Mutual Desire
Dragonfyre
Mesmerized
I’m so pleased to have Stephanie Tyler guest blogging again. If you haven’t read the books in her uber awesome Hard to Hold books, then you are certainly missing out on the hunkiest of military men – SEALs! I can’t say enough about these books or Stephanie.
Thanks to Donna for having me back on her blog!
So, today I was thinking about online friendships…you know, the non-online world always looks at me kind of funny when I tell them that Larissa Ione and I met through an online writer’s group. Like, they think, what if she’s crazy or something and you don’t know?
Well, she is, but the good kind of crazy. 
A lot of my writer friendships started and continue online (case in point – Donna!) I love going into bookstores or see someone reading a book from an author I know from online – it makes me want to yell out, I know her!
Okay, sometimes I do say it. I try not to yell, but hey, I’m a total fangirl, even with those authors I know. It’s just so cool to spot books by friends, to have them on my shelves (and say, I know her, I know her, I know her too) when non-writing friends go through my shelves looking for something to read.
I’ve noticed that readers who’ve met online form the same kind of friendships. You know, sometimes the anonymity of the internet can make people mean – say things they’d never, ever say to a person face to face – but I’ve seen it bring out the best in people as well, especially the online romance community. We may not always agree, but when it’s time to band together for something, man, we can’t be beat.
What about you – have you formed friendships online with readers / writers that you think are as true as real life friendships? Let me know with a comment for a chance to win any book from my backlist (including the first two Navy SEAL trilogy books and the blazes) in honor of today’s release of Book 3 in the trilogy, Hold On Tight.
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I definitely enjoy all the romance blogs that I follow and have bantered with other romance lovers but I wouldn’t go as far as to call any of them “friendships,” there’s definitely camraderie and I look forward to their comments so that’s good enough for me
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[...] guest blogging at several places today, all with giveaways. Come visit me at Seductive Musings, Donna Grant’s Blog and Fresh [...]
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unfortunately I have not developed any friendships with online people or authors. I would love too and I think they could be just like a real life friendship
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Hey, Steph!! Happy Release Day to you and Chris!! YEAH!! Now, damnit, if I could just FIND him, lol. I’m on the hunt!!
And YES, I have made so many wonderful friends online ~~ some that have lasted for years and years ~~ Fatin being a case in point. I met her SO many years ago, on the AOL folders ~~ remember those? LOL, she hooked me on some of the romance greats, and remains my go to guru on all things books today!! But I can honestly say I’ve met wonderful women all over the coutry writers and readers alike I’ve come to love online ~~ it’s truly a community like no other.
Don’t enter me ~~ I’ve got just about ALL your books, but had to stop by and chat!!
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I have met a lot of friends online that like to read the kinds of books I like to read. I have been introdced to some authors that I have yet to read through these friends. I enjoy reading some of the blogs when I have time.
I really like to read Stephanie’s books and who doesn’t like to read about those SEALS?
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Great topic!!! And congrats on release day!!! and Larissa is so sweet!!! i had my first fangirl moment with her and my blog. LOL she is great!!!
i have to say i have met many wonderful people on blogs/twitter/yahoo groups!. i have met some really great authors *wink wink @Donna) that are just a hoot to chat with! Ive also met some wonderful readers alike *wink wink @ dangerous women group* i have even started a few blogs with a couple of these people. What is the meaning of friendship? to me its not being able to see someone face to face, doesn’t mean hanging out together. To me it means someone i can talk to , be it via twitter, blogs, emails, or in person. Someone i can share interests with, have a laugh with. I have met so many great people with the same interest in reading and blogging, and look forward to meeting more!!!
JoJo
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Hey Stehanie, happy release day!!
What a great post, and it so happens I have met so many enthusiastic reader blogs and the people that run them. True to their desire for romance I’ve met some awesome authors and wonderful books through them. It feels like a true friendship when you seem them daily on their blogs.
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I have not formed any friendships like that, yet. I dont feel that I have been online and following long enough. But there are people and posts and sites I enjoy reading. And I do feel that friendships can be formed this way.
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Yes, there are one or two people that I’ve chatted with off the blog via email that is the start of what I hope will be real friendships. But I really haven’t been following blogs up until a few months ago so at this point it’s just cool seeing familiar names at the blogs I do visit.
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Hi Steph,
Happy Release Day. I haven’t formed any friendships, but I have exchanged a few friendly emails with some fellow bloggers and authors.
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Happy release day! I have met some great friends online, some of them really are as true as real life friends.
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I have definitely made some on-line friends through our common love of books, both through Facebook and blogs. Author Christy Reece blogs every Monday and several of the same people show up to chat about what we’ve read the previous week. (Stephanie, your new series comes up A LOT!)
Some of those same people are now FB friends and we chat now, not just about books but tv shows, family, etc. For someone who works full time with kids and is a mom, it’s a great chance to spend time with other adults. BTW, bought Chris’s story today during my lunchtime. Can’t wait ot get started!
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Happy Release Day Stephanie!! Very excited for you, this is an awesome series!
I have been lucky to have made 2 great online relationships with authors. Realize that their lives are not much different then mine, just the job
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Hi Stephanie, again congrats to you today on your release!! I ‘ve made a few friends online but only in the last few months. I’ve actually only been reading writer’s blogs and interacting with authors and readers for about 4 months. I will say everyone is verrry friendly!! I can’t really see making friends who would be as close to me as my long time friends. I could be wrong. Thanks, Sue
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congrats on your release stephanie!
i don’t think i’ve been blogging long enough to form that are as true as my true life friendships but i’ve some very very nice bloggers. also, i’ve recently gotten my courage up for contacting authors (who are celebrities in my eyes!) to do Q&As for my blog and they were really nice with replying back and saying yes
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I have made tons of friends online thru blogs or the yahoo reading groups. Since none of my close friends or family enjoys reading I love having my online friends to talk books with. And on some of the groups I belong to we talk about everything so yes I do feel friendships with my online friends.
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Congrats on the new release!
I have made connections with authors and others. They have been meaningful connections in that at times they have offered support and been uplifting. But I do feel that these connections have their limitations. I’m not sure how they’d feel if I showed up uninvited to their house for dinner. But that’s is not to say others haven’t made a deep friendship this way.
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Yes, I have made some new friends via the internet. I think overall the people in the romance community are all great people. We all enjoy books so we have a lot in common.
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Happy release day! :) I’m mostly a Twitter person, and have reached out to a couple of writers that have replied back (yey!), but I don’t think that qualifies as a real-life friendship, haha. But I’ve been part of fandoms that can be mean, petty, and just nasty, so the romance community is a welcome breath of fresh air. :)
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Congratulations Stephanie on the release.
You are a new to me Author but I am glad I found you here because the books sound like what I would love reading. Gotta love those Special Ops men. :) Through the years I have made many friends with readers and Authors alike. I think it’s a great way to sociaize with others when you share the same interests such as Reading, reading and reading :)
Thanks for sharing .
Carol L.
Lucky4750@aol.com
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Congratz on your awesome trilogy and release day of Hold On Tight
It is five years ago already that I met a couple of wicked gals on a message board and we instantly bonded in our love for romance. We were together when we discovered many new authors in their native English language and then a bookfair happened. Me and one of the group hooked up and that was to this month, four years ago. We had many moment of recognition in each other’s behavior as a book-addict as well as the discovery of each other’s unique quirks. Perhaps you recognize the name of Marissa who joined me at that bookfair. Later on that year Pearl joined the club and my sister Ashleagh. Over the years it is books that bonded us but from this foundation real life and its ups and downs strengthens the friendship. One day we hope to realize a mutual dream of going to the RT convention…you think America will be ready by then to let the Dutch posse of book-addicts in? I know I am more then ready
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I have met a friend through our mutual love of books on paperbackswap.com. I noticed quite a few books I had posted were going to the same person and I buddied her on the site. We ended up chatting online and then talking on the phone. Last spring she flew up from Memphis to visit me here in Buffalo and in April I am flying down to visit her.
I love the way a lot of authors interact with their readers, it’s awesome to know we’re as appreciated as we appreciate the authors. I don’t know what I’d do without my books, they’re my escape at the end of a tough day.
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Hi Steph!
Some of my closest friends were met online. Some I have met face-to-face, others I haven’t but either way, many of them are part of my family.
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Hi Steph Congrats on your release!! I haven’t formed any great online friendships yet due to the fact that I just started blogging. I follow a lot of amazing authors online and really enjoy joining in on the discussions!
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Hey everyone! Sorry I am (quite) late to the party :) The past 48 hours have been a blur – altho a good one.
Thanks for all the release day congrats and for sharing your stories of online friendships and bonding. Even if it’s just an email communication now and again, I just think it’s cool how we’re met people we might not ever have otherwise, you know?
Kara C – I had a TOTAL Christy Reece fangirl moment on her facebook page earlier when she mentioned me…you have no idea – she is like one of my favorite authors – she got me with her very first book and I’m so excited for her trilogy :)
Okay, I’m not sure if I’m supposed to pick here (I don’t think Donna will yell at me tho :) but I will…so, the winner is Leontine!!! I picked using random.org, and I did not count my pingback as a number, just for the curious. She was #20 out of #23 comments based on my counting.
I don’t know why I gave you a tome on that, but hey…
Leontine, can you head over to my site and contact me from there? Stephanietyler.com – and let me know your choice of book :)
Thanks everyone!!!!
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I haven’t yet but think it entirely possible and probable. I have only gotten into the blogs, and groups and other stuff about a year ago and have somewhat phased in and out with the amount of time I have.
I believe that it is very possible for an online friendship to be real and true, sometimes that’s how a friendship is maintained.