One of the coolest things about blogging is the awesome network of friends that you get to make. My teenagers think its hilarious that I talk about my blogging/blog reader buddies all the time. "Mum you talk about them and the funny things they say as if they're REAL people! Mums living in a virtual illusion world with fake friends haha." And I whine, "But they are real people and they say the funniest/coolest/most insightful things, honest!" Maybe only other bloggers will truly understand what I'm talking about...sigh.
I have friends now, met through the blog world, that I text and email regularly,Tweet daily, share recipes and baking disasters with ( and rugby player pics with), commiserate about children with, friends that I turn to for inspiration and fun. Some of these blogger friends are even helping to plan the Samoa book launch. We are all writing/reading from different parts of the globe but blogging makes it possible for us to 'hang out' and talk about anything and everything. Some bloggers are on their own book publishing journeys and its a buzz to see their progress towards that finished manuscript and book deal. Some blog readers have become the people I most look forward to tweeting with because they are hilarious and when I need a break from my crazy day, I know I can check in with them and they will be talking about more reasons why they think Daniel (in the Telesa book) should be singing to THEM in the moonlight. ( Yeah, Wedgyna and Tim, you know who you are! lol) I learn so much from my blog friends and readers. And they have been so supportive with my TELESA book. Like...
Today at The Write Obsession book reviewer and author/blogger Lan is sharing her experience with reading Telesa. Lan is an Australian writer who loves The Hunger Games series as much as I do ( maybe more) and always has insightful conversations happening on her blog. She's giving away TWO print copies of TELESA so head over there and be in to win yours!
So today, I want to come out of the virtual closet and announce with pride, "Yes, it's true - I am a woman with more virtual online friends than 'real life' ones. Thank you everyone for making the internet such an awesome place to hang out. Thank you for being a 'blog-buddy', a 'tweep', a FB fun-maker...You rock." (and yes, now my teenagers will have more ammunition to mock me with, aaargh.)
How about you? Are you hanging your head in shame as your children tease you about your blogworld virtual friends? Is your partner getting jealous of all the time you spend reading/chatting on blogs everywhere? (Please tell me that I'm not the only person with such a shameful secret.)