Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Rivals and Friends

This is a story about two women in competing businesses in the same town (just happens to be Phoenix, Arizona). There is no denying they are in direct competition with each other.

However, beyond the surface is the fact of friendship. The two women tip each other with information that is useful to both. Despite the fact they should be fierce competitors, they are more likely to assist each other.

As time has a way of doing, personal hardships came and went, and the two women helped each other through those too. They went to lunch and talked shop. They participated in industry activities together - these competitors.

One day one woman emailed the following to the other:

One of our books, Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge, has just been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The other is very happy for her friend and rival. If you haven't visited here, then you should right now. http://www.chaletpublishers.com/index.html

Please celebrate with me for my friend and Phoenix Publisher, Joy Collins, her business partner and authors. Best wishes to all.

6 comments:

  1. Nadine,
    You are so sweet to write this and such a good friend.
    I often have wished we could bottle whatever it is we do and give it away to the rest of the world. There really is enough to go around. It just never occurs to either of us to feel in competition with each other.
    And to be able to share this experience with you is the best.
    Thank you, my friend.

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  2. Congratulations!!!

    And it is a great story, too!

    NW

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  3. Joy, I treasure our friendship more than you know. Best wishes. When you win, I'll take you to dinner.

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  4. If it's cash she wins she should take you to dinner!
    When I first came into this business years and years ago the book, Writers Journal, said don't bother asking authors for help, they aren't going to assist their rivals. I haven't found it this way. And this could never be said of my friend Sue Guiney. A great friend and a great help in taking the time out to read my draft and make detailed comments - even though her own novel was due out in weeks. She deserves a plug. 'Clash of Innocents', which is waiting for me in Wales, is available from http://www.wardwoodpublishing.co.uk/
    I also loved her first novel 'Tangled Roots.' Sue is interviewed on my blog on Monday 4th October.
    Kate Beswick another American author has also been a great help with my work and given me encouragement.
    What do Nadine, Sue and Kate have in common? They are American. Maybe they're are nicer than the British.

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  5. Hello Nidhi. Thanks. I'm sure Joy has seen your message.

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  6. Glyn, You are very sweet. Perhaps it is because we are all Americans, or perhaps (which is more likely and totally not politically correct) it is because we are women. For some, the maternal instinct to be a helper extends beyond our kids. Or maybe it is because we are writers and that article was incorrect. I do agree, Sue's comments on the galley for Doc were very helpful.

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