WE WON!

Hi folks,

This is one of the happiest posts I’ve ever had the pleasure of writing! It looks like… drum roll, please…

WE’VE WON THE PREDITORS and EDITORS POLL FOR BEST THRILLER OF 2011!!! THE WINNER IS…. THE BITCH!!!

You can see the results here: http://critters.org/predpoll/tally_novelthrill.ht

Who do I start thanking? To be honest, the list is too long and this site will crash if I were even able to name everybody who voted or worked on my behalf to secure votes. There were people literally working to get more votes and keep my novel in first place right up until the very end at midnight last night!

But, even though there’s no way I can possibly name each individual, I do want to give a particular shoutout to one group of people. My online novel writing class. Two nights ago when, after being in first place for nine days, it slipped to second, I notified one group that night before I went to bed--my class—the Boot Camp for Writers group. When I woke the next morning and went in to check where it was at… we were back in first place!

You guys rock and I love you!

As I do everybody else who took the time and the trouble to not only vote for THE BITCH, but asked friends and relatives to do so as well. I cannot begin to tell you how much your efforts on my behalf have meant to me. I will say this—even if I had lost, I would have felt like the biggest winner in the world for what you did for me.

In fact, before I checked the standings this morning, I thought about all the people who had given up their time and went to the trouble they did and I realized then that, win or lose, I had won. Finding out THE BITCH had ended up the winner in the poll was just icing on the cake. I’m ecstatic it won, but I’m much more happy at what y’all did for me. I haven’t the words to say that can adequately express my appreciation so I’ll just say… THANK YOU.

There were literally dozens of other writers who helped me out with their tweets and mentions on Facebook and on their blogs—I owe you folks! For people who think about and write about noir and murder and crime all day, there’s an awful lot of love among this group. I’m glad we’re all in the same foxhole with each other and have each others' backs.

One guy in particular I need to single out. Anthony Neil Smith. Neil and I both had novels in this horserace and he threw his support to me. What kind of tough, brilliant writer does that? The kind that not only writes with grace, but practices it in his daily life.

THE BITCH is also gathering all kinds of rave reviews which is so gratifying. I feel this is the best book I’ve ever written, but as we all know as writers, the success of a writer’s effort is never really known until the readers have been heard from. And, the reviews and comments have been simply fantastic. Thank you, each and every one! I’m so glad you liked it. This is the real payment for the effort we as writers expend.

You can go here http://www.amazon.com/The-Bitch-ebook/dp/B006P2NLHG/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324588756&sr=1-1 to see those reviews.

I also owe a couple of people an enormous debt. My publishers at Bare Knuckle Press, Cort McMeel and Eddie Vega. If it weren’t for them and their belief in this novel, none of this would have been possible. Thanks, guys!

I’m going to go collapse in a hot tub and savor this. At my age, champagne and riotous nights are a thing of the past, but I guarantee you I’m going to enjoy that tub!

I love you folks.

Blue skies,

Les

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