9, er, more like 19 or 29 Writing Buds I'm Grateful For

So, I started to do a post about all the people I'm thankful for who have helped me along the writing road. Then, that turned into an EPIC, longwinded post, so I decided to divide it up. So, here's the ladies of Absolutewrite I'm thankful for....

(9). My Buds from Absolutewrite

I don’t know where I’d be without the Absolutewrite forums. I stumbled upon them last December when trying to write a query for RTD. It took me until May to find a home in the OPWFT thread and find a kinship as well as kindred spirits among the writers there. I spend way too much time there, but it’s time well spent!!

Laura/Common is someone I believe could have been my twin, and we were separated at birth! We have a lot of the same interests, beliefs, and life experiences. The bummer is she’s an American living across the pond, so it’s not like we can meet up anytime soon. BUT one day we will. Laura is an amazingly giving person and gifted writer, and I’m truly blessed to have become friends with her.

Gretchen McNeil/Blondchen: I seriously don’t know what I can say about Gretchen. She’s a triple threat: singer, voice over actress, writer…actually she’s a quadruple threat because she’s funny as hell. She’s one of those people who have great one liners that you spit your drink out for. Gretchen not only gave me some TG query help, but she welcomed me to one of the threads and went out of her way to make me feel at home and at ease before I found my home in the OPWFT thread. I also owe about three paragraphs of the opening of DHtP to her after we did the Purgy Mashup!!

Marilee Brothers/Mamabro: It was a fluke that I met Marilee. She responded to a post in the Ask the Agent Forum, and I guess you could say the rest is history. I had RTD and TG on sub to the same publishers who pubbed her YA Paranormal series, The Unbiden Series. If you haven’t read Moonstone and Moon Rise, then you’re doing yourself a major disservice. Marilee’s MC, Allie, is HILARIOUS, and I can’t wait to read the next book because they’re action packed with suspense as well as romance. She's always been there to support me and answer any writing questions or concerns I had. I hope to one day meet up with her!

Then the ladies of the OPWFT Thread: HerbChick, my fellow GA gal I’ll be meeting up with soon, Vero, Race, Leasie, Amy, Debra, Kathleen, Lee, Kaitlin, Chanelley, Amanda(Sage), Sarah, Holen, LeahMichelle(who I’m so pumped she ressurected herself and came back to the thread), Kidd, Kate, Laurie, Cory, Heather...my fellow teacher writers: Rachele, Amanda(Char), and Bethany,

(8). My Teen Buds from Absolutewrite.

Emilia/Peachie: I’ll be forever grateful that Peachie decided to pop into the oldsters thread because I’d be bummed to have not become friends with her. Yeah, she’s sixteen, but she’s an amazing writer, and she knows more about the business than a lot of adults. She also gave me a great honor by being the first person to interview me as an agented writer.

Amna/GeekPride: She’s seriously about the least geeky person I know. I don’t know why people click, but something with us clicked. I’m totally digging her latest WIP, and I’m expecting great things from it!! Amna also did my first interview when she interview about one of my WIPS, The War Within. She was so awesome to want to hear me ramble around about my writing that I’m forever indebted!

Kristin/Red: What can I say about the talented Kristin Briana? She beta read TG for me, told me pretty frankly about a certain scene that wasn’t working, and I basically did the pouty write her off like, “Hrumph, what does she know?” Yeah, that lasted a few weeks until I realized, she did know exactly what she was talking about, and I owe her props for a major rewrite I did. But then we have our obsession, er, love of Twilight that we share although me being Team Edward and she being Team Jacob does divide us! Kristen’s a fabulous writer who I expect great things from once her book hits the submission wagon. I’m sure it won’t be there long. J

And I can’t forget Blindwriter/Kody for her beta reading of TG. And for Rachele/Horserider, Elysium, and Karla for bringing their young selves into our thread and sharing their writing stories, wips, etc.

My Golden Girl Book Tour Members: Annie, Becca, Jamie, Steph, and Hannah. Words are completely inadequate right now. I seriously couldn’t have made it through this crazy rollercoaster ride without you guys. You were there to laugh with me, cry with me, encourage me, and give me not only the will to go on, but the belief that my writing was good and my stories deserved to be out there. Who could forget our killer IMing sessions like the epic night of Jamie saying, “Steph? Damn, we’ve lost Steph!” and me, Bex, and Hannah cackling like morons! You guys have saved my ass on more than, oh four or five occasions by beta reading. I’m forever in your debt for making my books as good as they could be. Annie, I love your sweet spirit, infectious positive attitude, and appreciation for smexiness and hot guys. I’ll never forget your enthusiasm for Noah and DHtP. Jamie, I treasure not only your friendship, but your insight, your humor, and your ability to keep on keeping it on through the tough times. You're a fabulous writer, and I never know where you're going to go next. Like the other gals of the group, it's been my honor to beta read for you. Bex, my fellow GWTW fan and Steel Magnolia, I love your humor and how we’ve gone through some similar stuff. Hang in there, girlie, keep strong and keep writing cause I know you've got some stories to tell. Steph, what can I say? You’re my online BFF, and I’m your stand in child caregiver if only we lived closer!! I love your humor, compassion, and ability to wanna smex up most of the male characters in our books! Like Jamie, I never know where your imagination is going to go next, but I look forward to it! Hannah…SMACK…I love your semi-violent side, lol, but I love how you use it to get me in line and to think positively about myself and my writing. I couldn’t make it without our daily IM’s about everything and nothing, and the fact of how much you support my writing and my person life…ready to phone YP, right? LOL. I'll always be indebted to you for what you did for TG, and I loved, loved, loved TM, and I look forward to reading everything else you write!

Last May when we became friends, God was looking out for me. He knew what lay ahead, and he put you guys into my life for a reason. Now whether or not he blesses me with any RPatz time, that is to be seen!!!

So there you have it....some of the peeps I'm grateful for. Wednesday I'm gonna pick up with 7 more outsid eof Absolutewrite.