I’m fortunate to have a load of virtual friends and fellow authors through my blogs and my writers’ group. When I first started my leap into Indie Authordom, one person appeared in my online life and has remained constant. She writes under the name, Rachelle Ayala, and she was the first to appear on my Author Wednesday posts over at Writing Whims.
I’ve read all her books and reviewed them. I belong to two writing online groups in which she’s involved. I even joined a class she’s teaching on how to write a romance in a month.
We’ve exchanged personal emails and feel we know one another through our novels and through our personal sharing, yet we’ve never laid eyes on one another, until yesterday.
Rachelle posted that she was visiting Pittsburgh and I told her she would be in my part of the world. She invited me to join her and her sister for lunch at the Frick Estate about an hour from my house. I was nervous about this meeting–the first time I’d ventured out to meet one of my very dear and treasured online friends. What if it was awkward, or worse, we disliked one another on sight?
Not to worry. Rachelle is even more delightful in person. And with a mansion more than one hundred years old. we wandered the grounds and house, imagining putting characters in the settings surrounding us.
My literal work world has shrunk in the past two years to a 10 x 10 office. But the world is much closer than ever before, and I’m all the richer for it. Otherwise, how else would have met such a wonderful woman and writer who lives on the other side of the country from me?
Click here for Rachelle Ayala’s Author Central Page on Amazon.
Living Lightly 
Reblogged this on Writing Whims.
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How wonderful for you to have met a virtual friend! And I can’t imagine a better setting. I’m jealous! Perhaps someday we’ll be as lucky. Until then, I’d love to hear more about her romance in 30 days class…
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Staci, I kept thinking about you yesterday. I know that one day we will meet as well and it will be as wonderful. Yes, I’ll keep everyone posted on the romance in a month. Right now we’re just doing preliminary steps and the month begins May 15. I like this because it will force me to stick to one major plot line. I tend to trip over doing too much in my novels.
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I’m jealous that you and Clare have met! But online friends are good too. Thanks for sharing.
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Yes, the community of online writers can’t be beat.
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Yay, you did it! Good for you! That must have been a lot of fun and wow, it sounds like you definitely had a fancy, intriguing setting for your meeting!
Great photo! 🙂
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Yes, we did. I plan on taking my daughter to the art museum there when she visits next month. I never knew about this place until this week!
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This is way cool. I have a couple of virtual writer friends, and I’ve always thought it would be a blast to chat over a cup of coffee, (or tea…or pint, depending on your vices.) I’m glad to hear you had the chance to make that happen, and that it went well! 🙂
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Yes, it did, Dex. I was a bit nervous, but it was a wonderful experience. I have a few other such friends that I hope I can meet in person one day.
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That’s awesome – I have started meeting people from my online writing groups and FB fan groups and, like you, was nervous, but they went amazingly well. I believe online groups allow us to target our own interests with like minded people. It’s such a wonderful thing. Congrats!
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That’s so true. Thanks for dropping by.
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Meeting a virtual friend in the real world is a thrill. I’m happy that it worked so well for you two. That happened to me, also, not long ago. One of my blogger friends called me, came over to the house, and we had a wonderful visit. She has visited me again, and we plan to continue this “real life” friendship. She’s a real gift in my life.
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I agree. I never imagined that writing a blog would bring such a wealth of interesting people into my life.
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