Year One - a milestone

[speaker_to_customers]

February 14. A major milestone for me.

It was exactly one year ago today that I got my website. I posted the first 7 chapters of "Pandora's Boxer" within a day or two, and a big chunk of the "Roxyverse". I had 14 visitors during the remaining 2 weeks of February; I think due to self-pimping on Usenet and on the Spike's Salvation Yahoo! group.

In March I had 137 visitors and my first feedback from someone I didn't know in Real Life. It was from zanthinegirl, who is of course now one of my LJ Friends and is still giving me much valued encouragement and support.

The next was from someone called Nightwind. The next was from enigmaticblues. I'd already given her feedback on her delightful stories; she returned the favour and that was the start of our beautiful friendship (and Friendship once I got a LiveJournal in June).

After that it just kept on growing. 366 new visitors in April, 547 in May, and then I got the Runner-Up Award for Best Human Spike at Vampire Kisses (second to enigmaticblues, of course!) for "It's Got To Be Perfect", and got my LiveJournal, and it went quantum.

Now I've had a total of 11,877 unique visitors making 151,502 hits. Some blunder there by mistake, of course. Some of the referrals are from searches for mind-blowingly weird things that just happen to contain words that feature in my stories ('is walrus penis an obelisk?' for example [!!??]). But quite a few seem to be genuine.

It has been quite a year. I've written and posted hundreds of thousands of words, many of them different. Made a lot of friends. Recently I've really started to feel that I've achieved something, especially with the two watchersdiaries stories "Deid Canny" and "The Cloak of Mist". (Note - some of the other stories there are pretty damn good too, especially the latest entry by my new Friend spikesdeb; and there are some very good writers due to post there soon. Just Friend the community and read the lot.)

Anyway, thanks to everyone who has supported me over the past year and given me the encouragement that I needed to do all the work involved. I couldn't have done it without you. Love you all.

bogwitch, your Spike/Tentacle story will go up at around 10 or 11 pm.

Thank you

Comments

[spikesdeb.livejournal.com]

I see from the time that you keep vamp hours, just like myself. Thank you for more kind words regarding my stories, your words mean a lot to me. But I am a little bit, no, very excited, to see that you have "Spirit of Radio" as your music........I...and I can't put stress this too strongly .....ADORE...that song, and the flip side of the single "The Trees". If ever I need a pick me up I find Spirit or Trees or Closer to the Heart and transport myself back to my schooldays. In fact, I think Rush is going to be playing as I wend my way to dreamland...

Night!

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

I work evenings; 3 pm to 10 pm. Staying up until 5 am is not uncommon for me.

"And the ones who hold high places,
Must be the ones to start
To forge a new reality
Closer to the heart
Closer to the heart ..."

(from memory so not necessarily totally accurate)

I've always liked Rush.

[spikesdeb.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I forgot to say. Congrats on the anniversary. Scary stuff, but very rewarding.

Did you ever go to Bushy's Bar in Douglas? Spent many a happy hour there in between hockey matches at Whit. Ooops, now I'm giving away my secrets!

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

Yes, I've been there.

It's now a bank. The exact opposite of the stereotypical situation in those annoying bank adverts. These days Bushy's only appears in Douglas as a beer tent during TT week.

[makd.livejournal.com]

Happy Anniversary!

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[manoah.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on your many wonderous milestones! Huzzah!

I'm really glad I found you (I think it was through mommanerd) and your stories, your wonderful sense of humor (punny!) and, recently, curiouswombat.

You make my world a more fun place to read.

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I couldn't do it without my readers; if I didn't get such nice feedback I'd have given up long ago.

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

bogwitch, your Spike/Tentacle story will go up at around 10 or 11 pm.

As will mine, I think. Got through the hard part now I have to make the smut convincing. Oh heck.

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

Got through the hard part now I have to make the smut convincing. Oh heck.

You took the words right out of my mouth.
It must have been as you were kissing me ...

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Who's a clever boy then? {{{pats head}}}.

And what romantic gesture did other people's husbands make last Valentine's Day? (Don't have to answer that - rhetorical question only!!)

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

I did do something romantic last Valentine's Day! I can't actually remember what it was, but I'm sure there was something.

[alwaysjbj.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the anniversary!!!

**hangs head in shame** still haven't read any of the WD fics... but I swear as soo as I finish writing my RR chap for the BSV and do my Wes fic for 12monthsofbtvs I will go and read ALL of them.

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the congrats!

It's always the problem, isn't it? Finding enough time to read and write and still manage to fit Real Life in somehow.

[alwaysjbj.livejournal.com]

It is...it is ironic, those of us who write are generally avid readers too, but unfortunately writing does not leave a lot of time for reading.

But as I said...once these 2 deadline fics are done I will have a chance to catch up on some of my reading... I am sooo looking forward to it!!!

[gamiila.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on having completed your first year! May all subsequent ones fare the same

I'm seriously behind on my reading (I seem to be able to catch the occasional drabble or ficlet, no epics), but I've bookmarked the WD and The Cloak of Mist will be the first story I'll read there as soon as I can get 2 minutes to myself!.

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I hope you enjoy The Cloak of Mist when you get time; actually, after the comments I've been receiving I think I can upgrade that to "I'm sure you'll enjoy The Cloak of Mist".

[gamiila.livejournal.com]

I'm sure I will, too.

[visitorfic.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the success! I've just discovered your Buffybot fic, and am lovin' it. Friended ya back!

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Glad you like my version of BuffyBot; rather different to yours, or to keswindhover's, or to Regertz's. She is a lovely starting point for journeys in different directions, isn't she?

[evilawyer.livejournal.com]

A day late, but congratualations on the anniversary. Keep up the good work.

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I'll try!