Mary Robinette Kowal

I felt inspired today to write a post about a fellow author who I greatly admire (Mary Robinette Kowal). Complete disclosure, I am also related to Mary (she's my cousin) but that has nothing to do with how much I admire her, other than being the reason we first met.
A little history: Mary is the granddaughter of my great aunt. The whole side of the family is amazing, but that's too much to go into.

We met when I was...maybe 8 or 9 (at least that's when I first remember meeting her). It's locked in my memory because she and her brother Steve introduced me to a "new game" at the time "Dungeons and Dragons". I discovered what a halfling was, and I never looked back. This fantasy world was somewhere I wanted to be. It resembled the small town I grew up in along with the woods, fields and streams but it was different and magical and amazing.

I never stopped roleplaying. I also was determined to write, so that I could always spend part of my time in another world, a world where things made more sense to me sometimes.
So I am forever indebted to Mary for showing me the door...like finding a magic wardrobe in a relative house.

Mary and I had no interaction for many years, but then the internet came along and I was able to catch up with Mary. She was an accomplished puppeteer (I think that's the word), she married a sommelier (or maybe he owns a vineyard - either way, it's cool.)

But most importantly, she also wrote! Science fiction and fantasy. And she is way, way, WAY better than I am (that's how you win a Hugo). So I started following her on all the social media I could find. She is socially conscious, funny, well read, has many cool hobbies (like making dresses that come straight out of the victorian age). Monte Cook is her personal friend (invented D&D with Gary Gygax #geektrivia)

So if you haven't read any good books lately, or you are looking for a good read, check out her page, or buzz over to Amazon and pick one up. Follow her on twitter or something. My cousin is definitely living her best life. She's inspirational and interesting. I'm really proud to be her relative (I probably find a way to work it into conversations a bit too much in fact...like today)

Later
JG