My Reader Crushes

Bold print? These people are important to me and the Wilfair world. Whenever I'm at a site, and see the followers' icons, I always wonder why they've chosen to follow and who they are and if they love sandwiches like I love sandwiches and what music they like. Everyone on this list has added to the Wilfair books, from a cheerful comment to a long, long email thread with yours truly. Thank you!

Amanda D.: "Weird" is one of the words I like best. And I love that you think the books are a bit weird -- this means a lot to me! You are delightful and hilarious and I look forward to future funny conversations.

Amanda W.: Amanda runs an excellent book blog called "Amanda Loves Words." Definitely check it out; I bet you will have a lot in common with her taste, or find a few new gems. She was also an early reviewer of the books, which I deeply appreciate.

Ashlea: Your sweet note arrived during a week when I needed a fun note! Thank you so much, and I'm glad you are pals with Manda and Kirsti, who've been wonderful to Wilfair. (And they're funny, so I know you're funny already.) Also? Your name evokes hydrangea to me and every time I read it I must say it aloud several times. I'm about to again: Ashlea, Ashlea... :) Thanks for the support!

Audrey: Your thoughts on "Stay Awhile" and general quirkiness and this world really touched me. Thank you! Any ol' time you want to put your rockin' scrapbooking talents to work on Wilfair, I'm open. Let's talk. Thank you so much, Audrey.

Bazi: You shared a great and mysterious real-life Gomery story which tickled at my imagination and made my Sunday a little sparklier. Thanks! And, yep, it sounds like we do indeed see Montgomery X. Overbove in the very same way (hello, dark curls).

Bess B.: Ms. Bess is a photographer. Here's her beautiful work. And here's her official Wilfair Grocery Store Fortune. Bess is a fan of feathery evening gowns and Barbara Stanwyck, so we were obviously destined to be buds of some sort. She also told her dentist about the books, which is one of the weirdest bits of Wilfair trivia yet.

Brittany C.: I just met Brittany at the time of this reader page coming together. She was delightful and effervescent, two qualities I rate highly. Swing by the blog, Brittany! Let's get acquainted.

Caitlin D.: Caitlin shares my affection for the BBC series "The Hour." She's also suggesting a lot of music that fits the world, and hence is helping me build a "Fairwil" playlist. Caitlin also picked Aisle 7 for her Grocery Store Fortune. I want to give the CD some love here, too, for filling my "Stay Awhile"-to-"Fairwil" downtime with some really fun emails. There has been Gomery discussion.

Caitlin O.: Caitlin O., or, um, Caitlin #2, I met you through Caitlin #1 (Caitlin D.), and I'm so glad! Thank you for letting me be an honorary Caitlin, too. It sounds like you might have set the land-speed record for reading the first three books, too. You are nice, and you rock a mustache, bowler, and cocktail like no one's business. (Not easy.) You have Beatles and Nick Drake affection, too, which I have affection for. Thanks for the support!

Carly N.: Ms. Carly was a one of the first visitors to the blog. She's been a Monty supporter from Day #1. She also inspired this, one of Wilfair's most popular posts. Thanks, Carly! I've also promised her a walkabout in the Wilfair neighborhood. Any ol' time, Carly. I'm ready.  

Catherine S.: You've been nothing but nice in our short hellos. Thanks again for the Wilfair support.

Chantel: I liked the look you chose for Fair Finley -- totally the dresses she would choose, what with the generous skirt and all -- and I'm so happy you're a fan of extended metaphors. I'm a fan of your blog: David Tennant! "The Hour" and lively art and bookly things! Thank you so much for the reblog and stopping by Wilfair HQ.

Chiara F.: What a surprise to see this fab write-up on the first two books on Wit & Fancy. Chiara wrote it about the time she started hanging here. I'm so glad; she adds fine insights (and loves "Who's the Boss?" to boot). Chiara knows a lot about language, too. She's our Netherlands rep and shared a lot about her home and traditions in her Reader Spotlight.

Chrissy: Chrissy and I chitchatted it up around Christmas 2012. Her sweet notes found me on just the days I needed them, so clearly she has some sort of super magic psychic ability.

Christina B.: Getting your sweet note about the books the night before I sent out the "Fairwil" ARCS was truly a matter of marvelous timing. It gave me some get-up-and-go, for sure. P.S. I've lived in both places you've called (and call) home and I look forward to learning more about La Vida Christina!

do dah: This fine and funny lady and I have had some great off-blog conversations; her comments, too, are as lively as her emails, and she's very smart. She can ably discuss everything from burlesque to economics and Brit lit. Big brain. do dah, I might add, has participated in the Buddy Barter, which makes my heart fizz. I sent "Wilfair" to her friend. A BOY. 

Elisa M.: Elisa, Nicole, and I had a wonderful chat at the start of 2013. It was just what I needed after the big push of getting "Stay Awhile" out. Elisa is a first-grade teacher, and I'm jealous. I think that is a marvelous and important calling. She's so kind, too, so I know her students are lucky. Elisa, thanks for getting the year going with our nice chat. I hope we get to meet one day!

Emily:I met Emily in January 2013, and our conversation started me thinking about the Buddy Barter. She said she'd already read "Wilfair" and "Redwoodian" and asked if I'd pass along the free books she'd won in a Forever Young Adult giveaway to her friend. Indeed I would! And did!

Emily M.: If you've been around the blog for a bit, you know I have a (scary?) way of remembering details left in comments. A comment Emily M. made on Forever Young Adult regarding Gomery not being a teenager, and therefore being an acceptable fictional bf (I paraphrase), made me laugh and laugh. Loved. Thanks, Emily, and thanks for your support!  

Erika C.: Helloooooo, Michigan! Thanks for the fab note to start off the new year right. I vow to show you the tar pits and Southern California one day soon. Oh! And we'll have to find a great bowl of spinach dip, too, the cheesiest. Welcome to the Wilfairverse! 

Erika V.: If I could wrap my arms around Ms. Erika, I would. Wait! I did! In the fall of 2012, when Erika and her husband Alex visited me on the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax. Erika, you were one of the first visitors to the blog, and I love your cheer and insights. You're my Polyvore bud, too. :) Oh, and she's had her Grocery Store Fortune read, too.

Ginny M.: Ginny is a kindergarten teacher -- I love the teachers 'round these parts! She gave her new dog, a sweet furry gift from her husband, the middle name of Montgomery. I read this in an email on Christmas Eve, and was so touched that her new pup would get a Wilfair-inspired moniker that, yes, I misted up. Thank you, Ginny! One of my favorite holiday surprises ever.  

Jade: We first said hello via Tumblr -- does that make us "Tumblriends" perhaps? -- like Tumblr + friends? -- I keep trying that out and it isn't taking. Anyhow, I want to reblog all of your gorgeous choices, from cozy rooms to "Lord of the Rings" to Austen to art. And perhaps you can be Wilfair's resident hockey expert? :) Maybe the Finley family should put an ice rink inside a hotel. Welcome, Jade, and thank you for the kind words about the books!

Jamie: I was tickled when you said the books make you "furiously happy." I need to start incorporating that into my daily conversations. "These onion rings make me furiously happy!" Thanks for the chat and support! (P.S. I'm a cookbook fan, too.)

Lady Jamila: Lady J. is sassy and sharp and the fact that she basically commandeered the comments on this "Stay Awhile" preview makes me laugh. She loves "Labyrinth" like me AND she's done a Reader Spotlight. She also keeps company with the very exceptional wealhtheow. They're the first pair of friends to hang at the Wilfair blog. 

Jennifer D.: Thank you for the Facebook shout-out and thank you for the "Stay Awhile" support! It was as sweet as (though not as sticky as) cotton candy. I think we might need to talk weddings at some point, because you know a lot and The Wilfair is in the wedding business. I need to bone up.

Jess H.: I met Jess around Christmas and had a lovely email that lent me some spunk in the dreaded week of I've-got-19-things-to-do-and-no-time-to-do-it. Thanks, Jess, for your well-timed hello and kind support of this world.  

Jill: You have a longing-to-see-everywhere heart like I do, and this makes me glad. I'm enjoying your travel-esque, thoughtful blog very much. And I fully expect you to convince me on the joys of camping (vs. staying in a nice, comfy lodge). Thanks for stopping by Wilfair and Fairfax!

Joy H.: Joy, I believe, was one of the first people to like the Wilfair Facebook page when I had it under my name. Oh! And an earlier follower of this blog, too. She has a great Pinterest, I'll add, if you are a Pinterester. Pinterestee?

Karina: How delightful to meet you just when "Fairwil" was done. Your kind spirit fit my celebratory mood, and the fact that you are such a Sutton fan makes my merry meter go even higher. Thanks for lending cheer in this holiday season. It also is funny to me that Fair Finley is named after a street and Karina is the name of the street I grew up on. Full circle!

Katie D.: Katie is a teacher -- teachers, hooray! -- who kindly spent a bit of time talking with me about the ages of some of her girls who were reading the books. This was something I'd been thinking about and Katie thoughtfully answered my questions.

Katie S.: Katie and I had a sudden thread of fun emails when I was getting my hair done. I know, that's a weird memory, but I usually remember where I am and/or what I'm doing when I meet a reader. Katie, you are FUNNY! I also believe you shared the book with a bud? Yes? Do you guys want to do a dual Reader Spotlight?  

Kelly A.: I've called our Kelly the blog's UK rep, because she's weighed in on important matters such as Christmas crackers and whether romcoms accurately depict London. She's a gas because a) she wore a princess dress on the Tube once (a factoid I still love) and b) she's a huge Freddie Mercury fan, like me. Actually, she likes Slade and Wizzard, too. Brilliant. Here's her Reader Spotlight. 

Kirsti: We share a very similar taste in films and books -- yay "The Hobbit" and yay Bill Bryson! -- and I'm glad you're giving the Wilfair books a try. A warm thanks and a warm welcome!

kitzie: Oh kitzie. kitzie! I remember the day I got the email from you (I promptly printed it out and put in on my fridge; yes I did). I've enjoyed discussing "The Walking Dead" with you, and Christopher Reeve, and Jensen Ackles for Monty and Frodo and Sam's friendship. I love that you sent me a photo of a mysterious sequin, too. That's going on the blog, for sure. Also, mad Miyazaki props.

Laura J.: Laura and I have had some very sweet conversations off-blog; a Laura email magically arrived when I was sitting on the terrace of a hotel that inspired The Wilfair and her kindness turned my frowny day around. A big Canada shout-out, too; Laura lives in beautiful Alberta. I lived in Halifax for a bit, so she's kindly indulged me on wanting to talk about Canadian favorites.

Leslie: How much do I enjoy your Tumblr blog? Much. We have many common interests, and I definitely have agreed on your take on the most recent "Doctor Who" season (and the nature of the Companion). Plus? Donna Noble rules. And I enjoyed talking all things California Gold Rush with you. Thank you for reading "Wilfair" -- appreciate it!

Mariana F.: You are the first reader I've met who lives in Argentina and, I do believe, the last reader I'll meet in 2014. Nice feelings all around. Thank you so much for getting in touch about the Buddy Barter, and give my best to beautiful Buenos Aires!

Mary M.: I enjoyed talking about British ways of speaking (and mind-voices, those bits of dialogue that play out in our brain) with you. I'm also glad you find the Wilfair world to be a place of fun and a nice spot to get away from the daily stresses. Cheers!

matterofawesome: The gif you made of Motel Fairwil is gorgeous. Gor. Geous. You made my weekend. Thanks for being in the Wilfair world!

Meghan L.: Ms. Meghan and I chatted around the time the "Stay Awhile" ARC came out, and she said some very nice things about supporting writers. I can get behind that, but, moreover, I can get behind people who believe that. Thanks for the cheer, Meghan!

Melissa F.: So I got your sweet email -- and Motel Fairwil-themed Sims illustrations -- on a holiday when I was at my computer doing work. Your note and talent and sweet words were so needed and really cherished. I love the illos and love how you captured the world. Hooray, we met! Thank you for the hello.

Melodee C.: Love the Facebook follow, and love that you're sharing the books with the lovely Ginny. I appreciate the support from a neighbor (state neighbor, of course: Nevada, holler!)

Myranda H.: Myranda has been coming by the blog for a long time; she's a BIG reader, all caps, and can ably chime in all sorts of lit-related things. Well, and everything, lit-related or not. She has a trio of sweet dogs, which I must commend, since this is a blog that loves pets. (Ohhh, including a Min Pin.) Here's her awesome Reader Spotlight.

Nicole S.: Nicole is buds with Elisa, and both ladies came into my life on the same day. This filled my head with daffodils, because I love when friends hang around Wilfair. I should note that I dropped Elisa a line, seeing if she wanted an ARC, and then Nicole wrote me, and soon it was a chummy email thread sweetfest. Nicole has also mentioned Monty, with affection, so she gets a big gold Monty star. Thanks!

Nikki M.: Nikki and I crossed paths during the Forever Young Adult giveaway. She wrote some very thoughtful things about the first two books. Plus! Plus. Plus she has a serious affection for sassy genre television (helloooo, Joss Whedon). I offer her my high five in respect.

Rebecca H.: I chitchatted with this lovely person just a couple days before Christmas 2012. I have to say that your emails went straight into my holiday pile of Good Things. Thank you so much for being a participant in this world; here's hoping we'll chat again soon.

Rosemary: Lady, you are hee-lar-i-ous. I chortled -- yes, chortled -- through several of your blog posts. Welcome to Wilfair! (And lovely Wilfriends, check Rosemary out at Rosemary on the TV.)

Sally P.: You read all three books so quickly -- I'm impressed and touched. Moreover, I love that you used the word "surreal" a few times to describe the Wilfair world, in addition to swoony. That made my own spirit swoony, because I do love a light touch of the surreal. That you also adore math makes me honored you're here. Thanks again!

Sara V.: Questions? I always have them, specifically about reader enjoyment and what people might be digging most (so I can do more of that). Sara very, very, very kindly spent some time answering some questions I had regarding "Redwoodian" and the world in general. I won't forget that. Thanks, Sara!

Sarah H.: We both love gorges -- hooray! -- and your check-ins requesting ARCS for both "Stay Awhile" and "Fairwil" came at the time when I needed a really fun email. I mean, the exact right time. Thank you!

Sarah R.: Twitter, you made this one happen. Sarah was tweeting the first things about Wilfair, including a tweet hoping Monty and Gomery are real. She makes me laugh whenever we cross paths; she's a *very* funny tweeter and has a great blog, too, that brims with her personality.

Siobhan E.: Siobhan! I'm glad you're excited for more story. I'm excited for that, too (and excited for your excitement). Cheers to you and Ms. Bess, who put us in touch!

Susan: You wrote me on the day when I was dealing with an ouchy head -- yeah, I said "ouchy" -- and turned my spirit around. Glad "Wilfair" is helping send some California warmth to your snowy environs in Michigan (which sounds so pretty to me -- snoooow). Cheers!

Ulrika K.: The end of the year -- 2012, that is -- brought Ulrika into my world. When I heard she was from Sweden, a place I've always wanted to visit, I nearly did a cartwheel. She's been a terrific backer of the books and I'm keeping our emails for always. And any time I see that there's someone from Sweden visiting the blog, I think a sunshiny thought of this lady.

Virginia F.: So nice to meet you! And also nice that I met you through the lovely Caitlin #2. Thank you for calling the people of Wilfair "book friends" -- that is a compliment of the highest order. Cheers!

wealhtheow: You know how you can mark the date when things shift on a big thing in your life, sometimes? The date that wealhtheow sent me a photo snapped at Wilshire & Fairfax absolutely dialed everything up for me regarding Wilfair. She's friends with Lady Jamila, she's done a Reader Spotlight, and she has Humboldt County ties (redwoods 4evr). wealhtheow, truth time: Whenever I read a comment from you, I think I can hear your voice. You're that specific and awesome to me. (Oh! And here's your Grocery Store Fortune.)