Giving thanks

I wish you and your loved ones a safe, happy and healthy Thanksgiving full of warmth, love and laughter.

I'm most thankful for my family. They're the foundation I stand on. I know no matter what life wings my way, with their help, I'll stay on my feet.

I'm thankful for my health. That's something I can't take for granted, especially with the cost of health care these days. As several of you reminded me around Labor Day, we've got to take care of ourselves. Get enough rest, eat right and exercise.

I'm thankful for my friends. It's a great comfort to pick up the phone and share with them what I'm going through, the good and the bad. Often they'll understand what I'm feeling because they've gone through the same or very similar situations also. One of my favorite sayings is, "A friend in need is a friend indeed." Would you agree?

What are you thankful for and why?

Patricia

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Competition

Amazon and Penguin Group USA are partnering again on the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Competition.

The press release states the competition launches Feb. 2, 2009. Between Feb. 2 and Feb. 8, coordinators will accept 10,000 unpublished English-language novel-length manuscripts. Amazon editors will scale that number down to 2,000 entries for the second round. Amazon reviewers will narrow it further to 500 for quarter finalists. Publishers Weekly reviewers will select 100 semi-finalists. Penguin editors will evaluate the 100 semi-finalists and choose three finalists.

Sound daunting? Maybe a little.

Amazon customers will have seven days to vote for the grand prize winner from these three finalists. The winner will be announced on May 22, and will receive a publishing contract with Penguin, which includes a $25,000 advance.

For more details on the competition and its conditions, visit www.Amazon.com/abna.

Good luck!

Patricia