My news is that my short story, “Layers of Love,” (originally titled “Trifles”) is the grand prize winner in the very first short story contest held by GOOD HOUSEKEEPING.

(That link is just the announcement of the contest. Was hoping GH would put something up on their web site at some point, but alas.)

To read the story, get to your local grocery/convenience store/pharmacy/bookstore to find a cover photo of Michelle Obama. That’s right. You don’t just get me. You get ’Chelle. And there’s a little one-page story by Molly Ringwald. (Do you think Molly Ringwald has read my story? That would be sweet.) The May issue will be on the shelves until about May 8.

This entry seems so clinical to me. Am I excited? Oh, hell, yes. GH has 25 million readers. (I think that includes online readers, but still. MILLIONS.) The goal is to get your work in front of people, and I believe I have done that. If I sound detached, it’s because I’ve known about it for two months and couldn’t tell you or write about it here or on Facebook. A while back I was trying to hold down my new and challenging job AND try to find someone to do my makeup for a photo shoot in my house AND find a black turtleneck in February after all the stores had gone to cruise wear. And I couldn’t come here and make fun of that. I nearly exploded.

Suffice it to say that I’m very excited, very happy, very hopeful. A little miffed that they didn’t use the photo with the black turtleneck, though.