Accolades, Contests, and Awards - Oh My!

This has been an exciting year—and an exciting summer. Not only did sales of my All the King's Men Series take off in January like a horse out of the starting gate at the Kentucky Derby, but three of my AKM books won some awards and recognition that make me a proud momma.

Rise of the Fallen, book one in the series earned the following distinctions:

• Gold medalist in the 2012 eLit Awards in Erotic Fiction
• USA Today Recommended Read
• GraveTells Runner Up for Readers Choice Favorite Story - January 2013
• GraveTells Reviewer Top Pick for January 2013
• Finalist in Parajunkee's Best Adult Book 2012

Heart of the Warrior, book two in the series, and—surprisingly—the most popular book in the series also earned a nice honor, coming in second to Rise of the Fallen in the Erotic Fiction category to earn the silver medal in the eLit Awards...and that's pretty awesome since HOTW is a male/male romance, which don't usually fare well in contests geared more toward male/female romances.

The big surprise was Micah's Calling, which is book three in the series, as well as a novella that continues Micah's, Sam's, and Trace's story from Rise of the Fallen. Micah's Calling earned the followed award:

• Silver Medalist in the 2013 IPPYs for Best Romance/Erotica E-Book

The IPPYs are like the Grammy Awards for Independent Publishing, so to win an IPPY is an amazing honor! I'm so proud of my smexy vampires and their hot stories. 

Rebel Obsession, book four in the series, was released in January, and I plan on entering it into at least one contest, maybe two, but the reviews for RO have been some of the best in the series so far, which speaks volumes for how fans have enjoyed Io's story. We'll see if that translates into another win to keep the streak alive. 

Next up is Return of the Assassin, which is due out at the end of October. Even though ROTA isn't yet published, it already earned its first accolade. I found out Monday night that it's a finalist in the paranormal category for the RWA Heart of the West contest, which is hosted by the Utah chapter of the Romance Writers of America. This is huge, in my opinion. RWA is the epitome of romance writing, and to be a finalist in a chapter contest is an accomplishment in and of itself. The winners for all categories will be notified in mid-October, but even if I don't win, it's an honor to be a finalist, and the distinction has put my work in front of a literary agency. RWA contests are excellent ways to get in front of industry professionals. 

Now it's time to set my sites on the next goals: Another IPPY, another eLit Award, and an RWA Golden Heart. Maybe even a RITA. As I've said before, you've gotta have a goal. :) Those are mine.

If you're a fan of AKM, come and join my AKM readers group on Facebook for updates and fun chats. Also look up my fan page
.

Happy Reading!