Congratulations to 2012 ACFW Genesis Semi-Finalists

I don't often veer off my author guest posts, but since I'm a category coordinator for this contest, I wanted to take the time to tip my proverbial hat and post the list of the ACFW Genesis semi-finalists, just announced yesterday.

I especially want to give a big shout-out to local friends and writers here in Colorado: Michael Ehret, Brandy Cole-Vallance, Becca Witham, Kelli Hughett, Linda Abels, Carla Laureano, and Dena Netherton.

An extra kudos to friends, Shannon McNear, Sarah Hamaker, Michelle Shocklee, Martha Ramirez, and Rich Bullock.

The Genesis contest is for unpublished authors, and it provides budding novelists with excellent feedback on their writing, plus it offers the chance of having your work read by industry professionals such as editors and agents for major houses and agencies.

The top 3 finalists in each category will be announced at the end of May, and the overall winner will be announced at the ACFW conference gala in September. The semi-finalists comprise the top 20% of scores from the initial round. Please Join me in congratulating these up-and-coming authors. Here's the complete list:

Contemporary Fiction

Kimberli Buffaloe
Michael Ehret
Casey Herringshaw
Melissa Lewis
Michelle Massaro
Colleen Shine Phillips
Anne Prado
Will Schmitt
Sarah J. Smith
Chris Storm
Linda J. Truesdell
Brenda J. Young

Contemporary Romance

Cora Allen
Brenda Anderson
Jennie Atkins
Pepper Basham
Kimberly Buckner (double semi-finalist)
Tari Faris
Sarah Hamaker
Kara Isaac (double semi-finalist)
Ava W. Jenkins
Kimberly Johnson
Jessica Keller
Amy Matayo
Shannon McNear
Carol Moncado
Sherri Murray
Andrea Nell
Melissa Tagg
Cindy R. Wilson

Historical Fiction

Heidi Chiavaroli
Jessica Clochesy
Nancy Diekmann
Kathleen L. Maher
Christina Miller
Vanessa Morton
Rachel Neal
Leslie J. Payne
Sarah Thomas
Mary Kay Tuberty
Terri Wangard
Renee Yancy
Elizabeth Byler Younts

Historical Romance

Lance Albury
Whitney M. Bailey
Crystal L. Barnes
Karen Barnett
Debra Calloway
Brenda Carroll
Kay Chandler
Dawn Crandall
Barbara Curtis
Susanne Dietze
Terri Haynes
Lyndee Henderson
Kristi Ann Hunter
Melissa Jagears
Diane Kalas
Susan Anne Mason
Marilyn Rhoads
Christina Rich
Michelle Shocklee
Ginger Takamiya
Brenda B. Taylor
Brandy Vallance
Lanna Webb
Becca Whitham
Rachel Wilder
Lora Young

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

Jerusha Agen
Rich Bullock
Morris Christen Civiletto
Joseph Robert Courtemanche
Randall Gannaway
Dena Netherton
Deborah Quigley Smith
Matthew Sheehy
Chris Storm
V.B. Tennery
 Larry W. Timm (double semi-finalist)
Michael J. Webb

Romantic Suspense

Sally Bayless
Paula Boire
Suzanne Bratcher
Arlene Coulter
Normandie Fischer
Kelli Hughett
Lesley McDaniel
Carrie Padgett
Ellen Parker
Pat Trainum
Katy Vorreiter
Terri Weldon

Speculative Fiction

Caleb Jennings Breakey
Dennis Brooke
Jo Hall
Stephanie Karfelt
Carla Laureano
John Leatherman (double semi-finalist)
William Ramirez (double semi-finalist)
Luke Scott
Regina Smeltzer
Amanda G. Stevens (double semi-finalist)
Heidi Treibel

Women’s Fiction

Connie Almony
Brenda Anderson
Robin Archibald
Sally Bradley
Kathy Buchanan
Diane Chase
Emily Conrad
Susan Hill
Kara Hunt
Ginger Marcinkowski
Susan Miura
Rachel Moore
Christina Nelson
Julie Scorziell
Katherine Scott-Jones
Dawn Alicia Shipman
Amy K. Sorrells
Julia Toto
Pamela Trawick
Erin Taylor Young

Young Adult

Linda Abels
Sandra Barnes
Kathleen Freeman
Sara Goff
Glenn Haggerty
Mary L. Hamilton
Barbara Hartzler
Katherine Hyde
Teresa Lockhart
Rondi Olson
Rajdeep Paulus
Martha Ramirez
Chawna Schroeder
Sarah Tipton
Cynthia Toney

I've Been Tagged! Wanna Play?

I've moved this to today from the previous post date of September 27th as I'll be doing the drawing from the comments left on the 15th. So, if you'd like to leave a comment for a chance to win an autographed copy of one of my books, you have 7 more days.

Kim over a Window to my World and Stormi over at Mystery, Suspense and God, Oh My! have both tagged my window to play! Remember how much fun that was when you were a kid? Always wanted to run away or tempt the person who was "it" or wanting to be "it" yourself. :) So, here goes a good new-fashioned game of tag, folks!

Feel free to copy this game and tag friends of yours, or post a comment to be entered in a drawing to receive a FREE autographed copy of one of my books. And if you're really adventurous, try to trace this game back to the first person who started it. LOL!

Here are the rules for those I'm tagging. Check the list after my 6 THINGS to see if you're it then:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know he or she has been tagged.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

6 Random THINGS about me:

1. Before I got married, I was the only living female "Miller" in my family. The rest were all boys, as the women all married into the name.

2. My great-grandfather's cousin married President Woodrow Wilson during his presidency, so I'm somewhat related to American "royalty." :) Edith Galt was from the side of my family who founded Galt & Bros. Jewelers in Washington, D.C., a very elite jewelry company. What a shame none of the "luxury" passed down to me.

3. I've lived in 5 different states and traveled to 3 foreign countries; plus, by the time I was 14, I had moved 9 times. Now, that count is up to 15 times in 32 years. Let's just say when we get a house, now, I want it to be a place where we can settle for a while. And if it's just a starter home, we'll hang in there for 5 years then get our long-term home where I hope to raise our children and give them the stability I never had growing up.

4. My husband and his writing influenced a character in Brandilyn Collins' Kanner Lake book series, and he even wrote blog posts on the Kanner Lake blog, Scenes and Beans. Oh, and he even autographed books with Brandilyn at the 2006 ACFW conference, signing his character name of Ted "S-Man" Dawson.

5. I got my big start in web site design when I was hired to design and run actress Jane Seymour's web site in 2000, although I'd been working in design since 1997.

6. I've visited all but 12 of the 50 states in the U.S. and I have a goal to visit those 12 as well before my life on earth comes to an end, so I can mark them off my unofficial list. :)

Now, you're it!

Kim Woodhouse
Trish Perry
Stuart Stockton
Deeanne Gist
Shannon McNear
Kaye Dacus

* * * * *