"Are You The Nerd Writer?"

Alternate title: Top 5 Things People Say to Me When They Meet Me Offline.

Since I've met quite a number of online friends (as well people who've read my blog before officially chatting with me) offline recently, I thought it would be fun(ny) to post the top 5 things people say / ask when they meet me offline. Yes, there's a top 5. I've been blogging for almost 8 years so this is over the course of those years. I'll also include my answers so you don't have to ask anymore. ;)

1. "Are you the Nerd Writer?"
I can have a little fun with this because technically there's two "nerdwriters" in Los Angeles. I'm usually the one with "nerdwriter" as the username across multiple social media platforms but there's two of us and sometimes the other nerdwriter beats me to the username. I'm the lady nerdwriter. I personally don't know the dude nerdwriter but I know he lives in L.A. as well. So, yes... and no. Also, most of you don't know what I look like so I can always deny... though I probably won't because that would be lying and I like staying out of the confessional for as long as possible. Also, some of you aren't sure whether to call me Emmy (nickname) or Melissa (actual name): you can call me either. Even my own professors call me Emmy sometimes, depending on the number of Melissas in the class (it was a popular name in the 70s and 80s).

2. "Are you sure you don't want to become a nun?"
I usually get this question at the end of our initial meetings. Yes, I'm sure. It was actually a childhood dream to become a nun. Seriously, ask my godmother and she'll tell you that I would tell people I was going to be a nun when I grew up. I actually still wanted to be one when I reverted in my early 20s but, after discernment, I knew it wasn't my vocation. Sad panda. Belonging to a Third Order will be the closest I get. Also, totally taking it as a compliment.

3. "You're taller than I thought you'd be."
I never know how to take this one. lol. Do I "write"/"sound" short? Is it the Twitter avatar? I'm turning the question back on everyone: why does everyone automatically assume that I'm short? What about me scream "short lady coming through!" online? This amuses me to no end, y'all. Seriously, I will laugh every time I get asked this. For the record, I'm not that tall but I'm a little over 5'7" and depending on the shoes I'm wearing, I can seem taller.

4. "Oh, you're really shy. I thought you were kidding."
Nope, totally not kidding. I warn people ahead of time but few believe me. I know I'm not exactly "shy" online but in person a lot people can be quite surprised at how quiet and reserved I am... at first. I'm like this with everyone unless I've known you for years and a solid comfort level has been established. Also, yes, I am an awkward turtle. I have a weird sense of humor that uses a lot of pop cultural references. My "Emmyisms" will eventually make sense. Only a select few have met with without the shyness or awkward panda-ness. Very, very few.

5. "So do you know... *insert well-known blogger / apologist / Catholic person's name here*?"
I'll usually tell you if I do and/or don't but quickly change the topic. Honestly, I get a little weirded out when someone wants to fangirl/boy over a well-known Catholic "celebrity," especially if I do know them. I don't hide my friendships but I also don't flaunt them. If I can sense something off about the question (like, trying to use me to get to them), I'll politely decline to answer it. I think that, blogging for so many years, people expect me to know a lot of well known people but I really don't because I don't go to conferences and I'm in my own little corner of the internet without really promoting my blog or myself. I like people finding this place on their own or through divine intervention (or a retweet). I'm not trying to make myself visible so I don't seek out those who are more in the public eye. I'm always surprised to hear that people I don't know are reading this blog. I'm friendly -- I don't bite; shin kick but not bite ;) -- but I also don't like saying "Oh yes, I know... x, y, z..." Sorry, y'all.

Maybe one day I'll write a blog about the weirdest questions / things said to me. I've gotten some people I've never met in person trying I set me up with people I don't know or know very little. I've gotten wedding invites... baptism invites... (these last two aren't weird though I usually barely know the person). I have a lot of interesting stories from meeting people from my online social community offline. ;)

Alright, that's it. Shout out to the awesome people I've recently met offline who've inspired this post. ;)

I hope everyone is having a great week thus far. :D

As always, thanks for reading and God bless! :D

Introducing: Will and Lina; Q&A

It's official: the first novel is available on Amazon for Kindle! It's kind of surreal! This is definitely not the book I started writing in 2008 but I like how it changed as I grew up.

It was technically published yesterday (May 2nd) but it says May 1st for some reason? Maybe Amazon really wanted me to have a book released on St. Joseph the Worker's feast day; I definitely worked hard with the proofreading and the editing (so much editing) in the past couple of weeks.

I've gotten some questions asked about the novel so, instead of just repeating myself, I'm taking the top 4 and answering them on here.

Q1) What genre is it?
A: Um, (mostly) fiction? lol. I'm still unsure beyond it being YA fiction. Amazon has it listed as Contemporary Women as well as New Adult and College. *shrugs*

Q2) Is Melissa Cecilia a pen name?
A: Yes. Most of you know by now that Emmy has been my nickname for years (Melissa is my actual first name)... and that I used my nickname because I didn't want my alma mater to sue me for "exposing" them. I decided not to use my surname for the novel because there is a designer, a model, and, I think, a photographer with the same name and I didn't want there to be confusion. That's what happens when you're born in a decade when your first name was in the top 10 most popular... for an entire decade. Also, I generally use Melissa Cecilia or Emmy Cecilia for everything anyway. :)

Q3) Are Will and Lina based on real life people? Is the novel based on real life events?
A: *shrugs* It's mostly fiction. Friends are speculating that Lina is based on me. That's all I'm saying. ;)

Q4) Will there be a print version?
A: Yes! Don't ask me when the release date with be though. I don't know when it'll happen but hopefully over the summer. Since I'm doing independent publishing, it's all dependant on when I have the free time to get everything done myself. Ah, life of an indie writer. ;)

And that's it for now. I'm trying to take it easy this weekend because I return to school on Monday. I need the weekend to rest from all the stress I endured this past weekend. ;)

I hope y'all have a great weekend! If you have any prayer requests, please send 'em my way. :D



P.S. There may be a FB page for the novel. Thanks to Jane for getting people to join. lol.