I am very happy to note that my novel “Carrie Welton” has been named a semifinalist for the international M.M. Bennetts Award for Historical Fiction. There are ten novels on this list, each sharing “a common standard of excellence.” Those honored will be pared down to three this spring, with the winner announced in June. The England-based award is named after a widely admired writer of historical fiction. I don’t know how many books were submitted, but England loves, loves its historical fiction, so I’m guessing a lot. It’s a very unexpected honor for a first novel, and it really makes me want to get moving on the next one.