2012 Wow!

What a year. We’ve all had those years, delivering banner events that shape and mold us. Sometimes those events are greedily anticipated, others, not so much.

Such is life. Blessings and heartaches intertwined to deliver a rich journey.

Some years are richer than others, at least that has been the case for me. 2012 was one of them. Reaching the five year mark in my survival of breast cancer was a big part of it, but so was publishing my first book, and my second, and my third and forth. Holy crap! You have no idea what a thrill that was. Then again, maybe you do.

Along with my greedily anticipated publications came many wonderful surprises. Not the least of which came in the form of new friendships with some truly talented authors. It still amazes me that I’ve even met such women, much less developed friendships with them.

One of those women is the incredible Vonnie Davis. If you don’t know her, you are missing out. You can’t go wrong when visiting her Vintage Vonnie blog. A talented story teller, beyond a doubt, I snatch up anything she writes and know I’ll be entertained. But beyond her wonderful stories, she’s also warm, supportive and one of the wittiest women I’ve ever met. Her dry humor has been responsible for many a belly laugh, and several mishaps involving coffee snorting from my nose. So, receiving her nomination for the Blog of Year 2012 award is an honor I can’t adequately express. Thank you, my friend. I’m truly humbled.

The details of the award are below, and while the list of those I could nominate is long, several special bloggers stand out in my mind. Like Vonnie, they all have a common pay it forward attitude.

First is A. J. Nuest. Oblivious with a capital O when I joined the author’s loop at The Wild Rose Press, I was naturally drawn to the vivacious and welcoming, AJ. Her Tattered Pages blog was one of the first I visited after entering the bizarre world of promotion, and her comfortable, hilarious style charmed even as it taught. Generous with both her knowledge of the industry and her support, her pay it forward attitude was a revelation to a new author, dazed and intimidated at being thrown into the deep end of a pool of sheer talent. Okay, so I wasn’t so intimidated that I didn’t beg her to take a look at a story I believed in. Busier and far more accomplished than I ever imagined, she never the less agreed, and I consider that first email communication with her one of the smartest of my life. Nominating AJ can’t repay her for what she has taught me, but it’s a start. AJ, you rock!

And there is Calisa Rhose. Like AJ, Calisa never fails to prop up us newbies, supporting us in our ignorance and answering our questions with grace and humor, despite probably having answered those very same newbie questions, numerous times in the past. Her Pen of the Dreamer cyber ranch, as she calls her blog, is forever thrown open to help support and share the works of her fellow authors. Visits there are always entertaining and educational. Calisa will forever hold a special place in my heart as the editor of my survivor’s guide, Where Would You Like Your Nipple? As you can imagine, the book was very personal to me. With compassion and understanding, Calisa helped to guide this emotional work, employing her incredible editing talents to make Nipple the best it could be. Thank you, Calisa. I owe you, my friend.

And last, but not least, there are the awesome hostesses of the Author Roast & Toast. I came across the AR&T blog shortly after being published and couldn’t help but be charmed by the generous, often zany antics of Hywela Lyn, Mary Ricksen, P.L. Parker and Sharon Donovan. Oh, and Oliver, the hunky butler. Promotion is a fact of life for the published author, taking up precious time most of us would rather use writing, and these four lovely ladies have consistently given of their time to help promote others in a uniquely fun way. Sadly, Sharon lost her long fought battle with poor health in April of 2012, but her legacy of encouraging other authors lives on at AR&T. I was humbled to be invited to join the hostesses last fall, and while I could never replace Sharon and wouldn’t want to try, I like to think she is pleased by my attempt to put into practice what I learned by her and my other nominees’ examples of paying it forward.

Thanks ladies. You’re the best!