I will be scarce around here for a few weeks, as I tend to family matters and get ready for an upcoming music gig. So this is a perfect time for me to tell you about a few of MY favorite blogs – they’ll more than keep you rolling, while you wait breathlessly for my return.

(Stop laughing.)

A few months ago, when some friends talked me into getting a Twitter account, I did so grudgingly, and only because they told me that it was the best way to get my new blog seen by more than just, you know, my family and a couple of friends.

The very last thing I expected, honestly, is that I would find some wonderful friends via Twitter. I mean, you’re only allowed 140 characters a pop, you don’t know these people, and everyone’s kind of hawking their own “product,” right? It’s not like you’re gonna find a bunch of soul mates.

But that’s exactly what happened.

Here are just a few of my peeps. Each of them has a killer blog, full of fantastic info, or great writing, or (mainly) both. Check ‘em out, when you have some time. (Just click on their name to go to their blog.)

Karen Zacharias
The Queen Bee

The first time I read one of Karen’s posts I knew that the woman had serious writing credentials. I was right. She’s written for just about every major outlet in the country (The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, Newsweek, NPR…well, you get the idea.) She’s been likened to Anne Lamott, with reason. She’s very prolific, with terrific, long posts nearly every day (so she must not have to fiddle with words forever, like I do.) Karen gives me something to aspire to.

Kely Braswell
The Write Reverend

Kely (I sometimes call him K-Dawg, mainly because one day we both tried to talk ghetto on Twitter, for about five minutes, which was not pretty) is a walking juxtaposition. He’s a lawyer-turned-missionary-turned-pastor. He looks like a surfer dude, has six kids (yes, they’re all his), loves Jesus with ALL his heart, toes the Biblical line, but refuses to get all judge-y on people. He’s way more kind and compassionate than he thinks he is – which is so refreshing. And here’s the kicker: K-Dawg can write, like the wind. His style reminds me of Leif Enger (and I probably just lost all credibility with K-Dawg, because Enger is his favorite writer, but it’s the truth.)

Ian Ference
The Artiste

(No, this is not a picture of Ian…it’s one of his stunning architectural photos, which he uses as his avatar, and the reason it’s so tiny is because I am a tech idiot who does not know how to make it bigger, and stop laughing, Tony.) I actually found Ian before he was on Twitter, when my brother linked to his photo essay (and story) about the abandoned North Shutter Island, which had been posted on the web site Gawker. I went gaga over Ian’s gorgeous photos, and we began corresponding. Right about that time, The Huffington Post picked up Ian’s work, and he kinda went viral. Ian is passionate about (as he calls it) “guerilla preservation and urban archeology.” His photos are breathtaking…and he’s a super nice guy, to boot. Check out his photos, but be warned – you may find yourself lost in them for hours.

Tony Alicea
The Sweetest Heart

Ah, my friend Tony. You already met him, when he guest posted for me, and despite the fact that he is still laughing over Ian’s tiny picture, he is probably the loveliest, most generous guy in my Twitter sphere. He’s a tech phenom and a music junkie, and he has a heart as big as the state of Texas. Oh, and I love the way he writes. (Just for making fun of me, T, I’m gonna leave you with a bunch of white space here.)

Tamara Out Loud
The Wild Card

(No, her last name is not “Outloud,” but Tamara is in the witness protection program, or something, and doesn’t use her last name on-line. Kinda like yours truly.) The first thing that drew me to Tamara was her beautiful writing style. The second thing was the “Be Warned!” page on her blog. Which you can access if you’d like.
Yes, Tamara writes about Jesus, and the church, and she’s written some of the best posts I’ve read on those subjects. (She could be a magazine columnist in a heartbeat.) She also has a bit of a potty-mouth and is not above dropping the F-bomb. See what I meant about a wild card?

Billy Coffey
The Rock Star

Okay, I’m playing a little fast and loose with the term “friend,” here – Billy and I are “friendly” but then, Billy is a true Southern gentleman who is friendly to everyone. But what’s a list of kick-butt writer-tweeters without Billy? (And we have sort-of bonded over our mutual love of all things Outer Space. Just sayin’.)
Billy’s writing is really, really good – and not just “for a Christian writer.” In fact, almost every time I read one of his posts, I find myself saying “Geezel-crap, Billy.” Sometimes I say this out loud. Billy writes stories wrapped around observations about life. He brings his faith into his posts, but as gently as anyone I’ve read.
(Bonus Points: He probably doesn’t remember this, but Billy found and followed me on Twitter first – and this was back when I had, like, 15 followers. That’s almost unheard of, and I haven’t forgotten it.)

So there you have it: some People I Like A Lot. Some of them even like me back.

Call ’em crazy.