‘Soul’s Child’ wins YWO Book of the Year award!
My daughter flew in from Melbourne yesterday and for the second time this year I went out on the town. We ended up at Karaoke (we sang a duet of ‘Jolene’ :D) and were having a great time when I got an email on my new Samsung Galaxy S3. I wasn’t wearing my glasses and all I could see was the word ‘Congratulations’ at the top of the email. I handed the phone to my daughter and asked her to read it. She squealed and said, ‘Congratulations, you have won the YWO Book of the Year award.’ Then I squealed and we pushed some buttons and before we could squeal any more the email was accidently deleted.
Okay – so this is a new phone and neither of us could figure out how to get the email back. We passed the phone around the table and no one has a Galaxy S3 so no one knew how to retrieve it.
Then I found Tim. Tim works at the ABC and writes a sports blog. He fiddled with his phone for a moment then handed it to me and asked me to enter my email address. I did this and in an instant the email magically reappeared.
As you’ve probably already guessed I’m not a technical person.
To Tim wherever you are – you are a star and a complete and utter gentleman!
You Write On (YWO)
YWO is an international site where writers can upload excerpts from their books or short stories for review by other writers. They conduct the Next Big Author competition with Random House, Orion, Penguin, Harper Collins and Little Brown publishers. Every year they receive hundreds of thousands of stories. Every second or third month the top three rated stories for that month are given a free review by one of the publishing houses mentioned above. Once a year they pick the top five stories (from the previous 12 months) from adult fiction (this also includes YA) and the top five stories from Children’s fiction – and these stories are the winners of the YWO Book of the Year award.
This is what the email was trying to tell me. I had won the Book of the Year Award for my story Soul’s Child!
*that popping sound in the background may be champagne corks!*
I can’t begin to tell you how thrilled and honoured I am. I think the word I’m looking for is ‘speechless’ – and maybe a little misty.
Wow, congrats…what an honour it must be!!!
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I’m still in shock I think – I actually didn’t know it was even in the running 🙂
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Congratulations, Dianne.
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Thank you so much, Dennis 🙂
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Yeah! it’s about time they figure out you are as awesome as we know you are! Congratulations!
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Thanks, Rick. It was like a shot out of the blue. I had no idea I was even in the running for it. There are so many fantastic stories on that site. I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. I’m pinching myself and wondering what this all means 🙂
I’ve got two stories up there. Soul’s Child and The Eleventh Question. When I lost the email I didn’t know which story they were talking about! 🙂
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I bought my copy of Soul’s Child just now. 🙂
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Rick! You should have just asked me and I would have given the free code for it! Very naughty 🙂
I really hope you don’t find a trillion mistakes in it 😀 (and if you you do – please let me know!)
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I’m not above being naughty now and then. 🙂 I’m sure I won’t find a trillion mistakes!
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Oh wow, a big congratulations! Well done 🙂
You must be so proud of it x
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Thank you, Georgie! I am feeling quite proud at the moment (though still a bit surprised!) 😀
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This is fabulous news for you Diane, congratulations! Glad the ABC guy got your email back for you too. 🙂
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I was in a bit of a panic, John. I’ve deleted emails on the phone before and not known hot to get them back (there is no ‘trash’ folder that I can find on the Galaxy S3). I know you’re looking at buying one, so maybe you can give me a few tips if you do! Usually when I accidently ‘delete’, its not an important email like this.
The ABC guy was great. I’m going to find his blog and post a link here at some stage as a ‘thank you’ to him 😀
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We may get the Galaxy as soon as tomorrow, not sure but I can let you know. Enjoy your success!
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Thank you, John 🙂
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Wonderful news! Writers write because they must, but when they are rewarded with their peers’ recognition that is a bonus of the highest order!
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I so agree with that sentiment. The only reason I write is because I can’t not write (bad grammar, I know). I really only put my story up there to get feedback from other writers. It’s a hard road because other writers pick every single mistake they can find and you really need a tough skin. But in the end it’s worth it because they don’t know you and they pull no punches in their reviews. This is really helps develop the story and find holes that you hadn’t seen before.
The award is something I never expected – but it certainly is a lovely surprise
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Excellent Di, how thrilled you must be firstly for receiving and secondly retrieving! I can only aspire.. Have a wonderful weekend with more champagne popping! **hugs** 🙂
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Thank you so much! I have the feeling this is going to be a big weekend 😀
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Woo hoo! Congratulations! That must be an awesome feeling! 🙂 Now you need to learn that darn new phone so you don’t accidentally delete the next award message!
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Hahaha – don’t worry, I’m taking a crash course!
Thank you so much for the congrats, it is an awesome feeling 😀
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Dianne, this is GREAT! YAY!!!!!!!
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Thank you – I’m still trying to figure out what it all means (but I do know it’s not a bad thing so that’s a good start!)
😀 😀
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Indeed! (((double hugs)))
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Dianne….that is SO exciting!! A big congratulations for a well deserved award!! I hope those champagne corks keep popping for you. Enjoy the celebration!!
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Thank you so much, Susan! 🙂
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Congratulations, Dianne! That sounds fantastic!
Also, it’s good that you found someone to retrieve the email. Technology can be quite confusing sometimes, haha. (also congrats on your swanky new phone. =D)
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Thanks, Zen! Technology can be even more confusing when you’re in a dimly lit karaoke bar with an old dude singing ‘I did it my way!’ (way too loud and out of tune) 😀
So glad you came straight over to say hello – you’re wonderful 😀
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Congratulations! That must feel good. 🙂 I’m always anxious about accidently deleting an email like that. Lucky the ABC guy knew what to do.
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Thank god for the ABC guy! Otherwise I would have been up all night searching for it!
Thank you so much for the congrats, Justin 😀
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Dianne – so so happy for you! I can hear the champagne bubbles now…congrats! And I love that there is a story within the story, on how you found out. Congratulations!!
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I nearly had a heart attack when we lost the email, Bonnie! I had to add that part in 😀
Thank you so much for the congrats. I’ll cheers one for you while I’m at it for being such a wonderful friend 😀
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You’re the best! Enjoy your success with each bubble, and I too will raise a glass in your honor, from halfway ’round the world tonight! Cheers my friend! 🙂
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Congratulations! Woo Hoo! Awesome news!!
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Thank you, Ruth! I’m feeling pretty good about it 😀
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Congratulations, Dianne! So cool that you were out on the town with your daughter when the email came in – and could celebrate together! 🙂
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Very fortuitous indeed, Maddie! If I’d been home alone I wouldn’t have had near the amount of ‘champagne fun’! 😀
Thank you so much for your congrats 🙂
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Wow, well done! That must be so exciting! Haha, I’m so happy for you 😀 😀 😀
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Thank you so much! I love your smiley faces! That’s exactly how I feel 😀 😀 😀
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The Red Man is sending Gigantic Paw Snaps to you for your deserved recognition!! He may even race into the yard and give an extra pee to his favorite tree in your honor tonight!! 🙂
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Hahahahaha – I LOVE the red man! Give him a big juicy bone tonight for his faithful support 😀
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Now that is wonderful to hear… another party would be on the cards if something like that happened to me… lovely to hear, wonderful, great, happy for you… (I’m not speechless)
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So glad you’re not speechless!
Thank you so much for your congrats. Another party is on the cards! 😀
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Yeeha! Congratulations!
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Woo Hooo!!!!! 😀 Thank you!!!
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Woah, congrats! I’m pretty sure you deserve it, so enjoy!
P.S. does that mean any of those agencies might offer you a paperback\hardcover book contract?
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Don’t know yet. I’ve already published this book (but the award also relates to publication and marketing of any future books I may want to publish as well and that’s very nice indeed). Even if the major houses don’t come to the party it doesn’t matter because I’ve already got the most important thing I need from the award – publicity and marketing 😀
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stay fabulous! good for you.
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Thank you so much! 😀
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Congratulations that is wonderful news. Have a champers for me in celebration. 🙂
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Thank you so much, Judy!
Here we go – CHEERS! 😀
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Thats wonderful Dianne. Congratulations!
I’ve just downloaded it…
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Thank you, Maggie!
This means a lot to me coming from you 😀
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Yes I would definitely like to be right there with you and give you a big hug for congratulations! Way to go. So very cool, Dianne, Happy happy for you, Penny 🙂
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Thank you so much, Penny!
And a big *hug* right back 😀
Flying with the wind 😉
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As you should be! How absolutely wonderful, you must be excited off the wall! 🙂
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Well congratulations. For some reason your posts don’t show up in my reader. I had to go looking for you. Well you should celebrate a bit-then back to the keyboard. While I’m at it, about personal space–mine is my house, so you can tell I’m very sought out by others. I very happy for you. KB
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Thank you so much. I’m not sure why my posts don’t show up, but thank you for searching me out! 😀
It’s interesting that your personal space is your house because I feel the same way – it’s a lovely comfortable place to be 😀
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I hate leaving it. I’m not agrophobic-though I don’t mix well with people-but having people over is mind numbing. I roam around looking for a place to be comfortable and end up using the bathroom alot just to be alone. Forget going to other people’s houses. Holiday get together’s are a nightmare incarnate. KB
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Hahaha – we are SO similar it’s scary! 😀
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It’s good to know that people like us could never throw a party or have a meeting except by walkie-talkie.
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😀 😀
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yay Congratulations! (and still laughing at the accidental delete – something I would do too…)
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Hahaha – it felt like a disaster of mamoth proportions at the time! 😀
Thank you so much for your congrats 🙂
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Congratulations! 😀
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Thank you! 😀
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You’re welcome! 🙂
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Great news and I’m delighted for you Dianne. I’ll catch up with that book in due course but for now I’m enjoying LSGL – I’m agog with some of the original descriptive work in the early chapters – might pinch the odd simile or two, mwah ha ha. Please add my congratulations to the rest.
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Thank you, Roy. When I first wrote LSGL the editor I had at the time said,’ just get to the bloody point and stop all this discriptive stuff in the beginning!’ I took a lot of it out (that was when I was young and naive and should have just told her to butt out) 😀
Thank you so much for your congrats. It means a lot to me 🙂
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Congratulations x
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Thank you, Neil 🙂
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Wow congrats that is fantastic to be recognised in the international world of authors. I’m wondering about that “crash” course on your new phone????
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It’s not really the way I wanted to learn how to use the phone 🙂
Thank you so much for your congrats 😀
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Big congratulations!!! That is just fantastic. Singing with your daughter is a wonderful way to learn the news… 🙂
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Hahaha – we love singing together 😀
Thank you so much for the congratulations! 🙂
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Congratulations Dianne!! I am so happy for you!! What a bonus that your daughter was there with you when you got the news! Enjoy that champagne!! 😉
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It’s wonderful to see her. Living in different cities is hard sometimes, but we are never ‘really’ apart 🙂
Thank you for the congrats, Denise 🙂
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What wonderful news! Many many congratulations Dianne! 🙂 xxx
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Thank you so much, Virginia. It’s slowly starting to sink in! 😀
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Hearty congrats to you! Another notch in your writer’s belt.
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Thank you, Jacqui! 🙂
I love those notches 😀
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Oh wow!! That is so wonderful!! I am so excited for you *does happy dance from across the world* Well, now I know which book of yours to try next 🙂
I love the story about it though, you had me cracking up! Congratulations
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Thank you my dear!
I was nearly at breaking point when we couldn’t get that email back. And some of the bad karaoke didn’t help 😀 I felt like yelling out ‘shut up I can’t find my email!’
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Hahahah – you might have turned the revelers against you, people take their karaoke seriously! It could have turned ugly. Glad that guy saved the day!!
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Hahahaha – I’ve read about karaoke riots before. Imagine… I don’t even want to think of the headline – ‘people killed in riot after woman loses email at karaoke.’
LOL 😀
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Congratulations Dianne! What a wonderful achievement! You must be so proud and deserving too! Have a fantastic weekend!
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Thank you so much, Dan. My weekend is looking very bright indeed (and it’s a long weekend here, too. That makes it even better) 😀
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Awesome achievement, Dianne. Congratulations to you. I’m so happy for you. 🙂 I can’t believe you almost deleted that important e-mail. 😆
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I was seriously about to have a major meltdown (which is very unlike ‘the cool, calm, casual’ me) 😀
Thank you so much for coming by and for offering your congrats, it really means a lot to me 😀
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I’m late to the party – stupid time zones. Congratulations on your win! What exciting news, and an incredibly large number of contestants to be selected from. What a great way to gain more recognition.
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It’s never too late to join this party, Janna!
I like the fact that they splash it all over the media. Every writer’s dream after all those years of hard work!
Thank you so much for the congrats 😀
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What wonderful news, congratulations!
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Thank you, Letizia. It was a wonderful surprise! 😀
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I guess no one ever gets tired of having congratulations thrown her way, so “congratulations” !
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Thank you so much! You don’t have a link on your avatar. Do you have a blog I can follow? 🙂
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CONGRATULATIONS honey xxxx
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Thank you so much my dear! It’s a bit of a mind blast because it was so out of the blue! 😀
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Brilliant! 🙂
Xx
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Congratulations! This is wonderful news!
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Thank you so much, Jessica. It was a lovely surprise! 😀
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That’s great Dianne! Congratulations 🙂
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Thank you so much! It was a fantastic surprise 😀
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Congrats! and drink a glass for me!!
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Thank you so much for the congrats and thanks for stopping by 😀
Just pouring one for you now 😀
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grin!
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Way to go!
I did the same thing with some important e-mail on my iPhone, once. It was somewhat my fault – there was an indecipherable button in the mail application that I wanted to see what it did (and heaven forbid Apple include any kind of guide to what their program features are, because everything’s just ~so intuitive~), and it ended up permanently deleting the message. If you’re going to put a super-delete button all front-and-forward on a program, at least make it something iconically recognizable, like a red X or trash can!
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Hahahaha – so true! It can be really annoying (particularly if the phone is new and you’re not quite sure about all the bells and whistles.
Thank you so much for coming over and congratulating me 😀
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Yeah, I guess “smart phones” don’t always live up to the name. (>^-‘)>
And you bet!
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Congrats – that’s brilliant! Both the award and the restoration of the congratulatory email LOL.
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Thanks, Suzan! What a lovely weekend it’s been 😀
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Congratulations!!
I’d never heard of the site, but I think I’ll go have a peek now 🙂
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Please do! It’s pretty good if you ever want other writers to review your work. The bonus comes with publishing houses reviewing as well 😀
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That’s brilliant. You pop that champers, and get yourself giddy… You deserve it!!
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Woo Hoo! Thank you so much! 😀
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YAYYYYYYY! you rock 😀 congrats!!! (And a bigger congrats on getting that mail back 😉 teehee, kidding!) hugz!
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Thank you! I almost turned into The Hulk trying to retrieve the thing! 😀
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Congratulations Dianne. Surely well deserved. Look forward to reading it.
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Thank you, Richard 😀
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Really? Was there any doubting it? I’d bet all my money on Dianne anytime! 😀 Congrats, Dianne! Knew you would win! 🙂
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Hahaha – thank you! I didn’t know I would win 😀 It was a lovely surprise!
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Fab to hear such a good news story – congratulations! Now you have to save the e-mail for posterity!! 🙂
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Thank you so much – I’ll frame it 😀
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OUTSTANDING! I am so proud. 😀 Really, truly. You’re awesome!
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Thank you so much, my dear! This means a lot to me 😀
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Congratulations on the award…and for getting the email back 🙂 I’m glad you were already out having fun and got another reason to celebrate!
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Thank so much, Janna 😀
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What wonderful news! I think I indeed heard the popping sounds! 🙂 What a coincidence, I recently got a Samsung Galaxy, too. I’m still trying to learn the darn thing though…
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Thank you so much! 😀
I LOVE the phone – just have to learn how to use it 🙂
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Whooohooo!! Congratulations Diane! I’m just thrilled for you – I heard the popping of champagne corks as well, you’ve earned it 🙂
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Thank you my darling!!! 😀
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You go Madam! 😉
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Thank you, my dear 😀
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Oh Dianne! I couldn’t be happier for you! And I love the story of sending your phone around the bar! And a guy from ABC retrieved it! Bless his soul. What a fantastic, huge honor and now, of course, I’m going to go buy a copy of Souls Child!! And drink a glass of the bubbly for moi Diane and super congrats!! YAY!! 😀
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I’m still celebrating, Linda. Thank you so much for your congrats- it means a lot to me 😀
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Congratulations, dear Dianne! Well deserved! Mazel Tov! xxxx
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Thank you so much!! 😀
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Seriously, I don’t know why you are surprised! There is no one else more deserving! Your books are excellent, but then I may be a little biased 😉
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Thank you, my darling! You know how they get so ‘polished’. You’re the star! 🙂
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WOW!!! That’s awesome Dianne! Congrats! And happy celebrating. Kat 🙂
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Thank you so much, Kat! 😀
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Congratulations! That’s great news.
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Thank you so much! 🙂
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That’s awesome!!! Congratulations!!! 😀
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Thank you so much, Daphne. I came as a very big surprise! 😀
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Congratulations Dianne! You have inspired me to think about entering this contest.
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It’s really good if you’ve got a story you want others to read and comment on. I actually didn’t realise when I put mine in that this could happen! 😀
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I intended to write here and congratulate you when I heard about this weeks ago, but I completely forgot till just now. 😀 Well done, you – I was really glad to hear about it. I hope you’re still on a high, and still drinking the champagne!
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I always do that (mean to write something and then forget) 😀
Thank you so much for the congrats – champers is still flowing! 😉
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Awesome job Dianne. Way to go.
http://annblantonwriter.wordpress.com/
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Thank you so much, Ann! 😉
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Congrats!
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Thank you so much! It was a bit of a shock – but a good one 😀
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Congratulations! WooHoo! 🙂
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Thank you so much! It was the kind of surprise I LOVE 😀
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