My first novel, A Long Trail Rolling, has won the 2014 RWNZ Pacific Hearts Award!
To say I’m pleased is a bit of an understatement! The big one I get to keep for this year, and a smaller version, inscribed with 2014, forever!
The conference was fantastic, with amazing speakers from New Zealand and overseas, including:
James Scott Bell, Marie Force and, Courtney Milan, Yvonne Lindsay, Trish Morey, bestselling authors
Jim Azevedo from Smashwords
Kevan Lyon from Marsal Lyon Literary Agency
Sue Brockhoff and Lilia Kanna from Harlequin Australia
Malle Vallik from Harlequin North America
Flo Nicoll from Harlequin UK
Sarah Fairhall, Penguin Australia
Karina Bliss, Yvonne Walus, Kamy Chetty, Lisa Whitefern and Frances Housden, award winning authors
With such a lineup, we couldn’t miss, other than not being physically able to attend every workshop!
The agents and editors took pitches throughout the weekend. I pitched A Long Trail Rolling and its sequels to:
Kevan Lyon, Founding Partner of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency,
Sue Brockhoff, Head of Publishing at Harlequin (Australia) and
Malle Vallik of Harlequin Digital Editorial Initiatives North America (Toronto)
AND…
They have all requested the full manuscript!
I’m sure it helps to have won the competition!
Accepting prize for A Long Trail Rolling first place in the Pacific Hearts Award 2014
The awards dinner was great, and fellow Coast to Coast Chapter RWNZ member Sheryl Buchanan won second place in the same competition!
Sheryl, the second place-getter for the Pacific Hearts Award, and her husband.
The C2C’ers who went to the Awards Dinner, Sheryl and her husband, Khushi, Bernadette, Netta, Iola, Catherine, Me, Matthew and Paul.
Netta and Paul
I felt like a princess…..
Bernadette and Netta’s husband Paul
Iola and Catherine
A great time was had by all!
The new trophy for my Writing Trophy Bookcase!
My Writing Awards… From Top Left: Trophy for Best Practitioner Publication by an Equine Practitioner 2010 “Equine Dentistry”. Top right: Trophy and ribbon for Pacific Hearts Award 2014. Lower Left: ribbon for Finalist in Great Beginnings 2013.
Oh, and for my spare time, I was promoted to Secretary of the RWNZ this year, so I should be able to keep up with what is going on!
I don’t think a conference could get much better for me…
Now back to work, to get these submissions finished!