How amusing life can get

I have to wonder how bored people are that they have to invent controversy to keep themselves busy. An example from just today? A certain blog and certain misinformed people have started making accusations about me again. I won't bother to share the blog or persons, because why should I bother giving them any free press?

The comment in question? That I've only finaled for the EPPIE as many times as I have, because I'm EPIC President.... Okay, everyone done laughing that knows my award history?

For those that don't, let me disabuse them of any delusions that there might be factual information in that accusation against me.

First of all, let's look at my EPIC presidency. I've served two years as EPIC president, as of April of this year. The EPIC bylaws state that no one may serve more than two straight years in a board position...and no more than 4 of 5 years on the board, in any capacity. Yep...that means I'm stepping down at the end of next month.

Okay...now, let's look at my EPPIE finalists. My first EPPIE finalist (Fion's Daughter) was in 2004 (Oct 2002- Sept 2003 books). I was a new member of EPIC. I hadn't joined a single committee yet. People on the lists barely knew my name. I was also with a startup publisher, so it wasn't publisher recognition, to be sure. My next two EPPIE finalists were in 2005 (Collected Poems and Renegade's Run); I was on the EPIC PR committee, second to Valerie Hardin. I belonged to no other committees, at the time. My next two EPPIE finalists were in 2006 (Rites of Mating and All I Want for Christmas); I was the PR committee head, and Valerie was my second in command, because she'd just had a baby. I'd just entered into discussions with the EPPIE committee about changes to the P&P (policies and practices), but I wasn't officially an EPPIE committee member yet.

AFTER that point, I became EPIC president. The EPPIES were awarded in March, and I was elected in April of 2006. In 2007, I finaled NOTHING in the EPPIE. Then again, all I entered was a children's book, which is hardly what I'm best known for. In 2008, my sixth (hardly a record for EPPIE finalists) and final EPPIE finalist was a poetry anthology with 18 other authors included (Phaze In Verse). I didn't enter Phaze In Verse; the editor did. I did enter 4 of my single titles, and none of them finaled.

What does that mean? It means that in my time as EPPIE president, I have never finaled a single-title book in the contest. Further, I support EPPIE by entering a lot of books. Over the years, I've entered a sum total of 29 or 30 books in EPPIE...out of 45 or so that were eligible to enter.

Now, add to this little breakdown the fact that EPPIE isn't nearly the only thing I've won. If it were, even I might concede that they were making some sick sort of point. But, what're the facts?

In 2003, I finaled for my first PEARL (Schente Night) and the Dream Realm (Last Chance For Love). For those keeping track, that means that three of the first four Kegin series books finaled (in three separate awards). Sounds fishy to me, all right. Tongue firmly planted in cheek.

In 2004, I finaled for two more PEARLS (Night Warriors and Konig Cursebreakers); Night Warriors took Honorable Mention in the category (second to Angela Knight). So, the first two books of the Night Warriors series took PEARLS, as well. Yeah, someone out there is really pulling strings to arrange all of these wins, I suppose? Picture my eyebrow arched appropriately.

Also in 2004, I had two CAPA finalists (Ultimate Warriors and Written In The Stars). Hmm...well, that's the first of my Grellan War stories in an anthology and the first book from my Star Mages series. I'm really not making an impression on anyone here, I see. It's all EPPIE. The rest of the world thinks I'm crap, I see.

In 2007, NOBODY: An Anthology of Dark Fiction (which contained three of my stories) took Spinetingler's Book of the Year. Enough said.

I could go into all of the reviews, but let's just hit the hardest-hitter of the bunch...RT.
Fion's Daughters- 3 stars
Mama's Tales- 4 stars
Written In The Stars- 4 stars
Ultimate Warriors - 4 1/2 stars

Somehow, I doubt that the facts stack up to EPPIE being somehow rigged toward the EPPIE president winning. On the contrary, I'd say that the books speak for themselves, with a whole lot of separate judging bodies.