Thank You, Zette

Lazette Gifford is a prolific writer, author of at least fourteen published novels, countless short stories, three books on writing and editor of several anthologies and Vision magazine. She owns and manages Forward Motion, an online community numbering over 10,000 members, and is Associate Publisher for Dragon Tooth Fantasy Ebooks. Zette has won honors for her photographs and digital designs, and has three book covers to her credit.

Zette has a collection of the thousands of photographs she's taken of animals - one of my favorites is the Amur leopard published by the University of Michigan on their Museum of Zoology website. (Congratulations, Zette on the U of M using so many of your pictures.)

(On days when I'm feeling as if nothing can lift me out of my fibromyalgia gloom, I'm amazed to find myself smiling and even laughing out loud at the photographs, stories and pictures you publish, Zette!)

The most amazing aspect of Zette, to me, is that with all her creative talents and administrative responsibilities, she puts people first. Amidst her writing and publishing to deadline and managing an online community of writers, teaching some of the classes at Forward Motion, and participating in several of the writing challenges, Zette takes time to encourage and mentor members of her online community. I've watched her celebrate their accomplishments and offer comfort with sound advice when they're distressed.

When the excellent rules at Forward Motion - which have made the community a safe haven for new writers and even minors - need to enforced, Zette communicates the rules and issues with clarity, patience and common sense. (Zette, you're like an uber-mom for us, settling squables and soothing sensitive feelings. Thank you for keeping the peace in our community.)

I have benefited from her knowledge and experience which she shares in the Two Year Novel class, and also in her recently published manual based on the class, but first and foremost, I have been inspired by Zette herself - an amazing and wonderful living template of what it means to be creative and caring.

(Zette, may good health and prosperity be with you increasingly this year and always. Thank you for all that you do and all that you mean to me. Most Sincerely - Pandababy)

Margaret Fisk has linked to other Zette Appreciation Day postings on her blog. Don't just take my word for it -- read what the friends who know Zette well have to say.