It’s the first Wednesday of the month, time for Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group.
I’ve been quite remiss for the last month or so, only dropping in for the IWSG when I clearly announced my return from a much-prolonged hiatus.  Seems habits are hard to break.  It’s more than that though.  It’s been rough for me lately.  Personal stuff.  My dad.  He has Alzheimer’s and had to be admitted to a care facility.  It’s for the best, especially for my mom, and I thought, hey, he deserves it; he’s treated everyone in his life like crap for as long as I can remember.  But…yeah…easier said than done.  My heart isn’t quite as hard as I thought it was.  Then bad went to worse, and he was hospitalized yesterday.  They think it’s a stroke.  Whatever it is, just like everything else, it’s not a solvable problem.  There’s no happily ever after to this story. 
And yet, every nugget of misery seems accompanied by a hint of happiness.  While I struggled with with my dad, I had some really good news come in.  My debut dark romantic thriller, The Mistaken, became a three-category finalist (best hero-heroine, best thriller, and best audiobook) in the eFestival of Words 2014 Best of the Independent eBook Awards.  It had to pass the peer nominations stage to get there, but now that it’s a finalist, it’s all up to public voting. 
And while you might have never heard of these awards before, winning, or even coming in second, can be very impactful.  My BFF, Lisa Regan, won in 2013 for Best Heroine and was the runner-up for Best Novel for her debut, Finding Claire Fletcher, and it’s gone on to be very successful, and Lisa now has a contract with Amazon Publishing’s Thomas and Mercer imprint.  This year, Lisa’s follow-up, Aberration, is a multi-category finalist, including Best Thriller, Best Villain, and I’ve Been Shameylaned (best twist).  How’s that for impressive? 
So I’m hopeful. Maybe something will come of this for me.  I could really, really REALLY use your help though.  The registration is a tad convoluted, not too bad, but the voting is super easy.  I’ll leave easy-to-follow instructions at the end to assist you should you want to vote.  Either way, I have a LOT of friends who’ve also finaled, many of whom you’ve heard of, like…
Alex J. Cavanaugh, Best Science Fiction, CassaStormCassie Mae, Best YA & The Harvey Award, Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat friendMichelle Kemper Brownlow, Best NA & Best Villain, In Too DeepMichael Infinito, Best Horror, 12;19 & I’ve Been Shameylaned, In Blog We TrustCarrie Butler, Best Series, The Nexus Series, & Best NA, Strength
And some you might not have heard of, but should definitely check out, like…
MK Harkins, Best NA, Best Sweet Romance, & Best Villain, IntentionalJulie A Richman, Best Romance, Searching for MooreJB Hartnett, Best Erotica, InkyKristine Cayne, The Harvey Award, Deadly AddictionDana Mason, Best Romance & Best Mystery/Suspense, Dangerous Embrace & Best Hero, Precious Embrace
And before you think anyone has any category wrapped up, think again.  We’ve got two long months of public voting to endure, so each and every vote helps every single one of us.  I know I’d appreciate your vote if you have a moment.  Thanks in advance for your support!

Instructions to register and vote:1. Go to: eFestival of Words.com
2. Click ‘Register’ and fill out the form.
3. Confirm your account: To pass validation, click on the survey question (typically a benign question about your car or income,) then type the revealed, easy CAPTCHA into ‘Your answer’.

4. Ignore the sponsor offers and click ‘Submit’. You are now registered and may login

5. After logging in, click best thriller  
6. Select 'The Mistaken, by Nancy S. Thompson’then click 'Submit vote'. You’ll receive a confirmation.

7. Repeat for best audiobook & best hero-heroine