Edited to add: Diana Rodriguez Wallach was Kate Duffy's first YA acquisition and she has a lovely post about Kate Duffy, aged 56 at her passing. Check it out HERE on her blog.
When I stumbled onto Lori Foster's message board years ago and saw Kate Duffy's humorous, straightforward approach to questions and comments I knew there was something special about her. This was before everyone had a blog, and seeing an editor make daily contributions on a forum was impactful. I followed that message board for years, always appreciative of her wit and no-nonsense replies to everything from query questions to random swiffer and wax lips commentaries. At the time I tried my hand at historical romance and sent her a partial. Her letter was encouraging, and it didn't have to be. I now write YA in part because of what I learned from her and other editors who were kind enough to give me a little guidance when they had no vested interest in doing so. It's difficult to grasp that I won't "see" her online or at a writer's conference anymore. As Sarah on SBTB said, "She's the Julia Child of romance." See the full tribute to Kate Duffy from SBTB HERE and visit Media Bistro for a video.
Kate Duffy, you will be missed.
Kate Duffy, you will be missed.
Sorry to hear that someone you hold dear has passed away too soon.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all of your compassion and support lately, I appreciate it. :)
Hi C, I hope you and your family are still managing through the typhoons. Take care and stay safe.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you as well for your compassion today. Although I didn't know Kate Duffy, she made a permanent impression on me as a writer very early on... not to mention the authors I love that were pulled out of her slush-- Judith McNaught for one (author of Whitney My Love). I guess she was such a distinctive presence it came as a big shock to me.