Calia Wilde – Author

I have a secret. Competition is one of those “things” that I both dread and lust over. It’s a great feeling to win.

But with certain anxiety issues and spicy brain issues, not winning is an exercise in squashing that inner critic all to pieces with each rejection.

When I’m feeling brave enough, I’ll enter contests. And wait, hoping and longing for that validation that finally says, “Hey, this book doesn’t suck.” (I know, I shouldn’t say it like that, but my inner critic says a ton worse… often.)

I’d entered about four, maybe five contests this year. A couple were completely shots in the dark. The match to what I write not even close. (think Thriller fiction contests) When I got those rejections, it didn’t hurt much more than my wallet. Then I got a rejection from an event I’d kind of been hoping to do better in. And that CRUSHED me.

Another event, didn’t even bother to acknowledge I entered.

I’ll zip my mouth shut and not say more about THAT.

Then, out of the blue, Friday night I’m going through my emaill and eliminating all the AI spam telling my that my book is awesome and the next best seller (yadda yadda yadda… where’s the Nigerian Prince with his money?), when I open an email that has a shoe image in it.

Let my just say what I said then, “What the Fu—?”

I was skimming, sue me.

Reread the subject line. “Stiletto Finalist Graphic” Oooohhh-kay… was this something for the org I volunteer for? Did they need me to post it in the newsletter to promote their event? Cool I flagged it for follow up and swiped on.

Next email: “2025 Stiletto Contest Finalist“

Uh… Wait. WHAT? Are they sending that to ME?

Me?

I read that email like five times before it sunk in. Restore the Night, the book I think I’m most proud of because of all the research, the character angst, and whoa nelly, the way it STILL makes me cry in a certain part, yeah. THAT BOOK finaled!

It finaled!

Someone else—actually a whole panel of someone elses—think it is one of the top books of all the entries.

DING! I pushed the image to FB and a couple of my author friends were like… “HOLY CRAP that contest is COMPETITIVE. That’s huge!”

Blink. Blink. “You mean…?”

I sat down and kind of absorbed things for a bit after that.

Anyway, I thought you should know that this book is award-worthy. Just saying. (Squee!!)