I'm back...
Okay, so it's been a while since I blogged about my novel-writing adventure, but I have a good excuse. I was kidnapped by a band of roving Norwegians and forced to learn the accordion. They took me on a circuit, visiting every KOA Campground in the country where I was forced to perform for my meals. I finally escaped and made it back to Minnesota to discover that my novel, The Life We Bury is doing very well.
After the launch, I got some wonderful reviews from big names like Publisher's Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus and from a bunch of terrific bloggers from all over the world. At the end of the year, The Life We Bury was chosen by MysteryPeople and Suspense Magazine as one of the Best Debut Novels of 2014. I figured I'd reached a peak and finished the year quite happy with The Life We Bury.
Then January came.
First, I received a nomination for the Rosebud Award, for Best First Mystery Novel. This award is given out by attendees at the Left Coast Crime Conference in Portland, OR. Then The Life We Bury was nominated for a Minnesota Book Award for Best Genre Novel. And when I thought things couldn't get better, I was nominated for the Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best Debut Novel. This is often called the Academy Award for mystery writers. I can't believe my good fortune.
So, feeling both excited and humbled, I flew to Portland. To my great surprise and honor, The Life We Bury won the Rosebud award. On that same day, I learned that my novel was named a finalist for the Barry Award, for Best Paperback Original novel. That Award will be presented at the Bouchercon Writer's Conference in the fall.
And last week, The Life We Bury was named a finalist for the Thriller Award for Best First Novel. In sum, it has been a crazy and wonderful few months.
I've taken time to blog tonight because I'm feeling a sense of calm right now. I just sent my revisions in for my second novel. The title has been changed from the original working title to The Guise Of Another. I'm happy with how the novel turned out, but we'll see once it comes out on October 6, 2015.
I'll try to be better with writing here as things develop.
Cheers.
