I’m really not one to jump on a bandwagon of “someone famous has died and I need everyone to read how it affects ME.” And that was never my intention with the following post… it started off as a simple thing for me to post on my Facebook Author page, and then turned into the following massive brain dump.

This is not aimed at being an attention grabbing moment for me and my writing or blogging. This is a heartfelt goodbye from a fan who always wanted to meet him, came close but never quite made it. This isn’t about me at all.

RIP Terry Pratchett. One of my all-time favourite authors and a man who taught me that it wasn’t just my mind that kept a sarcastic dialog on the world… and he was brave enough to put it in print!

May he have found the death and peace he wanted… or should that have been Death in the Anthropomorphised way? If so, give Binky a carrot for me.

I am very honoured to have had my work likened to that of his… but even more honoured to own a book he signed for me. Well, for my husband who stood in line on a stinking hot and humid Brisbane day as I was too heavily pregnant and was borderline with pre-eclampsia so unable to go.

Mr Pratchett signed the 25^th Discworld book, given to me by my husband on my 25^th birthday. (Yes, he is the romantic one in this relationship). The book was The Truth and Mr Pratchett wrote: Dear Janis, it’s all true! TP.

Now I’m sure he did that on thousands of books and that particular one was just a blur in the rearview mirror of life. But it is much cherished and greatly appreciated. Especially as hubby also got my Dad Going Postal and had it signed Librarians Rule – Ook. Which my dad loved and treasures as he’s the sod who got me interested in Mr Pratchett’s work in the first place!

Hubby’s biggest brush with fame with this great author: having another fan ask him to take a picture of him and Mr Pratchett. Mr Pratchett had said: “sure, but no flash.” Stranger’s camera handed to hubby… flash went off. Hubby got a scowl from the man himself. Oops. Still, not his fault but a memory of Terry Pratchett being grumpy with him he can tell his grandkids one day, after reading them The Hogfather at Christmas. 😉

Although I didn’t always like his work (see Nation – too harsh and dark a reality for me while being strikingly truthful) I am very proud to have his books take up a considerable amount of our bookshelves. Yes, so loved we have them in paper form! Some even in hardback! *gasp*

For the last week or so I’ve had a hankering to read his Johnny and the… series again so this is a sign it is indeed time to dig them out, have a read and then pass them onto my book loving children to get them going on a great journey through one of the best imaginations I’ve ever had the honour to see into.

Thank you Terry Pratchett for teaching me that my dark and cynical nature and sarcastic outlook on life was perfectly natural. Thank you for showing me how tongue in cheek and downright blatant mockery of others is acceptable on paper in the right forms. Thank you for Rincewind, the Luggage, Johnny, Masklin and Grimma. And thanks most of all for Granny Weatherwax. My kind of witch and a role model for me as I grow older. Although I’m probably more a Magrat if I do say so myself. I started reading your work as a maiden, now a mother and look forward to it into my crone years.

May you rest in peace and never be forgotten for bringing life and magic back into other’s imaginations.

Until next time,

Janis. XXOO