People who have made a diffence (to me)

What better way to end my first writing anniversary month then by honoring three people who have made a HUGE difference in my writing life? Smashing idea! I know this is a bit long but I assure you it's worth reading because these are three of the best human beings you'll meet.I included their blog links so that you can go see for yourselves.

Before I jump in I should note that there are other people who are a major part of my life and who help me in countless ways but since this is all about my writing I'm sticking to the individuals who have been involved specifically in this area of my world. Sheesh, if this was a post to thank each person that has touched my life I'd run out of memory on my blog! You get the point - I have great friends and family, there just isn't enough room to thank you all.

First off is my sister, Jenn. Aside from being my blood relative, I adore her. She's my biggest fan and supporter. She has read about twelve different drafts of Sage, stayed up with me until 1 am many nights working on my revisions, beta reading, creating my web site...the list goes on and on. Without her I would never have made it this far. She's my rock and not just when it comes to writing. Everyone should have a sister like her, and you can imagine she's one of two? Yep, I am the proud little sister to two incredible big sisters. I'm SO blessed. Jenn just started her own blog in addition to running a blog for a local group we're a part of, and a super special project we're working on. (stay tuned for news on that!) No matter how busy she is with work and raising her own family Jenn has time for me. She's superwoman! And get this, she brought over a bottle champagne when I got my first request for a full and gave me a necklace just like the one my main character in Sage wears. I really wonder what I did to deserve her.

Next up we have Jamie, my rock star of a writing buddy. We connected through my blog when I posted about starting a critique group (thanks to Elana for the connection!) It's crazy but I refer to Jamie as my friend even though we've never met in person. We started out connecting with the stories we were working on but found that we had a lot more in common then just writing. Same age, stay at home moms, love reading YA books...she's so much fun! Remember the name Jamie Harrington because she's going to be famous. And soon judging by the interest she's having in her novel Sketch (which is amazing!) it won't be long before you get to pick up her book at the bookstore. I cannot wait to get started with sharing our new stories to critique because she is seriously the most honest and helpful partners you could ask for. She had me hacking away words (chapters even)like you wouldn't believe. Love her. You can see why her blog is called totallythebomb.com.

Last but definitely not least is the incredible Sara. Like Jamie she's one of my writing buddies and is responsible for helping me write SO much better than I ever thought possible. If I didn't know she was twenty years old I'd never believe it because she is so wise beyond her years and super focused on her goals. Sara is by far one of the kindest, passionate and positive people in the world. She's always there to keep me up when I get down and isn't afraid to keep it real. Talk about the perfect combination of what every writer needs to hear! I actually started blogging right after she told me she was starting her own blog, but I'm blown away by her topics and interviews. Did I mention she's only twenty? Wow. And talk about talented! Sara's short stories have been published in several places the past year and man oh man are they amazing...and dark. Oh yeah, sweet little Sara has a dark side and it's brilliant. I have no doubt that I'll hold a printed copy of one her novels in the not so far future. I should also mention we've never met in person either - like Jamie, we met online and have become virtual friends but I feel like I've always known her. For the record I bet she's always smiling, just not in her twitter photo I used here, lol.

Thank you, thank you, thank you ladies for being so fantastic. You make the world a better place and I owe you everything. I can't wait to see what lies ahead for each of us, because whatever it is it will be bright and shiny and fabulous.