So this year, I’m giving thanks and naming names. I’m sure I’ll forget someone, so  if you’ve helped me in the past year, thank you! (Carole at BankNewport—who cleared up a pesky lost check with grace and thoroughness—this means you.)

Here goes, in no particular order: a list of the people who make it possible for me to live an offbeat and truly wonderful life.

Paul Cronin, out getting some air

Paul Cronin
If this were the acknowledgement section of a book, the husband would be mentioned last. But since I thought of you first, here’s a public shoutout: thanks for making my life more enjoyable by being so supportive of your non-traditional wife! I look forward to more joint projects (and maybe even a vacation?) in 2011.

Clients
For some reason this great group of people thinks I’m worth the money they pay me, even when I disappear to a regatta during what should be a regular work week. Thanks for allowing me a very flexible schedule—and for staying solvent in a tough economy, so I can continue to thumb my nose at the unemployment figures.

Readers
Writing and publishing books can seem like a thankless and lonely job… until some random email comes in from an unknown reader who picked up one of my books at a library or bookstore and wrote to say “Keep Writing!”  Thanks to readers known and otherwise who have shared their enjoyment of Oliver’s Surprise and Cape Cod Surprise this year.

Teammates
For the past few years, I’ve done a lot of competitive sailing with a group of women who not only give up leisure time to freeze and boil with me, but who also make me laugh. Thanks also to the ever-widening circle of sailing friends who help make the regatta parking lot such a nice place to hang out.

Kim Couranz

In particular for 2010 I want to call out Kim Couranz, one of the top Snipe crews in the world, who crossed the line before me in every single race of our 8 regattas this year. Our fifth place finish at Nationals qualified us for the 2011 Snipe Worlds, and I’m really looking forward to more sailing together next year.

Community
I’ve lived in Jamestown, RI for almost fifteen years, longer than I’ve lived anywhere else, and a large part of my contentment is the people I see around town. I may not know your last name, but the friendly familiarity of our interactions comforts me. Whether I run into you at dinner downtown or in the post office, or if you’re one of those from whom we borrow tools and expertise, thank you for your positive outlook on life. And a very special thanks to all the great folks at Jamestown Hardware, who never laugh at the projects I take on.

Fellow Authors
A new circle of friends was added to my life in 2010 when we gathered together a gaggle of Boston-area authors to talk about how best to market our novels. Since then this loose-knit group has helped launch five books, including Cape Cod Surprise. Best of all, there’s more to come, beginning with Juliette Fay’s launch in January 2011. I can’t wait to share in the future successes of such a smart and supportive group!

Volunteers
Lots of people make my racing possible by running regattas, providing housing and airport pickups, storing cars and boats (that means you, Peter and Connie Commette), and generally supporting my addiction to one-design sailing around the country. I try to thank you whenever I think of it, but it can’t ever be often enough.

Nameless Small Favor Doers
Sometimes those unexpected good deeds from someone I don’t even know can take on a special significance. Locally we call them “Jamestown moments,” but they happen in many different places. So to all the unknown folks who have done me a favor in 2010, especially the nice woman I met yesterday at the grocery store checkout—thank you.

Family
Scattered and diverse as we all are, there’s a strong bond that holds us all together. Best wishes to both Newmans and Cronins for a great Thanksgiving, and Paul and I look forward to sharing it with many of you!

On Thursday, July 1 2010 we launched Cape Cod Surprise. The weather was perfect; sunny but not too hot, and not a speck of humidity (by Boston standards at least).  The Sail Loft generously provided their delicious chowder and appetizers.  And so many writers and sailors bought books and helped us celebrate, I lost count. Thanks to everyone who came to launch CCS into the world, especially to USSailing President (and blurb writer) Gary Jobson.  He has probably figured out by now that Boston is NOT on the way from Newport to New Jersey.

Of all the decisions we made while planning the event, the best one by far was to make it a benefit for Piers Park Sailing Center.  MC Maureen McKinnon-Tucker made everyone feel welcome, even when I was occupied signing books.  The blue-shirted staff created a very friendly atmosphere (especially while hawking raffle tickets to people who’d just stumbled into the Sail Loft for a drink or two). And volunteer Steve Jewett played raffle host, inspiring the purchase of more tickets with his listing of the great prizes available. Lots of nice folks won some great stuff and went home happy. And even those that didn’t win supported a great cause.

When I first thought of combining the launch party with a fundraiser for Piers Park, I didn’t realize how much we had in common.  Now everyone will know, thanks to the video short “Where Books Meet Olympic Spirit: Learning Life Skills through Sailing.” Produced by Paul Cronin of WhiteCap Video, the five minute piece talks about the common goal shared by PPSC and my books. Thanks to Paul for creating a legacy piece, and thanks to Maureen for her patience with the extra takes.  It shines through that we had fun putting it together, and I look forward to more joint projects in the future.

The day after the party passed in a glow of nice emails and tweets from those who had been there and others who’d heard secondhand about the successful event.  The best compliment I received was via fellow author Nicole Bernier. Thursday had been a very special day for Nicole too; her book sold to Random House.  But she still found time amidst her own celebrations to send the following:

“What a stellar night. You were beaming. My kids were fighting over their copy of the book, and I had to break out one of the others I bought for friends.”

Thanks to everyone, and if you didn’t catch it Thursday night, check out the video to relive some of the great inspiration.