Originally this post was going to be all about how 2012 was a roller coaster of a year. I know that many folks have felt that way in 2012. With two lay offs for Tee, and the financial and emotional stress of that, things haven’t been easy for us. However, I also know plenty of folks that have had it worse, so I determined not to complain in this post.
Once I decided to do that, I thought about 2012 with a bit more of a balanced eye, and I realized something. We’ve in fact been very blessed this year in one amazing respect. Friends.
Tee and I have met and made friends with some amazing folks in 2012. I shall preface this with we were already surrounded with amazing folks that we met through the podcasting community. Ever since I started podcasting in 2006 I have felt the warmth, generosity and kindness of that community. Having a friend in practically any American city I have gone to has made this country a far more welcoming place than I ever could have imagined.
However, in 2013 Tee and I made the conscious decision to go beyond our usual convention circuit, and particularly go to more steampunk conventions. We found there were a bunch more wonderful folks that we hadn’t connected with before, who were just as welcoming and kind as our podcasting friends.
Many of these new friends, stepped up to help us in ways that blew our minds this year. I’m going to give shoutouts to some folk, but there are so many more than I can fit on one blog post.
Sarah and Thomas of Brute Force. They helped Tee and I out with the Janus Affair book trailer, welcomed us into their house, and made an impression that will last forever. I look forward to more madness and delight at their manor in 2013.
PJ Schnyder. A dear friend who cooks far too well, and leads us into temptation because of it. Another project coming in 2013 we have trusted to her hands, and I know she will knock it out of the park.
Kate Cross. Kate Locke. She of many names. We met this delightful fellow author at New York Comic Con in 2011, but got some time with her at DragonCon that made me wish she didn’t live so far away.
The sweet Professor Upsidasium, Doctor Q, Steampunk Boba Fett, Karina Cooper we all met at DragonCon as well, and welcomed us into their steampunky world. I hope 2013 will mean more time with them.
Not to forget the darling Peter Woodworth, who it turns out has connections with our friends Jared Axelrod and JR Blackwell. He quite charmed us—and Sonic Boom. We won’t forget that in a hurry.
We got to meet some fine folks in New Orleans at Authors After Dark. It was a convention we never expected to go to, but thanks to Stella Price we were able to jump at the chance. Very much looking forward to Savannah in 2013!
All new wonderful friends. Added to those clever, witty, generous, and kind friends in our neighborhood and in podcasting, and I realize Tee and I have an embarrassment of riches in friends. Every one of them made a difference this year. So it feels a little churlish to complain about the bumps in 2012.
So many exciting things lie ahead, plenty of books in the summer, anthologies, roleplaying games, conventions we’ve never been to, and a trip back to New Zealand. Yet so many of these would not have been possible without our friends.
It also means, I will never run out of people to dedicate books to.
If you’re reading this, then you are probably someone I owe thanks to as well. Without listeners, readers, supporters, none of these things would have happened. I hope 2013 is kind to us all.