Part of the idea of “community” is being able to support one another regardless of whether you have brilliant milestones or crushing defeats. A few weeks ago, I asked the people who follow me on Twitter, Facebook and LiveJournal to sound off and share with me their website or what they were working on.

As I look at this list I am reminded that no matter what I personally enjoy writing or reading, the “act” of writing is something I share in common with many different kinds of people. I’m very happy to introduce this eclectic mix of writers within my social network, and hope that I can do this on a regular basis.

Join me in supporting these writers, and feel free to share with me your own work in the comments below. This is just a small portion of the writers that I’ve gotten to know over the years, so I encourage you to check out who I’m following on my social media accounts to find more about some of the interesting people I know.

Carly Tuma is an animal lover and new to my network of writers. Jessi is also another writer I had just virtually met, too. Not all writers I’ve met directly, though. Adele Cosgrove-Bray is a writer that was introduced to me through a bibliophile and professional that we both know; she has been enjoying publishing success in the dark fantasy arena.

I had met Yasmine Galenorn virtually, because I had conducted an interview of this USA Today Bestelling Urban Fantasy Author for Flames Rising. You can read my interview with Yasmine Galenorn and learn all about this writer, fellow cat lover and someone I highly respect. It isn’t easy managing fans and writing popular urban fantasy books at the same time, but Yasmine does it with grace and aplomb. (She also is actively engaged in charity events as well.) Of course, I can’t talk about Yasmine without mentioning up-and-coming author Lisa Kessler, who is also a dark fantasy author. Be sure to check out her MySpace page to learn more about her publishing success.

If you enjoy Dr. Who, you’ll share something in common with writer Michael D. Thomas. Married to Lynne Thomas who is also a writer and manager of the rare books collection at a large university (NIU Rare Books), these fabulous people are extremely supportive of writers and the preservation of their works. We had met at a convention, and since then I am happy to call these two “friends.”

Bill Bodden is a fellow freelance writer that I met at the home of writer extraordinaire Matt Forbeck. Bill is a freelance writer for the gaming industry, and once his website launches I’ll be excited to read more about his good works. He’s recently started to review games for Flames Rising as well. What can I say about Matt Forbeck? Is there anything this savvy professional hasn’t worked on? From novels to designing toys, Matt is a rare, creative individual who truly enjoys people.

Another freelance writer that I had met (one of many) at a convention is writer Jess Hartley. A truly dedicated author and lovely person, Jess continues to be someone I hunt down at conventions year after year. This year both her story and mine will appear in the same anthology, and I just might have her sign me a copy.

Add to the list of novelists I know is author Ari Marmell, whose books you may find on the shelves in Barnes and Noble. Ari frequently posts updates about his upcoming books, so be sure to check out his website!

New to my network is writer and editor Valya Dudycz Lupescu, who recently shared with me her literary project the Conclave Journal, a character-driven publication. This journal looks interesting to me because it also includes photography. Also on the literary front is writer, educator and poet Gwyn McVay, who runs Pecan Grove Press.

William Aicher is someone I’ve gotten to know over the past, four months. If you follow us on Twitter you’ll often see a bit of back-and-forth discussion. He has embraced indie publishing with his novel The Trouble With Being God, and is interesting to watch because he’s applying his marketing expertise to his book.

From LiveJournal, one of my connections recently told me that they were going to be published in a new werewolf anthology geared toward gay, lesbian and bisexuals. Congrats on appearing in Queered Fiction! Also from LiveJournal, is game publisher Eloy LaSanta who runs Third Eye Games. Eloy has been a very supportive follower of my blog and is someone I’d like to actually one day meet in person. Speaking of game industry professionals, Jamie Chambers recently launched a blog. A writer, game designer and manager of Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd, Jamie is a fairly entertaining individual who truly loves what he does.

If you enjoy reading fiction about vampires or dragons, you’ll want to check out acclaimed writer E. E. Knight. I had met Eric at a convention where he was the guest of honor. Eric’s books are available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders… he is someone I truly admire because he is living “that” dream. The one many of us have. The dream that one day you’ll be successful enough to write full-time and share your knowledge with others.

When I talk about dreams, I have to mention Wisconsin native Patrick Rothfuss. I met Pat while attending a book signing/reading for Tad Williams (below), and have had the pleasure speaking with him on panels and running into him at conventions. Pat has an interesting story about his first book entitled “The Name of the Wind,” not only because it’s a story that took over seven years to write, but because another writer helped him along the way. (You can read the story on the Pat Rothfuss bio page.) If you ever have the chance to meet Pat, you’ll probably wonder like I did how this mammoth personality ever became a writer.

Another personality that I’ve come to enjoy is writer and game designer extraordinaire Jason L. Blair. From video games to tabletop RPGs and fiction, Jason is very versatile and has some interesting projects in the works. I’m very excited for him, and can’t wait to see how things will shake out.

When I think about all the peers and professionals I’ve met over the years, I can’t say enough good things about James Lowder. James is very dear to me, and is someone who’s opinion I respect and whose quality of prose I wish I could emulate. Author, editor and friend, I continue to learn from him year after year about what it means to be a writer, a professional and a human being.

At this time, I would like to mention two best-selling novelists that I have had the pleasure of communicating with. The first is veteran author Tad Williams. Tad’s books were what drew me to reading fantasy and science fiction in the first place; I had read other books but had never truly embraced the possibility of even writing the genre until I read the Otherland series and The Dragonbone Chair. With a focus on community and ensuring that characters are diverse and multicultural, Tad has not only inspired me, but others as well. I finally had the chance to meet him at a book signing, and was thrilled when he agreed to a Tad Williams interview for Flames Rising.

Lastly, you may know that writer Neil Gaiman has a new milestone for his work, the movie Coraline will debut in theaters shortly. I started following Neil Gaiman on Twitter a few weeks ago, and asked if he would be interested in an interview. He agreed to “these questions three” via Twitter, and not only did he get back to me, but he also plugged the Neil Gaiman on Coraline post I wrote to his followers. This may not sound very exciting to you, but I find the entire event very surreal. You see, when I had asked Neil to do this, he had 9,000 followers. Now he’s over nineteen. That’s a lot of people to manage and replies to go through, especially if you’re as busy as he is. I’m very appreciative for the opportunity, and hope that the film does really well.

Well, that’s all for now. Remember, I’d like to do a round-up like this once a month, so if I didn’t catch you the first time around — there’s always next time.

May all of your sentences be beautifully constructed, and may all of your pitches land in the right hands. 🙂