Bothell mystery author Ann Charles beat out more than 500 writers last month to win the Daphne du Maurier Award for mystery/suspense fiction at the national convention of the 12,000-member Romance Writers of America (RWA) in Orlando, Fla.
Her novel “Nearly Departed in Deadwood” was enthusiastically endorsed by judges for its crisp storytelling and entertaining plot.
“I was so certain that I would not win my division, let alone the overall Daphne, that I didn’t prepare a speech,” said Charles, who works and lives in Bothell, along with her husband and children. “Winning both of them made my head spin. You can imagine my shocked state when I stood at the podium in front of more than 150 authors, agents and editors to give an acceptance speech.”
The RWA’s national Kiss of Death chapter — for writers of mystery or suspense fiction with romantic elements — holds the annual competition, one of the most prestigious among mystery, suspense and romance writers nationwide.
Writers of published and unpublished fiction compete in six divisions: category (series), historical, inspirational, mainstream, paranormal and single title. The top five finalists in each division are judged by an editor of a New York publishing house and an accredited agent. Only Charles won the overall Daphne du Maurier Award for amassing the highest total score out of more than 500 entries in all divisions.
One judge described Charles’ novel as “funny, smart, sassy, intelligent. Just amazing!!” Another judge said, “You have a wonderfully distinctive voice. Your prose is snappy and crisp. Very entertaining!”
In Charles’ novel, a contemporary humorous mystery with romantic and paranormal elements, a single mother tries to make ends meet with a new real estate career in Deadwood, S.D., while a “monster” is abducting children the same age as her own kids. If she’s not careful, her amateur sleuthing could leave her as one of Deadwood’s dearly departed.
“Growing up, I spent my summers in Deadwood with my mom, and I fell in love with the town and its history filled with stories of mining, ghosts and bigger-than-life characters,” Charles said.
Although she hasn’t landed a publishing contract yet, Charles says she will publish her novel in 2011 — one way or another.
“Getting published in today’s volatile market is tough, and I’ve had many ‘close, but no thanks’ calls,” Charles said. “While the Daphne award doesn’t guarantee a book contract for me, it does show that readers love the story.”
Charles, who has been writing for more than a decade, gives writing workshops and is the co-founder of 1st Turning Point, a Web site where authors teach, share ideas and learn about promotion.
