After I'd overcome my disgust of the word 'blog' and written my first entry on Red Room, I returned to my other lives (dad and botanist) and occasionally checked for an email response to appear at the address I supplied. None appeared, but that was OK. The truth was that I hadn't been reading other author's blogs, so I could hardly expect them to read mine.

Then, while working on adding 'content' to my own Red Room site, I noticed something called 'comments' under my blog. I discovered that readers had ignored my request to email me, and instead posted their comments onto the page. Oh - so that's how it works. My response follows.

Thank you Mr. Eric 'Steel Stonehenge,' but I really don't think that 'every writer on the planet is here.' You've convinced me that Red Room is clearly not a dead end, but at the least a charming cul-de-sac, and maybe much more.

Thank you Belle Yang, who agreed with my agent: the simpler the better, and the simplest of all is web site with my name. Luckily, a friend of mine showed me how to purchase the domain JimMalusa.com, and have it set up so anyone who types it in gets sent to Red Room. The only flaw: it doesn't appear on google as such - it doesn't appear on google at all.

Thank you Erica Lutz, who reveled in the camaraderie of Red Room, and who also maintains her own web site. And, by golly, I checked out her web site, just as I had Belle Yangs: more proof that Red Room did expand my horizons.

Thank you Steve Hauk, who, by this time, made me see what I should have figured out by then, that Red Room authors are pretty nice, willing to lend an ear, and then take the time to give me what I'd hoped for: advice.

Thank you Heather Goyette, who as another employee of Red Room was perfectly suited to follow up Hauk's comment on the mystery of the uniformly 29 year old Red Room staff.

And thank you Darlene Arden, who repeats the chorus: Red Room is something less than a 'YourName.com' site (because it's more difficult to find), and something more: a network of like-minded folk.

I like that.
Yours,

Jim