An Interactive Website … and new friends Posted on 17 June 201116 December 2011 by Linn Welcome to new friends – Shaz Goodwin, Kim Nash and Richard F Holmes, and here’s why they are special (visit their websites to see for yourself):- http://shazjera.blogspot.com http://kimthebookworm.blogspot.com/ http://www.richardfholmes.co.uk/ An Interactive Reader/Author Website is a great idea on paper and loveahappyending.com is the result of several months’ planning prior to the official Launch Day on 29 June 2011. But what happens when the paper model becomes a living, breathing website, out there for the whole world to see? It went live very quietly on 13 May 2011, when testing began as pages were loaded and invitations were extended to a group of wonderful new Authors. They were chosen to represent not just a wide range of genres, but age groups, experience and geographical spread. To those who accepted the invitation it was a leap of faith, what were they letting themselves in for, and what did it all mean? Well here is my personal experience as a Featured Author on loveahappyending.com. My debut novel was published in February 2011 and it is all rather bewildering as you begin to build your author platform – setting up a personal website and using social media for the first time. So many pitfalls to avoid, so many new experiences …. times when you need a shoulder to cry on…. times when you have exciting news and want someone with whom to share it. But it has to be someone who understands the world of ‘books’. loveahappyending.com suddenly appeared and my new Author page was there – on day one! It began quietly, unobtrusively even and then the appeal went out for Associate Readers. People who love books, people who may already review books on their own blogs and websites; people who wanted to support and get to know loveahappyending.com’s new Authors – people like myself! Would they come? Would anyone want to try this new interactive idea? We held our breath, said a prayer and those prayers were answered! So I would like to introduce you to my very wonderful, and special, Associate Readers – Shaz Goodwin and Kim Nash. They came on board at the start with such positive, motivated and enthusiastic energies, that I was blown away! In just a few short weeks my first two Associates have become firm friends. Our shared love of books is a passion that means there is never a dull moment; I have found two new and interesting friends and at each turn am discovering new things about them. To meet one new friend who is totally in tune with your passion is wonderful; to meet TWO people is all thanks to loveahappyending.com. loveahappyending.com hit the ground running, interest was there from the very beginning as new Authors and Associates started linking and making friends. Supporting each other, sharing, laughing, Tweeting …. a community has sprung up virtually overnight and Launch day is still a couple of weeks away! It is a wonderful team of like minded people and every single person involved is there to have fun and enjoy moving this project forward, as big plans for the future unfold. We are a part of a new experience and we have the power to make things happen! I frequently write about psychic experiences in both my novels and the articles I post on my website. All are based on personal experiences I have had over many years. What has happened in the last few years has taken my life in a new direction, which allows me now to embrace my beliefs and leave my scepticism behind. The natural progression was then meditation, something that another Featured Author (Spiritual Teacher and Medium) Richard F Holmes introduced me to quite recently. I have since learnt that an Uncle on the ‘other side’ is helping me along this new and exciting path that I have found – sorry Uncle Bill, along which ‘you are leading me’. Too many coincidences, too many ‘great ideas’ suddenly there in my mind in the early hours of the morning, or when I’m on the treadmill at the gym….. So I want to say a big, heartfelt ‘thank you’ to wonderful new friends Kim, Shaz and Richard, three amazing people – our paths have crossed for a reason, so let’s have some fun and see what fate has in store for us. I, for one, can’t wait!