Hello Lovely Readers – Did we meet in 2016?
On this New Year’s Eve: My 2016 year in review
I think many folks will be looking back at 2016 and wondering what it all meant to them. I’ve handpicked some of the highlights for me.
In April I had a planned meet up in Glasgow with Barb Taub, Cathy Ryan and Alison Williams. These lovely ladies are all part of my review team. Barb is an author and her blog posts are just the best to entertain you. Cathy is a book reviewer and her book reviews are extremely popular, check out her blog here. Alison is an author and editor, check out her rates and recommendations from satisfied customers.
In June I went to the Bloggers Bash in London and met lots of faces from social media. Sacha Black, Ali Isaac, Hugh Roberts and Geoff Le Pard are the bash organisers. It was the second year of this event and if you can get to London easily and want to meet a variety of bloggers and network, this annual event is a great opportunity. Next year’s date is June 10th, more details here. I chatted with Shelley Wilson, Christina Philippou, Mary Smith, Lucy Mitchell (Blondewritemore), Sarah Hardy and Suzi from Suzi Speaks, the founder of #SundayBlogShare.
Shelley is a very inspirational blogger and author, splitting her work between fantasy and non-fiction self help. I’m thrilled that she will be running a four week guest series on ways to motivate yourself here on the blog every Wednesday this January.
In August had I an enforced two weeks off as I was required to do jury service, not something I wanted to attend, but you can’t wriggle out of it very easily these days. However is was interesting to see how the system works, how strict it all felt and how sad that the case I had, ever came to court. On a positive note, whilst in Guildford I made a renewed contact with Christina Philippou and this lead to me attending her book launch in September.
At Christina’s book launch for her debut novel (Lost In Static), I met Neats from the Haphazardous Hippo ( lilac Hippo) a book blogger who lives near by and we met Chris’ publisher Matthew from Urbane Publications. This is small up and coming publisher check it out here.
My links with Chris and Neats took me to a Blogger/author meet up in London. Event organisers; Kim Nash @kimthebookworm and Holly Martin @hollymartin00 run these events alternating between London and Birmingham. This was a fun afternoon with a mix of authors and book bloggers all chatting in a relaxed atmosphere. I particularly enjoyed chatting to; Author Jessica Norrie, Book bloggers Susan Hampson, Anne Williams and Jo Robertson, authors Barbara Copperthwait, Jan Brigden and Steven Hayward
Another day I met book reviewer Liz Lloyd for an Autumn walk around a local village.
Late November Neats invited me to a book launch. We spent a Saturday afternoon in Farnham meeting author Kristen Bailey as she launched book #2 of her contemporary women’s fiction “Second Helpings”. We also networked and by chance met another Urban Publication’s author Shirley Golden.
December saw me heading to Leicester to meet Lizzie Lamb, June Kearns, Adrienne Vaughan, Margaret Cullingford and several other members at their monthly RNA meeting. Lizzie, June, Adrienne and Margaret are also know an the New Romantics Four. With me came author, reviewer and Twitter Queen Terry Tyler, Cathy Ryan, Shelley Wilson, and Proofreader Julia Gibbs. It was great to meet Terry’s sister Julia, who was recently on the TV quiz show Pointless. If you need recommended help with copy editing or proofreading do check out her site here. In the evening we met with authors Mark Barry and Georgia Rose. Mark runs workshops in schools encouraging reluctant readers to pick up books and Georgia has been a guest speaker for Mark, she also runs her own self publishing workshops.
The 2016 Goodreads Reading Challenge tells me I’ve read 175 books this year, however I’ve also beta read 4 books and have read others which aren’t yet on Goodreads, this bumps the number up a little.
What am I going to do next year? Perhaps I’ll meet you. I plan to go out and meet lots more authors and bloggers, nothing beats a face to face meeting.
I’d like to wish all my readers and reviewers a very Happy New Year.
Here are useful Twitter handles of people I’ve met this year.
Great post, Rosie. I’d love to meet more people next year and joy! I’ve found a through train to London! Happy New Year!
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Oh Fab Cathy! Here’s to 2017.
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What a lovely post, Rosie. Must have taken you ages to do all those links!! xx
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Thanks Terry, it did, overkill do you think? It’s just I wanted to give a great big shout out to everyone.
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No, not at all. It all adds to the widening of networking circles!
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Lovely post, Rosie. Super to see so many familiar author/blogger names. Wishing you all the very best for 2017.
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Thanks Wendy.
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What a busy year, Rosie. To even more next year! And thanks for all your hard work! Happy 2017!
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Thank you Olga.
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Sounds like you had a great year. Hope 2017 is just as good, if not better!
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Many thanks.
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Reblogged this on Judith Barrow.
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Happy New Year, Rosie – how busy you’ve been on our behalf. Thank you. Hoping 2017 is then year I get to meet everyone in ‘real life’.
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Hoping to come to Wales this year, will get planning.
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Great post, Rosie. You’ve had a pretty packed year. It was lovely to meet you at the Bloggers’ Bash and I hope we’ll meet up again in 2017. Wishing all the best for the New Year.
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Thank you Mary, there really wasn’t long enough for a good chat, perhaps next time?
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I hope so. I’m definitely planning on being there again.
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Lovely meeting you all last month, Rosie!
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And you June.
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Lovely post Rosie – Happy New Year to you 🙂 xx
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Thanks Alison, hope you are feeling better?
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Much better Rosie – thank you 🙂
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What a fabulous post, Rosie, and what a busy year you had! I hope 2017 is full of success, laughter, and good fortune xx
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Thank you Shelley.
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Fab post Rosie, it was so good meeting you, and everyone else of course – can’t wait to do it again! 🙂
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Thanks Georgia, that’s great.
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What a wonderful year Rosie! I do hope to meet you one day. Until then, I will continue to enjoy your posts here in NY. Happy New Year!!
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I would love to come to the States and meet lots more authors – it is in my future plans.
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Would love to meet all of you, but you’re a little more than a train ride away. Happy New Year to all!
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Would love to get us to the States Teri, shame on me I don’t think I even know which state you’re in? West side I guess?
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Raising my glass to you, Rosie. Thanks for all that you and your team do year-round for authors. Happy 2017! 🙂
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Thanks Linda – TBH an early night with a good book suits me just fine – I’m a morning person.
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Lovely post, Rosie. I doubt we will meet in 2017 but I can wish. Happy New Year.
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One day John, one day….
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Happy new Year, Rosie.
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Wow! What a year you had Rosie! So thrilled we met and loved meeting you all. See you sometime in 2017? Let’s hope it’s a good one. X
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Thank you Adrienne.
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Good luck with the new year!!
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What a lovely post. You are like the social QUEEEN of blogging meets. I am also astounded and WELLLLL impressed with your goodreads challenge number – now curious if we are friends on there? Going to hunt you down now to check. I am aiming for 52 this year but secretly want even more! thank you for the lovely mention.
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You’re welcome.
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That felt like a gentle amble through your year, a very pleasant experience – as I’m sure it was for you. The only problem with the Bloggers Bash is that there isn’t enough time to get to meet everyone there. It will be harder still at this year’s, but I hope we can at least say hello this time.
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Thank you Graeme, it does also take bravery to walk up to a stranger and introduce yourself, it is something I’m working on.
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That’s true enough – but I am getting braver so I’ll make a point of coming looking for you.
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I met you in 2016… hopefully I’ll see you again at the BB in June. I have bought several books after reading reviews here, so thank you for that. Loved the post! And thanks for the mention. Wishing you all the best for 2017. Xxx
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Thanks Ali.
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This is so wonderful. ❤ I'm envious but so happy you all got to meet each other. Such an amazing experience to step out from behind the screen and get to know other bloggers. I hope to attend the Bash one of these years. Soon… 🙂
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Wow! You certainly had a fantastic year with lots of books read and reviewed and an up close meeting with so many fabulous authors and bloggers. Happy New Year, Rosie!
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Thanks so much.
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