Say What?!! First Place in Virginia Romance Writers' Fool For Love Contest!!!

Surprise, surprise, surprise!! I can hear Gomer Pyle saying that right now!! I am so excited to announce that my manuscript, Changed Luck, won FIRST PLACE in the Virginia Romance Writers Fool For Love Contest!!! I was so thrilled with the critiques that I received from both them and East Texas Southern Heat Contest. I have been a judge before and I write reviews for several sites, so I know how difficult it is at times to write meaningful comments that will help the writer become stronger and not sound nit picky.  I truly appreciated the candor, honesty, and depth of the critiques I received. I know I have a long, winding road before me, but I am so very thankful for this step. 

  B.. B... B.... ever since I can remember, B stood for baseball!! Growing up the only grandchild, I watched hours upon hours of baseball games sitting in my Papaw's living room. He would sit in the rocker chair, tv tray in front of him with his hand drawn score laid out on it, and I would sit to his left as his assistant, calling out balls and strikes along with player positions for marking them out! 6-4-3 Double Play!! 

99 out of 100 times we were watching a New York Yankees game.  That 1 other time would either be a Baltimore Orioles game, back when their star pitcher was Fruit of the Loom man, Jim Palmer, or an Atlanta Braves game.   I loved baseball almost as much as I loved shortstop, Bucky Dent!! I think something similar was happening here with Bucky Dent like with Adam Ant's name.... it just rolled off my tongue funny and I loved it!!! 

Collecting baseball cards was my past time.  Shoe boxes and Velveeta cheese boxes were stacked in my room full of cards. I played street baseball with the neighborhood kids for years, learning how to be a catcher, like my other baseball favorites Johnny Bench and Thurman Munson.  Again, strong names that just sweetly rolled off my tongue. 

When my son turned 4, he wanted to play baseball.  He came by his love of the game naturally. My favorite memory is of the night before his game, when he slept in his entire uniform, cleats and all!! To this day, that same little boy of mine, 22 years old now, still has all of his gear ready for his game hours and hours before!  

Baseball!! Once it is in you, it doesn't ever go away! 

I am several weeks and posts late on the A to Z challenge I embarked on. I had entered my WIP in a couple of contests and that seems it sparked me add some scenes that were callingmy name.   It's a good thing I have been writing in my journal so I could capture all of my thoughts that were running through my mind at the endless possibilities that the alphabet gave me.

    A......... first thoughts went to teen aged years and ADAM ANT.  Anyone remember him? I think I was just fascinated with his name and the alliteration that it had. I really did like the beat in Goody Two Shoes.


  After listening to this you tube classic over and over, I am amazed at how so few words can create something that sticks in your head and have you repeating it over and over.  Don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?.... funny, did those words subliminally stay with me all of those years?

A little ALCOHOL doesn't hurt, I know, but I am not a big drinker.  Give me a blended strawberry margarita and I will be happy for months.  Thank goodness my husband is a match with me in that area!   Speaking of matches, do you remember playing the game MASH?  I used to love that game with my junior high friends.  Funny, how I never chose an A for my husband's name, but I ended up with A great man whose name begins with A! 
 

YAY!! Check off MAJOR ITEM from my To Do list!!

I have been writing off and on for two years. I write romance filled with erotica, but I can't write a blog!! Intimate sex scenes are a piece of cake compared to filling this blank page full of thoughts for others to read, enjoy, and comment on.  Maybe it is because a blog doesn't have time to sit in the computer oven and bake like my novels do. Maybe it is because once you click PUBLISH you don't have to wait for an editor in an office nook thousands of miles away to send you a critique.  As soon as the reader reads your blog, they begin to think and question who you are as a writer.  

A week ago, I finally took the big step and entered a few writing contests. With some gentle and not so gentle shoves by my wonderful support group, I have finally ventured out into the brave world of romance writers. While I won't receive any feedback until May and June, just pushing the upload document button was a wonderful freeing experience.  I feel the same way about finally naming my blog and hitting the CREATE blog button.  While I know both new ventures will take careful edits and add-ons, I am totally stoked about what lies ahead!! Life is an adventure and I am ready to finally grab this particular bull by its horns and let it take me where I am meant to go! Thanks for joining me on this ride.  I guarantee along the way I will definitely give you something to Blush about!! 

Susan