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<\/a><\/p>\nThe preparations leading up to the awards ceremony was the same as the year before. \u00a0I had a couple of commitments that left me about forty-five minutes to get ready. \u00a0I threw on my dress. \u00a0My roommate Kristyne did my make-up. My other roomie Shellee flat-ironed my hair. \u00a0(My hair, left to its own devices, is wavy. \u00a0And since it is never not left to its own devices, it was the first time I’d ever seen my hair completely straight.\u00a0 I was thrilled to discover that I looked like a Hong Kong gangster’s moll–the expensive sort, of course!) \u00a0My other, other roomie Tracy, my bedmate actually, introduced me to the wonder that is the vibrating mascara applicator last year. \u00a0This year she did nothing to help me! \u00a0LOL, because Tracy, a first-time nominee, had to get her own gorgeous self ready for the event.<\/p>\n
Right before I left my hotel room, I tore a small strip off the edge of a newspaper that’s been lying around. \u00a0I figured, just in case, I should jot down a few reminders of people I wanted to thank.<\/p>\n
(I didn’t do this last year because last year I was nominated for PRIVATE ARRANGEMENTS, and had I won, you’d have heard me thank myself. \u00a0Seriously, somebody should give that speech, for all the writers out there who don’t give themselves quite enough credit. \u00a0Since PA was written on my own time, at my own instigation, without ever inconveniencing any family \u00a0members, I figured it was the only time in my career I could say, “And most importantly, I want to thank me for never giving up on me. \u00a0I would never be here if it weren’t for me!” \u00a0 I’d have done it too–I can see Shellee, Kristyne, and Tracy all nodding their heads going, yep, she totally would have–except for the fact that my name didn’t get called!)<\/p>\n
This time it did get called.<\/p>\n
Even as Teresa Medeiros, the presenter for the historical category, read the list of nominees, I was scrutinizing the same list on my program and wondering if it was going to be Elizabeth Hoyt, Liz Carlyle, or a complete dark horse. \u00a0And then came the drumroll.<\/p>\n
Until then I had no idea who it would be; my gut is usually dormant when it comes to such matters.\u00a0 As soon as the drumroll started, however, I sort of knew.<\/p>\n
Somebody hugged me from behind–my agent, as it later turned out. \u00a0And then I was upon that stage. \u00a0And I am totally mortified about it now, but as I was walking across to the podium, I heard my name shouted from \u00a0the back in the ballroom–and I waved. \u00a0Waved, <\/em>like a beauty queen! \u00a0*dies of embarrassment*<\/p>\n The statuette is surprisingly heavy. \u00a0Perfect-for-braining-home-intruders heavy. \u00a0I pulled out my little piece of paper–reproduced below–and poured out my gratitude. \u00a0It can never be said enough that I needed all the help I could get on NOT QUITE A HUSBAND–on each book since PA, in fact–and if I look back and see only one pair of footprints, it was probably because my editor carried me. \u00a0And so the award was dedicated to her.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.sherrythomas.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/Acceptance-speech.jpg\" "\\"Acceptance-speech\\"")
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