I'd Like To Thank...

My, oh my, has it been a whirlwind past couple of weeks! The conference was an absolute blur, so jam packed that the only reason I ate anything at all was because I had scheduled all my meals with others ahead of time, lol.

It was and is an incredible honor to have been a finalist in the Golden Heart contest. Having that little ribbon at the bottom of my name badge was like magic—instantly encouraging all kinds of wonderful new people to talk to me. Complete strangers offered their congratulations, asked about my manuscript, and wished me good luck. It was humbling and inspiring all at once. Yet again, I was potently reminded of what an awesome institution RWA is.

When the big awards night finally arrived, I was giddy with excitement that my husband, sister, and mother joined me. It was so fun to have them witness one small part of the life I live on the side—all the people I talk about, all the energy surrounding the event, and the sheer mass of the event.

When all was said and done, I was not the winner in my category, but my only regret is not getting to say my speech. Okay, that’s a lie—one foot on that stage during rehearsals and I was TERRIFIED that I would win and have to give a speech to the yawning expanse of that New York ballroom. But I did want to have the opportunity to thank all the people that helped get me to that point.

So, my dear cake readers, I’ve decided give my speech after all. Without further ado, here is my not-an-acceptance-speech speech :)

There are so many people I have to thank, I think it best to just start at the beginning. To my amazing parents, who always encouraged us to follow our dreams. You were no less supportive of me when I announced I wanted to be a romance writer than you were when I declared Marine Science as my major in college. Now that is truly supportive parenting!

To my brother, who indulges his creativity after the work is done and the house is quiet, composing such beautiful music that one can not help but be inspired. To my sister, who broke from her cocoon in such magnificent fashion, reaching for her dreams and succeeding beautifully. It was through your example that I learned that stardust can not be captured if you don’t reach for the stars. It also helps that, as a fellow writer, I have someone to call and complain to at midnight when my characters are refusing to cooperate.

To my agent extraordinaire, Deidre Knight. It never ceases to amaze me that I somehow managed to land such an awesome champion, and I am forever grateful that you decided that you really are, as the contest stated, "just that into me."

To RWA, to my phenomenal local chapter HCRW, my dear friend Heather Snow, and to the amazingly talented and generous ladies of my Historical Romance Critique group. The support and camaraderie that the romance writing community continues to show is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

And lastly, to my husband. I could never hope to craft a hero more perfect for me than you are. You made MY dreams OUR dreams, putting unwavering faith in my ability. You have supported me in every way imaginable, and it is through your sacrifice that any of this is even possible.

I am so blessed. God planted some small seed of talent within me, and so many people have been a part of nourishing that seed, helping me in a thousand different ways so that I can continue to grow and thrive as a writer. Thank you so much, this is an honor that I will never forget.

Every word of that is true, and I didn’t need a win to make it so. All of you guys rock – whether you come by the blog religiously, stop by occasionally, or only just found me. Thanks for the kind, funny, and encouraging comments that you leave for me like little rays of sunshine each week. {{{Hugs}}}

So for today’s recipe, I decided to do a version of a dessert I had at John’s Pizzeria in the Theater district of NYC. Their dessert had chocolate on the bottom, mascarpone in the middle, and was covered with amoretto cookie crumbles and chocolate shavings. It was so good, the whole world receded as the creamy goodness filled my senses. Being the cupcake lady I am, I decided to convert the recipe to cake. I give you…

Chocolate and Mascarpone Cupcakes!

Okay, so I don’t actually have mascarpone cheese at the moment (somehow the local Food Lion didn’t see fit to carry it), but as soon as I can find it, I will be trying the recipe I found here, lol! Click Here

For your viewing pleasure, I’ve included some pics from the big night:

The dress (color is grey, not teal!)

Before the awards ceremony

My Mom and Sister :)

A few of my crit group ladies

Julia Quinn (and yes, her hair did smell nice ;) ) PS - Eloisa James juuust made it in the picture :)

Times Square afterwards

I SOO wish I had this cop's name. His expression—and the tilt of his hat—is priceless!