Friday, August 13, 2021

Bringing Home the Gold (or the Silver Falchion)


Bringing Home the Gold (or the Silver Falchion) by Debra H Goldstein

The Olympics produced many discussions from what is the twisties to whether Americans have the wrong mindset in terms of medals. The reality is that we celebrate winning the gold, but don’t have the same excitement for silver or bronze. Who ever saw a bronze medalist on the “Breakfast of Champions” Wheaties box?

 

An August 9, 2012, Scientific American article, “Why Bronze Medalists are Happier Than Silver Medalists,” noted that both silver and bronze medalists focus on what might have been. The silver medalist frets about how close to winning the individual came and consequently is disappointed. The bronze medalist is happier because that winner’s comparison is the person who finished fourth-out of medal contention. The thrill for the bronze medalist is having squeaked through with a medal victory.

 

As a semi-finalist for the 2021 Silver Falchion cozy award for Three Bites Too Many, the third book in

Kensington’s Sarah Blair mystery series about a woman who is more frightened of the kitchen than murder, I am excited. I’d like to win, but I’m honest enough to admit that I’m in good company in the cozy heat. Tina deBellegarde, Kay DiBianca, Bonita Y. McCoy, Lori Robbins, Colleen J. Shogan, Maggie Toussaint, Cathy Tully, Becki Willis, and Lois Winston are all tough and worthy contenders. I’d love to hear the Killer Nashville announcer call out “Debra H. Goldstein,” but I think any of us should consider ourselves gold medalists. Why? Because somewhere and sometime this past year, the books we are nominated for brought readers joy. A medal would be nice, but what’s better than touching other people by giving them a few hours of fun and escape from their daily lives? What do you think?

 

 

Posted by Debra H. Goldstein at 7:00 AM
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10 comments:

  1. SaralynAugust 13, 2021 at 3:57 PM

    As a finalist for the Silver Falchion in the category of Best Investigator, I echo your sentiments one and all. I love the fact that Killer Nashville awards top honors in SILVER, too. Wishing you and all the other finalists hearty congratulations and the best of luck.

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    1. Donnell Ann BellAugust 13, 2021 at 4:48 PM

      Kudos Saralyn, and good luck!

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    2. Debra H. GoldsteinAugust 13, 2021 at 5:09 PM

      Congrats on being a finalist in the Best Investigator category. Best of luck!

      Delete
  2. T.K. ThorneAugust 13, 2021 at 4:10 PM

    What do I think? I think you are absolutely right! Awards are great, but giving readers joy is the real goal. Many congratulations on the nomination!!!

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    1. Debra H. GoldsteinAugust 13, 2021 at 5:10 PM

      Thank you. It would be nice ... but readers are key!

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  3. Donnell Ann BellAugust 13, 2021 at 4:29 PM

    Debra, congratulations on being among such a great group of authors. The times I've finaled (or won) are imprinted on my brain. But I think my first final ever will mean the most to me because it was recognition that I could write. Win or final, these are milestones. And if you raise to the level of the Olympics, well then that's putting you up there with a small percentage of athletes in the world -- I can't even imagine. Have fun in Nashville, and keep us posted.

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  4. Gay YellenAugust 13, 2021 at 10:26 PM

    Beat of luck to you, Debra, and Saralyn, too. A few years back, I was a Silver Falchion Finalist, too. None other than our own Kathryn Lane beat me out for the top honor, but far as I'm concerned, having our work recognized by independent arbiters of quality in our field is and honor in itself.

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  5. Pam HopkinsAugust 14, 2021 at 3:43 AM

    Congratulations on the nomination. I did vote for you . . . Your blog today is right on. Good luck.

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