Entering Awards

Entering awards can be both exciting and disheartening. You think your stuff is worthy so you enter, but then when you don't win you have to wonder. Still, if you don't enter, you for sure don't win, so I say what the heck!

Today I entered my True West column in two different award competitions. One requires a $50 entry fee and the other is free. Both are highly coveted and to win just one of them would be totally awesome. I'm not naming them because I don't want to jinx myself.

I will say that I entered the Cowboy Beans and Frontier Wedding Menus. 

I'll learn the outcome in early 2011--ah the waiting. It's one thing authors need to learn. Hurry up and wait.

Today I have finish my special True West assignment because it's due Monday. My column is up next.

Cary is Done...well sort of.

I sent the page proofs to my editor this morning. She said they looked good and forwarded them to the production staff who will contact me later this week. I'm sure they'll have questions. After that it goes to print.

Unless some miracle happens, I did not win the recipe contest to go to Napa. I only got about 160 votes and the two top recipes had over 1500. Oh well, it was fun away and my friends got some neat recipes. Thanks to everyone who voted for me!

In this middle of the Cary edits my True West editor gave me another assignment. That was in addition to the column I'm writing about coffee in the Old West.

Tomorrow I'll tackle the special TW assignment then hit the coffee, column. :)

In case you didn't notice I also took some time to update my blog site.

What do you think of the new look?

Surprise!

Remember I said my Cary book was going to be coming soon for review? Well, it arrived yesterday and I have to turn it around and return by Oct. 12. YIKES!

In case I missed anyone...I made it to the final round in a recipe competition and need as many votes as I can get. You can vote every 24 hours for my Mrs. Farmer's Soup until Oct. 12. Hmm...that seems to be my day!

Here's the link: http://everydaychefchallenge.com/everyday-recipes/mrs-farmers-soup/

Thanks for your support! If I win I get a week of boot camp training at the CIA in Napa. That would be so awesome!!!

An Update...

Yes, you've read it before...I've been meaning to update this blog, but I never seem to do it consistently.

Well, there is a lot about to happen at once, as usual. Let's see--I'm past due on my True West column deadline, but will finish this week. The topic is coffee in the Old West. Very cool pic to go with.

I just received notice that my Cary proofs will be arriving this week or next and they will need to be reviewed, edited, and returned in less than two weeks.

I agreed to be a judge in the Western Writers of America Spur awards again this year and the books are arriving almost daily. They all need to be read by March 1. That seems so far away and yet when I look up, it will be March and I'll be scrambling to finish.

I was just asked to write up some winners of the Best of the West for True West, which I love to do, but I just have to balance it all.

Oh yeah, did I mention that I'm trying to work on two books at once, look for a job, and eat and sleep?

Ah hell, I can stand to lose a few pounds anyway, who needs to eat?! LOL

I'm sure I've left something else out, but that's enough for now. Oh yeah, I have a chest cold and it's trying to kick my ass, but I'm trying to kick back!