My Thoughts on Placing in a 5th Award Competition

Even the title of this post sounds pompous in my ears. My dogs are no longer startled out of their furry little coats when Mommy suddenly breaks into a dance. A minute before she was staring at that silvery sidelong book she calls her MacBook. Now she's picking up each dog in turn and waltzing. Humans!

I am honored to learn that Looking Glass Friends is a General Romance Finalist in the 2017 Readers' Favorite Awards. I know the competition was fierce, so this means a lot to me.

When I started writing ages and ages ago, I thought I was good. I thought I had a talent for literature. And it was true. I was better at literature and writing than anything else. And I loved it with a passion. But I've finally reached a stage when I realize how much I can suck at this illusive craft. Most of my writings have a close relationship with the delete button. It's ironic, but I didn't start winning awards until I realized how terrible my writing can be. And how hard I have to work to make it good.

Since I self-published Looking Glass Friends, I was my own editor (and copy editor). I reviewed the novel (for the absolute final time) over 20 times. This polishing took around 4 months. I felt like a sculptor chipping away and polishing his finished work. Each stage revealed new flaws and so on.

So after all the hard work, I am thankful that the story is received so well. And I am especially grateful to readers who take a chance on my unknown story. I wish more of them would share their thoughts in a review. It's a joy to me to read. And as a reader, I know how helpful a good review can be in guiding my literary choices. So...will you write a review and share it? I hope so!

Thanks for reading!

Tal Boldo (pen name: E.L. Neve)

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