I am one of five finalists in the First Romance Competition.
Read all about it HERE.
You all did this, you know that, right? I thank each one of you who took the time to read and vote — I thank you with all my heart. My little book is going to be read by Simon & Schuster, and who CARES if I win or not, that’s so FREAKIN’ COOL! Also, it’s literally a first draft, sent out into the cold world, so if it comes hightailing back and tries to hide under my apron, I will fix it up and send it out again, and I will be able to put in the query letter that I was a finalist in this national competition. (Winner will be announced on October 30th.)
That’s the best. Damn.
Thank you. (And more thanks to you darlings who got the notification and sped over here to leave your congratulations. SO nice of you. YAY!)
Rachel!!! I just got the email from Gather.com announcing you as one of the five finalists!!!! I am so freakin’ happy for you!
Can I squee now?
SQUEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO, YOU!
I am so excited for you!
Congratulations! I am so happy for you. When can we read the rest?
That is so exciting. Congratulations. I think your attitude is great – it’s a success to get this far.
Sweet!!!
But now we have to wait to read the rest….Let us know when we can preorder on amazon.com!
You owe us! Where’s the next chapter?
Congratulations! Woo hoo!
yay! congrats – i’m so excited for you!
Congratulations! I’m really happy another great book with knitting is going out into the world!
WOWOWOWOWOOWOWOOWWWW and a big WOOOO HOOOOO! Congratulations!
Way too exciting! Congratulations! We’re all so proud of you. On to the next round!
Yay for you! I was so happy to get the email from Gather. Fingers, toes, etc. crossed for the final decision!
YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mazel Tov, Rachael!
Congratulations, lady! Glad to have helped in my little way, but it was all you.
Romance novel with Alpacas? How could you go wrong?!
I just got my newsletter from Gather — congratulations Rachael! Can’t wait for the next round!
Meg
Congratulations!
Congratulations Rachel,
being read by S&S is plenty of reward in and of itself that’s for sure. Who knows what doors will open next….
Yay! I got the notice! Congrats!
Boo-ya! Onward!
Congratulations. I’m most very pleased for you!
Congrats! I’m terribly pleased for ya! 🙂
Congratulations!! I can’t wait to hear what happens next! I hope we get to read the rest of the book someday!
Just got the email notification–congratulations!
Congratulations! I am very happy for you.
I knew you’d be a finalist. You’re kind of awesome, ya know? Congrats, cutie!
Woot!
YAY!!!! Now, I really wanna read the rest. How long until it’s in print? 😉
WOOT!
Absolutely awesome and well, well deserved!!!!!!!!!!!
Yippeee!!! I’m so happy for you!!
Congratulations! I got the email this morning and went to the site! That is soooo great! And kudos for your attitude about winning or no: You have already won since it was noticed and so many people liked it! Selfishly: I hope it gets published because I want to read the rest of it! Yay!
I just saw it, and WOW! I’m so happy for you. Good luck in the finals! Whee!
Congratulations!! This is soooo great for you!! I can’t even remember how I wandered in but I love the story and I don’t even usually do romance – I’m more of a Stephen King kinda girl. Can’t wait to be able to order it!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!! I came over as soon as I got the email. You rock, girl!
WWWWOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOSEEEEEES!!!! WOOO!!! WOOO!!! WOOO!! WOOO!!
I’m bustin’. We share genetic materials!!!! Bustin’!!!!
Congratulations! I was so excited to see that you made it to the finals! Squee!
YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congrats!
Congratulations! Awesome!
That is so cool! Congratulations – you have worked really hard and put so much effort into a project that has been ablast to read so far – now I need to know what happens next
I knew it! Congratulations! So when and how do we get to read the rest?
Yay! Congratulations! I was so happy to read the news that I wasn’t even annoyed that Gather sent me the email (gotta go check my email settings over there now).
Oh YEAH!
Congratulations!
woo hoo! i just got the email from gather and was so thrilled to see you’d made it to the final 5! way to go!
Come on, Rachel, you earned this. We’re just here to support you.
Congratulation and good work!
Very nice! I can’t wait to read the whole thing in print!
Congratulations!!!
That’s awesome, and you rock. 🙂
YIPPEEEEE!! That is great news and congrats!!
Coolest thing ever! =)
Congratulations! Loved your book so far – can’t wait to read the rest!
congratulations lovely lady. you deserve it!!
xo
Yippee! Congrats!
YAY!!!!
Following up an email with a comment…WOOO!!! HOOO!!!! Way to go, and congratulations!
YEEEEEEEHAWWWWWWWW! (It seemed more appropriate. [g]) Champagne all around! Congratulations!
I knew you would.
I got my notification at work, but it was a crazy busy day.
Well done, Girlfriend.
Just got an email from Gather. Ok, so I got it a while ago…I just now checked my mail. Congratulations. I hope we’ll get the chance to read the rest of the novel when it is published!
Aw, that’s just the best! Congrats!!!!
Congrats! That is so awesome!
Congratulations!! You should be so, so proud!
Yay!
Oh YAY!!! Congratulations. I’m so proud of you!!!
***Big hugs***
Whoo HOOO — I haven’t read the email because I am about 200 emails behind – so I was thrilled to see your post —
another Whooo Hootey Hoo – and a Yippee thrown in for good measure!!!
Jumping up and down and shouting, “Hurray!” So, so, so proud of you!
Just checked my e-mail and saw that you made it! Congrats!
I loved the first two chapters, can’t wait to read the rest.
Just got an email from gather.com announcing the 5 finalists…sped over to their site, keeping my fingers crossed… and read you’d made it!!!! Congrats rachael! That’s so exciting, I honestly can’t wait to read the rest of the novel 🙂 xxx
Congratulations I am SO pleased for you because it is completely deserved- when do we get to read the rest?
I am so excited! And I went back and read the other entries, just out of curiosity (I’d vote for you even if you sucked…) but yours is by far and away the best! I actually felt like your story was real, that your characters were real, that they weren’t just cliches made to walk and talk. And also your style was most pleasing to my mind.
(And there was no undue strangeness…I like sci-fi/fantasy, but I’m questioning on that whole underwater thing…power to her, seriously…but…I’m a bit bemused…)
I have come out from lurking to congratulate you! I arrived with Digits reappearance and have been reading you ever since. I actually emailed friends with your request to vote (and they did!) Love having helped. Never had a blog friend before. This is getting fun.
Hot damn! That’s AWESOME!!!!!
I think you should dance around the room and take author photos. 🙂
YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!!!
Omigod, that’s SO awesome, Rachel!!! I’m so happy for you – at the very LEAST you’ll get constructive criticism from people who know what they’re looking for in a romance novel. What a huge opportunity for you – way better than sending it out into the cold world and having it end up in a slush pile! WAY TO GO!
The power of the knitters strikes again. Mazel tov!
Congrats Rachel!!!!
Can I just add my congratulations to the list 🙂
Congrats! Can’t wait to see what happens to these guys next.
Woo! Congratulations!!! This is so super cool!
Woo hoo!!!!! I actually just got an email from gather and checked there first to see if you had made it–I am SOOOOO happy for you, there just aren’t words. And you truly deserve it!!
Congrats! Is it October 30th yet?!?!
Well isn’t that the best happiness to start out the day!! Congratulations darling!! I am very happy for you!
A woo and a great big fat hoo! Congrats!
I’m still SO happy for you! And, also – and this is completely objective – Reading all 5 book descriptions? I’d rather read yours. Hands down.
Congratulations!! That’s so great. I hope I get to read the book in all it’s published glory someday!
YOU did it! just remember that. we encouraged and petted and laughed right along with you, but holy cow, you did it! this is so fantastic. you should be very very proud. heck, I’M proud of you and i don’t even know you!!!
Yeah for you darling. I got my notification last night but I was at work so I couldn’t run over just yet. Congrats to you crossing fingers toes and eyes if that helps.
Too freakin’ cool!
OMG so so so so awesome!!!!!!! Bask in the glory, you’ve earned it! (Rach(a)els forevah!)
Oh, congratulations! But I sort of wish the contest wasn’t over and we had more chapters to read and vote on.
WOOT.
HOORAY!!!!!!!!!
YAY! YAY! YAAAAY! I’m so excited for you!
YAY!
YAY!
YAY!
YAY!
Congratulations to you!!!
Yay! Hope they like your book.
sweet!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!! I hope they LOVE your book.
You totally deserve it. Congratulations!
Congratulations on making the final 5- Rho sent me to check out your chapters – and I thought they were great. Hope you win!
Congratulations!