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and the winner is… Much Ado About Murder!

June 8, 2017 By Barbara 18 Comments

And the winner is…

For those of you who watch award shows and love to see all the celebrities in their fancy dresses and tuxedos strutting down the red carpet, posing for paparazzi and answering inane questions from entertainment reporters, The Grace Awards may seem a bit lame and lacking in glitter. But for a writer who does her best work alone in a tiny home office and rarely gets asked for an autograph other than when her husband hands her the tax returns to sign… it’s AWESOME!

I feel like a star. I may not have my own star on the walk of fame, but my dad did let me put my handprint in the new concrete he poured for our porch steps when I was eight. Does that count?

So let’s imagine I’m wearing strappy, silver, three-inch heels and a navy colored gown with a lacy top. Oh wait, you don’t have to imagine. I just wore that for my daughter’s wedding, so here you go.

(You WILL have to imagine the red carpet, flashing cameras, screaming fans, and me sitting in the audience with my dear friends and fellow writers, Mary Higgins Clark and Stephen King.)

The big moment is here…

The audience collectively holds its breath in anticipation as Iris Johansen rips open the envelope and reads the embossed words on the card. “And the winner of The Grace Award in the mystery/suspense category is… MUCH ADO ABOUT MURDER!!” {massive applause as the orchestra plays Get Up And Boogie}

I climb the steps to the podium – elegant, cool, and poised – and take the golden Grace Award from Iris’ hands. She smiles and nods toward the microphone.

(Every winner gets to make a speech and since this is my blog and I’m the winner…)

“First of all, I would like to thank my readers for nominating MUCH ADO ABOUT MURDER for this award and for believing in the characters of Port Scuttlebutt as much as I do. I also want to thank Blake and Shelby Gunner, Alice and Tucker, Evelyn, Jack, Pete, and every one of the players who have taken up residence in my head and make Double Barrel Mysteries such a joy to write.” {orchestra strikes up the get off the stage music but I keep going, talking fast} “I would also like to thank my beta readers, editors, cover designer, my husband for bringing me coffee and chocolate while I write, my dog for giving me walk breaks, my hairdresser, Internet provider, and the UPS man.” {skinny model tries to tug me away from the microphone but she’s weaker than me because she doesn’t eat meat. I stand my ground and keep talking.} “Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank Microsoft Word program, for without your spellcheck, formatting, layout options, and imaginative fonts, I would be lost.” {three skinny models surround me and collectively pull me from the stage as I yell out my last words} Thank you, thank you all. I will finish the 3rd book! I will! I promise!  

~~

Praise from the Grace Award judges:

MUCH ADO ABOUT MURDER is a well-written, entertaining cozy mystery. The characters are believable and feel like people you might know in your own town. Blake and Shelby are charming main characters, just the right mix of strengths and weaknesses to keep the pace moving and the plot plausible. Alice and Tucker provide a light, romantic thread while Jack and Oliver add a touch of humor. The setting is presented well and the mystery progresses at a steady pace that keeps the pages turning.

See the winners in all categories at the Grace Awards

Haven’t read The Double Barrel Mysteries yet? Check out my bookstore page or click on the titles below.

ROADKILL #1

MUCH ADO ABOUT MURDER #2

~~

Thanks for coming to my award show! Hope you had as much fun as I did. Don’t forget to leave a comment and say hi!

Barbara

Barbara is the author of the Fredrickson Winery Novels, the award winning thriller, Split Sense, The Second Chances series, The Amish Bloodsuckers Trilogy, and The Double Barrel Mysteries, Roadkill and Much Ado About Murder. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and pups.

 

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Comments

  1. Rebecca Novak says

    June 8, 2017 at 5:51 am

    great job Barbara! i knew you would be famous one day!

    Reply
    • Barbara says

      June 8, 2017 at 9:57 am

      fame is fleeting but like Sally Fields said, “you like me, RIGHT now, you like me.”

      Reply
  2. ichabod2014ic says

    June 8, 2017 at 6:05 am

    Double Barrelled Congratulations!

    Reply
    • Barbara says

      June 8, 2017 at 9:57 am

      Thank you, Icky!

      Reply
  3. patty ostrem says

    June 8, 2017 at 8:57 am

    Whoa, Girl, you got game! Maybe budgeting a fence to keep the paparazzi out is a good next step. Add on a nitrous oxide turbocharger for the motorcycle. A huge congratulations to you! Well deserved for an awesome lady.

    –Patty O.

    Reply
    • Barbara says

      June 8, 2017 at 9:59 am

      Thank you, Patty! Our yard fence doesn’t work for rabbits, but it seems to be working quite well keeping out all the paparazzi:)

      Reply
  4. Leon says

    June 8, 2017 at 2:08 pm

    You left out the part where Jerry Seinfeld tried to hug you and you rejected him! Oops, mixed up the news with fiction again, it was the other way around and it was Kesha.

    Reply
    • Barbara says

      June 8, 2017 at 2:29 pm

      Kesha who? Not a writer, that’s for sure. Writer’s are introverts. They don’t hug strange men just because they’re a celebrity… unless they happen to be Tom Selleck.

      Reply
  5. Jan Hinds says

    June 8, 2017 at 6:04 pm

    Congratulations! Well deserved!

    Reply
    • Barbara says

      June 8, 2017 at 6:20 pm

      Thanks, Jan… again. I did thank you in my speech as well if you recall:)

      Reply
  6. Lisa Pelach says

    June 8, 2017 at 6:36 pm

    Congratulations Barbara!

    Reply
    • Barbara says

      June 8, 2017 at 9:30 pm

      Thank you, Lisa!

      Reply
  7. Karolynn Cechowski says

    June 8, 2017 at 8:54 pm

    Congratulations! I loved loved loved Roadkill and Much Ado About Murder. Please don’t stop at three books. I would love this series to go on and on. Thank you for writing. Your talent is over the top!

    Reply
    • Barbara says

      June 8, 2017 at 9:31 pm

      Thanks, Karolynn! I’m glad you are enjoying Blake and Shelby’s story. I hope to get the 3rd one out soon. Don’t worry, it won’t be the last:)

      Reply
  8. Robin P. says

    June 9, 2017 at 12:26 am

    Awesome awards show! 🙂 And big congratulations to you – Wow!!!

    Reply
    • Barbara says

      June 9, 2017 at 9:41 am

      thank you, Robin!

      Reply
  9. Jean Boe says

    June 9, 2017 at 2:45 pm

    Hi Barbara — I was at the Galaxie Library/AV a while back. There is going to be a Local Author’s Book Fair in November.
    Thought you may be interested.

    Reply
    • Barbara says

      June 9, 2017 at 3:53 pm

      Hi Jean!
      Good to hear from you. Thanks for the info. I will look into it:)

      Reply

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