This week, Skyler White, author of the upcoming January release of and Falling, Fly posted on her blog about how grateful she was to Julie Kenner and Anya Bast for taking the time to give her quotes for her book. It was a reminder to me of just how generous the writing community is as a whole, but romance writers specifically.
As this year in Iraq winds down, I realize that I have a whole lot to be grateful for. It’s been a long year with some rough patches but it was made easier for me by a whole lot of people.
I’ve been meaning to post this for a while but Skye has motivated me to get off my butt, especially considering that I’ll be losing internet service shortly and will fall off the planet for a few weeks until we get home.
I’m going to miss a people but I’ve tried to keep track and failed. This year has been a rough one in many ways but I’m grateful for everyone’s support. If I don’t mention you, it’s not for lack of gratitude, it’s because I’m an airhead, not for lack of gratitude.
Thank you, to everyone in the RWA who answered the call for school supplies for Iraqi kids.
Thank you to everyone who sent their books over here for soldiers to read.
Thank you to every author who trucked a copy of their book to the post office, so I could share the new release. I passed along every copy, to get the word out of your fantastic books.
Thank you Lexi Connor, for standing in line for me at RWA National and getting books signed, then trucking them to the post office and sending me cards from your class.
Thank you Jane Perrine for emailing me once a week and just saying hi.
Thank you Candace Irvin for kicking me in the ass when I wanted to quit.
Thank you Darcy Saint Amant for letting me lean on you for officer advice.
Thank you CSM Bill Crain for kicking me in the ass when I made stupid lieutenant mistakes and for supporting me through some rough lt moments.
Thank you Al Harris for house sitting and making me laugh. I hope you and my mom didn’t talking about anything too embarrassing.
Thank you Michelle McGinnis for unscrewing my blog when I crashed it. What took me 48 hours to screw up, you fixed in 20 minutes.
Thank you Isabel from SFWA and your critique partners, who mailed my Gotcha contest final in for me to the publisher.
Thank you Joann Ross for giving me a quote for War’s Darkest Fear and for sharing a character named Shane.
Thank you Laura Kinsale for being sweet enough to answer a random tweet and send me an ARC of Lessons in French. That tweet was just the beginning.
Thank you Roxanne St. Claire for sending me your Bullet Catchers Series and a ton of chocolate and for letting me pick your brain on what could make it better.
Thank you to everyone who friended me on Facebook (I just joined this year) and for following me on Twitter.
Thank you for those of you who posted on my blog even when your comments disagreed with mine. I love a good discussion and I’m glad to have been part of the debate over whatever we talked about this year.
Thank you RomVets, for answering the call in so many ways. You ladies paved the way for me to be here now and for that, thanks is not enough.
Thank you Austin RWA. You gal’s (and Gary) supported me in a way that brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. From sending me books to the emails that just said hi, this year was so much less lonely because I had you. Your friendship means so much to me, more than you’ll ever know.
Thank you SB Sarah, for using me in blog on your site and for introducing me to the world of Smart Bitches and a whole lot of good laughs along the way.
Thank you Evelyn Palfrey for adopting my soldiers and making sure all of my girls and my friend Tamara in Afghanistan had the right stuff for her hair.
Thank you Cindy Gerard for the emails and school supplies. You rounded up so much support for the kids.
Thank you Sarah, Tigris Eden and Colleen Thompson for the mentions and the guest blogging opportunites.
Thank you Teresa Bodwell for you amazing insight and for letting me a part of Unleash Your Story. It was an honor to be able to blog for an awesome cause.
Thank you, Julie Kenner for tearing through my manuscript and helping me get it ready for my agent and for so much more that only you and I will ever know.
Thank you Kim Whalen for taking me on when I was half a world away and despite the fact that I need lots of TLC.
To my husband, who still loves me after spending a year in a 12 X8 room and putting up with my can’t put stuff away –it is.
But to my mom, who raised my babies this year, who harassed the living crap out of me when I asked about a fever. You went from Grammy to Mom over night. My girls are better for having spent this year and most of 2007 with you. I can’t wait to get them home but know this: I could not have done this year without you. Thank you, for loving my babies better than your own.
I know I’m forgetting people and for that I’m sorry. There will probably be a part 2, just because I’m going to forget and need to add more. Just know that I am incredibly grateful for all the support and all of our soldiers are grateful for every care package and every email.
