2013 Year in Review

This has been a very exciting and eventful year for OUTLANDER fans, and for me in particular. I've seen my Outlandish Observations Facebook page grow from just under 1000 followers at the beginning of 2013, to more than 4600 today (!) That's just phenomenal! Many thanks to all of you who take the time to read and comment on what I post here. I really appreciate it. <g>

Here are some of my favorite OUTLANDER moments from 2013.

February 19: THE MAD SCIENTIST'S GUIDE TO WORLD DOMINATION (the anthology that contains Diana Gabaldon's story, "The Space Between") was published in the US. If you haven't yet read "The Space Between", I highly recommend it!  It's a very entertaining story, with lots of potential for speculation. See the FAQ page here for more information.

Late February: I found a first edition hardcover of OUTLANDER for sale on Amazon.com for only $220. It's in "like new" condition, and I was thrilled to find it. Notice the very careful, very legible signature! <g> Diana confirmed that this was one of the very first ones she ever signed.

April 5: The US cover art for Diana Gabaldon's upcoming novel, WRITTEN IN MY OWN HEART'S BLOOD (aka MOHB, MOBY, or Book 8), was officially unveiled. I love the octothorpe design, with its interlocking infinity symbols.For more about this cover and what it might mean, look here.

April 12: I went to see Diana Gabaldon at her appearance in Annandale, VA. The crowd was immense -- about 1200 fans -- but it was great to meet so many people in person that I'd known for a long time online. Here I am with Carol and Tracey from My Outlander Purgatory.

Highlight of the evening for me: at the point in Diana's talk where she mentions how she got involved with the online forum that is now the Compuserve Books and Writers Community, Diana looked right at me and said, "The fabulous Karen Henry manages my folder on Compuserve. She's the bumblebee-herder." And I turned around and waved to the crowd. <g>

June 1: Speaking to fans at Book Expo America in New York, Diana Gabaldon made a very exciting announcement:she's signed a contract with STARZ and Sony Pictures to make OUTLANDER into a 16-episode TV series! (And within minutes, pandemonium broke out on OUTLANDER fan-sites all over the world....) You can see Diana's original announcement near the end of this video.

July 9: STARZ officially announced the casting of 33-year-old Scottish actor Sam Heughan to play Jamie Fraser in the upcoming OUTLANDER TV series!

July 12: I attended the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in Linville, NC, along with my parents. We had a wonderful time!  You can see more photos here.

August 11: Here's Diana Gabaldon holding a wee giftie I sent her: a plaque that says "Fuirich agus chi thu!"  (That's "wait and see" in Gaelic, one of Diana's favorite phrases.)  Many thanks to Diana's husband Doug for taking the photo, and to Diana for sending it to me!

August-September: The 2nd Annual OUTLANDER Photo Contest! This was a lot of fun, and I received photos from fans all over the world.  Thanks again to everyone who participated!

September 11: Caitriona Balfe was cast as Claire in the OUTLANDER TV series!

October 16-18: I had a wonderful trip to Colonial Williamsburg and the Yorktown Victory Center in Virginia. It was a great opportunity to indulge my obsession with all things 18th-century. <g> You can see more photos here.

November 15: Diana Gabaldon announced that the new publication date for WRITTEN IN MY OWN HEART'S BLOOD will be June 10, 2014! Look here for the full announcement.

December 3: Diana Gabaldon's latest story, "Virgins", was published in the DANGEROUS WOMEN anthology, edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois.  It's a great story, a fascinating glimpse of Jamie and Ian as young men, and I enjoyed it very much.  For more information about "Virgins", see my FAQ page here.

December 20: Diana sent me a lovely gift basket of dates.  The card reads, "Dear Karen, Happy Holidays! (And thanks for everything!)"

Finally, I want to take this opportunity, once again, to thank all of you who've commented on my Friday Fun Facts posts throughout the past year! It's really gratifying to know that the effort I put into researching the FFF each week is appreciated. <g>

Wishing you all a wonderful 2014!