I Won Something!

A few months ago, I decided to enter my newest novel into a writing contest (my first writing contest ever, eek).  I followed the instructions diligently, polished up my chapter, then submitted it along with a blurb, and clicked, "Send."  

Then I forgot about it.

Well, today I received news that I actually won second place for Contemporary Romance.  Really?!?

What made this particularly satisfying is that I wrote this novel last semester, on every "free" Saturday I had (I'm a teacher and a "free" day isn't very common, ha).  On top of that, it had been a requested novel--a major publisher had asked me to write something geared toward its new imprint.  So, I did, ecstatic.  And I submitted the first three chapters.  And I waited and waited and waited.  And finally, I got a response.  Rejection.  *sigh*  I knew it was certainly possibility, a rejection--there was no guarantee they would publish it--but still, I was hopeful.  And then I was crushed. 

So fast forward all these months later, to this unexpected "win" of that same rejected book.  And I don't feel quite so crushed anymore...  :-)