The Last Innocent Hour has won a gold medal or first prize from Independent Publishers in the category of Military/War Time Fiction. And, yes, I'm going to get an actual gold medal and there will be a sticker facsimile of the medal to put on the cover of the book.
But what does it really mean? Frankly, I don't know. But as my mother used to say: It's better than a kick in the teeth.
It would be different if it came with a nice check. It's interesting which friends/relatives asked if it meant better sales. No idea, we'll see. And it will be nice for my overall resume. Mostly, it's great that a bunch of strangers read the book and thought enough of it to award it. It's always rewarding when strangers read it and respond favorably.
When I was doing theater in New York - this was always Off-Off-Off-Off Broadway - in little store front theatres. These were Equity waver so there were only 90 seats. We'd invite everyone we knew but sometimes there would be strangers in the house. When we got backstage, we'd ask: Who are the people in the front row? Who are they here for? Nobody? You mean STRANGERS came to see us?
So, yes, STRANGERS read my book. I'm happy about that.
I'd be even happier if it were my second novel, the unpublished second novel. Doesn't even have to be winning medals. The second novel is why I started this whole process of online publishing.
I think getting TLIH published back in 1991 was such a fluke that I never really believed in it. I went through most of the experience in a daze, although it was a fun daze. It was great to have some money and I liked the good reviews. I liked doing readings (I am an actor, after all.)
But I never felt like a real writer. I always thought I'd feel that way once the second novel was published. Then I'd know it wasn't a fluke. Then I could trust what happened. T hen I could believe.
So here I am, twenty-seven years on, and there's a gold medal. Better than ....
