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Five years ago today, on April 7, 2009, SOME GIRLS BITE was published.<\/p>\n
Since then, we’ve made our girl Merit a vampire and a Sentinel, Commended her into Cadogan House, put her through shenanigans both romantic and magical, and given her one hell of a ride. \u00a0I’m so grateful she sprung from my imagination, and so proud of who she is and what she’s become.<\/p>\n
I asked readers to share their favorite things about Merit, and birthday wishes, and here are a few:<\/p>\n
Samantha D. says: “I love everything about Merit. Her struggle to be herself as a human and then as a vamp. ..Her attitude\u2026 Her style\u2026her LOVE of food \u2026.her addiction to chocolate\u2026.”<\/p>\n
Chris J. says: “You have been through a lot in the last five years and handled it wonderfully.”<\/p>\n
Julie says: “I love the opening to Some Girls Bite where Merit is waking up and discovering that she is wearing fancy clothes, but it the manicure that really gets her.”<\/p>\n
James K. says: “Happy Birthday Merit! Its awesome that we get to celebrate your amazing deeds, your example, you fidelity, and your problem solving despite events forcing themselves upon you!”<\/p>\n
Sara E. says: “Happy Book Birthday, Merit! I hope the shenanigans in Chicago eventually sink to a more manageable level so you can focus your time figuring out the logistics on how to complete your doctorate.”<\/p>\n
Kimberly L. says: “I aspire to be Merit when I grow up! Lol I am 42 and she inspires me to be a better person.”<\/p>\n
Timothy C. says: “What I like about Merit is that she’s strong. Not a damsel in distress. Full of honor. Loyalty. And very friendly. You can imagine hanging out with her.”<\/p>\n
Rahilah D. says: “It just goes to show you that Merit has come a long way & has grown into the women she is now.”<\/p>\n
Lori S. says: “I love Merits ability to do what she thinks is right even if it causes her other problems.”<\/p>\n
Margaret says: “My favorite vintage Merit moment is in Friday Night Bites. Merit and Ethan are fighting Peter on the dock and she jumps over his sword, flips and lands on his other side. Than she says to Ethan, \u201cSomeone might have warned me I could do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Candace R. says: “I love Merit\u2019s perseverance in everything she does! Merit is strong and smart and she not afraid to act like a woman even when she\u2019s a kick butt vampire!!”<\/p>\n
Shannon says: “Merit is one of my favorite female characters. Funny and fallible, I love her as a heroine.”<\/p>\n
Krupke says: “Merit is one of the best UF\/Paranormal heroines out there. Perfectly flawed b\/c she\u2019s willing to learn from her mistakes, loyal, loving and protective of those around her.”<\/p>\n
Kaye B. says: “She looks back at her life as a human and although she misses parts of it, the \u201cnormalcy\u201d, she embraces what is before her and makes the best of it without losing sight of who she was then and who she is now.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Your comments really touched me, and I can’t tell you how glad I am that you’ve connected with Merit.<\/p>\n
My greatest hope is that she’s given you a few hours of laughter, excitement, tears, and joy–hours to think about something other than work, or spouses, or kids, or jobs. That, after all, is exactly why I started writing them–because I needed that solace, too.<\/p>\n
Alright, before we get too teary-eyed, let’s celebrate! Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below to win\u00a0a Kindle Fire<\/a><\/strong>, a $50 Amazon gift card, an autographed copy of the mass market edition of SOME GIRLS BITE, and plenty of swag.<\/p>\n
Good luck, and thanks for all the love you’ve given Merit over the last five years!<\/p>\n