Freelance Writing Blog Crawl – Round Two
During the last month I’ve had the privilege to meet some top people online that are slowly but truly becoming my new online friends. Most of them are also writing freelancers . They own top freelance websites. To this day I never stop to be amazed at how certain bloggers seem to know the difference between respect and blogger etiquette while others (who are well known, mind you) don’t.
I’m not sure what it is with these people. Maybe they think themselves more important than the rest of us mere mortals or they simply don’t care. But the last time I checked, it is common practice and respect for the other blogger to stop by and say thank you for the link when linked to in a post.
But before I get all worked up again I want to mention some special bloggers who have managed to touch my heart since my last freelance writing blog crawl.
I want to start of with Mark from My Tropical Escape. I’ve known Mark for some time now and met him in a networking group. When I got to know more of what Mark is about, I was particularly inspired by his story. Like me, Mark and his wife have done it tough to live their dream life in the Caribbean and stepped over many hurdles to get to where they are now.
When Mark is not chasing coconuts, he can be found writing on various blogs around the blogosphere or if you happen to be in the Caribbean you might spot him down the beach.
Brett Legree has first caught my attention while being a regular on some of my new favorite blogs. He seems to spend a lot of his time commenting and interacting on these blogs, as well as here lately which is the greatest gift a reader can give to a blog owner. His butterfly effect post is a must read for all of you who like to appreciate things in life.
Brett has not been around for that long in the blogging circuit but he certainly has made a great impact and if there was a medal for top all round commenter, it would go to Brett for sure!
Thank you Brett – you rock!
If there was a such a description as Pen Wielding Ninja Warriors, then this would fit the bill perfectly with the boys from Men With Pens.
James (the entrepreneurial boss) (just make sure he’s had his coffee first!) 
and Harry (the killer designer) are both top notch writers that manage to craft a complete picture with their ability to write engaging blog posts.
Plus I have come to love these guys (strictly platonic speaking, just for the record, even though Harry has been posting my pics all over the Internet).
Men With Pens has quickly become one of my favorite hang out on the web and the cool gang that hangs out there are all fab people.
And last but not least there is Ebele. I have heard about Ebele many month ago. She is a writer of many moons and has a fantastic humour. Plus her amazing poems carry massive emotion.
Ebele is also the Mango Queen residing in the UK. If she knew that I have two mango trees next door she would go ecstatic.
I was impressed with Ebele’s guts to go against conventional website design and use all lower case text on the site. She is obviously very creative and as a creative person myself I appreciate greatness when I see it. I spent about one hour on her site reading every single entry because I was held in fascination by her engaging humor and talent.
That’s it for today’s pub crawl.’I'm sure you’ll enjoy hanging out on these blogs as much as I do and I catch you somewhere in the big blogosphere.
Monika
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About the Author: I'm a passionate freelance writer and problogger. To further build my business I'm also in the process of building my own niche empire which pays me residual income.
James Chartrand - Men with Pens | Mar 8, 2008 | Reply
True to good etiquette form, thank you for the linkage. (Yes, I’m working on my coffee.) Pen Wielding Ninja Warriors… hehehe.
I have to ask, though… what in god’s name is that terrible pink square going on in your screenshot?
Monika | Mar 8, 2008 | Reply
@ James: LOL, thank you your honor! I’ve just seen that pink thing and will redo the screen shot. It is my plugin that shows nofollow links.
James Chartrand - Men with Pens | Mar 8, 2008 | Reply
Oh thank god it’s you and not us. Here I was about to slump because yet another thing was broken on our blog (why isn’t there ONE great computer for all people?!) and we’d end up spending the day fixing it.
Monika | Mar 8, 2008 | Reply
@ James: Hehehe…it’s all good and fixed. You can drink your coffee in peace now.
Would you like sugar with that?
James Chartrand - Men with Pens | Mar 8, 2008 | Reply
Two heaping tablespoons per cup, if you must know. No milk. *shudder*
Mark | Mar 8, 2008 | Reply
Hi Monika – THANK you for such a kind write-up and link!! You are too kind
Also, inspired by one of the other highlighted sites, I think I have a name for a new blog “Men With Surfboards.”
Monika | Mar 8, 2008 | Reply
@ James: there you go *she hands him his sugar and puts the milk back in the fridge*
Monika | Mar 8, 2008 | Reply
@ Mark: pleasure! Men with Surfboards? LOL, just make sure those boards have high speed Internet connecting and inbuilt coffee machines.
The other day John and I were joking around about the name actually as it is so cheeky. How about “chicks with pens” or “chicks with susPENders” hehehe…
James Chartrand - Men with Pens | Mar 8, 2008 | Reply
Pencils. The women get pencils.
As for surfing, all I’ll be surfing on here is snow. Which… uh… is called snowboarding, actually.
Harrison McLeod | Mar 8, 2008 | Reply
@Monika: Of course I’m several hours behind over here, it’s 5.30 AM, and I’m squinting at the screenshot going “Where the hell does James see a pink square? Is his monitor really that off? (It has been known to do some strange things from time to time.)
That’ll teach me to keep reading.
Thanks for the linkage, I love reading what other people have to say about us.
About that picture…well, I got a little jealous of James doing photo shoots with Naomi all the time, it was my turn.
@James: Women get pencils? There’s a funny comeback in that one, I just can’t think of it at the moment.
@Mark: Inspiring people is what we do best.
Brett Legree | Mar 9, 2008 | Reply
Hi Monika,
Wow, I don’t know what to say! Thanks is not enough, but thanks! Thank you very much – your words are very kind, and it means a lot to me to be mentioned here at your place.
You, the Men with Pens, and Mark (yes, I read you too but haven’t commented there yet!) have been a continuing source of inspiration – something that money cannot buy.
Thank you again for the words.
PS – I’m just checking out Ebele’s blog now – that is a great design!
ebele | Mar 9, 2008 | Reply
Oh my god, Monika, that is so nice of you. You know when you keep on trying and trying and trying and trying and trying and trying and trying and trying and trying and trying and trying and trying and trying and trying and trying….
….and you start fading
…well, it kinda refreshes you when someone shows their appreciation.
So thank you, Monika. Good timing on your part. I needed a reminder. I really did.
(oh, and p.s.: you have two mango trees next door? Do you know what kind of mangoes they are? Have you tried the fruit? Could you take a pic of the trees and send it to me? Pleeeeeasse
take care…
ebele
Bob Younce | Mar 9, 2008 | Reply
Excellent resources, Monika. Thank you for these, and keep them coming!
Monika | Mar 9, 2008 | Reply
@ James: I’ve tried that once and spend more time eating snow than actually “boarding” on it. Hard to believe that I’m actually a very good skier.
Women and pencils mmmhhh….sounds a bit like secretary for me.
Monika | Mar 9, 2008 | Reply
@ Harry: does this mean you are a “scanner” when reading blog posts?
Beating Naomi and James is a hard act, but there is hope.
Monika | Mar 9, 2008 | Reply
@ Brett: no sweat, it was a pleasure doing this and I’m sure you’ll love Ebele’s site too. It isn’t actually her blog. Her blog is different but nonetheless interesting as well.
Monika | Mar 9, 2008 | Reply
@ ebele: hey, you are welcome you deserve the spotlight and you certainly don’t look like a fading personality to me.
Yes, those mango trees. I think they are either Bowen or common mangoes and yes they are very nice. I will certainly click some pics for you and send them over via cyber mail.
It’s dark now, but tomorrow should be as good a day as any to do the photo shot.
Brett Legree | Mar 9, 2008 | Reply
@ Monika,
Of course as is usual for me I had a quick peek (at Ebele’s site), and then went on to something else, and then came back and thought “oh, there’s a link to her blog (click) – hey, that is pretty cool too”.
So it turned out to be a nice surprise, 2 for the price of 1!
Hmm. I need a flat white – would you like one?
Monika | Mar 9, 2008 | Reply
@ Bob: I’m glad you liked them, will do my best to execute your wish in the future.
Monika | Mar 9, 2008 | Reply
@ Brett: thanks for the flat white. Now that I’ve tasted your great Barista capabilities I’m hooked!
Thanks *she takes a sip and saviors the burst of full bodied coffee flavors.*
Hey, I knew you’d like Ebele.
Brett Legree | Mar 9, 2008 | Reply
@ Monika, now that I’ve made you a (virtual) flat white, I’d better go make one for my wife, or I’ll be in trouble…
Come to think of it, I need one too. A little taste of where I want to be!
Harrison McLeod | Mar 9, 2008 | Reply
Sometimes, but not in this case, I hadn’t gotten further down the page yet.
ebele | Mar 10, 2008 | Reply
…believe me, I was starting to feel a tad ‘greyish’…
Common mangoes?, there are no common mangoes – they iz all speshal
No rush, but if you can send me a pic some time, that would be great!
take care, you…
(p.s: and thanks, Brett, for passing by my site/blog
take care…)
Amy Derby | Mar 10, 2008 | Reply
Nice blog you have here. Always fun to find new blogs to get addicted to!
Monika | Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
@ Brett: a belated thank you for the superb coffee. I rather liked it. Hope your wife got hers in the meantime too. I know how important it is to keep that wife happy.
Monika | Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
@ Ebele: I will this is a promise.
Monika | Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
@ Amy: thank you and welcome to my humble blog. It’s always great to welcome more cool readers too. I hope to see you back.
Amy Derby | Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
Sure thing. You’re on my list now. Beware.
Monika | Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
@ Amy: dito I just subscribed to your blog too. Love you latest post!
Terry Didcott | Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
You have mangoes? Coooool!
We have nisperos just down the road – they are the damndest things, kind of a medlar.
Of course I still have my mountain farm full of almonds, but the blossom is finished now and the trees and everything else is looking a whole lot greener. Must get up there again soon…
Brett Legree | Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
@ Monika,
You are very welcome, and you are just in time for another! See, this time difference thing works perfectly… I keep telling my family if we move to NZ we can enjoy a coffee by telephone.
Oh yes, I do have to keep her happy. She is the cornerstone of my life. One of my books is about her. I know the book will be great, just like she is.
Now I just need to finish it and get it published.
James Chartrand - Men with Pens | Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
We have snow. A lot of it. Would anyone like some?
Brett Legree | Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
I’ll pass…
But I have a nice “tree”. All are welcome to sit under it.
Monika | Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
@ Brett: two books near finished. Wow, this is cool. I look forward when you do, make sure to keep us all posted.
Virtual coffee might be the next thing. If we can get that smell thing going it will help us even to stay in shape (by eating virtual foods) and not pig out on the naughty foods.
Monika | Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
@ Terry: what in the world is a nispero? You have to send me a link to a pic so I can see how they look like.
I love almonds too. They are very expensive here so being at the source is beneficial. Do you pluck them at all? For all I know you might even have your own production line in the supermarkets.
Monika | Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
@ James: snow sounds great. I’m getting sick of the sun (ha, not really). A bit of skiing would go down well however.
@ Brett: I love trees. You know why? They reflect what life is all about. With their knobbly growth is very much like the different avenues we choose to take in life and what we make of it.
If I was a hippie I’d be a tree hugger.
Brett Legree | Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
@ Monika – I certainly will let everyone in on it. I had this crazy idea, a little over a year ago, to start the first one.
I figured I could get on Oprah. If that guy who wrote “Million Little Pieces” could do it, and it wasn’t even a true story, I knew our story would be a winner.
I’m with you, I need virtual ice cream and virtual chips to keep me straight… mixed together of course!
Brett Legree | Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
@ Monika,
You and me both. As I’ve grown older, I have become drawn to them, to nature, to simple things. (Look back to the “7 Wierd Things about Me” post at MwP, I’m a closet pagan…)
I love to sit under a tree, with my shoes off, and my feet touching the ground. You can almost feel the energy.
Amy Derby | Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
Did someone say coffee??
Virtual smoking would make quitting a lot easier. You may be onto something here.
Brett Legree | Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
Somewhere here lies a blog post about “virtual reality” making it easier to withdraw from reality… wait a minute…
Monika | Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
@ Brett: hey this is becoming creepy right now. I recently bough some books on Paganism and am totally fascinated to find that at heart I have always been a Pagan but never knew about it. LOL
Next will be me dabbling in witch craft and spells.
Monika | Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
@ Amy: now that is a thought. You might be able to license your very own “give up smoking with virtual puffs” system.
I’m sure you know this saying “if it can be conceived – it can be achieved”. Unfortunately I’m not sure who it is from. Maybe you guys know.
Monika | Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
@ Brett: Hahaha…now that is a weired combination. If you were a chick I thought you’d be pregnant.
Seeing you on Ophrah would actually be very cool (not that I watch her these days) but I would just for you.
You go Man (now I’m even more anxious to find out). It’s like waiting for father Xmas when I was 4 years young.
Brett Legree | Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
@ Monika,
That is really cool, isn’t it. I guess you and I have a lot in common, in spite of being on opposite sides of the planet. We are kindred spirits in this regard. We both knew we belonged somewhere, you are now there, and I will get there.
I, too, find it really fascinating – I was raised Roman Catholic, yet I find the history behind it, the older pagan celebrations and so forth, very interesting. It seems to embrace respect for the earth and each other, which speaks to me.
Maybe for your first spell, you can conjure my family and I to New Zealand…
(raises his flat white to Monika and nods)
Brett Legree | Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
@ Monika – that’s why I have to try and stick to the virtual ice cream and virtual chips, and the real world kettlebell weights, or I’ll *look* like I’m pregnant…
I know I will get there. Sometimes you just know it. I don’t watch Oprah too much either, but my wife does. Oprah looks like a nice person, I think she’d like our story.
I will be writing a bit about the story once my new blog is up and running – I don’t want to leave everyone hanging, and sometimes it is good to build up anticipation I think.
Terry Didcott | Mar 12, 2008 | Reply
Ha! The price of almonds in Spain is rock bottom and it would cost me more to pick, de-husk, bag up and transport to market than I’d get for selling them! So I just pick a couple of bagfuls whenever I go up to my farm and bring them home with me.
As for nisperos, they look a bit like apricots on the outside, but have three large brown seeds inside. You have to peel the thin skins, which is messy, but they taste really nice – sorry I can’t describe a flavour in words as its not like anything else I know.
The english translation is Medlar, but I think a Nispero is still a bit different from that. I’ll try to get a photo of the tree in fruit – which should be quite soon!
Monika | Mar 12, 2008 | Reply
@ Brett: *she takes her magic wand and with a whooshing sounds she sweeps it down, trailing sparkling stars behind, conjuring up some magic thoughts for Brett and his wife, sending all her energies to help the Universe align all that is and need be to get them to NZ*
“There you go Brett” *she says and grabs her cup of magic herbal tea to return the nod to him*
Monika | Mar 12, 2008 | Reply
@ Terry: that is indeed interesting. Makes you wonder how the almond farmers make any money then. All though it would be great to have your very own almond trees for your morning muesli.
I never heard of this nispero fruit. Even the English version doesn’t ring a bell (John says he heard of nispero though).
If you could get a pic, that would be great. Love to see how it looks. No sweat though please.
Thanks for explaining this, I love learning about new things.
Brett Legree | Mar 12, 2008 | Reply
@ Monika,
I like your brand of magic, you are too kind! Thank you for the encouragement, and enjoy your herbal tea.
I have some work to do tonight that will help with this goal – wish me luck!
Monika | Mar 12, 2008 | Reply
@ Brett: I wish you luck, success and happiness! May all your wishes come true.
Brett Legree | Mar 12, 2008 | Reply
@ Monika,
Thank you!
I know they will, just as it did for you.
PS – here’s a flat white, just for you
Monika | Mar 12, 2008 | Reply
@ Brett: mmmhh… thanks for that, I needed it.
Brett Legree | Mar 12, 2008 | Reply
@ Monika,
You are very welcome, any time! I really do like those things – I expect at the rate I make flat whites, virtual and otherwise
, I’ll need to replace our espresso machine in another month or so!
Monika | Mar 13, 2008 | Reply
@ Brett: LOL, Christmas is only like 7 month away.
Brett Legree | Mar 13, 2008 | Reply
@ Monika – oh I know, my kids remind me every day… I think Christmas in July would be good for them!
Wendi Kelly | Mar 13, 2008 | Reply
Hi Monika,
I really appreciate these blog recommendations. I actually found your site from reading Brett’s blog, which I enjoy, so I was interested in seeing who else he liked to read.
As someone new to blogging, your tips are very helpful to me, and I saved you to my favorites right away. I look forward to joining in the conversations in the future. Now off to read some of these other great sounding blogs. The tropics first, I need to thaw out from the winter!
Monika | Mar 14, 2008 | Reply
@ Brett: funny you mentioned this, we celebrate Christmas in July here and it feels totally and utterly strange to me. Coming from European “stock” this is probably the one thing I can never comprehend, even though Xmas lost its sparkle when my parents divorced at teenage age.
I guess the Kiwi’s would do something similar too.
Monika | Mar 14, 2008 | Reply
@ Wendi: welcome to my “house” then, it’s great to see a fresh face.
I look forward to seeing you around in the future.
If you ever get stuck and I can be of assistance let me know. I’m sure between all of us we can help you.
I’m glad you discovered Brett already. He is a great blogger and has become a good friend to me too.
You will love the other folks I mentioned I’m pretty sure of that. Gather you are somewhere cold then so the tropics will do very well.
Brett Legree | Mar 14, 2008 | Reply
@ Wendi – This is a great example of the power that we share with our writing, I don’t know what to say – other than it is good to be able to bring great people together. I came to know Monika because of James & Harry at Men with Pens, and I’m glad that you have met her as well, she is a wonderful person.
@ Monika – thank you, and likewise you are a great blogger, an inspiration to me, and a good friend.
Perhaps Wendi can join us down under on a visit someday to warm up (once I get there too!) – winter feels long this year, but the days are getting longer and that is a good thing.
Brett Legree | Mar 14, 2008 | Reply
@ Monika: that would seem strange to me too, coming from the Northern Hemisphere, although it would make sense based on the seasons. In any case, it would be nice to weather a “winter” season without the meter and a half of snow I have in my front yard right now
no matter what month we celebrated it!
I’m not sure what the Kiwi’s do – I’ll have to ask one of my friends there and let you know!