Y’all I am shaking right now! Daughter of Destiny made the Top 10 of the L aunchpad Manuscript book to movie Contest! I’ve been visualizing it for weeks, but I still can’t believe it. It has NOT sunk in yet.

This means that “you and your project will be showcased individually to agents, managers, executives, and producers who are looking for new clients, projects, and writers.” This is HUGE you guys!!!

According to the email they sent, all of the judges will now read all of the books to determine the winners. The final announcement of the three winners (and other prizes) will take place July 16. I consider this a propitious day because it is not only my grandpa’s birthday, but the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. (I wanted to become a Carmelite nun for a long time and still consider myself a Carmelite at heart.)

So please keep those prayers and good vibes coming! We’re really getting close to this being optioned!!! “Next Game of Thrones” is still my mantra and I plan to win this thing!

PS – What do you think of my new branding? I hadn’t planned to change it, but I found the picture and the rest just happened!

January 16, 2019Awards, Daughter of Destiny, Madame Presidentess, Movies/TV

Two Books in the Quarterfinal Round of the Cinematic Book Contest!

Nicole Evelinaawards, Cinematic Book, contests, Daughter of Destiny, Madame Presidentess 1 Comment

One of these days I swear I will start doing informational blogging again…but today I have more news!

A few months ago (prior to Madame Presidentess being optioned), I entered a contest called the ScreenCraft Cinematic Book Competition, which looks for books that have potential to be adapted. Well, I just found out that both Madame Presidentess and Daughter of Destiny made it to the quarterfinal round! Out of 1,200 submissions, 423 books made it to this point. Here’s the list of quarterfinalists. I’m not sure when they will announce semifinalists, finalists, and winners (all they say is “soon,”) but I will let you know if either (or both) books make it!

UPDATE: I heard back from Screencraft and Madame Presidentess is disqualified from future rounds of judging because I sold the rights. Ah well, at least it made it this far!

January 11, 2019Awards, Daughter of Destiny

Daughter of Destiny Named Best Indie Book in Missouri

Nicole Evelinaaward, awards, Biblioboard, contest, contests, Daughter of Destiny, guinevere, Guinevere's Tale, indie publishing, Library Journal, Missouri Author Project, self publishing, SELF-e 1 Comment

I’ve known about this since December, but now I can finally talk about it! Just when I thought Daughter of Destiny had won all the contests it could… it won the Missouri Author Project for adult novels! As Library Journal states, “out of all of the submissions, these winning titles reflect the best indie and self-published eBooks each state has to offer in Adult and Young Adult Fiction.” This is huge because Library Journal is a very important publication in the publishing world, especially for libraries (hence the name). Its endorsements rank right up there with Publisher’s Weekly and Kirkus.

Here’s full list of winners from all eight states that held the contest in 2018. (Where there are two, like in Missouri, one is an adult book and one is YA.)There will be an article in Library Journal as well and I will post that when it is available. If you have a subscription, you might want to check in the January issue. I’m hearing that is where it is, but I don’t see it online yet.

February 5, 2018Awards, Been Searching for You, Books, Camelot's Queen

Been Searching for You Wins RWA Contest, Camelot’s Queen Comes in 3rd

Nicole EvelinaBeen Searching for You, Camelot's Queen, contest, contests, Heart of Excellence Readers' Choice Contest, RWA 6 Comments

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 Queen also 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.

July 5, 2016Daughter of Destiny

Your Vote Needed: Daughter of Destiny in Book Cover Contest

Nicole Evelinabook cover, contest, contests, Daughter of Destiny

Daughter of Destiny is in a book cover competition. If you are so inclined, please vote for me here:

http://bookviral.com/bookviral-brilliant-book-cover/4592485237 . Thanks!

February 4, 2015Awards, HLMHLMN

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not is a Great Expectations Finalist!

Nicole Evelinacontests, He Loves Me He Loves Me Not, romance, women's fiction 2 Comments

Finalist_Medallion_GreatExpectations_v1_2015 I am so excited to announce that my romantic comedy, He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, is a finalist in the Great Expectations writing contest, sponsored by the North Texas chapter of the Romance Writer’s Association (RWA).

This means my book is one of four books in the Single Title Romance category that will be judged by an editor at a major publishing house. Results are due the third week of March, so I will be sure to keep you updated.

Just like the Academy Awards, even though everyone wants to be that one winner, it is such an honor just to have gotten this far, especially since I didn’t set out to write a romance. I just set out to tell the story that was in my mind, so it doesn’t necessarily follow all the traditional conventions. But it means so much to know that readers believe I have talent and want to see this story on the shelves!