Tuesday Toot-My-Own-Horn

So, normally this is the place where I'd do a Tuesday Tale.  But I wanted to share some *exciting* news with y'all.  I just found out that Destined made it to the final round of the Florida Writer's Association's Royal Palm Literary Award competition for unpublished YA.

Yeah, that's a mouthful.  Basically, it means that three judges looked at the first 50 pages of my novel - submitted anonymously - and out of 150 possible points, I scored at least 100.  I don't yet know where I fall in the range of 100-150.  

Now I get to submit the full manuscript and a fourth judge will read and score it.  The lowest score from the first three judges will be dropped and the three remaining scores combine for my total.  First, second and third places receive recognition.

The good news for all Florida writers?  It's still not too late to enter!  The deadline for submissions doesn't close until July 16th.  If you're interested, check out the FWA website.  There are categories for both YA and MG. Go forth and enter!

Destined (a retelling of Cupid & Psyche)

When Sadie destroys the one relationship she can't live without, she must journey alone through ancient Greece and confront the goddess who'd see her dead if she wants to reclaim an immortal love.

Friday Flashback: The Yearbook

I'm brining over my last post from my LiveJournal Blog.  Please tell me your funny yearbook inscriptions!!


Today was my daughters' last day of school.  *sniff, sniff*  So of course, this week kids were running around the hallways, yearbooks and markers in hand, begging each other for signatures.  Can't you just feel the memories flooding back to you now?

I remember my freshman yearbook cover in particular because I got my name embossed on it.  Or rather, my nickname.  DOLPHIN.  Yeah, you heard that right.  I was a marine nut, my last name was Dalton; the nickname is sort of obvious. *head-palm*

My sophomore year I was actually on the yearbook staff.  Because I'm a sucker, I ended up in the ads department, making those sappy end of the year farewells to seniors and selling advertising space.  That was a one-year gig.  I was pictured a lot in that one though...

Skip junior year.  Nothing memorable comes to mind.  Senior year.  Yearbook theme: Paper or Plastic.  (It's been 15 freakin' years and I still remember that.)  The theme was all about choices we would be making as we enter the real world.  Seniors in general always featured prominently in the yearbook, so this might be another reason I recall it so well.

I wish I had my yearbooks close at hand so I could go back over the inscriptions.  (Darn you, storage unit, not being at my house.)  I'm sure there are some things in there that would make me laugh, blush, cry...  I remember the prettiest girl in school & our homecoming queen writing in my yearbook one year that I was beautiful.  It was memorable because she misspelled beautiful wrong.  At least God didn't give her brains and beauty.

I remember my best friend and I had an inside joke.  We both took French and one day I did her a favor.  Instead of telling me "Je t'aime," she said "Je aime tu."  She wrote that in my yearbook one year.  I think sophomore??

Anyway, that's my little trip down memory lane.  I'm sure you all have some good yearbook follies you can share.  Please dish!