There are so many emotions in this.

I know I signed up for the award. I know I was told I got a 5-star review and that put me in the running for further consideration. I know I wrote the book to the best of my ability. I know I gave it the best fighting chance by giving it a gorgeous cover, solid artwork, and decent formatting.

But that doesn’t mean I expected to win anything.

I’ve submitted Rise to a few different contests. It didn’t make it to any proper judging. It wasn’t a finalist. It wa...