Hi everybody!  I just wanted to say a quick word of encouragement to all of the wonderful first-time novelists who have entered our first-ever "We Love New Novelists!" contest thus far -- and of course to all of you who are busily completing your entries as I write this.  We have already received hundreds of submissions, so the competition will be stiff, and in light of this I want EVERYONE to know that each of you who has found the spirit, passion and focus to polish a 2,000 word excerpt of your novel-in-progress should be incredibly, very-very, super-duper proud of herself.  Writing is a journey and, for many of us, a life-long pursuit, and the fact that you have come so far as to have work you are proud to share is an accomplishment worth celebrating.  Win or lose, She Writes will be here to support you as you continue to write and grow.  (Don't miss the chance to get to know your fellow entrants, as they may prove to be valuable companions, readers and friends.)  We will be announcing the winners in two weeks time, but until then, do what all writers do to get through the pain of uncertainty: keep writing!

Entries are due tonight by midnight EST -- apologies for the confusion about the deadline. :)