And Another One Bites the Dust

Hey y'all!

Just a quick little update for those of you who have been following my progress in the ABNA contest. Welp... you ain't gotta follow it any longer?

Good book and movie, by the by.

Okay, really. No tears. I'm doing alright. A little sad initially when I read my Publisher's Weekly review, but I'm ready to move on. After entering the contest, I did do quite a bit more editing on the manuscript before I published it. So maybe that's why it is so easy for me to move on? Although I'm still searching that review to find the positive bits ...

Haha! I found one. The initial concept holds promise. THAT'S IT. Reading no further. Honestly, it was such a treat to get this far in the contest. There are a number of amazing writers who entered this year, and I plan to keep updated on the contest to see if any of my favorites win.

And really, I've already been so blessed by ABNA, it would be a little selfish for me to ask for anything else. When I walk away with all I've learned, all the wonderful friends I've made ... and the best darned writing group a girl could ask for, I'm definitely not a loser.

So I'm sorry I don't have more exciting news for you. But with out the Sword of ABNA-Damocles hanging over my head, I can get working on that sequel. And prove those Publisher Weekly guys wrong. 

Love you all! And to leave you with something funny, enjoy, Drunk Sherlock and Watson!

**P.s. Edited to include "The Review." Mostly I just wish I could remember what state the original manuscript was in. Of all the things I thought I'd get dinged on ... Oh well. Chocolate is remarkably restorative in these moments. ;)

• As anticipated from the title, mirrors predictably serve as portals in this novel of time travel. Gwen, a recent college graduate, defers her acceptance to law school (despite enviable LSAT scores) and applies for a seemingly drab job filing legal documents in the Archives. Pleased to be hired on the spot, her boss Alistair cryptically warns of occasions when “an Archivist is expected to perform in a matter that may be outside the job description.” A child of divorce but raised by her loving aunt Margaret, Gwen finds a kindred spirit and flirting partner in Rafe, a mischievous time-traveling, reality-evading thief and a regular at the Archives. In this mystery novel rife with haunted mirrors, time travel, sleepwalking, the secrets of the Archives, and the Guardians who protect the time threads, the story still never succeeds in picking up steam. Everybody comes with baggage and trust issues and an unlikely trio forms between the main characters. Their development, however, is shallow, even with plentiful dialogue, making it difficult to care about the outcome of their mission. Although the initial concept holds promise, the bond of the characters just doesn't work.