A big THANK YOU to Brent Week's on his 1 Year Annivesary of the Night Angel Trilogy

[Heather]

Post your thank you's and admiration here since i can't very well get all of you to sign a card!

[Dinaine]

CONGRATS BRENT!
WE LOVE YOU FOR YOUR BOOK!!!
KEEP WRITING!
<3
Throws brightly coloured Durzo-shaped confetti
Yaaaay!!

[Myra.D]

Congratulations! and thank you! I thoroughly enjoyed the trilogy. I took a huge leap of faith in buying your books, not knowing the author or the story (I bought the entire trilogy at the same time) and was well rewarded for it. You are now one of the few authors who fall under my category of: If you write it, I will buy it. I look forward to reading many more of your books in the future.

[Brent Weeks]

Everyone, thank you. I feel like I say that a lot here, but when I started this whole Ning forum, I had no idea how it was going to go--whether it would be fun, or a total disappointment, or depressing or what. And the huge majority of people here have been overwhelmingly nice. So I just really appreciate you all as individuals and as a community. I thought--hey, it's an open forum, I'm probably going to have to play traffic cop, and boy do I just love enforcing rules. But it's been remarkably smooth, kind, and appropriate.

Secondly, I would like to say thanks to each of you who left me a note here, and especially to Myra, danieladamsmith, and ... oh crap, can't back up to look who the other guy was or I'll lose this note... um, and to the other guy. Basically, you each said, "If you write it, I will buy it."

I'm not even fully sure of why that speaks so powerfully to me, but it does. I guess there's always been something so tenuous about the writing life. When I was writing these books, I wrote full time (couldn't keep these complex plots going and teach high school at the same time sadly) and my wife supported me. But her job was sometimes in danger (for reasons that had nothing to do with her), so I wrote with the knowledge that maybe I only had another month or two to write. I always knew that real life could intrude and the dream would end. When I sold my books, it was like, "Holy crap! If we're really careful, I can keep doing this for at least a year and a half, maybe two years!" I knew that my books might not do well, and I still might have to face that soul-killing desk job. I don't look down on desk jobs at all, in fact, I admire people who take care of their families and go work at something they might not like just because that's what they need to do. But I _longed_ to be able to keep telling stories. I still long for it. This is the only job I've ever wanted. It's my dream and my passion and my purpose.

So when someone says to me, "You write it, I'll buy it," it tells me that in my years of hoping and working and wondering if I was just a talentless hack who goes on American Idol and _thinks_ he can sing but really can't--that in those years, I wrote something that touched that person. That my efforts weren't in vain. I treasure that. And you know when people are actually shilling out their money repeatedly that they aren't saying it to be nice.

When you say that, it also encourages me that hey, maybe I really can be doing this ten years from now. Maybe other people will keep buying my books, too. Maybe I won't be like that guy who was in a band while he was young, and now sells insurance. So that's pretty sweet, too.

Last, it tells me that you and I have a bond. You're going to trust me next time to tell you a story that's worth your hard-earned money. That, to me, is cool, it's amazing, and it's humbling. I feel an obligation to you to tell the best stories I can--even if deadlines are looming or whatever, that I need to deliver my best--because you trust me. (Okay, it's a little bit scary, too, but mostly it's cool.) ;)

So anyway, everyone, thank you. It's been an astonishing year for me. Things have gone better than I ever imagined; I'm busier with more things than I ever imagined; and, best of all, I still really really love writing. Well, not every day on the really really, but this past week has had some awesome writing days and I just love what I do. Even when it's so so hard, I love it. I guess writing for me is like your spouse or your kids, you love them no matter what, but some times they're easier to love, huh? Black Prism has been easy to love recently. Anyway, it's a privilege afforded to few to get to do this, and I feel blessed and honored that heck, I get to make a living telling stories. That's just plain awesome, and obviously, I owe it to you.

Thank you,

-brent

[Michael Paolini]

Mr Weeks, I believe it was me who you were referring to with the "You write it, I'll buy it." I didn't realize that my words could affect you as much as your words have affected me. After reading your stories, I starting writing again, something that I haven't done in years. But your stories truly inspired me to pick up the pen and paper again. I greatly appreciate finding this treasure of a series, and in my humble opinion, one of the best authors I have read. After reading your books, no scratch that, after reading the first paragraph of The Way of Shadows, you immediately made my top 3 authors, right with R.A. Salvatore and Joe Abercrombie. I'm amazed by how well you write, and hope to aspire to become a novelist half as good as you someday. You have made yourself a lifelong buyer of your books out of me, and I will never stop petitioning to everyone I know to read your books, because what you have created is something that I think is something that few people can, and I hope to see many more books from you in the coming years.
Cheers,
Your humble fan, Mike Paolini.
P.S. I sort of stole the "You write I'll buy line from the end of your acknowledgment section. =) Hope you don't mind.

[Jeffrey]

Three cheers for Mr. Weeks

hip, hip!

[Darth Victory]

Hey, Congratz' on the 1 year. Just on what you said, I think that most of the people here would buy any books you wrote, no matter what. I know I certainly would!

Keep up the great... no, AWESOME work!!

-Darth

[Mike Tynan]

I have to say thanks as well Brent. You are now on my must by list of authors along with R.A. Salvatore, George R.R. Martin, Robert Jordan ( moment of silence ).

Congratulations again and look forward to the new stuff.

[Xavri]

Geez, been kinda busy. been meaning to post here for awhile. Congrats! May we all be reading your books and posting on your forum for many more years to come. I know I am looking forward to it.

[Eoin Greensmyth]

Great work, just reread NAT for the. . fourth time. . keep it up, really looking forward to Black Prism, and, ofc a return to Midycru!

Thanks man!
Eoin Greensmyth

[Monika]

Congrats on one year! I've discovered the books half a year ago and I love them! I've just startet reading them again today. I want to finish all three bevor they come out in German, and then I'll read them again!

Thanks so much for this beautiful trilogy Master Weeks!

[KillingOurAngel]

we cant sign a card? thats sad... ohh well, TY brent, keep on writing

[Garric Shadowbane]

DUDE!! NICELY DONE!