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| By Kjetil Bjørnsrud - Own work, [Wikimedia Commons] CC BY-SA 3.0, |
Back in September 2011 Debra Brown launched an exciting new project for history lovers and Anglophiles everywhere. This was the start of what we now know as the EHFA Blog (English Historical Fiction Authors).
Oddly, we don’t write about fiction, but about history, and not all of the contributors are fiction authors (although most are).
Confusing? A little, but that’s because Debbie’s project grew and grew, attracting a vast number of regular and guest contributors, and we’ve had over six and a half million hits on the blog over that time.
We’ve posted articles on topics ranging from pre-Roman history to WWII and they always prove popular.
Who’s ‘we’? Well, we have guest authors who write for us from time to time, some frequently, and we have regular contributors who can be relied upon to write wonderful articles for us on pretty much a monthly basis.
Then we have a team of editors: Cryssa Bazos, Charlene Newcomb and Annie Whitehead - all historical fiction authors who between them cover a wide range of English and British history.
At the hub of this, Debbie has overseen everything. She’s the one who’s always been there to sort out any glitches on the blog (it looks fabulous on the outside but believe us, its innards are as complicated as any robot’s). She’s made executive decisions about content, she’s been the driving force behind two published anthologies of selected articles (Castles, Customs and Kings) and she has also been unendingly supportive of the contributors, especially those who are new to blogging.
A while ago, Debbie took a back seat with regards to the day-to-day running of the blog but it is a testament to her being so synonymous with the blog that even now most of the email messages we receive are addressed to her.
Today we are sad to say that for personal reasons, Debbie is standing down from the blog completely. We are enormously proud that she feels she is leaving it in capable hands, but we will miss her guiding hand enormously. This is why, instead of the usual Sunday Round-up, we have decided to take a moment to pay tribute and say a huge and heartfelt Thank You to Debbie for all that she has done for the blog over the last eight years. We wish her well, we thank her for all her hard work, and her inspiration. The moment when she formulated a plan for this blog was a ‘lightbulb’ moment indeed. Thanks to her idea, the blog has grown and grown, and we are proud to be part of it. EHFA is known for publishing articles of quality about all aspects of English and British history. We’ve been privileged to work with some fantastic authors over the years and we hope to be able to continue to do so. The fact that the blog is held in such high esteem is down to Debbie’s vision, hard work, and enthusiasm.
We thank her, we will miss her, and we are proud to take the baton and keep it moving. We would also like to invite you - readers, contributors or both - to take a moment to leave a comment in support and thanks for all that Debbie has done for the blog over the years.
Annie, Charlene and Cryssa
EHFA Editing Team
Debbie - you've done such amazing work, thank you so much. We are really going to miss your input. We hope we will do you proud :-)
ReplyDeleteDebbie, I published my first EHFA post in October 2011, a Tudor Halloween, and have had such a great experience writing over the years. Without your vision this wouldn't have been possible. I thank you for your friendship!! Nancy
ReplyDeleteI rarely mention Debra Brown without a 'fabulous' tag for the simple reason she is fabulous.Thank you so much for everthing you've done over the past seven years of our association Debbie. It has been a pleasure to know you and I hope we will still bump into each other on the internet. With much love xxx
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame to read this but I'd just like to thank Debbie for all her hard work and wish her all the best for the future.
ReplyDeleteJonathan xxx
Oh, Debbie! While I understand your reasons to step down, it does feel as if a bit of the soul of the blog will go "poof" with you gone, no matter how excellent a job Cryssa, Annie and Char do! I wish you all the best / and take the time to enjoy the backseat
ReplyDeletexxx Anna
So sad to see you go! Will miss you! This must have been a difficult decision and as someone who knows what leaving one’s baby (project) is like to move on to fresher shores I know you will miss it, but you are leaving it in great hands so rest assured it will be well cherished and loved.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to see this day, Debbie. You have worked like a Trojan and deserve to step away with full honors. You will be greatly missed.
ReplyDeleteAs an avid reader and occasional commenter to this fabulous blog, I want to thank you Debbie for hours of enjoyment and quite a few "AhHa" moments. You and your cohorts made a great deal of difference in some dark days for me. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your commitment, Debra and all the best for future endeavours.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for all you have done and initiated for history, historical fiction, for all of us.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Debra. You have been inspirational and you will be very much missed
ReplyDeleteI have no word, Debie. You were my sister in so many endeavors. You were more than an inspiration. You were there at every stumble, every speedbump, and you never once turned your back on me. We tracked one another's families, through good times and bad times. Not just EHFA but my participation in social media generally has lost some of its charm. I miss you .
ReplyDeleteDebbie, I wanted to thank you again for all your support. Long before I became a contributor, I was an avid reader of the blog and looked forward to all the varied posts. Thanks for all your hard work and for all your continued support!
ReplyDeleteDebbie, my job is to find the right words but I'm not sure that I can. Whatever I say, it won't do you or your hard work/commitment/generosity justice. Many, many thanks for those hundreds of hours you put in to grow the EHFA blog to its enormous success. I wish you every happiness for your future. With heartfelt hanks, Elaine.
ReplyDeleteDebbie, you are going to be missed by all of us. You are a wonderful person, who sees the best in all of us. Wishing you well, in whatever you do. Our time spent together, will never be forgotten.
ReplyDeleteHeather