2015 West Virginia Fiction Competition

I wanted to wait until the judging was (probably) completed before posting about this. A little over a month ago, I received notification that my short story "Sugar Blues" was selected as a finalist in the 2015 West Virginia Fiction Competition. The judge is Nikki Giovanni. From Wikipedia:

 [Ms. Giovanni] is an American writer, commentator, activist, and educator. One of the world's most well-known African American poets, her work includes poetry anthologies, poetry recordings, and nonfiction essays, and covers topics ranging from race and social issues to children's literature. She has won numerous awards, including the Langston Hughes Medal, the NAACP Image Award, and has been nominated for a Grammy Award,for her Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection. Additionally, she has recently been named as one of Oprah Winfrey’s twenty-five “Living Legends.” 

This is exciting news! My story is in great company. The other writers are stellar wordsmiths and I am tickled that "Sugar Blues" made the final cut. Just knowing Nikki Giovanni read my story is a huge honor. Winning? I'd be over the moon.

The winner should be announced fairly soon, and I am starting to get little quivers of excitement awaiting the announcement. Cross your fingers for me! I'll post when I hear who wins.