Monday, December 6, 2010

Let's connect

Hello World (has anyone heard Sal Masakela song for yo gabba gabba?)

One of the places I love to hang out besides your blogs is eHarlequin and we have different forums where we the writers and the authors can connect, ask questions and basically be there for each other.
So in an effort to get to know each other better(think of this as speed dating), leave a comment and tell me about yourselves. The essence of today's exercise for me and any other interested parties is to network with my followers, I'm not just interested in gaining followership, I want to have a meaningful connection with those I already have; I'll go first.

Hi, my name is Joanna
I write Contemporary Romance and I'm toying with chic lit
I took my brave 1st step and submitted to the harlequin med. romance fast track
I have a requested partial with an editor as a result
I have 3 other works in the pipeline for edits and
I have wanderlust.

That wasn't so bad was it?, its your tun now.
In other news, our interrogation room with Author/Editor Clarissa Yip was a huge success. To win a copy of her book the comments section will be left open till Friday when 2 lucky winners will be chosen.
The harlequin fast-track opportunity for "So You Think You Can Write" closes December 15th, you will get feedback by Jan 31st in the latest.
I swear I went in

If I can buy one wardrobe space in this richman's playground I woun't have to pay taxes again. The first commercial fiction I read was set in Monaco - The tax exile


I went back to Monaco last month, only to find out the interesting art only showed up in the summer

31 comments:

  1. Okay, here I go! I'm Amie. I live in Melbourne, Australia, and I know exactly what you mean about wanderlust. This year I've spent time in China, Vietnam and New Zealand. For 2011 I've already got trips to New York, Italy and Spain lined up. I've promised my husband that'll be all there is! Hmmm.
    I write classic style middle grade and I'm revising to query in around February. I love sailing, keeping my veggie garden alive(ish), reading, music and my very tolerant husband!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hmmm... Me in a nutshell?

    I live in New Hampshire but wish it were the Bahamas (or anywhere they don't get snow).

    I've never been outside the USA unless you count Mexico (I don't).

    I love pretty much every living critter (I even scoop up spiders and put them outside, except in the winter -- they'd DIE out there! -- so they can live in my house until spring. Yes, really ... I put them in the basement.)

    I'm a freak about eating right and as naturally as possible, I prefer holistic medical treatments and so far that's working for me.

    I write, therefore I am.

    I have a husband, a daughter a cat and a dog. In the summer, I have dozens of caterpillars as pets, but sadly they grow up and fly away every year.

    I have a warped sense of humor, leaning toward the sarcastic and twisted, but manage to keep it in check most of the time.

    I talk to everyone -- salepeople, waitresses, people on the street. Despite that, I'm actually painfully shy.

    Is that enough? *G*

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Jo,
    Me in a nutshell? well I was born in Calgary, Canada and came over here when I was 2yrs. I live with hubby and two lovely cats in Devon, UK. I like to write, I'm game for most genres and I love to design websites and blog stuff.I used to be a SLT, but shhh, don't tell everyone. I also design soft sculpted cloth figures and I'm a Pisces so always daydreaming and very creative. :O)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oooh great to meet you!! Congratulations with your submissions and requests from the editor!! Wow!! Well done you!! Thanks for the pics too - Monaco looks like fun! I'm gonna youtube Sal Masakela to hear this if I can!!!

    Me? I live with my cat and write rubbish poetry and even more rubbishy stories and have been on/off editing this one blasted ms since forever!! Have I said I love cats (and all non-bipeds even arachnids (from far far far away!!) ??!:-) Take care
    x

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi,

    You know me, hee hee, and like you I have a partial out + full: no news on either.

    I did follow the forums on M&B for a long while, but the M&B one kept playing up and I gave up. When H updated its web site my profile got fouled along with several other followers and we all gave up on that, too.

    I posted up 2 chaps of a historical I'm thinking of going Indie with! To be honest I'm sick of subbing when a novel could be out there in the market place and all in the time it takes to get past partial sub stage let alone full submit and possible year long re-writes etc. :O
    best
    F

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hmmm...I always find it hard to talk about myself, so let's see what I can throw out there ;). I'm a Pisces and proud of it. I've lived in many states, as well as overseas. I loooove anything nature related. I'm an eye doc (optometrist), but although I maintain my license, I haven't practiced in the past several years. Thanks to my DH, I've been able to stay home for my kids, and write (a lifelong dream) when they're at school or sleeping. And...I'm currently targeting Harlequin's Superromance line. Whew! Catching my breath...:)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi I’m Maria Zannini, of ‘Zombie chicken’ and ‘dogs of epic proportion’ fame.

    I write romance with splashes of SF, fantasy and mysticism.

    2 books have been published so far. Touch Of Fire and True Believers. A third book, Apocalypse Rising comes out in May.

    I blog about writing, networking and my homesteading misadventures--all happening live on six acres in the middle of nowhere.

    My neighbors are lions. And my dogs hog the bed.

    So far…I am still alive.

    ReplyDelete
  8. You want to know about ME? My favorite subject!
    I'm a beginner, contemporary romance with a suspense twist. Lots of stuff started, some even halfway done. WAY not ready to put it out there.
    I'm kind of a homebody, and Kentucky is beautiful, although I love the ocean, too.
    In real life I'm a scientist!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Nice photos.

    I love going to sites where I can connect with other writers. I have a place I go to as well. I think we need to connect with writers that write the same genre. Great post.

    CD

    ReplyDelete
  10. Good luck on your partials!

    Yeah, I'm totally a wanderluster too. Live in Japan. And I've been good about staying here this year. Last year I left 7 times. Next year isn't looking that much better right now.

    lol.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Good luck on your partials!!

    I am Kimber Leszczuk
    I live in Ohio and have my entire life!
    I have had an erotic short story published in Playgirl under a pen name
    I have done ghost writing for a doctor in Columbus, Ohio
    I am currently working on a paranormal romance but am not yet ready to query.
    I have a science fiction children's picture book ready to query.

    :)

    I love to make people laugh.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love the photos!
    I'm Carol Kilgore.
    I live in Texas, but I've lived in lots of places with my military husband.
    I love to make people laugh.
    I've written a lot of things, but now I write mostly flash fiction and novels.
    One day one of my novels will sell.
    Please wish me good luck.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I love the e-Harlequin forums too.

    And. Wait. You don't already know all about me?! :-) About the only thing you don't know, I think, is that I have a fear of heights and I dislike any foods with cooked apples.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Just the mention of Monaco gave me an idea. The Gambling King. Did you think mafia? No, it would be medieval, all the more reason to laugh.
    LOL

    My name is Nancy R. Williams
    I write high fantasy and short fantasy. (Not Urban, I guess my voice is too nice.) Another LOL moment.
    My high fantasy, The Treasures of Carmelidrium, will be available on Amazon kindle before the end of December.
    I live in Colorado, USA
    I've been married to a cone head for 28 years. Which makes me a cone head expert.
    I have two grown, but not necessarily mature, daughters.
    My daughters have each given me a grandchild. One boy the other girl, both are 3 years old.
    Since my brain is still asleep that's all I can come up with now.
    Nancy
    N. R. Williams, fantasy author

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wow your progress is great!! Congrats!
    Beautiful pictures too!
    Hi!! I'm new and so glad I found you!
    I write YA fiction. One is done, almost done being polished, one rough draft that needs some cleaning and a few others that are just there for when the first two are done!
    Nice to meet you!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hello, my name is Lia and I’m an aspiring author who just submitted my first book (in late October) for publishing. I read everything, and so I write everything although most of my writing has some level of suspense. I love animals and one day plan on having my own animal rescue center. I just joined the unpaid staff of a book review site, so between that, writing, and my full time job as a waitress in a busy pizza place, I doubt I’ll have time to sleep.

    ReplyDelete
  17. This is so much fun!

    Hello, my name is Patricia A. Timms. I write YA paranormal and fantasy. I queried my first novel for several months this year and got two partial requests. One came back form rejected, the other came back with this comment, "I really enjoyed the premise but I had a hard time connecting." This led me to believe I needed to jump from 3rd to 1st person which I've learned I write much better. I have a writing group called Write-A-Tat-Tat and we all just participated in NaNo with 80% of us winning. I am looking forward to querying again in the New Year. In the meantime I'm having a great time blogging and writing. I'm also a mom of three and a wife.

    It's been great reading everyone's comments. Thanks Joanna for the opportunity. My husband was DJ Lance from Yo Gabba Gabba for Halloween and the kids just loved it. One mom asked if she could hire him for a birthday party. Too funny! He even had teenagers high-fiving him because they saw DJ Lance at Cochella this year. Ha! Gotta love it!

    ReplyDelete
  18. My name is Kari White.
    I live in Minnesota (brrr!).
    I'm a beginner, currently writing an urban fantasy. I'm married to a man I dated for 11 years. We have 2 dogs who keep me sane.

    I love to write, read, bake, play games and watch movies. Fun fact: when reading a scary book, I feel better at night if I put it in a plastic bag in the freezer.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I call myself The Golden Eagle, because I love birds pf prey.
    I live in the USA.
    I am Asian.
    I am currently writing a SF novel that I *hope* to finish by the end of 2010 (although that's getting more and more unlikely).
    I hope to be published, someday--hopefully with the novel I'm currently working on!

    ReplyDelete
  20. This looks fun!
    My name is Clarissa Yip.
    I currently live in New York for the next few months until wanderlust bites me and I move again.
    I lived in Hawaii, California, and New York, so I travel between the three alot, but I plan to find a new home soon. How's Italy?
    I'm allergic to the sun, but also scared of the cold. (I look tan, but I really want to be pale.)
    I'm a contemporary romance author/editor
    And I have nothing in the WIP department, but hopefully after the New Year's I'll find some 'me' time.

    Clarissa Yip
    http://clarissayip.com

    ReplyDelete
  21. LOVE Picasso - I went to a display of his in Seattle a while ago and was mesmerized.

    I write mostly women's fiction, fun stuff.
    I have 7 completed projects, only ONE of which is ready to query because instead of polishing - I continue to write.
    For me, it's all about the characters, I have a storyline but it changed as I get to know my characters so that's where my stories start.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I write science fiction and fantasy. I have had one story rejected so far, so I am going to edit / rewrite and re-submit in the new year. I am going to concentrate on short fiction in 2011 while working on the outline for my fantasy trilogy (The Forester). I need to find one or more crit partners or a writing group who know what they are talking about!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hi Joanna, congrats on your partial success so far, ha ha, more to come!

    Gidday, my name is Denise Covey, who blogs as L'Aussie.
    I have trouble controlling the travel bug. Lonely Planet is my favourite series, ha ha.
    I've seen most every nook and cranny of Australia and New Zealand, as well as most of Western Europe - including England, Scotland and Ireland. Love France so much I lived there for 6 months in 2008 and would love to buy a rental property there but can't stand legal work!
    Am planning a month overseas in May. Thinking Western France, Northern Spain, Portugal (haven't been there) and Morocco. Got any suggestions for moi? I want to see the US but they probably won't allow me in because of WikiLeaks, ha ha.
    I have written two novels, one a M&B style romance which I'm still toying with, and another women's fiction started on NaNo but 20,000 extra words to go. It'll take a year to edit.
    Meanwhile I publish short stories. Just cracked a market I've been trying to get into for ages, so am very happy. First story in this mag comes out next Feb/March.
    Also publish travel articles in Aussie mags. Love that. Wish they would pay me to travel. Looking into that.
    Love blogging, so have 5 blogs, one on Paris of course!

    Oh, and by the way I have just created my very own L'Aussie Fair Dinkum Award and you, Joanna, are my first recipient. Please come by and pick it up if you haven't already!

    See ya,
    Denise

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hi, my name's Nas and I live in a small Island nation of the South Pacific, where the weather is always warm!
    I live with my husband and teen daughter, although a stepson lives nearby with two children.
    I have two cats who follow me everywhere.
    For the first time I subbed in Medical fast track but got rejected...so still writing now! I have not given up!
    I love visiting blogs and being chatty online but I'm painfully shy around people.

    Joanna, good luck with your submissions and the photos are awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hi Joanna, lovely post and it brought back wonderful memories of a day spent in Monarco a few years back (cold white wine and a hot sun = gorgeous memories).

    Alrighty then, my name is Elissa Graham and in this incarnation I write Romance (currently working on a single title) but in another incarnation I write YA and for children.

    I've done some travel - enough to whet the appetite but no where near enough to satisfy.

    I live in Australia where it is currently quite wet.

    I only started blogging a few months ago but I am totally addicted to it now.

    And in the not too distant future I plan on becoming Mrs George Clooney and I will call Lake Como home and only appear for red carpet events and refuse to do interviews with anyone except Barbara Walters and my husband will gush about me in the most romantic way possible.

    Oh, and I have a very active imagination (ya think?)

    ReplyDelete
  26. I write YA (young adult); my WIP is my stab at dystopian, but is probably post-apocalyptic instead.
    My last novel was a stab at light sci-fi--my FIFTEENTH novel.
    On my light sci-fi, I've gotten 2 fulls rejected and 1 left to hear on, out in agentland.
    I'm not a traveling gal. Haven't been east of Reno, NV. Mostly a West Coast person up to this point in my life.

    ReplyDelete
  27. A partial requested? Nice!
    As for me, I write speculative fiction -- What if? stories that might be humorous or horrific, depending on where the story takes me. And I dabble in Sci-Fi, too. I'm a full-time jr. high English teacher and a part-time writer: teacher by day, writer by night. I've been writing since I was 12, but I had my first short story published this year. Guess I should have started getting my work out there sooner!
    in medias res

    ReplyDelete
  28. Congrats on the partials Joanna. I've been to Monaco twice, did you visit the Japanese garden there, it's very nice?

    I've lived all over, starting in UK. Au pair in Paris, TEFL teacher in Austria, lived 4 yrs in NZ before moving to Canada over 2 yrs ago now.

    I write mostly rhyming pbs, although I'm leaning towards poetry now and I'm currently writing a rhyming MG novel. (At least I think it's MG, we'll see) I have lots of poems/short stories out on submission.

    Nice to get to know you better Joanna and this is a really great idea.
    Catherine

    ReplyDelete
  29. ...'lovin the feel good post!

    Many congrats on your partials, and wishing you the best of luck...onward with your journey:)

    EL

    ReplyDelete
  30. My name is Rachel Ope Morgan.

    I work as an Admin/HR manager for a firm. I absolutely love writing. I write YA, Mainstream, Chic Lit fiction. My mainstream fiction work is still a WIP entitled The Wildebeest Within. I also want to expand into Paranormal fiction and Romance fiction. I'm participating in the Harlequin contest as the manuscript i send will be my first serious take on romance fiction.

    I'm taking my time in sending work to editors as i want my works to be near perfection, so i guess, this will be my first work sent to Harlequin. This is causing unusual goosebumps to form on my body.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Congrats on the partials! And this is a great idea, hope I'm not too late:
    I'm Deniz, from Turkey and Canada, and I write historical romance and MG/YA
    My completed MG is seeking an agent and I'm on the way to finalizing my historical romance.
    I need a vacation - or at least a few days in bed, just reading :-)

    ReplyDelete

I'd love to hear what you have to say, so go on & make my day