Earlier today, I got the heads up via Twitter that GRRM himself referenced my blog in a LiveJournal entry about Hugo Award Nominees. (I think I might post that to Facebook and add it as a reference on LinkedIn just to round out the social media cycle.) He was writing about the controversy surrounding the Best Fanzine category. Last year the Hugo community voted to limit eligibility to traditional e-zines, ostracizing "new media" fan contributions like blogs and podcasts. The post has sparked some interesting discussion and I'd recommend you check it out. Particularly the point at which he says
"I think there are some great fannish blogs and e-zines and podcasts out there, I think they are the future, and I'm going to nominate a bunch of them. Some of my own favorites include PAT'S FANTASY HOTLIST, THE WERTZONE, MAKING LIGHT, THE BLOG OF THE FALLEN (okay, he doesn't like my stuff, but it's still a good read), STOMPING ON YETI, CHEESE MAGNETS, HATHOR LEGACY, and PUNKADIDDLE."Blatant redaction aside, I am pretty excited to know that Mr. Martin is not only aware of this travesty I call a book blog, but that he felt it was worth nominating for a Hugo Award. Granted, it's not, but it's nice that he thought so. To put it in "gif" form, I would be Stephen Colbert to GRRM's no-nonsense Barney Frank.
It's pretty much the coolest thing that's happened to Stomping on Yeti since Neil Gaiman directly linked my blog from his. The traffic, my cthulu, the traffic...
I suspect it has something to do with my press release for A FLOOD OF FLAMES, the sixth and final book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. Or maybe he just has a penchant for things which are released once every couple of years. (Sorry, couldn't resist). Either way, very cool.
That being said - please don't vote for me. I've been a really crappy blogger recently and I in no way deserve any attention for my work here. If I even found my way onto the ballot (I assure you I won't), I would lose 99% of my respect for the Hugo award.
If you're a regular reader, I hope to get back into the swing of things now that I've got a little bit more free time. I still owe you (and a lot of worthy authors) spotlight posts for November, December, and January. I've got them in various states of completion - I just need to get them posted.
Alternatively, if you've found this blog for the first time as a result of someone's GRRMblings, welcome! I hope you enjoy what you find here and if you want to find the good stuff, ignore the last month or so.
And for all, if you do like my writing and want me to keep doing this, I would encourage you to stop by often and contribute to the conversation through comments. And not just on Stomping on Yeti - this extends to the blogs of all my wonderful compatriots who send their words into the internet ether for the sheer satisfaction of doing so. The vast majority of us don't get paid for this (I sure as hell don't) and it really means a lot to know people are reading it and that they appreciate the effort - even if we don't get to have an official category at the Hugos.
