Tootling My Own Horn

Now, when I was growing up, I was admonished by my parents, "Don't toot your own horn," "Let your work speak for itself," and so on and so forth. In this day and age, however, if you don't pick up that horn and BLOW, no one is going to have any idea that you've got something to celebrate.

Get out there and blow your horn!
(Adriaen van Ostade [CC0]. The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1951)

Since Blood Red Pencil has designated January as the month to reflect on the past year, here are some 2018 writing-related triumphs I feel pretty darn good about.

A Dying Note, the sixth in my Silver Rush historical mystery series, was published by Poisoned Pen Press in April 2018. Whew! Seeing a book in print is ALWAYS something to celebrate. The fact that it garnered positive reviews in Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus just enhanced the glow.

Just about the time that the book came out in audio (which pleased me greatly), it also won two EVVY awards from the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA):

• First Place in the Mystery/Crime/Detective Fiction category
• Second Place in the Historical Fiction category

Even MORE to celebrate!

Finally, as the end of the year rolled up, I learned that A Dying Note was also named Best Mystery in the Fiction category of True West Magazine's "Best of the West 2019" list. It was also is long-listed for the Martin Cruz Smith Award in Suspense/Mystery by the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA). I am a BIG fan of Martin Cruz Smith's work, his favorite of mine being Rose, so that's another "wow!" for me.

Of course, one can only bask in the glory for a little while, because it's always "What are you working on now?" and "When will you have it done?"

2019 has arrived, and the deadlines are looming. No rest for the wicked nor the weary.

Time to get busy!

Ann Parker authors the award-winning Silver Rush historical mystery series published by Poisoned Pen Press. During the day, she wrangles words for a living as a science editor/writer and marketing communications specialist (which is basically a fancy term for "editor/writer"). Her midnight hours are devoted to scribbling fiction. Visit AnnParker.net for more information.