I’m back!
It has been over a year since I last posted. I haven’t been idle—that’s part of the problem—I’ve been overwhelmed with family and volunteer responsibilities, as well as trying to keep up with my writing.
Family comes first. My mother turned 95 in September, 2025. Over the past few years, she suffered physical setbacks and had been sinking into dementia. The bulk of her care fell to my sister Elaine, who lives next door. The rest of us pitched in as much as we could. Eventually, Mom needed around the clock care. Since we were determined to keep her at home, those of us who lived out of state went to Arkansas as often as possible to give Elaine some relief. I made so many trips to Blackfork, my Roadtrek tried to turn west toward Arkansas whenever it left the driveway.
A few times, I flew. Once, my flight from Jacksonville was delayed by a thunderstorm. By the time I reached Dallas, I’d missed my connecting flight to Ft. Smith. Fortunately, the airline paid for a hotel room, so I didn’t have to spend the night at the airport.
A few weeks later, when I checked in at Ft. Smith for my return trip, there was a thunderstorm in Dallas! The plane was delayed, I missed my connection, and once again they put me up in a hotel. I concluded that it takes two days to fly between Florida and Arkansas.
I don’t regret the time and effort I made to keep my mother comfortable in her last days. Between family and Hospice, we were able to care for her at home. Hospice was wonderful. Blackfork is so remote, the nearest paved road is in Oklahoma, yet nurses visited frequently and supplies, such as oxygen, were delivered to her door. Mom was in good hands until the angels came for her.
Between trips, I managed to go to Orlando for the Florida Writers Association banquet where the winners of the Royal Palm Literary Awards were announced. I had two entries, a short story and an unpublished novel.
In 2020, I had entered my first novel, Trials by Fire, which was a finalist. Since we were in the middle of COVID, there was no banquet that year. The awards were announced by Zoom. I waited with anticipation while the other genres were called, alphabetically, Young Adult being the last category. Unpublished novels were announced first. I held my breath when they moved to “Published YA.” The announcer read a tagline that sounded familiar. They were talking about my book! I was now an award-winning author!
Every year since, I have submitted to RPLA. Often my work was a semifinalist or a finalist. Every year, entrants are sent the rubrics from the judges, valuable feedback for improving one’s writing. In 2021, I entered Season of the Dove as an unpublished novel. Feedback indicated that it needed “light work.” Over the next two years, I gave it more than light work and entered it again in 2023 after it was published. I also entered the book in a few other contests.
That year Season of the Dove was a finalist, so fingers crossed, I attended the banquet. I sat through the other awards, waiting for Science Fiction. They announced the unpublished winners, then the published. Then they moved on to the last few genres. Oh, well.
For some reason, still sitting at the table, I checked my emails. One had just arrived from The BookFest Awards. Season of the Dove had come in second place in the Dystopian – Climate Change category! At a later date I received word that, while the novel hadn’t placed in the Eric Hoffer Awards, it was a finalist for the Montaigne Medal for the most thought-provoking books. I’m quite proud of that distinction.
In the meantime, I kept writing. In Trials by Fire, a character narrates the story of Moses and Rila, the original pioneers to their planet. The idea of a full length novel based on this story kept growing in my imagination, until I wrote it. In 2025, I entered the still unpublished Tale of Moses and Rila, plus an unpublished short story “The Drawer” in the RPLA contest.
When I received emails that both entries were finalists, I was delighted. The chairman asked for a tagline and short excerpt to be read if the work was a winner. I’d been so busy, and not immune to procrastination, by the time of the banquet, I’d forgotten whether I’d sent those in. Wouldn’t they have reminded me if I hadn’t? Maybe not if I wasn’t a winner. It was rather late to worry about that now. If I hadn’t sent them in, and I didn’t win, it would make no difference. If I did win, I supposed the folks running the contest would come up with something.
I attended the awards banquet. With two, in my opinion, well-written pieces, I hoped to come away with some award. If not, such is life. Five other finalists sat at my table. As the prizes were announced, one by one, I watched them make their way to the stage to receive their trophies.
Finally, we came to Science Fiction/Fantasy. The Bronze winner was announced. Then the Silver. I prepared for disappointment. Then it was time for Gold. I heard the announcer say the word “Moses” and continue with the tagline I apparently forgot I had written. I floated out of my chair, up to the stage, where I received handshakes, congratulations, and my trophy. Wow! My book was a first place winner!
Short Stories was announced next. I’d heard that there were twenty finalists, so I wasn’t optimistic. That was okay. I had my trophy. I could bask in satisfaction through the rest of the evening. Bronze was announced. A lady at my table happily proceeded to the stage. Silver came next, then Gold. I heard, “A lonely old man steals a dresser form a second hand store…” Did I hear right? I navigated the ballroom to the stage to receive my second trophy. Unbelievable! Both of my entries had taken the Gold!
After the genre winners had been announced, all that was left were the Grand Awards, the Best of the Year. Next to last was Unpublished Book of the Year. When I heard “Marie Q Rogers….” I knew I had died and gone to Heaven.
My head is still reeling. What do I feel? Happy, of course. Definitely, gratitude. But more: I feel validated as an author.
Time to move on. I’m still revising Moses and Rila, which needs a better title, but I’ll publish it soon. Winning the award should help get “The Drawer” accepted by a magazine.
Dear reader, when this happens, I’ll post it on this weblog for you to read. Stay tuned.
marieqrogers 