Friday morning, I learned my fiction manuscript, California Is an Earthquake, was selected as the Book Winner in Launch Pad’s 6th Annual Prose Writing Competition. I couldn’t believe it—I kept scrolling up and down on the announcement page, looking for the real announcement, because I was sure I was reading it wrong or  they were still in the process of updating the page or something. Then I got the email from Spencer at Launch Pad: it was true! (P.S. I love Spencer.)

Not only did my book win, but Juliet McDaniel selected me as a Mentorship Prize Winner! Juliet is a novelist and screenwriter. She’s the author of Mr. & Mrs. American Pie, which was Launch Pad’s 2016 winner for Top Comedy Book. She published her book in 2018, and it was optioned by Laura Dern’s production company. It’s in development now as a limited series at Apple+ TV, Mrs. American Pie. So I get to work with Juliet McDaniel, whose novel was already on my TBR list! (Reader, it has been moved up to the top of the stack.) I am in shock and feel so lucky. She’s already sent me the kindest, most encouraging email, and I can’t wait to meet her.

So Friday felt pretty much like a holiday miracle all day long. I am so grateful for this opportunity.