What a Year

It’s been a crazy 12 months.

Today was a sad day, our last cat, Mongo, passed away this morning. He was old, very old, so while it was sad, it was also time. Tears were shed as he wished well on his journey over the Rainbow Bridge to be with the two other cats we lost in a matter of months, my beloved Charlie, there will never be another cat like him. Our equally beloved Missy Kitty. Losing three cats in less than 4 months is heart breaking. And, that’s something that has never happened before.

They will all be missed.

We will find other furry friends like Ollie who has joined the crew in the last year and who has become very friendly.

Poor ‘Grandma’ had all that upheaval with the Court and DMV.

So many things!

But there’s good news too. That’s Life, right?

Earlier this year I entered several very highly legitimate Awards Contests. I entered “Heart”, “Genesis”, and “First Sin” in 4 different contests. I didn’t make the cut at the Page Turner Awards. Bummer.

I’m still in the running over at BookLife with “Genesis” but I doubt we’ll win. We did get a very nice critic’s review though:

Plot/Idea: 8 out of 10

Originality: 9 out of 10

Prose: 8 out of 10

Character/Execution: 8 out of 10

Overall: 8.25 out of 10

Assessment:

Plot/Idea: The beauty of this plot is in the details. Not only does Mason take on the responsibility of caring for Hannah, but it is within the context of both of their lives. The story flows seamlessly between the past and the present, offering a sense of who they were before, and how time has changed them.

Prose: Occasional disruptions to the flow of the prose are small distractions from Darling’s otherwise top notch storytelling.

Originality: Full of intricacies both from a character and storytelling standpoint, Genesis offers an original take on the sudden appearance of a long-lost sibling.

Character/Execution: Although Mason is presented as flawed and gruff, the reader can see he truly cares for Hannah. In Hannah, Darling presents a character who is, for the most part, non-verbal. Yet, Darling shares the inner workings of her mind with such ease that the reader appreciates Hannah’s frustration with the disconnect between her thoughts and her speech.

Date Submitted: April 28, 2023

Not too shabby. That went out to all of their subscribers and to Publisher’s Weekly. Again, not too shabby. But competition is stiff over there. I am hoping to make it a few rounds in but probably not to the Finals. I do try to be realistic about these things. 🙂

Still in the running with the Best Indie Book Awards.

Got an email a few weeks ago from the Readers’ Favorite Reviews and Awards.

I blew it off. It came on the heels of not making it in the Page Turner Awards so I wasn’t in the mood to hear how much “Heart” sucked.

Uh-oh.

Boy was I wrong.

Uh-Oh….look at this too!

His life is disrupted when a mystical fey woman, Magdalena MacLeod, appears mysteriously on his island. With no recollection of how she arrived, she captivates Ares who renames her Alena. Her presence intrigues him further when he discovers her chastity belt engraved with the insignia of Cernunnos, the Celtic God of Forest and Death. An unexpected deal takes shape: Alena’s maidenhead for Ares’ protection. As this bond grows, Ares confronts the choice between his estranged divine family, his self-worth, and his newfound attachment to Alena, all while the Olympians and Cernunnos are closing in.

In The Heart of War, Lisa Beth Darling delivers no-holds-barred erotica laden with extreme violence, attributed to a horrific curse, that carries out with the hope of an eventual romance. Ares is an absolute brute with a private harem full of women who are obsessed with him, and the resilient Alena, and they are the ultimate unlikely pair. Their chemistry unfolds and through alternating points of view, Darling develops a diverse cast that includes Ares’ Olympian family. The trigger warnings for sexual violence against women and children, and incest, are the standard fare for books of the genre. Darling isn’t writing to please everyone, just genre lovers who will find this story ticks all the boxes. I genuinely appreciated the detailed backstory provided, given that this is not intended to be a one-hit-wonder. We have time for real evolution of character and Darling very effectively sets the stage for a promising series.

In the midst of the pain of having to say ‘good bye’ to Mongo this was the brightest ray of sunshine I could ever never even had the audacity to hope for.

Oh…wait…this–like the other 3 I entered– is a juried competition. In case you didn’t know. People don’t get to swoop in off Ye Olde Internet (making false account after false account) and vote at will. If you’ve been with me for years you know exactly what I’m talking about. Therefore, this is a 100% “legitimate” and “international” and “highly respected” award program.

Phew, ok, I had to say that for myself and you Old Timers. The rest will probably get a little taste as we go along.

I had blown off the first email but I got a second one: We noticed that you have not logged in to your Author Area yet to read our September 1st contest update which explains how your book did in this year’s Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Contest.

Didn’t sound very promising. I didn’t feel like going over there just to hear: You lost!

But I gathered my nerve and did it.

In the instant that I clicked that link to see ‘how I did’ and that beautiful silver coin met my eye….I almost cried. All these years. Me and The Big Guy are finally ‘legitimate’.

Redemption is ours!

This is going to be in Publisher’s Weekly! I am going to be in Publisher’s Weekly as a winner!! That’s huge. I have a chance at actually being “seen”.

Jaw dropping momemt to be sure.

Yet…

Through space and time I was transported back to the Old Days when ‘Moon Mistress’ wrote Stargate SG-1 fanfiction and all the utter shit that poor bitch took over it. How she was either adored or vilified through all 30 stories (6 or was it 8? of which were full-length novels and several others novellas). How she was bullied and berated. How she had 2 websites crashed by Internet Tough Guys just because she wouldn’t freely hand over what they wanted. I remembered how many years it lasted. How I was hounded day in and day out by the most vile crap it made cry several times and made me want to just quit writing altogether.

Trust me, I will never hear the words…LiveJournal…without being a bit…triggered.

It was horrible.

When “The Heart of War” hit…and it actually did hit just a tiny bit ‘big’….they went into a Feeding Frenzy the likes of which I doubt Ares himself has ever seen.

But The Big Guy and I stuck it out…

We gleefully defied them inviting them to do their worst as they opened account after account on every single website where The Big Guy and I tried to make a ‘legitimate’ name for ourselves. Hell, they even left bad reviews on Mobi Pocket Books.

Oh, that’s Kindle you young folk. Yes, I was on Kindle before Bezos bought it.

Every place we tried to just get a little space just to try to make a name and get noticed….there they were. GoodReads. They were some of the first people to ‘follow’ me and harass me. MySpace. Facebook. Book Blurb. Authors Den. You name it. Everywhere. Especially my blog. Oh, how they loved to read about themselves.

You have no idea how much I hope and pray they are here right now!

Yep, I am now a genuine Award Winning Author. two in one week, Seeing that lovely silver medal was a real

Moment for me. Well, hell, after all, the entire series is dedicated to Red and Andy (and The Big Guy and KTS, of course). But, when it was really tough and I felt like absolutely shit, it was Red and Andy that got me through. Them and

He’s a really determined dude, in case you were unaware.

I thank him every day for bestowing that strength and determination on Yours Truly.

Redemption, baby.

It’s really sweet.