I am so happy to report that FOUR of my books have made Coverfly’s Red List, which means they ranked as their Top Manuscripts of the Year!!
Coverfly is the industry’s largest screenwriter talent-discovery platform, connecting emerging screenwriters with literary managers, agents, producers and development executives.
Perfect for fans of Mary Kay Andrews, Christina Lauren (Roomies, Love and Other Words), and romantic Lifetime/Hallmark movies. Mild romance with some adult language and references to sex.
Named a Novel of Excellence by Author’s Circle
Winner – Midwest Book Awards (romance)
Searching for Mr. Right is harder than she thought…
A hopeless romantic, Annabeth Coe knows that her soul mate is out there – somewhere. After all, she’s been writing him heartfelt love letters since she was teenager. Her plan is simple: write her future husband letters and gift them to him on their wedding night to prove how long she’s loved him.
Now, as an adult, Annabeth worries that he may never come along. But when she meets handsome literature professor Alex Grantham, she believes her quest for true love may finally be over. Unfortunately, her timing couldn’t be worse. Frustrated with the love gods, Annabeth vows to take her fate into her own hands. But when the scars and mistrust from her past relationships threaten to destroy a budding relationship, she must face the harsh truth. With an ex-boyfriend who won’t let go and a meddlesome best friend, Annabeth just might be searching for love for the rest of her life – unless the man she’s destined for is just one love letter away.
2016 Colorado Independent Publisher’s Association (CIPA) EVVY Awards (romance category)
2015 RWA Expectations contest
2015 RWA Golden Rose contest
Silver Medal – Independent Book Publisher’s Association (IBPA) Benjamin Franklin Awards (romance category)
Third place over all categories in the Lyra Awards for Fiction
Selected for Library Journal‘s curated SELF-e Select module
Short-listed for the 2016 Chatelaine Award for Romance/Women’s Fiction
Praise
“A credit to the author for making this delightful tale feel as warm and comfortable as an old friend.” – InD’Tale Magazine (4.5 star, Crowned-heart review)
“A smooth and thoroughly satisfying romance novel.” – BookLife Prize in Fiction
“Touched my heart and I couldn’t put it down…I recommend this book to all die-hard romantics and those who are looking for something new to try. A wonderful book to read and share with your friends.” – Kerliza Foon for Readers’ Favorite (5-star review)
“Life has its ups and downs for Alex and Annabeth in Evelina’s solid tale. She fully explores the roadblocks thrown in their paths. Newly found love, vicious jealousy and several misunderstandings all serve to add interest. Hallowed halls of higher learning play their own part in the story.” – Romantic Times (RT) Book Reviews (4-star review)
“I could NOT put it down. Evelina’s voice is vibrant and fresh, and she delightfully interweaves humor, emotion, and that little bit of magic necessary to make a story truly shine.” – Margaret Locke, USA Today bestselling author of A Man of Character
“Great characters, plot twists, a Chicago setting–make for a fast-paced romantic adventure. Been Searching for You kept me reading all night. I loved it!”Sharolynne Barth, The Dreamin’ Tree.
This book is also listed on:
Languages: Published in English worldwide. All other rights available.
Formats: ebook, paperback, audio Publisher: Lawson Gartner publishing ISBN:
I’m so happy to finally be able to announce that Been Searching for You won the Long Contemporary Category in the 2017 Heart of Excellence Reader’s Choice contest, sponsored by the Ancient City RWA chapter. Camelot’s Queenalso took third place in the Strong Romantic Elements category.
I’ve known about this since before Christmas and keeping it a secret was just killing me! So soon, this little trophy on the right will join the others in my curio cabinet.
This is the first RWA contest that Been Searching for You has won (it has finalled in several others) and this one was a reader-driven contest, so it means even more because of that. That novel sits somewhere between traditional romance and women’s fiction and it doesn’t follow a lot of the traditional genre conventions, so a lot of romance readers don’t really know what to do with it. It matters so much to me that these readers understood and loved it, so it was finally recognized by an RWA chapter.
So I made my first list today! Bookriot does all kinds of cool book lists, and this one, Rex Quondam, Rexque Futurum: Arthurian Legend in History And Literature, is even cooler because a) it’s about Arthurian Legend and b) I’m on it for Daughter of Destiny! It is so thrilling to be in the company of major award winners like Kazou Ishiguru, legends like Persia Woolley (to whom The Once and Future Queen is dedicated) and my real-life friends like Helen Hollick. Plus, I added Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell to my TBR list.
If that isn’t enough, I’ve got an article on author branding in the November issue of InD’tale Magazine (p.23-27). This article is also the basis of one of the online classes for authors that I’m developing with Teachable. Hoping to have those available to you by the end of the year.
And I have the next to final layout of The Once and Future Queen in my hands. I have two days to proof and index it. If you don’t hear from me for a while, that’s what I’m doing.
Plus, I am toying with the idea of exhibiting next year at Wizard World convention in St. Louis, where Sebastian Stan (the inspiration for Nick in Been Searching for You) is slated to appear. Yep, I’m going to go all fangirl on him. Actually, I’ll be more crazy author “OMG-you-are-my-character-come-to-life,” which I think is worse! We’ll see if it works out.
Oh and speaking of 2018, I found out that the Historical Writers of America conference will be in Rhode Island, which is the major place I need to go to research my biography of Marie Rose Ferron. So that book may be finished much sooner than I anticipated.
1) I found out last night that both Been Searching for You (long contemporary) and Camelot’s Queen (mainstream with romantic elements) finaled in the Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Contest! That’s an RWA contest hosted by the Ancient City Romance Writers chapter.
2) A few days ago, Madame Presidentess was named an Honorable Mention in the Reader’s Favorite book awards in the fiction – historical personage category. It may not be a win, but it is still and honor (no pun intended), and it puts me in the company of Anna Belfrage, who blurbed both of the Guinevere books. She also received an Honorable Mention and a second book of hers was a finalist. That is the kind of company I want to keep!
3) I am hard at work on beta reader edits to The Once and Future Queen. I’m hoping for a late October release, but it may end up being early November. I will let you know for sure once my editor and proofreader have seen the book.
4) If you’re in St. Louis/St. Charles, Missouri, be sure to stop at Main Street Books. They are now selling all of my books!
I should have news on Madame Presidentess audio soon, so stay tuned for that…
I’m proud to announce that Been Searching for You has been awarded the Indie B.R.A.G. Medallion for excellence in independent fiction.
I have to share this feedback that came along with the news because it’s exactly what every writer wants to hear:
“I have read a number of books in the women’s Lit/Romance genre and found this book exceptionally fresh. The main character, Annabeth, was an extremely real, believable character involved in the kind of real life dilemma that I could easily relate to…I would most certainly read other books by this author and others in this series. I am extremely grateful for the chance to read and comment on this book.”
I guess that means I should get going on the novella and four other books in this series, eh?
Camelot’s Queen and Madame Presidentess also have earned the B.R.A.G. medallion.
The B.R.A.G. medallion is one of a handful of honors that attempts to distinguish the best of independently published books in an effort to help readers weed through the glut of books and showcase the professionalism and excellence of certain works. It differs from programs like Library Journal’s SELF-e program in that it is not run by a particular organization within the publishing field, but rather by readers.
Plus, Been Searching for You was named a Novel of Excellence in the romance category. Whoa. (Imagine that in my best Joey Lawrence voice.)
The Author’s Circle awards are a division of Acorn Publishing. I found out about this contest when I saw a book advertised in the New York Times that had a finalist seal on it. I’m always interested in contests, so I looked it up. And the rest is history.
Yes, this is the official symbol of the Stiletto contest.
Been Searching for You is a finalist in the Stiletto contest, sponsored by the Contemporary Romance Writers chapter of RWA! Here’s the full finalist list. We’ll find out who the winners are at the RWA national conference in Orlando in July. So happy I will be there to attend the party and receive my award!
I am so happy to report that FOUR of my books have made Coverfly’s Red List, which means they ranked as their Top Manuscripts of the Year!!
Perfect for fans of Mary Kay Andrews, Christina Lauren (Roomies, Love and Other Words), and romantic Lifetime/Hallmark movies. Mild romance with some adult language and references to sex.
I’m so happy to finally be able to announce that 
This is the first RWA contest that Been Searching for You has won (it has finalled in several others) and this one was a reader-driven contest, so it means even more because of that. That novel sits somewhere between traditional romance and women’s fiction and it doesn’t follow a lot of the traditional genre conventions, so a lot of romance readers don’t really know what to do with it. It matters so much to me that these readers understood and loved it, so it was finally recognized by an RWA chapter.
