We’re Baaaaaack!

Hey All,

Sorry I haven’t been writing as much here over the last couple months.  Those of you who follow me on Facebook and Twitter know I’ve been traveling steadily since early February.  For those of you who don’t follow me on those social media platforms, you can still catch up with the Spangler family adventures by checking out my son’s blog at www.jackietrax.wordpress.com.  Not going to lie here, I’m pretty proud to have another blogger in the family.

But long story short, at the end of a couple of very eventful months, the whole Spangler clan is back in America and working through some re-entry bugs, so I wanted to take just a few minutes to catch up on some miscellany ahead of a HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT coming (hopefully) next week.

The first thing I want to mention is that it’s award season.  It always feels a little awkward to toot my own horn, but I also don’t want to seem ungrateful, either, because I really am truly honored to be a finalist this year for both the Lambda Literary Awards,  where Close To Home is a finalist in the Lesbian Romance category,  and the Golden Crown Literary Society,  where Edge of Glory is a finalist for the Ann Bannon Popular choice award.  Both awards have wonderful fields full of great nominees, including many of my favorite friends and colleagues, and it’s wonderful to see my work counted among them. I’m also thrilled, though I can take zero credit for this one, that Ann McMan’s wonderful covers for both Close to Home and Edge of Glory are finalists for the Tee Corinne cover design awards. The Lammy winners will be announced in June, and the Goldie winners will be announced in July.  On a related note, I will be attending the Annual GCLS conference in Las Vegas this July 4-8.  I hope to see some of you there.  I also hope that those of you who are members of this amazing organization have voted for your favorite books and book covers here.

Next, I’m proud to share that I was selected as one of this year’s inductees to the Steve and Sandi Adams Legacy Hall of Fame at Illinois State University.  I have always been a proud ISU alum, and I can’t express how much it means to me to be considered part of the Redbird Legacy.  ISU was the first place I ever felt free to be myself.  It’s the place I started to date the woman who would become my wife.  It’s the place where I met my son’s donor and countless other friends I now consider family.  It’s the place I learned to speak up for my community and other vulnerable populations.  It’s the place I cut my teeth on campaign politics, LGBT rights, and women’s rights.  ISU is also the place where I wrote all of my first book, and most of my second. I am looking forward to returning to my alma mater for the Adams Legacy Hall of Fame induction ceremon y, and if any of you happen to be in Central Illinois on Friday, April 13, I’d be honored to have you join us for that event.

Third, and finally (because Sandra Moran taught us there’s always three things) Does She Love You ? is now available as an audiobook!  For those of you with long commutes or vision impairments or those who just simply love of having stories told to you, you can now get your copy on Amazon, Audible, or iTunes!  This is my 7th audiobook release, and I’m so stoked about it, I’m going to have to give one away for free.  So, just comment below telling me what you’re most looking forward to about this spring, and you’ll be entered to win a free claim code for the audio version of Does She Love You?

Then be sure to check back next week to see if you won, and also to find out about the super exciting news I’ve been dying to share with you all.