The Winners of the Name My Badass Character Contest

I want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who entered this contest.  The entries were awesome, so much so that I ended up picking two.  I narrowed down the list, then my mind found that two of them made the perfect first and last name fit.  Actually, the name has inspired what kind of tats the guy has and other stuff from his background.  I’m really excited to write him into my NaNo novel!! 

Drumroll please {okay, pretend you hear it}…….

The name of my badass character is
Viper Kane!!
(I might tweak the spelling to Vyper Cain, maybe)

The two winners who will each receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card are:
Sharon Morgan for Viper
and
Tirzah Goodwin for Kane

I’ll post soon about my trip to New Orleans, and some related news.  The four days I was gone put me behind on my NaNo, but I’m catching up.  And don’t forget to check out the Kelworth Files for the NaNo Spotlight Chris was kind enough to let me participate in.

My 1st Campaigner Challenge Entry

Rachel Harrie’s first Campaigner Challenge calls for flash fiction with a 200 word limit that starts with the words “The door swung open”, with the option of ending with “The door swung shut”.   Who can pass up a chance to pen flash fiction, something that’s so much fun to write?  Anywho, here’s my entry:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Walk Through

            The door swung open.  The realtor stepped inside and wiped his rain-soaked shoes on the raggedy doormat.  Pen in hand, he walked through the empty rooms.  The storm patter against the windows made the place seem even drearier, almost as if the house itself were crying.

            The beam from his pocket flashlight swept across the counters and under the sink, a thousand mouse turds illuminated in the stark glare.  Nose upturned, he scribbled on his clipboard. 

            He couldn’t smell the baked ham and apple pies from all the Sunday dinners cooked there in the past.  He didn’t hear the laughter from the now rusty tub as two toddlers played in a mountain of bubbles, splashing water on the cracked tile floor.  Nor did he feel the love of the family who used to snuggle together on the couch watching Disney movies, wide eyes glued to the set as tiny hands shoveled popcorn into their mouths.

            He only saw rodent excrement, ripped wallpaper, and a low commission if and when he sold this dilapidated old ‘fixer-upper’.

            The door swung shut.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pop over to Rach’s Linky list to view over 300 great entries.  Mine is number 365.

ABNA 2011

The 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award (ABNA) competition is underway.   They’re accepting entries now through February 6th, or until all 5,000 slots have been filled in each of the two categories, which are General Fiction and Young Adult Fiction.

There’s still plenty of time, if you’re interested.  You’ll need to submit a  finished manuscript between  50,000 to 150,000 words, an excerpt, your pitch of 300 words or less, and a short biography.  Full details are on the Amazon website, which you can access by clicking on the link at the top of this post.

I entered Nefarious yesterday at midnight, and spent another hour and a half this morning on last minute tweaks to my manuscript and the pitch.  This is my fourth time participating in the ABNA, and while I look forward to each year, it makes me a nervous wreak.  I told myself I’d be calm this time, and I was . . . up until I had to hit the submit button.  Not exactly sure why it sends so many butterflies to my stomach, but I guess it might have to do with the awesome opportunity the contest offers.  The two winners get their novels published and a $15,000 dollar award.

So now that my entry is all polished up and retweaked for the thousandth time, I’ll try to put it out of my mind, at least until those eligible for Round Two are announced on February 24th.  Yep, that’ll be a sweaty palm day too.

Who else entered this year?  Or would like to share their experience in past ABNA competitions?

Good Luck to all who dare to enter!