Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Mine was jam-packed, but terrific. Not only did I get to see Bon Jovi in concert Saturday night (sweeeeet), I also attended the DFW Writers' Conference--which meant ten workshops, plus one keynote speaker (NY Times Bestselling author Jodi Thomas), plus an agents panel (ten agents!) all in two days. If you live anywhere near this area, you should definitely check out the conference next year. This group really puts on a good one.

I will try to compile my notes and pass along as many tidbits as I can over this week to let you know what I learned. But first, I want to share my good news. Last night I came home after the conference to a wonderful email.

My manuscript Wanderlust is one of the five finalists in the contemporary category of Passionate Ink's (the erotic chapter of RWA) Stroke of Midnight contest!!! So now my first thirty-five pages go to the editor at Spice Books (Harlequin) for final judging. Winners will be announced at the end of July.

I also received some superfabulous feedback from the judges to put in my you-are-not-a-total-hack-so-stop-feeling-sorry-for-yourself file that I pull out when I'm ready to toss the laptop into the wood chipper.

There is officially no better feeling than having a complete stranger (who's there to judge you, no less) read your work and have them tell you that you've totally hooked them and that they love your characters. It's like writer crack. That is, by far, the part I look forward to most if I were to when (yes, universe, I'm putting you on notice) I get published--making readers feel something and connect with my story.

Now, all I need is a book deal. You hear that out there dear editors at Harlequin? I ♥ you, please ♥ me back. :) (I'm not above begging, incessant flattery, or gifts. Just let me know what you prefer.)

Alright, how was your weekend? Do you keep a folder of good stuff to get you by when you're feeling frustrated about writing? What do you look forward to most WHEN you get published?

**Today's Theme Song**

"Song 2" - Blur

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

*Sorry that this picture only has vague relevance to the topic, but I couldn't resist. By far, the funniest Saved By The Bell episode ever.*

A while back I mentioned that I would be entering a couple of writing contests for the first time and promised to share what my experience was like with y'all. Well, this weekend I got a call from the North TX RWA letting me know that my manuscript, Wanderlust, has finaled in the Contemporary Series Romance category of the Great Expectations contest!

I am so excited! Now I get a day to read through the judges' feedback and revise before the entry gets sent to the final judge--an editor at Harlequin. :) Woo-hoo!

So obviously I'm feeling pretty good about contests right now, but let me share a bit of my experience so far. First, I have to say that these results came back very quickly and the amount of detailed feedback from the three judges (two of whom were published) was awesome. They teased out things me and my crit group had not caught (and we're a picky bunch) and it wasn't just surface feedback--their comments showed they had put a lot of thought into it. This kind of feedback is worth its weight in gold and was a great return on my small contest fee even if I hadn't finaled.

In addition, I can't tell you how nice it is to have people who are either published or are trained as judges tell me such positive things about my writing and that my story is of publishable quality. I'm definitely going to save those files and pull them out when I go through my inevitable "I'm a Total Hack" days. So thank you to those anonymous judges who have given me that gift.

Now, although my experience has been very positive, I do want to give one word of warning about contests. Remember not to freak out if you get feedback you don't like or agree with. Even though these are educated opinions, they are still just opinions. Angi Morgan, who recently sold her first manuscript, wrote a great article on keeping contest feedback in perspective. So go into these things with that in mind.

But all in all, I think the positives outweigh that minor risk. So, if you're looking for some totally outside feedback and a chance to jump the slush pile of an editor or agent, consider entering one. They are especially helpful if you want to "test out" your beginning or hook because contests usually have a page limit (first 15, 25, 50 pages).

Most of the local RWA chapters run these contests and they're open to anyone--you don't have to be a member. And I know a lot of you write YA and may think that these don't apply to you, but almost every contest I've seen has a YA category. (Here's a list of some upcoming contests.) So take a chance and put yourself out there.

Also, totally off subject, but I'd like to give a little shout out to my New Orleans Saints for winning the Super Bowl! Sometimes the underdog really does triumph--okay so it took a few decades to get there, but still, I always believed. :)

Have you entered any contests? Why or why not? What's been your experience?

**Today's Theme Song**

"I'm So Excited" - The Pointer Sisters

(player in sidebar--go ahead, take a listen)