Distractions

i'll admit it. I have a severe case of adult onset ADD. It's somewhat debilitating when I'm trying to stay focused on a project and get stuff done.

My current fairy tale story is suffering a bit because my attention got drawn by something else in my head.

Sometimes it feels like the stories in my head are all yelling at me, vying for my attention until I get them out of my brain and onto the page. And unfortunately, the strongest willed story usually wins.

So that's what I'm facing right now. I'm still writing, still trying to achieve my dream of being a full time writer. I'm allowing myself to enjoy the ride along the way as I take this journey, and let the stories become real gal on their own time.

Wowza! Winner, winner, chicken dinner!!

I am floored.

Floored!

Lemme tell you why...

At the end of 2013, I entered a writing contest. For the contest, I wrote a 20,000 word story that was a retake on Cinderella. If you've read my books, you would know this story as Cursed Beauty. I didn't win the contest, but that was okay. I won back a renewed interest in writing, that lead to the writing of a young adult science fiction novel last year and several more novellas also centered around fairy tale retellings. 

In 2014, the second contest came around, this time writing a story based on Beauty and the Beast. I wrote two stories - one for the contest, and the other became Ai of the Mountain, and is published on Amazon.com right next to Cursed Beauty.

Today, the five chosen stories for the Five Enchanted Roses contest were revealed. 

And I nearly peed my pants this morning when I saw that MY story, Rosara and the Jungle King, was one of the stories chosen for the contest!

I was so amazed. 

I really, really, really had no faith that I'd win. 

Ever.

Wow.

All I can say is Wow! 

Thank you to Anne Elisabeth Stengle and the staff members of Rooglewood Press that chose my story out of all the other, amazing stories they had the opportunity to read. I have no doubt that there were so many incredible stories that told the tale in fresh, new ways. 

I'm certainly glad I didn't have to make the decision to choose them. That would be tough.

Here's a preview of the cover of the book:

Isn't it SO STINKIN' PRETTY???

And that's MY NAME on the cover! Seriously. I can't believe this.

I think I've had to change my underwear three times already, because I keep peeing my pants with excitement. 

Here's the blurb about my story...

ROSARA AND THE JUNGLE KING
By Dorian Tsukioka

Maor has determined to take her as his third wife, by force if necessary. But Rosara would rather risk her life alone in the jungle than submit to any man's brutality. When a beautiful jaguar tells her that it knows where to find one of the karawara, she resolves to seek out this jungle spirit and request its aid. The jaguar warns Roasara, however, that gifts from the karawara are never without a price. . .

The book is due to release this summer, 2015! Make sure to go to the book's Goodread's page and mark it as "to read!"