with editors like Danielle can create true magic. My gratitude to her and to the rest of the team at Entangled Publishing knows no bounds.
The full list of finalists can be found here. Winners will be announced at The Gathering in San Antonio in July.