Blogoversary (4 Years!) + Giveaway!

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Happy blogoversary to meeee!

That’s right, The Road of a Writer is turning 4 YEARS OLD!

*confetti*

*fireworks*

So I’m celebrating by reminiscing, sharing some numbers and links, and giving away some fantasy novels!

It’s crazy to think it’s been so long since I started this li’l ol’ online way-post on the writing road… It’s been quite a journey, I’ve learned so much along the way, and I’ve definitely been enjoying it. It’s grown so much that I had to start a spinoff blog just for my reviewing and bookish posts! I love blogging. ^_^

Thanks so much to all of you for reading The Road of a Writer, commenting, encouraging, and generally putting up with my shenanigans — it means a lot! I’m supposed to be a writer, but in this case I don’t think there are words to say how I feel about you all… So. JUST — THANK YOU. ❤ *virtual hugs and cupcakes all around*

The Stats

(Look who wished me a happy blogoversary. XD)

  • 4 years
  • 250 posts (yes, last week‘s was my 250th!)
  • 470 followers (plus linked Twitter followers, hence the 789 number on the side; full disclosure. XD)
  • 5,562 comments
  • 10,328 visitors
  • 33,910 views
  • 9,043,930,894,038,098 hours spent trying to find the right gifs (okay, I exaggerate slightly… *cough*)

Top commenters of late (I think based on the last 1000 comments?):

Most popular posts I’ve posted:

Most-viewed posts from this year (after the ones above):

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Here are some of my favorite posts from the past four years…

CHARACTER INTERVIEWS, ETC.

ABOUT MY SERIES (because I’m nostalgic. XD)

ABOUT MY FAVORITE BOOKS

ABOUT WRITING

ABOUT NANOWRIMO ADVENTURES

SOME FAVORITE WRITINGS OF MINE

The Giveaway

In the tradition of Hobbit birthdays, wherein Hobbits on their birthday give away presents to other people, I’m giving away four books to my lovely followers to say THANK YOU for being amazing and putting up with my shenanigans. 🙂 I’d like to share the love on some of my favorite fantasy novels, which is why I’ve chosen these to give away.

What I am giving away:

  • The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (paperback; US)
  • The Bone House by Stephen R. Lawhead (paperback; US)
  • The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander (paperback; US)
  • Mossflower by Brian Jacques (paperback; US)

And alternate giveaway to enter internationally:

  • The Beast of Talesend by Kyle Robert Shultz (ebook; International)

Notes on each of these:

  • I do not entirely approve of the Hobbit movies, but I love this cover of The Hobbit all the same. XD If you’re not fortunate enough to have read this book yet, or don’t own a copy of your own, do enter this one! Or, ya know, if you already have a copy and want to give one as a gift to a friend/niece/nephew/neighbor/anybody — still enter! 😉
  • The Bone House is book 2 in the Bright Empires series, and I DO NOT recommend reading it unless you have read book 1, The Skin Map; but feel free to enter this one if you’ve read the first book and haven’t gotten around to the second yet (or, ya know, promise to get the first one and read it first. XD) — it’s one of my favorites! ^_^
  • The Book of Three is book 1 in the Prydain Chronicles; HIGHLY recommend; this is an ex-library book donated to Salvation Army, so it’s a readable copy and in good shape but with stickers/markings/etc.
  • Mossflower is a “prequel” to Redwall, but can stand alone, and it’s my favorite of the Redwall books. ❤
  • The paperback giveaway is for US residents only — sorry international peeps! I love you all the same! And to prove it, I also am giving away an ebook copy of The Beast of Talesend by Kyle Robert Shultz, so this one is open internationally!

You can enter via the form below — and you can pick which of the giveaways you would like to enter, so if you already have one or more of these, or for some reason do not wish to enter some of them, you can easily pick which one(s) you’d like to enter.

Details: Five winners — one for each book. Paperback giveaway open to US addresses only. Ebook giveaway open Internationally. (I’ve never tried giving away an ebook internationally so HOPEFULLY it will work…) Giveaways are open Monday, September 11 – Sunday, September 17, 2017. Winners will be listed here as an “EDIT” and also contacted by email, on Monday, September 18. So check back on this post on that day to see the winners!

EDIT: The winners have been chosen and contacted! Thanks so much to everyone who entered. 🙂

  • Winner of The Hobbit: Maddy
  • Winner of The Bone House: Savannah Grace
  • Winner of The Book of Three: Florid Sword
  • Winner of Mossflower: Emily Drown
  • Winner of The Beast of Talesend ebook: Skye

Thanks so much for coming with me all this way, my dearest Roadlings! ❤ You’re legit the best! ^_^ *group hug*

58 thoughts on “Blogoversary (4 Years!) + Giveaway!”

  3. Wheeeeere o where have I been?? Seems like forever since I’ve been back here! Life has a way of taking time. 😛

    BUT CONGRATS ON FOUR AMAZING YEARS. *confetti explosion* I’m so excited to follow along in years to come – which it seems I say every time someone has a blogoversary, but it’s true every time. 😉

    Liked by 1 person

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  4. CONGRATS on four years, Deborah!!! And OH MY GRACIOUS, your blogoversary is LITERALLY one day before mine, and it’s also on my birthday, so that’s epic xD. Thank you so so much for doing this for four years – your blog is one of my favorites, and I always enjoy seeing your posts pop up in my blogger feed! You’re an epic human bean <3. CONGRATS AGAIN, MY FRIEND! ❤

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Eeep, thanks, Savannah!! ^_^
      And how fabulous! Happy birthday/blogoversary to you!! 😀 (I technically MADE my blog on the 9th but didn’t post till the 11th sooo I usually celebrate the 9th but did the 11th this year because Monday. XD)
      THANK YOU SO MUUUUCH! ❤

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  17. FOUR YEARS?! Wow. That’s insane, but you deserve every bit of celebration in this comment section and many many more. *throws cookies into the air* You are such a sweetheart and even though I don’t comment on all of your posts, I really enjoy reading them. Especially your NaNoWriMo ones, hehe. xD *is excited for November (aka the month of insanity) to come*

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Aww, thank you so muuuch, Katie! ^_^ *huggles you while catching and eating cookies simultaneously because I’m a superhero* Oh my goodness, I don’t even know what to SAY! JUST — THANKS! ❤ So glad you enjoy them, and yes, hurray for NaNo which I'm NOT ready for. XD

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  23. How did I not see this? HAPPY BLOGOVERSARY (a bit belated, but still). Hard to believe it’s been so long, and yet so short a time . . . time is weird. *refrains from going on a ramble*

    I absolutely love you and your blog and your posts and your style of writing and hearing about your characters and EVERYTHING. You’re the bestest. Here’s to many more years of all the wonder and awesomeness! *raises strawberry fizz in toast*

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  24. HAPPY BLOGOVERSARY, ROAD OF A WRITER! <333 *shoots off a confetti cannon* I probably say this every year, but has it really been that long??? It honestly feels like you just celebrated 3 years. o.o But then again, this past year has positively flown by for me, and I find myself blinking in shock at most areas of life. XD

    Congrats on all the fun and growth and shenanigans! Your blog is one of my favorites, dear. ❤ Here's to much more Barrel'O'Carroll'O'Fun! (That…literally makes zero sense. I think I'm referencing those barrels of monkeys? Barrel O' Fun?? IDEK… XDDD)

    Also, I'm salivating over that copy of Bone House and wishing I had a U.S. address. 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • THANKS SO MUCH, TRACEY! ^_^ (That is, The Road of a Writer thanks you or I thank you on its behalf, or something. XD) I know, time is insane these days! This last year especially — zippp! Gone. o.o

      Thank youuu! Awk, what do I even say to such niceness? I’m so pleased that you enjoy it! (And your barrel of monkeys thing is great. XD)

      Aww, I’m sorry! D: I remember thinking after I set the giveaway up “oh dear, there’s nothing for Tracey to enter for…” D: Someday, someday…

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  26. I AM SO SORRY I AM LATE BUT HAPPY BLOGOVERSARY, MY DEAR CELTI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *pulls out a cake the size of Bilbo and Frodo’s birthday cake and steals some of Gandalf’s fireworks*

    I remember when you decided to start your blog. I was soooooooo ecstatic we were going to be blogging buddies. It brings me so much joy sharing this blogging adventure with you. Not to mention having you as an accountability partner to keep me on track. You ALWAYS inspire me to keep blogging and be more organized. AND I JUST LOVE YOUR POSTS!!! You put both an immense amount of wit AND heart in your posts. They bring me so many smiles. I had a blast reading through your list of some of your favorite posts. I was just grinning and nodding along as I remembered all of those brilliant posts. (I love how many Tare center ones made it to the list. I mean, obviously they would. XD) You just make the best posts!

    I’m honored to see I’m one of your top commenters (and I probably make the most longwinded comments at that… *COUGH*). But I love your posts so much, I must flail over them always!

    I sooo agree that it takes a million years to find the right gifs. I declare I spend more time finding gifs than actually writing posts. XDD #BloggerProbs

    You’re so sweet to giveaway so many awesome thiiiings!!! I already have copies of all of those books, except The Bone House. BUT I NEED THAT ONE. Because I do own The Skin Map. So I need to get ALL the books in that series and then devour them. *nods*

    Anyways! HAPPY BLOGOVERSARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m so excited to see this wonderful blog grow more and more! <3333

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Wizards (and Lauris 😉 ) are NEVER LATE! XD EEP, THANK YOU!!! I just… keep reading your comment. <333 THANKYOUUUUU! You are the sweetest thing, and I love being blogging buddies with you toooo! ^_^ Just– Gaah, the nice things you say! *flails around* *huggles you forever* (And I mean, obviously Tare has to center on things. *coughitycough* AND YOU ARE SUCH A NICE LONG COMMENTER AND THANK YOUUU! You always make my day! 🙂

      Gifs are the real time problem sometimes. XD

      Booktwins! I love how we have so many of the same books. 😀 But yesss, you need to read the whole series! It's so good!! *says the person who STILL hasn't reviewed the fifth book because my brain cannot figure out how to review such an awesome series* (But I will… I will… it's on my list…)

      THANK YOU SO MUUUUCH! *hugs tight* Thanks for your lovely comment and your enthusiasm and support! It means so much! ^__^ ❤

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  27. HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BLOGOVERSARY! Such a lovely giveaway, after your and Tracey’s advocating / the presence of PRAGUE, I really want to read some Lawhead!

    Also, nearly 800 followers. You are amazing! Here’s to a lovely fifth year! ❤

    Liked by 1 person

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