Hi everyone,

Just wanted to introduce myself to you all. My name is Joyce Faulkner and I'm a freelance writer/author. I've had many articles published in places like "Women's Independent Press", "The Writer", "Piecework", "Crop & Prop International", "Ag Pilot International", "American Oil & Gas Journal", "Bike Midwest" and "Scribe & Quill". My fiction has appeared in college literary mags, "Scribe & Quill", "In Posse Review", "Good Gosh Almighty", "Morpho Review" and others. I've written several novels which I'm still trying to sell. Just recently fired one agent and I'm looking for another one. (Long story) And I just had a collection of short fiction published with Red Engine Press called "Losing Patience". A second collection will be out in the spring of 2005 called "In the Shadow of Suribachi".

Right now I'm on the road going coast to coast visiting bookstores, introducing myself and asking them to carry my work. I'm in Windsor Conneticut now and when I log off, I'll be off to meet as many folks as I can. I thought maybe I'd keep track of this effort and write an article or keep the info on my blog so that you all would have an idea if and where this approach works.

My background is varied. As they say, they call me 'wheels' cause I've been around. Went to college the first time in 1966 in writing at the University of Arkansas. Got married and started traveling around in 1968, had children in 1972 & 1975. Went back to school in 1978 in Engineering Science at Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh. Then went to University of Pittsburgh and got Bachelor's of Chemical Engineering with a Petroleum Option. Worked at East Ohio Gas for years...got my MBA from Cleveland State...was promoted and moved back to Pittsburgh where I ended my career in industry in 2000 when CNG was purchased. When I left, I was Director of eCommerce. I thought about consulting and did do several gigs in that area, but got started on my first novel and realized that if I was going to do this...it needed my undivided attention. So..there I was, starting over from scratch at age 50. Was the best thing ever happened to me. I've been working far harder than ever before but I'm so happy with each day that I'm building my body of work. I realize now that this was what I was meant to do.

Anyway, that's pretty much me. I'm looking forward to participating with you all on these boards and getting to know you all.

<smile>

Joyce Faulkner
www.losingpatience.com
www.joycekfaulkner.com