There are just times when we really get excited..

What can I say? As a finalist in the Heartland Romance "Show Me The Spark" competition, which just happens to be my very first too, I finalled in the Futuristic/Fantasy/Paranormal category.

One of the really great things with this particular competition is that they send you lots of comments etc and you have a week to revise your entry and resubmit. So when mine came back, I took a good long hard look at the comments. Yes, there was certainly lots to work on.

So I did. I read, reworked and tweaked. Finally all done, I resubmitted this morning - I have to say I am pleased it is gone but my stomach is wobbling with, well not quite fright, but certainly lots and lots of nerves. So, being one of those people who just has to know, I popped back to the competition page, but instead of seeing the dates, I saw this. And this is where it gets really sad! Lol!



I actually took a screen shot to keep for posterity! But look! There it is ... Imogene Nix.

A huge grin is now firmly planted on my face.

I do hope your day is as pleasant as mine!

Imogene

Writing for fun? I love it!

Well writing in and of itself can be a very rewarding experience....but today I got rewarded....yet again :)

At the prompting of some of the ladies from the RWA Paranormal loop, I decided to enter one of the RWA (America) chapter competitions. The first 25 pages. I have to admit to a fair amount of trepidation. I mean, they could hate it? Right? What if they tell me it is so bad never to enter again?

Girding the loins and all, I put everything together and shipped off the entry. Sure I liked what was written but would anyone else? That was in the first week of September....tick tick tick to today....

About to head out to an Art Gallery Opening and I tell hubby...."hang on, just need to check my emails...." and to my eternal surprise there was an email there about the competition. And guess what? I am a finalist.

I have to tell you, I did woop a little, yell to hubby to come see...all the usual.

So here I am ... wine and currently popcorn in hand letting you know.

I passed the clouds sometime and am about to enter the ionosphere....don't worry I am sure I will come back to earth sometime soon.

But for now, I feel great. Hope you do too.

Imogene

Websites and Writing

So I was reading a dead interesting blog by Dear Author about the importance of remembering that the website is for the benefit of your readers, not the author and I sat and mulled it over for some time. Made notes of the elements that were suggested as essential and you know what? Each item made sense.

I went back to my new website (which I crafted - how I love saying that!) and checked that I had most of the elements in place... Then I turned back to my blog and to my horror, realised I was missing a heap of information ... always the way isn't it? You don't realise what you are missing until someone points it out. Things like links to my Facebook page etc., So now, when you look on the right hand side of the page, all the links are there. >>>>>

So how is a website like writing, you ask? Writing is like building websites, in that we can check and work and polish but at the end of the day, it is only as good as what the reader (or in the case of a website), visitor sees and is hoping to get out of it. I can read and read and read my manuscript until my eyes are just about bleeding but miss things that should be easy to spot. Maybe that is because I am too close to it. Maybe it is because my brain knows what should be there, rather than the actual items I am searching for. But at the end of the day, if it is missing information, you miss the point.

So with that in mind, I am off to work on edits for Book 2 - Starfire .... I have a sneaking suspicion that I may need to find someone not to close to it, to read it through ....

Till next time

Be good and have fun!

Imogene

Now it is official!

I have sold Starline to Secret Cravings!!

Woot!!

So now begins the next part. I am waiting to be assigned an editor to begin the preparations of the manuscript ready for printing. We have a projected date for ebook release and a projected date for print release as well.

How cool is that?

So why not pop along to Secret Cravings next time you are looking for an ebook to read?

And when you get the opportunity, grab your copy of Starline as well

Imogene

It got the better of me....

The new website will be live over the next few days....just waiting on some more stuff to happen.....

Anyway, I thought you might all like to take a look at the new website design - I have spent many hours tapping over and over adding and changing and tweaking!

So without any further ado....I present the NEW and IMPROVED Imogene Nix Website!!

Please note - there is a section at the bottom that is blocked out currently - I will have it uncovered in the next few days once I activate it

Oh joy or joys!  Let me know what you think - I am having a squee moment here!

Imogene

What's New?

Yes it has been nearly a month since I last blogged.  Lots going on...some I can share and some just needs another few days....waiting waiting waiting....just about bouncing around in my seat.....

Suffice to say, by now you should be seeing the new skin on the Blog - yes I wrote that with the help of a handy little software gadget....love gadgets!  In the next few weeks we will be reskinning the website - it may disappear for a day or two while I get myself organised....It is just about complete just a few more things to be added....still learning how to add stuff in the new system.

We (actaully me/I) do have news, and that should be released if not tomorrow then probably Wednesday at the latest...

Imogene