As we slide into this New Year, I thought I would share some of the other bloggers and websites I’m networked with. Thanks to WordPress stats, I can track these things pretty easily. Here is my small circle of blog friends.

Top Commenters

One of my favourite things about blogging is the conversation that takes place. Not all blogs draw great conversation, but I have had fellow bloggers make the network stronger through comments.

#1. Jubilare

Jubilare writes a lovely blog about fiction and photography and poetry. Through December she blogged classic carols, and I reblogged her post on Dwarves (she is in the know on Tolkien).

#2. Mere Inkling

Rob Stroud of “Mere Inkling” is a military chaplain and one of the most consistent bloggers I know. Humorous, short, well-written posts often connected to C.S. Lewis–check it out. He could also be on my “clicks” list as I’ve reblogged some of his work.

#3. Hidden in Jesus

Jessica Renshaw of “Hidden in Jesus” is a more recent connection. A few days ago she took the opportunity to poke a little fun at me.

#4. Susan Call Hutchison

Susan is a blogger and storyteller who has often dropped in bright comments.

#5. Raewyn Hewitt

Raewyn is blogger for her own site, “Dreaming of Other Realms,” as well as a part of “There and Draft Again,” a fellowship of fantasy writers. She is a more recent commenter and it is worth looking at her work.

Site Referrals

By far the search engines and the WordPress reader send me most of my readers, but there are a few others that have sent a lot of traffic to A Pilgrim in Narnia.

1. The Poached Egg

Not just a website, The Poached Egg is a network of hundreds of links and pages on Christian apologetics. Over the last two years, they’ve linked five of my blogs, including “Be Careful What You Read” and “Telling it Slant.” It is a significant resource.

2. The Twilight Warden

The Twilight Warden’s blog, The Warden’s Walk, is one I have followed for some time. He has not blogged much in 2013, but just over a year ago he hosted “The Hobbit Read-Along,” which was a lot of fun and led to a lot of new digital friends.

3. Essential C.S. Lewis/All About Jack

William O’Flaherty is a C.S. Lewis force to be reckoned with. His podcast, “All About Jack,” interviews some of the leading Inklings scholars in the world. And his “Essential C.S. Lewis” site is a great resource and has sent a lot of traffic here through his numerous writings.

4. Brandwine Books

Not surprising given the title, Brandwine Books is a Tolkien influenced literature blog and listserve. He linked to my blog, “Speculative Cosmography.”

5. Letters from the Edge of Elfland

A newer connection, David’s website is a Tolkien-soaked blog on Christian theology and literature from an academic angle.

Clicks

I’ve also managed to direct some of my readers to other sites. I do a lot of sideways linking, so there are hundreds of “clicks” to different spaces. These are the most common.

#1. Islands of Joy/The Oddest Inkling/Iambic Admonit

Sørina Higgins is an American Charles Williams an Inklings scholar and prolific blogger. Her new Charles Williams blog, “The Oddest Inkling,” is a phenomenal resource for that influence on C.S. Lewis’ life. Part of the Middle Earth Network, this blog is book level. And she was nice enough to include me in her 2013 book roundup at “Islands of Joy,” which had been “Iambic Admonit.” Sørina’s sites were networked early with A Pilgrim in Narnia and could also be on the Referral list.

#2. The Kindlings

I had an opportunity to interview Earl Palmer when I was at Regent College. He immediately caught that it was a satirical interview and was witty and generous. I like his work on C.S. Lewis and linked a talk he did for The Kindlings, a group in Washington state. It was the number 2 outlink from A Pilgrim in Narnia in 2013.

#3. There and Draft Again

I love this “fellowship of fantasy writers,” who are blogging helpful advice as they carve out a career in fantasy writing. Check out “There and Draft Again.”

#4. Lewisiana

A resource site rather than a blog, Arend Smilde’s website is a mammoth annotated tool for C.S. Lewis scholars.

#5. The LOTR Project

This was a specific link, and a fun one. I had reblogged the quiz, “Which Character in The Hobbit Are You?” If you haven’t checked it out, you should! Apparently it was a hit.

Many thanks to my small circle of blog friends! Happy 2014!