The Mod Podge Bookshelf is One!

This has been a truly remarkable year.

A year ago today I went for it and posted my first review on a blog I had titled spur of the moment. Until the time came to actually name the site, I was planning to call it P.O.V. (Point of Voice). I have no namers remorse, The Mod Podge Bookshelf named itself quite aptly, the name reflects my bookshelves, my

 varied taste in literature, art, music and language. Mod Podge also describes my past year, thrown together in a series of moments that finally allowed me a place to belong, and a safe haven to call my own.

You see a year ago things were difficult, in fact things are still difficult, but I have found a constant amid the tempest, I've found a community and a home.

A year ago I started making friends who were just like me. I want to take a minute and list all of them, individually thank you all, from the bottom of my heart. It is the best and sincerest way I know how to do this. You have each given me a moment, or a series of them, that will mean more than you will ever know:

Andye, Amy, Abigaile, Kit & Austin from Reading Teen. Thank you for raising me up. 

James from Book Chic. Thank you for recognizing me from around the blogosphere only five months into this venture and for adding all those exclamation points after my name when you saw I was coming to New York. 

Enna Isilee from Squeaky Books. For being my tech/html/computers genius and never hesitating to include me in her list of allies. 

To Mundie Moms, who when they began following this blog in it's early stages made me choke back a sob of pure joy.

To Kristi, The Story Siren, who encouraged me the first time I had a bad blogging experience, and thought about shutting the site down. Thank you also, for adding my blog to your blog roll ten days after I went live.

To Shannon from Books Devoured, for sitting next to me at a book event when I had no one. To Michelle Ball, of Hooked To Books, who sat on my other side.

To Cindy and Kendra from Books Complete Me, not only did your blog help inspire MPB, you've each inspired me, to begin again, and to keep starting new chapters. 

To Yara, from Once Upon a Twilight, who uttered the immortal words that made my first BEA unforgettable, "What the bus?!"

To Jamie, who is a Perpetual Page-Turner and Broke and Bookish, for shouting excitedly, "Oh, my gosh! Gabrielle Carolina! Mod Podge Books!" at BEA and for being so kind as I gawked that anyone would recognize me at all.

To Chelsea Swiggett who patted the floor next to her in an unspoken, "Sit by me," while we waited in line for Leigh Fallon at BEA. That meant so much to me at the end of a solitary and exhausting day. 

To Kathy, from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer, for hosting all those giveaways that brought me many a faithful reader.

To Jeffrey from Novel Thoughts for being such a true gentleman. 

To Cindy from Princess Bookie, Angel from Reading Angel, Holly from Good Golly Miss Holly, Sab from YA Bliss, Amber from Page Turners, Miranda from Just Read (Books), Brittany from Reading Nook, Icey from Icey Books, thank you for being a friend. 

To Hira of Enamoured Soul and Mary of Anxirium, whose consistent, and persistent, tweeting about how lovely I am made me believe it again.

To Amy, who is both the Backseat Reader, and the Backseat Writer, I am blessed to have found you, and to be able to share with you all that I do. 

To Alex Ristea, of the Alex Ristea Daily, who took me dancing in Spain this summer while I was slaving away at my American desk. And for being such a pretentious twit about books and YA in general. I'll make a believer of you yet! 

To Janet Fox, for writing something that matters, and for sharing her love with me. Everyone deserves an e-mail from this woman on their worst days, I am so lucky to have received so many.

To Holly Schindler, who wrote me my first hand written authors letter telling me how much she valued the work I did to promote her amazing books. It was I who should have been thanking you, I'm glad I get the chance right now. 

To Wendy Delsol who signed my book, "To Gabrielle, a friend."

To Stephanie Dray for trusting me with her unfrosted cupcake, for that I gave you mine, and you added sprinkles. 

To Christy English who after a three tweet long pitch decided my manuscript would go to the top of her TBR list. You gave me the boost of confidence it took to gut the whole thing. You also gave me my first deadline.

To Deb Caletti, for an interview so candid, so poignant and so trusting that you made me feel I had accomplished my goal, to be the kind of blogger you hand over your life story to, because she knows what to do with it. Also for confirming my best, and worst, suspicions about love. 

To Beth Revis, who swaps tunes with me, and who told her mom I was coming to her signing, and to look for me. 

To Sarah Bennett Wealer, who called me an Ingenue, and has encouraged me both as a singer and as a writer.

To Amy Brecount White, I've been discovering cyber flowers in the most unexpected places because of you.

To Michelle Hodkin, who has agreed to be best friends.

To Jandy Nelson, Lauren Oliver, Maggie Stiefvater, Libba Bray, Tara Kelly, Julie Kagawa, Kim Culbertson, Cindy Pon, Suzanne Young, Melina Marchetta, Lisa Bergen, Shannon Hale, Suzanne Collins, Cynthia Voight, Sarah Dessen, and all of those above, who have made me want to tell my own stories, who make me want to create, who have made me a better writer just by bleeding on the pages of their own work. 

To the publishing companies who trusted me to meet deadlines, HarperTeen, Scholastic Books, Random House Children's, Simon and Shuster, Penguin Books, EgmontUSA, Bloomsbury, Candlewick, Flux Books, Harlequin Teen, Houghlin Mifflin Harcourt, Disney Hyperion, Little Brown Books & SourcebooksFire. To all the amazing publicists who work one hundred times harder than I do, I don't know how you all do it! You have paid me in the richest way possible for the "work" I do, in words that take me far away, and bring me home again. 

To my mum and dad, two of my first followers, who haven't stopped staring in wonder as I explain more and more about the fantastical new world I'm living in. 

And lastly, to my readers. I am humbled that you listen to me ramble, I'm pleased when you comment and say I'm pretty, or funny, or wise, or entertaining, and I am truly blessed to have you. 

To all of you who have taken me 365 days in, here's to the next 365. Cheers