By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills
This may be your first DiAnn Mills’ blog since subscribing to my weekly posts. Last week I announced an incredible giveaway as a celebration of my new romantic suspense novel DEEP EXTRACTION. The random drawing is for all blog subscribers as of 1:00 p.m. Central on Thursday, April 13.
Take a look at these fantastic prizes!
- 1st Place – Apple iPad Mini 2 (32GB WiFi)
- 2nd Place – FBI lunch kit filled with yummy Texas shaped chocolates and a personalized copy of Deep Extraction
- 3rd Place – $50. Amazon Gift Card and a personalized copy of Deep Extraction
- 4th Place – FBI K9 Dog with an FBI cold beverage container and a personalized copy of Deep Extraction
- 5th Place – Personalized copy of Deep Extraction, FBI pen, and Crime Scene Band-Aids
This week, I want to talk briefly about our friendship. Social media is about relationships, not just about recognizing a name or a post.
I have four reasons to reach out to you:
- To offer knowledge about something that interests you or answers a question.
- To offer assistance and guides to anyone interested in writing.
- To introduce you to new fiction and nonfiction authors who have powerful stories.
- To sometimes make you laugh when I’m being transparent in blog posts. (Writers are quirky.)
The more I write, the more I learn about myself, my views about life, and how to better impact the world for good. I want the opportunity to share my findings with you.
My goals for writing are three-fold:
- Entertain with an exciting story with memorable characters who live long after the last page.
- Inspire others to dream big and find the tools to accomplish the previously unattainable.
- Encourage the downtrodden and those beaten down by life situations by offering light and hope. Life isn’t always good, but we can choose joy.
What do you look for in an online relationship?
DiAnn’s Library Corner
Librarian – Patrons are your friends. Engage with all ages of those who love books.
Comments 49
I enjoy Facebook in terms of Social Media. Staying connectwd with friends, keeping up with their lives, their ups and downs. Finding long lost friends or them finding me. I enjoy networking, this has helped in finding jobs, living accommodations. I also get to see many parts of the USA and world I never thought I would see. I enjoy the exchange of ideas, concepts, world views, politics, philosophies.
While at the Navigators, I worked for the NavPress division and I was able to connect with several authors, get to know them, their work, etc.
I enjoy sharing with authors and sharing their joy in their work. I also use social media to connect to family that lives long distances from us. Since hearing on the phone is harder for me now, I can still find out what is going on and join in thoughts and prayers for them also.
Hi, Nancy, I agree. Social Media keeps us in touch with those we love.
There’s nothing like communicating with someone that shares my love of Christ, and experiencing that unique bond. It makes me smile. It makes me feel humble and grateful. And all things “writerly”…that’s icing on the cake, both to learn and share. Thank you, DiAnn, for reminding me how blessed I am!
Hi, Rebecca, sharing our love of Christ keeps all of us encouraged in our faith. Thank you!
Encouragement. Camaraderie over books & a messy life. The underlying theme that Christ is in and through it all.
Hi, Lisa, I so agree!
I enjoy keeping in touch with authors-who-have-become-dear-friends. Physical distance may separate us in between the times we get together at conferences so being able to touch base with someone who has gifted my life with friendship is a blessing.
Hi, Jann, you practice the art of friendship. In fact, you could teach it!
I love to interact with authors and hear about their families and prayers requests. I also like to help promote their books.
Hi, Donita, all of us need prayers. Thank you!
The biggest reason I use social media is to share photos and view photos of family and friends. LOVE that! I also enjoy learning more about the author’s that write the novels I love to read.
Hi, Dawn, I love sharing photos with family and friends. Go social media!
I enjoy the camaraderie between those of us who love to read. There is a further connection between followers of Christ that is special. I enjoy getting to know more about the authors of the books I read and new books that are released. I love that social media allows me to send a quick message to a favorite author telling her how much I loved her new book. It is so easy and seems to make a difference to the authors.
Thanks, Pam, loving and serving Jesus is what makes friendships stick and stay.
I just love to reach out to my favorite people, authors or otherwise. I’ve made some “real” (online) friends this way, and I’ve been able to fangirl with others. I feel like it’s a great way to let someone know that you appreciate their work.
I shared the story about how my husband and I met, which created a plot bunny for one of my author friends, and I got a shout-out in the beginning of her next book. It wasn’t specifically my story, but based around the types of things we did while dating. That sort of thing is so amazing, and a once-in-a-lifetime experience – and it came about through social media.
Hi, Karen, thank you so much for sharing the value of online friends!
I like social media to keep up on current news and to share pictures. However, Facebook can never take the place of a visit over tea/ coffee with a slice of cake. There is just something about getting together with a friend or friends. To be able to visit together, to laugh and cry together, and to share a hug; that is priceless. A good friend is a blessing, a gift from God. I love those special times when you have good friends, sharing good food, no cell phones, just people sharing their time with you. Now that is awesome!
Hi, Phyllis, you are so right. Nothing captures a smile, great conversation, or even a tear like face to face with friends.
For me, it has a lot to do with a commonality of books. I enjoy book discussions with other readers and learning about author releases from a writer’s own site.
Hi, Susan, I understand. Fortunately, I’ve been a part of great reading and book club groups online.
I try to support authorsvi really like and I have friendships with them and I love it
I love getting to know them.
Hi, Debbie, and I love getting to know readers! Thanks so much.
I enjoy connecting with my favorite authors. I like knowing the projects they are working on and also how to pray for them.
Thanks, Caryl, we can always use prayer. Sometimes when I need a perk, it comes through an online friend.
I enjoy seeing what an author has out that’s new.
Hi, Beverly, thanks for the interest. For me, I’m always in the middle of writing one book and promoting another.
We are all in this together. When we share our lives , we are stronger thanks to shared experience and insight. The humor really y helps, too!
Hi, Kathleen, humor in writing shows me the characters are real! Thanks.
I believe can make friends through blogs and social media–because it’s happened to me! I love that about social media. It can bring people closer together.
xoxoxo
Thanks, Julie, then the friends we make grow closer to us!
I like to see what is new… talk with people with similar likes…
Hi, Colleen, besides books and reading, I enjoy recipes, fashion, and gardening. Online friends make it happen.
I tend to follow writers who are inspiring, I also enjoy the ones who have a sense of humor like myself. Funny quotes can brighten up anyone’s bad day.
Hi, Rachel, it’s too easy to be super-serious, and a good laugh is better than medicine.
gives me a look into the lives of authors and the struggles they go though to write their wonderful books!
Sheila, you are so very right. Too many times, I ask myself . . . why did I tackle this project?
I look for great authors who generally care about their readers. They reach out just like you are doing now.
Thanks, Vicki, when a writer forgets who she’s writing for, her work suffers.
Today I received an e-mail from a friend with a lot of thoughtful comments. I had trouble picking only one, but: Today, I was traveling in Kenya and I met a refugee from Zimbabwe.
He said he hadn’t eaten anything in over 3 days and looked extremely skinny and unhealthy. Then my friend offered him the rest of the sandwich he was eating. The first thing the man said was, “We can share it.
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The best sermons are lived, not preached.
Karin, a beautiful reminder of what like is supposed to be about. Loving each other means sharing life. Thank you.
I look for possible new friends and relationships for my writing, and in general. As one who lives as full a life as possible despite the odds, I am most happy when I can interact with those outside my present world.
Hi, Kathryn, our non-writing friends allow us to experience the world we want to write about.
Online relationships give me a look into the authors life, personal opinions on why they write certain stories and storylines…it’s really just a fun part of at least peripherally knowing something about the people who’s stories take up a large part of my income and time.
Hi, Sheila, thank you! I write romantic suspense because we live in a dangerous and unpredictable world. I want to offer hope!
Thank you for the thoughts you share with your subscribers. I always like to get a different perspective on issues or just hear about how someone else deals with everyday situations.
Hi, Alice, our various perspectives keep the world interesting.
Online friendships are nice. I enjoy sharing with authors how I feel about their books. Sharing things about our families is nice.
Hi, Wanda, and we appreciate you. Your comments encourage us and even spark new ideas.