Today's the Big Day!

Yep. Today's the day we find out if we made it to the next level at the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest.

I don't truly expect to make it further. I HOPE to, of course. And my novel is pretty tight in the first three chapters, which I submitted. But after that...well, I have a lot of work to do. Even making it into the top 1,000, which I did, we still get two reviews of our excerpt from the vine reviewers, whether it's liked or not. I'm excited to get those objective views. Like in my critique group, those who have no vested interest in being especially nice to you :) ? They help tremendously in making us cut our 'babies' and get real about what's working (and mostly, what's not). Priceless that someone you don't even know will give an honest look into the book, taking time away from their own novels-in -progress.

But this is about today. I think I'll get very nervous for the five seconds it takes to search for and not find my name. :D If I do find it? I'm probably going to throw up. That means Publisher's Weekly reviews! And only having to beat out 249 others. Er...! :) Another step towards the real deal. The WHOLE novel gets read and judged for those making it further. Am I making sense at this point?

Well, some of us will jump from the little fish bowl full of hopes and dreams and messy ms's to the big bowl where we're scrutinized with a REALLY BIG magnifying glass. Here's to making it up the ladder. I mean, to the big bowl. Or simply drinking too much wine tonight and starting over. :) Good luck, my beloveds!