THIRTEEN THINGS I’M GRATEFUL FOR

I was thinking last night about how fortunate I am in so many ways…

1. My husband. I met my husband when we were both eighteen years old. We had an apartment together two months later and we’ve been together ever since. That’s twenty one years this year. He’s someone so special to me. We’ve had our rough spots but he never gave up, he’s always supported me and my passions. He’s a wonderful dad, a fabulous husband and my best friend.

2. My kids. Crazy. Annoying. Chaotic. Noisy. The best thing ever. My kids keep me grounded, remind me every day in a myriad of ways that the universe is about the future as well as the now. Remind me to see the joy in every day things.

3. My mom and dad. My parents kick ass. All the major important lessons about character I’ve learned have been through watching them. Parenting, how to have a strong, committed marriage, how to be a member of your community, how to be a good friend – it’s all there.

4. My friends. In the last years, I’ve had some unpleasant experiences with people I thought were friends but who weren’t . Still, during those times when it hurt, my real friends stood by me. A real friend will tell you when you’re being an ass, but who loves you enough to tell you. She’ll celebrate with you, pet you on the head when you’re down and listen to you prattle on and on about the agony of waiting to hear back from editors.

5. My readers – how blessed am I to have so many wonderful people in my life? My readers are the absolute best. They’re smart and funny and thank god for me, fiercely loyal. The notes I get, the time you all take to read my books and keep up with my writing is so amazing. Thank you.

6. My publishers.
Ellora’s Cave and more specifically, Martha Punches who read Triad and urged Raelene to give me a chance. I made my base, made my name at Ellora’s Cave. I’ve had a hell of a lot of freedom at EC to write my heart out. That’s priceless.

Samhain! I absolutely love writing for Samhain. Crissy is the bomb, she runs a kickass publishing house, she’s smart, savvy and has made Samhain incredibly supportive for her authors. Samhain gave me a wonderful place to call home and they make me grateful I write for them every single day.

Harlequin – distribution all over the planet? Check. Great covers? Check.

7. My editors. I’ll do this in alphabetical order…

Angie James – I sent her Giving Chase, something totally different than what I’d written before and she gave me a chance. She’s an amazing editor, no nonsense, tough, smart and I love her to death. Plus she makes me laugh. She believes in me.

Ann Leveille – I love Ann. She is so responsible for helping me become a better writer. Her notes and editing have been priceless guides and I am so fortunate to have her.

Susan Swinwood – I haven’t had a lot of editing from her yet, this is new but every single interaction I’ve had with her has been fabulous. Oh and she has a great sense of fashion and a sharp sense of humor!

8. My agent, Laura Bradford. I have to say up front just how much I love Laura Bradford. And not just because she let me bully her into dancing with us at RT, but because she believes in me. She believes in my writing. She works hard and is tireless for her authors. She’s kindhearted, smart, compassionate, no-nonsense, funny and on the ball. She’s a smart businesswoman and just an all around fabulous person

9. Other authors who go out of their way to be supportive and professional. Jaci Burton always comes to mind. She’s one of the first authors to welcome me to EC, she always has great advice and a supportive word. You never see her slag off other authors in public and she’s a tough cookie, she doesn’t let people run over her but she stands up for herself with class and dignity and she’s amazingly talented. I learned a lot from Jaci when I was all squeaky new and I still do. Other authors who make me proud to be in this business with their behavior – NJ Walters – never an unkind word for anyone, a great writer, supportive to other authors. Alison Kent – I’m in awe of her, I can’t hide it. I love her books, I love how supportive she is to newbies, her blog is a treasure trove of ideas and suggestions and she’s just an all around wonderful person. Maya Banks – I love her to pieces and I think Writeminded is the best group author blog going and a great example of how to work together. Michelle Pillow – Aside from being a promotion whiz, Michelle is also a wonderful writer and tirelessly works on her craft. I know I work hard, I’m proud of that, but Michelle? She puts that to shame AND she’s totally supportive of other writers. Mandy Roth – ditto! Smart, savvy and professional. Megan Hart – kicks ass and you’ll never hear her being bitchy to other authors in public. She’s a fabulous example of professionalism. Anya Bast is one of the first authors I met and became friends with. So supportive, so funny and kind. Not only will you never hear her be bitchy in public, I’m her friend and she rarely does it in private either. When Anya gets mad enough to bitch about something, it’s a very bad thing! Newbies like TJ Michaels – who is just fabulous! There are many more and I know I’m missing people so I apologize in advance!

10. Reader bloggers – Such a vibrant and wonderful part of the romance community! Rhian is a great example. Many authors, myself included, can be thankful at how much she reads and talks about books. Being part of Rhian’s tribe is a wonderful thing! Anne, Kate, Jenn and Lori at Let’s Gab and I Just Finished Reading – each one a wonderful person, each one tirelessly supportive of romance and reading. There are so many others – May, Michele, etc. Thank you all so much for being so fabulous!

11. Books. I can’t count the number of times in my life when a book has made me laugh, cry, think, smile, gasp – all of it. Books have been my friend since I read my first Dick and Jane book at four.

12. Clive Owen. Mmmmm. this one is self explantory

13. Cupcakes. Be they lemon with buttercream frosting or chocolate with vanilla frosting – I’ve yet to meet a problem a cupcake couldn’t at least momentarily make better.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants