Welcome to Running With Quills, your online newsletter designed to keep you up to date with what your favorite authors (that would be us) are doing throughout the year. Here you will find the release dates of our new books and get information about our backlists. We'll preview our cover art here long before the books hit the stores and we'll keep you informed about works-in-progress and special projects. You'll also receive advance notice of signings and appearances. From time to time we'll give you a peek at our worlds, tell you what we're reading, and introduce you to some new authors.
Hey, all. I'm starting the race to meet deadline so am posting a couple of non-romance reviews I did for WritersAreReaders.com when it was still in biz. (I miss them!) Hope you enjoy.
Sharp Teeth by Toby BarlowSHARP TEETH An ancient race of lycanthropes has survived to the present day and its numbers are growing as the initiated convince L.A.’s down-and-out to join their pack.
So begins the back copy on another book that sucked me in first by its cool cover.
I didn’t cull this one out of the pack on my own. My son brought it to me on Mother’s Day and that striking cover aside I was hesitant unsure, because of the free verse in which it was composed, if it was my cuppa tea.
Maybe I’ll read it, I thought. But maybe not.
That arresting cover art, however, just wouldn’t let me leave it, there on the coffee table, without at least giving it a try. So one night when I couldn’t sleep I came downstairs, picked it up, started reading, and, Oh my gawd.
Big mistake from a getting-any-sleep standpoint. Hugely smart move for a woman who loves a sharply written, fascinating read.
Because rival packs of dogs are gearing up for a showdown in L.A.
A dogcatcher quietly removes three mutts from the Pound death list and feeds them carne asada tacos.
Two dogs in human guise are placed in a bridge tournament. They are there for a purpose which is not falling in love with the game.
Mexican drug lords play a cop into finding the blonde who woke up naked in a pack of dogs, then killed the drug lord’s brother freed the dogs and waltzed off with a blueprint to a fortune
This is a book that sucks you in makes you laugh makes you cringe makes you keep turning the pages as fast as you can.
And that is why we read, yes?
Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff
Jane Charlotte has been arrested for murder.
She tells police that she is a member of a secret organization devoted to fighting evil and her division is called “The Department for the Final Disposition of Irredeemable Persons”— “Bad Monkeys” for short.
This confession earns Jane a trip to the jail’s psychiatric wing, where a doctor attempts to determine whether she is lying, crazy—or playing a different game altogether.
I turned this book’s pages so fast they were smokin’. Ruff has constructed a plot so unique, I’m still talking it up to everyone I know.
It has so many twists and turns it makes a slinky toy look linear. Is Jane crazy? It’s not beyond the realm of possibility—she has some definite drug abuse issues. But maybe the doctor she tells her story to merely thinks she’s crazy. Hard to blame him, since she speaks of an organization that puts its operatives through a dream school where they learn in their sleep things like the use of the Daily Jumble as a covert communication channel and the proper handling of the NC gun, a weapon that kills by way of seemingly natural causes.
And if the Department for the Final Disposition of Irredeemable Persons does exist, is Jane too much of a loose cannon even for an organization that uses an intel gathering program called Eyes Only, which plants miniature sensor devices in representatives of eyes, so that every time you see an eyeball in a painting, a photograph, a sculpture or a dollar bill there’s a chance it's monitoring you?
Only one way to find out, my friends. Grab yourself a copy of BAD MONKEYS and while away an evening with a story that will keep you guessing to the very last page. It’s a fun, fast, furious ride.
How about you guys? Anyone have a recommendation for me? Romance or non-romance, I'd like to hear it.
I think I may have been hanging around Fallon Jones too long.
As readers of my Arcane Society novels know, he's the 21st century director of the West Coast office of Jones & Jones, the Society's psychic detective agency. (The director of the agency back in the Late Victorian era was his ancestor, Caleb Jones. By the way, just so you know, the head of J&J on Harmony is a woman — Marlowe Jones. You'll meet her in the third volume of the Dreamlight Trilogy next summer).
At any rate, Fallon is a chaos-theory talent. Folks with that kind of psychic ability tend to see patterns where others see only random facts or coincidence. In other words, they are world-class conspiracy theorists. Of course, when it comes to Arcane there is an actual conspiracy to be confronted, but that's another story, so to speak.
The thing about the human mind is that it is programmed to look for links and connections. We like order and predictability. We get nervous about random stuff and for good reason. Think: earthquakes, volcanoes, rogue waves and tornadoes. There's a reason we have a tendency to think in terms of conspiracies and patterns. And as we all know there are those who take this tendency to extremes.
And I must admit, I'm getting sucked into the fun side of Fallon's talent. Not that I'm ready to join the Area 51 crowd or the Black Helicopter society, mind you. But as most of you know by now, Fallon is on Twitter, tweeting about a small case there in Scargill Cove (http://twitter.com/ArcaneSociety— no you don't have to register with Twitter to read the story). He had to take the case. After all, he's the only psychic private investigator in town. Actually, he's the only PI in town.
When I started this little micro-novel I intended for the story to be completely separate from what was going on in the contemporary Arcane Society novels. And it is. But, dang, if I didn't start uncovering connections where I least expected to find them: Scargill Cove. Now I see that the little case Fallon is handling for the owner of the local bookstore has links to the case in RUNNING HOT. And, most astonishing of all, it seems likely that we're going to catch our first glimpse of the woman who will eventually become Fallon's assistant.
I think I get that six degrees of separation thing now. And I think that, by doing this micro-novel, I'm getting a glimpse into Fallon's private universe. Weird.
What about you? Are you into conspiracy theories? Do you see connections where others see coincidence?
Running is an exhilarating, liberating thing. I try not to miss my run more than a day or two at a time. It's that important to my well being. Maybe I need to flee once a day, to keep me grounded when I get back home. Maybe it's the endorphin rush that gives me a boost, once I’m showered and return to my desk.
Or maybe running is a way to stay in touch with the world, while I hide away the rest of the time working on my next book. Even when I write on my back deck—which I can finally do now that the heat, and the flood waters, are simmering down, down south—it's easy to feel out of step with reality. Running is very grounding... Okay, enough with the puns ;o)
Being a guest at Running with Quills is the last official stop on my Dark Legacy blog tour. I can't think of a more exciting way to round out a fabulous, if exhausting, month of non-stop online celebrating. I admire the authors here so much, and the variety of genres they excel at writing in. You ladies are heroes to so many writers and readers. Never forget that. And I've always loved the name of the group—it evokes the danger and rewards that can come with taking a risk. What you've all achieved in your careers is so inspiring... Okay, enough with the gushing ;o)
But, I've gushed and punned with a point. Running and risk are recurring themes in Dark Legacy. I suspect they're recurring challenges for most writers. They certainly have been for me. You work hard and push and climb and struggle to see things clearly and get to where you think you need to be, only to find yourself in a place where you still need to climb and struggle and push just a little further. And then a little further. It's the same for any business professional, but I think the climb can be particularly steep for creative spirits. Keeping your eye on the prize while you're painting other worlds and creatures with your mind is a challenge. Running with scissors and quills can be dangerous, after all. That's why only the brave (the crazy???) attempt it.
And speaking of crazy. Heh. There's a good bit of that in the paranormal romantic suspense series I've begun with Dark Legacy. My psychic twins are being haunted by killer nightmares, designed by scientists using dream theory to create direct-strike weapons out of day dreams. The entire book is a thrilling race to get away and to discover. To look inward, so the outer world will stop attacking. To paint a new reality out of a broken one, so my heroine can run free instead of forever fleeing from the big, bad ugly pursuing her. Of course I've drawn a love story, too, to romance you through this battle of wills and minds. It's love that brings us back home every time. Otherwise the journey wouldn't be as sweet, right? Here's a link to tons of Dark Legacy excerpts (http://annawrites.com/blog/2009/08/30/dark-legacy-excerpts-dive-in/), including a free prequel Dorchester's sponsoring for me. Enjoy the spookiness, and let me know what you think!
To sum up, running is necessary, if there's somewhere you want to go, something you need to leave behind, OR if you're craving a challenge before you make your way back home. The journey is what I thrive on most, in the books I write and read. It's fascinating, what people are capable of, when they leave the fear behind and run without limits. Maybe that's what my daily jog does for me. For half an hour or so, my focus becomes the pleasure of letting go and running free. Sure, my current work-in-progress comes with me, but it's different out there. Chasing my next idea becomes an adventure, once I unchain myself from the familiar surroundings of my everyday world.
Reading is another daily escape. When I put my work away at night and need to relax, it's other worlds and characters and stories I want to lose myself in. Whether I'm looking for excitement or romance or steamy love scenes, I can't tell you how many wonderful nights the authors at Running with Quills have given me. Thank you, ladies, for the endless journeys. And thanks for inviting me to run along with you today.
I'm giving away a signed copy of Dark Legacy to one lucky commenter. Tell us where you're running. What you're risking. What you're dreaming. Oh, and dish about those great reads that help you escape. I need something fabulous to lose myself in this weekend! And for more chances to win, including a Couture Necklace and a Coach Purse, don't miss my blog contests!!!
“Die!” scream her nightmares. The voice is her sister’s, the compulsion stronger than any ordinary dream.
Maddie Temple can’t go through this again. Her twin has been in a coma for the last ten years. Their psychic link was severed. At least, that’s what she thought.
But there’s a lot Maddie doesn’t know—about the 200-year-old curse on her family, about the shadowy group that wants to exploit the Temple twins’ powers for themselves, about the sexy psychiatrist offering to help her. The only way to find the answers and avoid being pulled into the abyss of madness is to trust her heart and confront her... Dark Legacy.
"A sure winner!" —Lori Handeland, New York Times Bestselling, RITA Award Winning Author of Doomsday Can Wait
Each year I hold a writing contest—THE SCARLET BOA—at my web site. The final date for entries is coming fast but just in case any of you have thought of writing a scene, there's still time.
Think of it, a big, beautiful scarlet boa of your very own—and your award certificate, of course. Plus the accolades (or cries of horror) of all your friends. Come on, give it a whirl and if you enter, let all of us know.
NEWS FLASH!! The winning entry for the Scarlet Boa Contest will be read by Adam Wilson, Editor, MIRA/Harlequin!!!
2009 Contest:
Enter Your Paranormal World...
For this year's Scarlet Boa Contest, write an impossible-to-ignore opening to a paranormal story. Dynamic words, style and setup can grab an immediate "Yes!" from an editor. Think of your opener as the perfect pitch.
From ten finalists, one winner will be voted on by readers to receive the coveted Scarlet Boa and Award Certificate, and three more writers will each receive an Honorable Mention. One lucky reader/voter, chosen at random during the live Scarlet Boa Winner chat, will also be the winner of their own special boa—color, a surprise!
RULES:
a. Write an opening scene that introduces your paranormal world b. Use 1,000 words or less. c. One entry per individual.
The Scarlet Boa contest is open to published and non-published authors alike. Submit your entry (500-1000 words). We'll accept submissions until September 25th and post them online October 1st.
Winner announced in a LIVE chat at Writerspace at 10p EST!
Have you ever won a prize in a contest? I always remember the crinoline dress my sister made from crepe paper for me to wear in a fancy dress contest (everyone had to wear crepe paper costumes). The thing kept trying to fall off and my paper shoes were soon in tatters. I got second prize despite the ferocious frown on my seven-year-old face but my sister was convinced my grimace lot her a first. Then there was my big box of chocolates for winning a race hula-hooping on roller skates . Fess up, who one the "Best Baby" honors?Never mind, you still have a chance to win that Scarlet Boa!Stella
5name of the young heroine of novels by Eleanor H. Porter (1868-1920), U.S. writer6 an excessively or persistently optimistic person
That’s pretty straightforward, don’t you think? Well, I should probably be embarrassed to admit it, but it describes me perfectly. Now don’t get me wrong—my life is not perfect. I’ve had some pretty awful things happen over my almost sixty years and there are times when I’d love to hide my head under a blanket and wish the world away, but it never lasts. I am incapable of remaining in a bad mood for very long, and I’ve never quite figured out why.
Whether it’s because I live in a world of absolute denial or I just have such a crappy memory that I forget the bad stuff, I always know things will get better. Normally I don’t let my optimistic behavior worry me, but I’ve been thinking about this personality quirk of mine this past week, and it’s all because of blogs. I love blogs, and lately they’ve been full of doom and gloom and all the bad things that have happened, are happening now, or will happen eventually whether we want them to or not. I’ve read blogs about depression and fighting out of the black hole that swallows all the joy in the world, I’ve read about the growing lack of civility among people who ought to know better, and I’ve read how the economy is bad and it’s going to get worse and no one will ever sell or buy another book...ever. Definitely depressing, but is it true? Is that all we have to look forward to? I don’t think so...mainly because I can’t think that way. My brain refuses to wrap itself around bad stuff.
Now, I’m not talking about clinical depression which is an actual medical condition that can totally overwhelm a person’s life. I went through a period of depression brought on by medication I was taking and believe me, I never want to go there again. It was dark and scary and my heart goes out to people who deal with that sort of thing on a daily basis. It would definitely suck the life right out of you. No, what I’m referring to is more about attitude, that sense that something good is waiting right around the corner—or something bad.
I always expect something good. I pick up the mail expecting a check, not a bill, and if all I get are bills I KNOW the check will be there tomorrow, and if it doesn’t show up tomorrow, well, it’ll be there the next day, or the next. I have twenty years’ worth of rejection letters from editors who wouldn’t buy my books, but I kept submitting because I just knew that some day, one editor somewhere would love something I wrote...and ya know what? She did! (Sometimes we optimists have to be REAL stubborn, too...)
I love to look for the good in people as well as in life, and I refuse to let the constant bombardment of bad news take that away from me—so call me a Pollyanna or a cock-eyed optimist, or maybe just look and laugh and think I’m a complete idiot existing in a state of utter denial, but at least I’ve always got something to look forward to, because no matter how bad things can get, I know they’ll always get better.
It’s probably why I love romances so much—that happy ending and blissful sense of a love fulfilled fits perfectly with my program. So who are you? Do you expect good things to happen, or is there always a niggling little worry that something terrible is waiting right around the corner? I hope you’re an optimist. We’re not always practical and we’re quite often proven wrong, but I’d rather be blissfully expecting something good right up until the anvil falls, than spend my life expecting something horrible that may or may not ever occur. I guess, in simpler terms, it’s called hope.
Susan Andersen couldn't be here this week, which gave me a chance to invite one of my favorite writer-people to RWQ--Bella Andre is one of those amazing women who never seems to sit still, and yet she's got this amazing sense of calm about her. Okay...so I'm jealous! I'll never pull that off! Bella sent me a short bio to share with you:
Bella Andre has always been a writer. Songs came first, and then non-fiction books, but as soon as she started her first romance novel, she knew she'd found her perfect career. Since selling her first book in 2003, she's written twelve "sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance" (Publisher's Weekly) about sizzling alpha heroes and the strong women they'll love forever. If not behind her computer, you can find her reading, hiking, knitting, or lunching with her favorite romance writing ladies. Bella lives with her fabulous husband and children in both Northern California and a ninety-year-old lakefront log cabin in New York's Adirondacks.
Please welcome Bella Andre:
I'm so thrilled to be guest blogging in the company of such wonderful authors. Thanks so much, Kate, for the invite!
Having just turned my latest book (NEVER TOO HOT, summer 2010) in to my editor last Tuesday, I've been doing some much needed cleaning and filing around the house this past week. (How is it that the accumulated junk in each bedroom ends up filling a full super-sized garbage bag? Not combined, mind you, but one huge overstuffed bag for each room!) As an end-of-book gift to myself, I bought an iphone, and although I haven't quite figured out how to use all the bells and whistles yet, it is quite yummy. I also signed up for something fun - knitter's boot camp. Meeting once a month, we'll be put through our paces with lots of assignments and new techniques. By the end of the eight month course I'll know how to cable!
I only started knitting this summer, but boy am I hooked. I love the feel of the yarn between my fingers and I love watching a creation come to life before my eyes, but there are other benefits to knitting. It's meditative, of course, which is lovely for a type AAA gal like me, but here's the thing no one ever told me: The more I knit, the more I write.
Even better: The more I knit, the better I write.
While I'm currently writing about hot firefighters in my MEN OF FIRE series for Bantam/Dell, rather than knitting (not yet anyway!), it seems that all that hand eye coordination and time spent away from the computer listening to music or chatting with someone while I clickity-clack my needles on my lap must be an ideal way to prime my writing pump. I've always been a big walker/hiker, and after a long walk my fingers tend to fly across the keyboard. I'd hoped to become a great cook and gardener, but after several years of false starts, I think I'm ready to let those go. (Wouldn't hurt if my husband took some cooking classes though. He could feed us all! Fortunately, he's already got a big ol' green thumb.)
Honestly, the knitting-writing connection came as a complete - wonderful - surprise.
So whether you're a writer or not, I'd love to know what activities inspire you to do your best work? Playing tennis? Swimming? Reading a book? Cooking? Dancing? Going to movies? ;-) Bella
In WILD HEAT, the first book in Bella Andre's HOTSHOTS: Men of Fire series, Logan Cain is a firefighter addicted to risk. Maya Jackson, the sultry beauty he never saw coming, targeting him as her number-one suspect in a string of deadly wildfires. But when Maya's life is threatened, Logan vows to protect the woman sworn to bring him down. And as desire ignites, nothing-not the killer fire or the killer hot on their trail-can douse the flames....Allison Brennan called it "a breathtaking, terrific, hot, hot, hot romantic suspense." Brenda Novak said, "WILD HEAT has one sexy firefighter - and a love that burns up the pages." And according to Catherine Coulter the book is "a roller coaster ride. Don't miss it." Look for book 2, HOT AS SIN, Oct 27, 2009.
OBSIDIAN PREY, the newest volume in my Harmony series (the one that I write under my Jayne Castle name) hit stores a couple of weeks ago and landed solidly on the major bestseller lists, including the New York Times. I'm thrilled, of course, but not just for the usual reasons. Sure, I'm delighted that so many people are enjoying the book. But mostly I'm grateful that a lot of my more traditional readers — that would be those who generally won't touch a book that has a futuristic setting, you know who you are — have been willing to give this series a chance. I thank you, one and all. I know how hard it is to follow an author into such a very different fictional landscape.
Steampunk, for example.
What is it, you ask? Good question. I'd never even heard of it until this past year but it turns out I did know about the sub-genre. I just didn't know it had a name. According to Wikipedia, it is a sub-genre of fantasy lit that has been around since the late 1980s. It combines a Victorian sensibility (steam power technology and fashions) with a Jules Verne or Mary Shelley (Frankenstein) twist. Wikipedia, in fact, claims that the fabulous old television show, Wild, Wild West, was an early form of Steampunk.
Now, I was a huge fan of Wild, Wild, West and I freely admit that the series comes to mind on occasion when I am writing my Amanda Quick Arcane Society novels. But until recently I have never been interested in what is called Steampunk fiction because it always seemed way too techy and action/adventure/alternate reality oriented. In other words, I assumed there wouldn't be any romance in it.
But recently a reader wrote to tell me that she thought I was writing something that combined Steampunk with Romance in my Amanda Quick Arcane novels. I panicked, of course. As we all know, I learned my lesson long ago about the dangers of getting too far ahead of the curve when it comes to new sub-genres. I've had enough trouble firing up my Jayne Castle series. The last thing I want to do is discover that I'm writing some kind of new sub-genre in historical romance. Eeek!
So now I need to know the truth: am I writing something that could possibly be labeled Steampunk Romance? And if so, does anyone out there know of anyone else who is doing it? I want names! I want titles of books! I want suggestions about which authors I should try!
Because the dirty little secret here is that if there is such a thing as Steampunk Romance, I think it just might be the sub-genre I've been searching for most of my life....
Today I have Kay Stockham as a special guest. Kay is a good friend, and a mega talented author known for her emotional, romantic stories. Please give her a gigantic Quill welcome!
From Noveltalk - "Kay Stockham creates remarkable romantic tales. She writes beautifully with seeming ease to produce an amazingly heart warming romance that can be rather heart wrenching at times. "
From Cataromance - "...unique and fresh; a story that will capture you right from the beginning."
Thank you, Kay, for joining us!
Thanks Lori, for inviting me!
Today I wanted to talk about sisters.
I have a great sister but growing up I’ll admit we weren’t that close. Nothing bad happened to sever our relationship or anything like that, but my sis is fifteen years older than me and she was married, out of the house and having her own kids before I really understood the concept of sisterhood. My sister was just this great, fun person who came to visit and brought kids (my nephew and niece) to play with me.
In my current release SIMON SAYS MOMMY (Harlequin Superromance), an ill Megan Rose drives to the fictional town of Beauty, Tennessee, to her sister Jennifer’s home, knowing Jenn will not be pleased to see her, that she’ll hate the very sight of Megan. But Megan is out of options. She has $3.23 to her name, is sick and sleeping in her car, and she’s on the run—not that Megan is going to share any of that information with her perfect little newly-wedded sibling. But where better to go than the last place her ex-husband will look?
No, Megan expects Jenn to slam the door in her face. But before anyone cries foul and quotes that blood is thicker than water, let me say that Jenn has VERY good reasons for not wanting her sister around. Megan didn’t play nice growing up, especially during her teen years when she slept with Jenn’s boyfriend. Megan hasn’t been likeable, hasn’t been moral, she hasn’t been what a sister should be but she also has her reasons—and her secrets—for doing the things she did. The question is whether or not Jenn will let her stick around long enough to make amends before Megan is forced to take off again.
That’s where Ethan Tulane comes in. Working as a nanny to Ethan’s newly adopted son not only lets Megan stay in town, it allows her access to Jenn. But when Megan begins to fall for her handsome employer and his child, she proves to everyone how much she’s changed. But how can she move on and have a life of her own when her past finds her once again? When her presence could place Ethan, his son Simon, and Jenn in danger?
I hope you’ll take a moment to visit my website and read an excerpt of SIMON SAYS MOMMY. It’s on shelves now, and is the fourth book in my Tulanes of Tennessee series. To entice you to tell me a little bit about your sister, whether by blood or friendship, I’m offering up an autographed copy of SIMON SAYS MOMMY as a prize.
So tell us—what’s your sister like? Is she syrupy sweet? Does she have an ornery side? Would you care to share some stories?
Kay Stockham
The Tulanes of Tennessee series-Five ways to fall in love! HER BEST FRIEND'S BROTHER, March 2009 SIMON SAYS MOMMY, September 2009 - AVAILABLE NOW!!! SHE'S THE ONE, March 2010 www.kaystockham.com
It's snowing in the Cascades (one of our mountain ranges), the wind is roaring around, rain belts across the terrace playing fast and loose with my roses and I hear the distant grumble of thunder.
Yeah, it's Labor Day!
All of my neighbors are tuning up their grills--I can smell the blackening meaty treats and see puffs of smoke struggling up through the damp only to dissipate in the wind. Never mind, I haven't seen any lightning yet although that thunder could mean...
But I don't live in Cape Cod so I don't have to worry about great white sharks eating people off the beach. Hey, things are good.
And I don't live on Ventura Boulevard in Los Angeles so my car isn't floating down the street.
As far as I can tell, I have not had a bear in my kitchen eating ice cream out of my freezer, either.
I'm feeling better with every passing minute. I might even celebrate, in fact, I will do that--if I can think of something kind of celebratory to do.
My friends, can you suggest the perfect way for me to spend Labor Day? I've already practiced sneezing into my elbow so I'm bored with that now.
I know I’ve written about online social networking before, but when you don’t get out much, online can be the greatest link a person’s got to the world outside. Needless to say, with my nutty schedule, I don’t get out much! I made the mistake of checking my calendar this week—generally I only concentrate on the project at hand, but I needed to do some long-term planning—and I’m still trying to recover from the shock. I’ve got a novel due November 1, a novella due in January, Wolf Tales 11 due in February, another 120,000 word novel due May 1, Wolf Tales 12 due in July and the fourth of my DemonSlayers novels due the next November, which might explain to you why I was so freaked out on Wednesday about losing an entire day trying to figure out how to enter my “snail mail” list in a database so I could make address labels without inputting them one address at a time.
I struggled with it all day long—I mean, I KNEW there had to be a simple way to manage my messy list that was saved as a Word document, but for the life of me I couldn’t figure it out. I finally reached my breaking point and shut the whole thing down, went to my Facebook site and whimpered about being a complete incompetent. Within minutes I had an offer from one of my readers / Facebook friends to do it for me. No problem, she said. It’s really simple. Obviously, after banging my head against a brick wall all day,the last thing I wanted to hear was how simple it was, but I was desperate. I sent Kay my list and went back to working on HellFire, which I should have spent the day doing anyway. Not half an hour—yep that’s right—just thirty frickin’ minutes—later, Kay sent me a perfectly organized Excel spreadsheet AND the address labels all formatted for printing. For her, it WAS a really simple thing, but you can’t imagine how relieved I was to have that blasted list all arranged perfectly after so many hours of frustration. The point of my post, though, is that a woman I’ve met only once, very briefly at a Romantic Times conference a few years ago, came through in an emergency and saved my butt. If not for social networking and the ability to connect with so many people, I’d still be knocking my head against hard objects.
That’s not my only example of finding help through Facebook or MySpace—two of my beta readers, both fantastically critical and able to spot all kinds of things in a manuscript—came from MySpace. When I was almost through with JR Ward’s latest hardcover and discovered a missing page, a Facebook friend scanned and emailed pages 361 and 362 within moments of my primal scream. I’ve met wonderful readers through blogs—including this one—and we’ve continued our correspondence and friendship well beyond the blogosphere.
Our social structure is evolving.
Lately there have been a lot of articles critical of how social networking harms the basics of society, but in many cases, I have to disagree—for those of us whose jobs tie us to our offices and computers, social networking, email and blogging keep us connected to the rest of the world. I can’t imagine my life without my online connections (though I’ll admit, I still haven’t gone over to Twitter!) or the friends I’ve made in cyberspace.
What about you? Do you count your online friends as real friends? Do you find that when you meet in real life you get along as well as you do online? I really want to hear your stories!
Oh, and a PS: Jayne, I started Obsidian Prey this morning. Do you have ANY IDEA how much I’d rather be reading your book than working on mine? It’s wonderful!
SHARP TEETH
2009 Contest:
