So what’s my Kota bookish thing for this week?

Well, the life of an author can be extremely frustrating – often fun and creatively fulfilling, but frustrating.  There’s more to do once a book is published than most readers are aware of, and running around in the maze can leave some with no will to continue author-ing.  There are countless times when our work isn’t acknowledged as that – work – and our art is treated like something that doesn’t really matter and certainly doesn’t have $$ value.  Often the most encouragement and validation comes from complete strangers (I’m looking at you #Awethors) rather than our close circles of friends and family.

And Lord forbid you be a woman who writes science fiction, but that’s a whole other thing.

So, anyway, when something comes along to boost my author-y feelings of self-worth, I’m deeply appreciative.  Sometimes discovering a 5-star review can brighten a whole day.  And sometimes, as happened this week, I learn that my book has been especially honored – I’m a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards.  I absolutely do not expect to be anywhere near a winner, but being a finalist is pretty great.

This honor means a lot because it’s not just one of those contests where whoever has the most friends to vote for their book wins.  The adult books are judged by two reading groups, one in London and one in Stockholm. The books are marked according to editing, theme, style, and cover.  It’s always great to get REAL people reading your book, and I look forward to hearing their feedback.