An author's life~by Joanne Jaytanie

As I previously mentioned in my last post, Never Say Never, I was invited to write in the collection, Christmas at Mistletoe Lodge with nine other incredible authors. We've all pulled together and promoted our collection for the past two months. Our efforts paid off, and the collection quickly made it into the Amazon Best Sellers lists. It’s been a real pleasure working with these women. I’ve learned a great deal from them, and I feel fortunate to have gotten to know each of them. I would join any one of them in future collections.



The Emerald City Writers Conference was held a week ago. Jacquolyn McMurray and I taught our first writers’ workshop. We discussed the pros and cons of writing in a collection. I would be remiss if I didn't say thank you to Jacquolyn for learning PowerPoint. It provided us with a great outline and a handout for the attendees.  

I attended Passport 2 Romance, hosted by Greater Seattle Romance Writers. This is my favorite event of the year. The event takes place in a hotel ballroom, and the line of readers waiting to get into Passport 2 Romance grows each year. What makes this event special is that authors are not allowed to sell. Everything we bring is to be given away. It puts everyone at ease and enables authors to chat with the attendees. 

The authors of the Christmas collection put together a huge basket and we raffled it off. The winner of the basket told me it weighed 31 pounds! 










This past Saturday, I attended my second book signing at the Kitsap Mall for National Book Month. It’s a nice feeling to meet local people and to chat with author friends that I haven’t seen much of lately. 

Best of all, I was thrilled and honored to be awarded the winner of The Emerald City-Greater Seattle RWA Best Blurb Contest for Published work with Salvaging Truth, Hunters & Seekers, Book 1.

The life of an author isn't just about writing. It's about networking, building friendships, learning, and giving back to the community. It's about celebrating our colleague’s wins and comforting a friend when they need extra support. Yes, writing is a solitary occupation, but it is also a community, and the friendships you build along the way are priceless.

To read my past blogs and to find out about my books go to my personal page.

Until next time…

Joanne