Lee and Elaine were not able to attend The Golden Crown Literary Society conference in Chicago this year, but good news still abounded. Lee's latest novel, Rainbow Gap, won the Ann Bannon Popular Choice Award! Here is Lee's response, which is up with those of many other winners at the GCLS website:

This is a grand and happy surprise. Thank you, readers, for the great honor of reading Rainbow Gap, and for presenting the book with the Ann Bannon Award. Thank you to Mary Phillips, Watty, Michelle, and all of the GCLS volunteers. Golden Crown provides us with a rare opportunity to honor one another. The devotion of our volunteers humbles me and encourages me to keep writing. I apologize for not joining all of you this year. It was intended to be my year of rest.

I treasure my relationship with Bold Strokes Books and with its President, Radclyffe; Rainbow Gap’s editor Ruth Sternglanz; Senior Editor Sandy Lowe; editors Cindy Cresap and Stacia Seaman; and all of the BSB team.

Thank you to my ever-strong supporters and friends: Ann McMann, Lori L. Lake, Shelley Thrasher, Connie Ward, Mercedes Lewis, KG McGregor, Sue Hardesty, Nel Ward, Jane Cothron, MJ Lowe, Nell Stark, and Rachel Spangler, and so many others.