I truly would like to take a moment to thank everyone who has dropped by over the past week to *vote!* on the hour in which #ChocLitSaturdays the weekly Twitter chat will meet! I have appreciated your feedback and have had the difficult choice in sorting out what to trust more: the top vote cast in the Poll itself OR knowing the reality of the time zones! Therefore, let me break everything down and let you know how I came to my conclusion!
The final results of the Poll:
And, therein lies the dilemma for me!
California | New York | London | Europe | Australia
8a | 11a | 4p | 5p | 1a = 30%
9a | Noon | 5p | 6p | 2a
10a | 1p | 6p | 7p | 3a = 15%
11a | 2p | 7p | 8p | 4a
1p | 4p | 9p | 10p | 6a
Noon | 3p | 8p | 9p | 5a
3p | 6p | 11p | Midnight | 8a
5p | 8p | 1a | 2a | 10a = 15%
Of the majority votes, my own personal inclination is to host #ChocLitSaturdays at either 11a OR 1p as it is more agreeable for my own time zone. Of the two choices, I cannot in my heart host the chat at 1p because asking someone in Australia or New Zealand to pop online after 3a in the morning is beyond inconsiderate! Moreso, I could theoretically yield to 11a as being a night owl (and many writers will agree with me!) 1a is not too late for a chat if you are regularly up past midnight!
On the flipside, as a lot of ChocLit authors are located in England, the reverse is equally plausible if the chat is held at 8p, as it would be 1a for them! My heart tells me that a more convenient hour for everyone concerned is actually going to be:
My Inspiration for #ChocLitSaturdays Twitter Chat:
By uniting readers & writers alike in a conversation where we can talk about why we love Romance and the kind of stories which encourage our spirits & hearts, as much as give us a calming balm when we sit down to read. I know the chat will expand and grow as time shifts forward however, I’d love to invite ChocLit authors to drop in if they were available to do so, as much as welcome other writers to join in on the fun too! I see it as a celebration of Romance for all that Romance offers but at the same time have it a bit hinged to the book I am reviewing that particular Saturday and use the themes inside the novel as a jumping off point of what to talk about in the Romance field in general.
I have been wanting to incorporate what the tagline on my #ChocLitSaturdays badge declares: romance, chocolate, and a cuppa tea is simply divine on the weekends! I’d love to talk and share about our favourite bits of chocolate, romance reads, and which cuppa tea or tea latte works brilliantly with the book in our hands! I’d like to start off the chat with the focus on the recent ChocLit novel I read and then, segue from there to talk about the themes inside it before going into the Romance genre as a broad stroke of conversation. Again, I’d like to offer the authors of ChocLit a chance to drop in and converse with us as well.
Join the Convo on Saturdays: @ChocLitSaturday
Watch the hashtag: #ChocLitSaturdays for weekly updates
OR login to auto-post the tag via: tchat.io/rooms/choclitsaturdays
Full Archives via Storify (*under construction*)
And, I look forward to seeing you on the morrow: 26 April, 2014! We will be discussing the thematic complexity of “The Maid of Milan” as well as delving into how other romance writers have treated the same elements of psychological suspense & the depth of deceit. Be sure to read my book review ahead of joining in on the conversation as a ‘head’s up’! Thank you for your support!
The following is a guide to know when the book reviews will alight on my blog!
{Sources: #ChocLitSaturdays collage was created by Jorie in PicMonkey. Book Covers for ChocLit novels provided by ChocLitUK and used with permission. Jorie Loves A Story badge created by Ravven, with edits by Jorie in Fotoflexer. Screen capture of #ChocLitSaturdays Poll results via PollDaddy.com provided by keyboard shortcuts & edited in PicMonkey. #ChocLitSaturdays Twitter Chat Badge created by Jorie in PicMonkey.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.
I wish you lots of romance and chocolate on Saturday Jorie and I will try my best to be there for your inaugural #ChocLitSaturdays chat tomorrow – and for many more after that :-)
Thank you , Ms. Freeman!
I cannot believe within 11 hours I will be hosting my *first-ever!* Twitter Chat!! :) My heart is simply full of joy for all the lovely encouragement & support from writers & readers — made me realise how special this #ChocLitSaturdays chat is going to be!! I cannot wait to see it organically start to take shape & knit our lives together whilst enjoying conversation & company!
Not to worry — there are plenty of Saturdays yet to come! I simply appreciate your enthused response & just knowing you want to join in on the conversations warmed my heart! :)
Thank you so much for all the thought and time you’ve put it to setting this up. I look forwards to joining in the chat whenever I can.
Hallo Ms. Stovell,
Thank you for your kind compliments on behalf of #ChocLitSaturdays! My affection for ChocLit Romance novels has been percolating since January, and this new vein of the blog feature I think is not only going to be a way to segue into live conversations about them but to give all
of us a chance to talk in real-time about a genre of literature we hold so dear to our hearts! :)
Whenever your able to drop-in & chat, is alright by me! I’m very easy-going & flexible when it comes to time tables & schedules! Bless you for your support!