An Award From the Experts

I discovered something amazing over the weekend: I won an award from an organization for motorsports journalists!

I've belonged to the American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association—the oldest and largest organization dedicated to auto racing coverage—for a couple years now, but I'm not very active aside from reading their newsletters avidly. Last November, I saw a notice to nominate or submit work for the 2013 AARWBA Contest in a variety of categories—one of which was Motorsport Book.

I thought, why not? and submitted Braking Points, the second Kate Reilly Racing Mystery. Then I pretty much forgot about it.

I did consider trying to attend the AARWBA breakfast over the Indy 500 weekend, but it was Saturday at 8 a.m. at the track. I saw they'd be giving out awards at the event, but, frankly, since I hadn't heard a single thing about the contest, I didn't think I was a real contender.

Imagine my surprise when I opened the recent AARWBA newsletter this weekend, and discovered my name as #1 under "Motorsport Book." The organization's Facebook page verifies it: I WON!

(see the full AARWBA Facebook post)

I'm still in shock, mostly because one big worry for me in every book is whether or not I get the racing right. Whether racing insiders will scoff or approve. This award tells me I'm doing something right.

So thank you, AARWBA. And thank you friends and readers! I'm going to go write the next one now....