Two Books Nominated for the RONE Award

Double Duplicity book one of the Shandra Higheagle mysteries was a runner up last year in the RONE AWARDS mystery category. This year I'm pleased to say Reservation Revenge, book six in the Shandra Higheagle series is a nominee and Brody: Letters of Fate is a nominee in the Historical Victorian category.

The way the award works:
1) The book must receive a 4 or better out of 5 review. This puts the book in the running.
2) The books are put up on the InDTale website for fans to vote for. The books with the most votes go one to...
3) Where industry people read and score the books. This round picks the winners of the categories.

Both books received a review score of 4.

A comment by the reviewer of Reservation Revenge made me shake my head. "Word misuse, wonky grammar, and inconsistent proper nouns, by themselves, aren’t noticeable, but there are enough throughout to be a frustration to readers."  I'm sure the reviewer is referring to the American Indian dialog which I wrote authentically and was corrected on by my sensitivity reader. She was the one that suggested the correct wording to give the book authentic flavor. If I make it to the final round and that judge feels the same, I'll shrug and move one. I know that the wording is correct whether it is grammatical or not. 

If you are a fan who has read one of the books fan voting for Brody:Letters of Fate is: May 8th-14th here-
http://indtale.com/2017-rone-awards 
If you aren't already signed up for this site you'll have to do it to vote, but you won't be on a list or receive
anything from them. It's their way of making sure you only vote once.

And if you are a mystery fan and enjoyed Reservation Revenge the voting for that is: May 22nd-28th here-
http://indtale.com/2017-rone-awards

​Again, if you didn't sign up to vote for Brody or already are signed up you'll have to do that.

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Does an Award Make a Difference? By Paty Jager

I attended the InD'Scribe conference and RONE award ceremonies this past weekend.

The conference wasn't what I had expected. I spent more money than I should have on promotion at the conference. I enjoyed two of the workshops I went to- one on audiobook narration by Ann M. Richardson and one on how they do cover model photo shoots. I had face-to-face time with a couple of authors I'd met online.

As I sit here happy with the Runner Up status in the mystery contest for the RONE, I have several more contest entry forms showing up in my inbox. I like the contest, always have since I started writing. Back before I was published they were my validation that I could write a book people would enjoy. Now as a self-published author, getting even a runner up award shows that I can write a good mystery.

My biggest goal with a contest is to get my mystery books included in the big mystery contests. But they are hard to even enter. They require a book published by a publisher that fits their criteria, not self-published. That is one of my goals. To be entered in the Agatha Awards, Anthony Awards, Derringer Awards, and the Edgar Allan Poe Awards.

Many people/authors have told me awards don't sell books. Which I'm pretty sure is true. I won the RomCon award for Romantic Suspense in 2013, yet the Isabella Mumphrey books sell the least of all my books. But I don't enter contests to sell books, I enter them to validate my writing. If I made a best-selling list then I'd truly be validated, so I guess until then, I'll enter a contest here and there just to prove to myself my writing does stand out.

As a reader, does it make a difference to you if a book has received an award?

In'DScribe Reader/Author Conference

I'm on my way to Burbank, California to the In'DScribe conference.  I'm hoping to meet new-to-me readers and see some authors I've known online but have never met face-to-face.

Friday, I'll be setting up the signing table I'll share with author Hebby Roman. And we'll both be attending the booksigning from 2:30-5:30 pm. Though Hebby will have to leave for a bit to be on a panel that will talk about romance books with heroes and heroines over 40.

Friday night I'll be attending "Timeless Romance through the Ages." I'll be wearing my 1880's top and a new skirt I made for the event. I'll be posting photos on my Facebook Page. 

Saturday, I'll attend some workshops and panels, be at the booksigning from 2:30-5:30pm, except when I'm on a panel about paranormal romance from 3:45- 4:30. I'm excited to have another panel member who also writes about Native American Spirits. But the panel will also talk about the darker side of paranormal books as well.

Saturday night is the RONE Awards Gala. There will be a red carpet, dinner and the awards handed out. I"m a finalist in the mystery category for Double Duplicity.  After the awards ceremony there is an after party. It will depend on how tired I am if I attended that. Pics will be on Facebook if I do attend.

Sunday, I'll head home with a short stop at a cousin's place.