On Friday, the coworkers in my department surprised me with a celebratory lunch in honor of my first book. They pulled off a good surprise–I had no clue. I was told that it was our quarterly lunch. Then we get to the restaurant, and surprise!

They gave me a card and a basket full of notepads, pens, pencils, and Diet Coke. All the tools that a writer needs. After dinner, they brought out a cake for me. The party was a lot of fun! I have terrific coworkers.

Last week, I heard the results of the query contest. I placed third out of five, and I’m pleased with that. No request for a partial, but I wasn’t expecting one–primarily because Kensington isn’t known for publishing futuristics. Participating in the contest was a positive experience. I only wish I’d had time last week to write and submit a synopsis to the contest they are doing now, but I didn’t make the deadline. Maybe next time.

I’m working on a Halloween-themed story. It’s interesting to play with paranormal a little bit. We’ll see how it turns out.