Happy 11-11-11! Here are the 11 ways SOCIAL media rocked my world this year 🙂
1. It hooked me up with the most incredible group of authors that became true friends and it all started at the YA Indie Carnival!
2. This lead to The Paranormal Plumes Society.
3. And lead to The Pacific Northwest YA Authors after we manned a booth at Wordstock.
4. And, I only published Winnemucca last July! It’s only been 6 months 🙂
5. If it wasn’t for these amazing groups of authors, I wouldn’t have known how to go about publishing my books, ebooks or otherwise.
6. Because of these amazing groups of authors, I created a paperback version of Winnemucca and 13 on Halloween. Because of the tours we all went on, I needed to have something to sign, right?
7. I visited the lovely city of Savannah, GA where we had our haunted book tour!
8. I was interviewed on TV, for a live Mid-Morning show and made a friend for life in the amazing Nichole Chase. We’ll never forget the day we actually met fact-to-face!
9. I bought rain boots, real cute ones with owls on them:) Because a girl can’t go on The Rain Boots Required Tour without them!
10. I pulled my car away from a gas tank before I was done pumping gas. Yeah, I was a little tweaky and lost after I left the Portland Convention Center for the first time. And those guys in OR pump your gas for you. My. Bad.
11. I even discovered the joys of VooDoo doughnuts–I can’t tell you my favorite, but Angela and Stacey know which one it is. What happens at Wordstock, stays at Wordstock, right ladies?
I always smile when I read articles on “Social media.” It seems like the articles are really focused on the media part, and the “how-to’s” and sort of clinical. They kind of ignore the social part. I mean seriously! I couldn’t have been more social this year if I tried! These gals have completely inspired me, made my belly ache so hard I couldn’t laugh any more, and they even help me brave the streets of Savannah on its most haunted weekend and the ghosts of the most haunted house I’ve ever been in. We have inspired each other and ate at great long tables together, drinking glasses of blue slush while we all told amazing stories. This all happened because we went on Twitter or Facebook or whatever it was that hooked us up and we clicked “follow” or “friend.” I wish there was a button for what happens next.
ON A PERSONAL NOTE: Many of you have been so kind to me and my family when we went through our tough time in June when our nephew was wounded in Afghanistan. And I thought Veterans Day would be a great time to give you an update. Nothing inspires me quite like my nephew Cody and his fiance Katy. And, despite Cody’s tangle with an IED in Afghanistan, Katy and Cody are going to the Marine Ball in Vegas, baby! And Katy is rocking an extremely hot dress too BTW! And heels to match. At 20 and 21 they have come through the hardest of times. Semper Fi. Much gratitude to you all for your thoughts and prayers. As you can tell, they made a huge difference and not a day goes by that I don’t think about the outpouring of love you showed Cody, Katy and our family. Thank you.
What a great reminder of how social media is meant to be fun — not just another tool in our marketing arsenal.
Right? Right? It really is. And I didn’t even count all the recipes and jokes and stuff! Thanks for swinging by Madeline:) I love the carnival!
I love this! You’re so right– Social Media has totally rocked our worlds. I met YOU that way!! Hugs!
I know! And I can’t wait to meet-meet you in FL! They should have an App for that:) HILARIOUS. I’m so excited about your books too, Courtney. Way to go, amiga!
Fantastic post, Laura! It’s funny how different our ideas were for the 11/11/11 theme today. Mine is about disaster movies!!
I love the variety! It’s so fun to mix it up. You give two people the same writing prompt and look what great stuff happens! I LOVE MOVIES! I’m heading over to read all about it now. I’m so happy that social media lead me to you books too! Lovely writing!
Isn’t amazing how something as “insignificant” as Twitter can lead to amazing relationships and circumstances? Love this post…. and your rain boots. I think I may need to get a pair.
Right? That’s what’s so funny. You never know what clicking on that icon or pressing “follow” will lead to:) hee-hee If it wasn’t for Twitter, I wouldn’t have met M. And if it wasn’t for M., I never would have met you! I feel so lucky that y’all are part of the wolfpack:) It’s freaking amazing. *group hug* Thanks for stopping by, Dani!
Reading this, I’m reminded what a social media inspiration you are!
Right back atchya, girlfriend:) It really is incredible how one thing leads to another leads to another….;)
Love it! I too have been so overwhelmingly blessed by the amazing authors and bloggers met through social media. It’s WAY WAY awesome and fun!
Hee-hee right? Now, if only I could use these words in my word count for the day:) *total slacker*
HA HA! I was thinking the same thing when i wrote my post this morning 🙂
Awesome! And I agree 100%–what an amazing thing this process is–congrats on all the success (and new friends) and much much more for 2012 🙂
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