If you'll permit me a minute or two to get soppy:


The 16th of May (Sunday) is a very special anniversary for me. On May 16, 2009, I exchanged my first email with a lady I met on a writing forum. I'd posted a request for a writing partner/beta reader, and a while later I received a private message from this lady who, as it turned out, was from Dublin (I'm in Ireland, btw). We exchanged PMs and emails back and forth for the evening, promising to get in touch via MSN over the next few days.


Little did I know it would be the start of the greatest, most supportive friendship I've ever had.


I can't even begin to explain the value of a good writing partner -- someone who holds your hand, lifts your spirits, kicks your butt and cheerleads the crap out of your achievements. A true writing partner is just that -- a partner. She will not write the book for you, and neither will she walk on egg shells to protect your ego, but she's there for you every step of the way.


When that writing partner steps up and becomes a friend, then you've hit upon something special.

Me? I won the lottery. 

Erica, the lady I met online on May 16 last year, is now one of the very few people in my life I could never, ever be without. Within weeks of knowing each other, we were chatting away every single night as if we'd known each other forever, and within months we'd created a friendship so strong, we panic when we know one of us won't be able to get online for a few days! Co-dependant? Yes. We don't see each other in person very often, because we live hours apart and we both have commitments that stop us from finding a decent amount of time to spend on a proper visit, but it hasn't prevented us from developing this very real, and very close friendship.

She's the first person who hears all my news, and the first person I think to talk to whenever something goes wrong or very right. There isn't a thing about my life she doesn't know, understand and support. She is, quite frankly, my lifeline. I have very little family left -- at least those I can count on -- and other than my partner and child, she's it. Without her, I certainly wouldn't have been published this year -- wouldn't have found the courage or the motivation or the determination to put myself out there.

Without writing, I wouldn't have found Erica. Without Erica, I wouldn't have done anything with my writing.

This past year, with everything I've achieved, has been amazing. And Erica's been there through it all, from the start, like the very best friend I could hope for.

And now she's going to kill me for writing this... :D

*

Other news? I don't really have any, other than waiting on the edits for Resistance. I've been out of the country, unable to get much done, but now I'm back and it's all systems go. I need to find my routine again, but I have that itch to get going, to produce something, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the next few weeks will bring.
Erica
5/16/2010 07:19:46 am

Happy anniversary pet! :D Thank you very much for being my most awesome friend and beta. I can't hope to match that post in eloquence or style but I know my feeling matches it.xxx

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7/23/2010 10:23:59 am

Aw... that's so fun to meet someone that will last a lifetime of friendship :)

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