If you received this alert in your email or clicked a link because my story jumped to the top of the story list, I apologize...this is not an update and I am so, so very sorry if I've disappointed anyone. You are all such wonderful individuals – every alert and review has made writing Collision Sparks worth the excitement and (occasional) agony that came along with it. The lovely ladies (and gentlemen!) I've met here are incomparable. You've all made my little author's heart grow so much.

But for those of you who haven't given up on me yet...I need your help.

When I took a break from writing C/B last year, it was because I had dreamed up a pairing of my own. The pair soon became a trio, a family or two, a village…and then it snowballed and became a novel. In December, I entered a three-round competition to get that novel edited, marketed, and published. I made it through Round One (decided by popular vote) and Round Two (decided by a panel of 10 judges)…now I'm one of FIVE authors left standing in the last round.

This is where I really need your help: I need as many votes as possible to win. All you need is an email address. If you vote for me and I win, you can enter to win the Synergy Prize: a Google Nexus tablet for yourself! Um, awesome!

So here's what you do to vote (type this in your browser, you guys know the drill with links on this site!): tinyurl dot com forward slash afwts8h

And here's what you're voting for: "The Last Life, Book One of the (Im)mortality Trilogy" by Holly Goodman

And here's a BONUS: you get a sneak peek of the first 30 pages! Find the synopsis under the "Speculative" tag and click the link there…happy reading!

Now that you got more than you bargained for and you're probably ready to tear your hair out: What's going on with the story? Am I chucking it out the window? Have I given up? Why have I left you in the dust?! I get an alert every week or so telling me that one of you has discovered CS and added it to your alerts and each time this happens, I feel guilty for not updating. And…well, some already know about the fate of CS – it's still in the back of my mind and the story notes are still intact – but for those who are unaware, I do plan to continue and finish the story…in the future. But life gets in the way and unfortunately, for right now, my priorities are work and getting my novel ready for query. Again, I'm sorry if I got your hopes up with this alert. I hope that I can return to CS and regular updates soon.

Last but not least, THANK YOU to everyone who won't hold my lack of updates against me and will vote…you can find me on tumblr (the link is in my profile – at the top you can also find the link to vote!) where I will post the results (announced on Valentine's Day). Thank you for your continued support and may 2013 be your best year ever!

xoxo – Spiros