ABNA Finals...2 July 2014 might be THE DAY

One week from tomorrow, I'll probably have a good idea whether or not THE MENGELE EFFECT is going to be selected as one of the five lucky finalists in the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award (ABNA) contest.  Right now, it's one of five Semi-Finalist entries in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror category, along with twenty other Semi-Finalists in the Romance, Young Adult, Mystery/Thriller and General Fiction categories.  On 8 Jul, Amazon will announce the five Finalists, each representing the #1 of 2,000 initial entries in each category.  Along with that comes a publishing contract with one of Amazon's imprints, which will make me do this \oo/  \oo/ with both of my hands (and maybe listen to Rob Zombie's "Superbeast" and "Demon Speeding", each of which I seemed to have listened to a lot while writing the book)!  After that, Amazon readers will vote to select the Grand Prize Winner, but that's not on the radar right now.

Is THE MENGELE EFFECT good enough to make the Finals cut?  I don't know...but, I sure hope so.  I'm humbled the judges thought enough of it to take it forward in the contest, now sitting as one of the top 25 out of 10,000 initial contest entries.  I'm not so caught up in the moment to NOT realize that surely some better novels than mine have been eliminated over the last ~four months.  Being lucky enough to have my entry land in front of a set of reviewers who happened to like it is...well, lucky!  I know that.  I am grateful, though, the judges liked it, and I appreciate all of you who've taken the time to read the novel or the ABNA excerpt and pen such amazing ratings.  You know who you are, and I thank you.

So, why is 2 Jul an important date?  Amazon will start contacting potential finalists on or about 2 Jul.  If I get a phone call or email on that date, then I'll know my entry is in the running.  If not, well...I'll wish my fellow competitors the best of luck with their entries, and start working on finishing one of the other novels I have in my goofy mental hopper.  I'm glad it made it to the semi-finals, and if it ends there, that's okay!

Like I said, THE MENGELE EFFECT is in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Semi-Finals bucket with four other stories:

LOWER POWER by Michele W. Miller

PANDO by Nat Buchbinder

THE BOUND GODS by Rachel Dunne

THE VOICES AT CERN by Franklin Clermont

Amazon has the 5,000-word excerpts for each story posted HERE.  I've read each of the four other excerpts, and I have to say...well, I'm NOT going to say.  I'm interested in what YOU have to say!

If you have the time, take a look at 'em.  Do you think THE MENGELE EFFECT will make the cut???

Come 8 Jul (or maybe 2 Jul), we'll know for sure!

THE MENGELE EFFECT - 2014 ABNA Semi-Finalist

I learned yesterday THE MENGELE EFFECT was selected to move on to the Semi-Finals round in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest.  A "Bald Man Happy Dance" quickly ensued!

So, what does this mean?  THE MENGELE EFFECT is now one of the top 5 of 2,000 entries in the Sci Fi/Fantasy/Horror category, and one of the top 25 of 10,000 entries overall.  You can see all the Semi-Finalist selections HERE.  CONGRATS to each of them!

I was disappointed a couple of my favorites didn't move on - one was titled "Faust's Butterfly", which I thought was excellent, and another was from a fellow Nebraska Writers Workshop member, Shannon Smiley, titled "The Age of Knowing".  I hope both of these authors submit next year, because their talent deserves recognition.  One glance at the number of 5-star reviews they received on their excerpts should tell you something.

I'm happy my novel made it though, but I know simple luck and timing play a LARGE part (as it does in most things in life).  I was lucky enough to have my 300-word pitch, 5,000-word excerpt and entire manuscript land in front of reviewers who happened to like what they read.  I knew, though, if I were able to get this novel past the initial pitch judging, it would have a chance...and this year, it did.

In 2011, THE COMING made it to the quarter finals round, but wasn't selected for the semi's.  I was pleased it went as far as it did, considering it was my first novel.  In 2012, I submitted THE MENGELE EFFECT, and it didn't make it past the pitch.  In 2013, I tried again, but had the same results.  "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."  Yep...I'm glad I decided to submit it a third time.

The #1 entry for each category will be announced on 8 Jul.  Out of those top 5 finalists, Amazon readers will vote to choose the Grand Prize winner.  Amazon is supposed to start contacting potential finalists on 2 Jul--if I don't get a phone call or email around that date, then this fun ride is probably over...and that's okay.

So what am I going to do until 8 Jul?  Well, to start, I'm going to enjoy playing with my new smoker my wife got me for Fathers Day (I have the best wife ever, in case I haven't mentioned that), chew on a couple pieces of chocolate-covered bacon she picked up for me for Fathers Day (best wife ever, did I mention that yet?) and enjoy Fathers Day  with my three kids & their 'significant others' tomorrow while I cook two tri-tip roasts, Santa Maria BBQ-style, in my new smoker!

Wish me luck! (both with the contest, and that the tri-tips come out okay!)