So Long, Farewell... and Welcome: Changes at Project Mayhem by Michael G-G

Dawn Lairamore

Matthew MacNish

One of the magical things about belonging to a group blog is the fellowship you find with other writers. Project Mayhem, since its beginnings in 2010, has been a tight-knit and supportive community. In the nearly 7 years we've been around, our writers have created over 1000 posts!

We have a list of sterling alumni, and it is now my bittersweet moment to add a further two to that illustrious roll. Dawn Lairamore and Matthew MacNish have been Mayhemmers before even I came on the scene (in fact, it was Matt who put my name forward as a Mayhem initiate all those years ago.) As with most of those who leave our tribe, they do so because of the busyness of life. But before they go, I asked them to pen a farewell letter. Goodbye, Dawn and Matt: we will all miss you!

From Matthew: It is with much regret that I leave Project Middle Grade Mayhem behind. I was always made to feel welcome here, and truly enjoyed working with my co-authors. I would like to both thank Rose Cooper for inviting me in the first place some six odd years ago, and to proudly take responsibility for in turn inviting Michael Gettel-Gilmartin. I really enjoyed being part of the blog, and wish that circumstances weren’t forcing me to leave.


If you’re looking for something to reminisce with, you could read:

My first post: The Character Should Make the Name
When I argued about YA/MG: Debate: The Book Thief is a
 MG Novel
Or something actually useful: Document Map, a Tutorial

From Dawn: It has been both a pleasure and an honor to have been part of Project Mayhem these past many years, and I remained amazed at what a talented, generous, and insightful group of writers we have here, bloggers and visitors alike. I'm so grateful for online writing communities such as this. Rest assured this is not so much a goodbye as it is a "see you around"--this is definitely a community worth holding on to. Happy writing, everyone!

Goodbyes often lead to "hellos," and I am very pleased to welcome two new members to the blog. I am so excited to see what Hilda Burgos and Linda Williams Jackson bring to the blog, starting in March. Here's the introduction to both of them.

Hilda Eunice Burgos

Hilda Eunice Burgos - Hilda’s first middle grade novel, The Castle of Kings, was a 2015 Lee & Low Books New Visions Award finalist, and is due out in 2019.  The story takes place in New York City (where Hilda was born and raised) and in the Dominican Republic (her parents’ native country).  Hilda received her undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in French and Spanish literatures, and her J.D. from Harvard Law School.  She now lives and practices law in the Philadelphia area.  She and her husband have two grown human children and a canine forever baby.  Hilda looks forward to spending more time writing now that her kids aren’t around as much to smother – um, mother.

Linda Williams Jackson

Linda Williams Jackson is a former information technology specialist, turned stay-at-home mom, turned author. She is the author of the historical middle-grade novel, MIDNIGHT WITHOUT A MOON (January, 2017), and the sequel A SKY FULL OF STARS (January, 2018). A small city in Mississippi is the place she calls home. She shares this home with her husband, three children, and a cat named Knoxville.

So long, farewell... welcome! Hooray for Project Mayhem!