Pour Some Sugar On Me

            Imagine my surprise this morning when I logged onto Blogger and saw a new comment on my latest post, a comment from someone who had already commented, and very kindly I might add, a comment asking me to come on over to his blog because he’s “got something” for me.  Ooooh, how cryptic, how intriguing, how…odd!  Well, I ran on over to his place and saw something I’d been seeing around for the last couple of weeks on other blogs:

AN AWARD NOMINATION!

WOW, WHAT A SURPRISE!  YAY ME!

(Hey lookie, I actually figured out how to insert a photo!)

            Yes, folks, Bryce Daniels of the now quite famous Bryce Daniel’s Preservation Society has nominated me for The Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award.  Imagine that!  (I think he might feel sorry for me.  Shhh…)  Now, Bryce and I haven’t known each other all that long and we have a bit of, ahem…history…together (nothing salacious, I assure you,) but he’s proven to be a stand-up guy, willing to let our difference of opinion strengthen rather than hamper our friendship and I have grown both as a human being and as a writer because of him.  He’s shown me that there are still honorable gentlemen in this world and I am honored to not only count him as a good writer-friend, but also to accept his favor and pay it forward.   Thank you, Grand Pseudonym, for teaching this old broad a thing or two about class.    

So here are the rules, as I understand them:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them. (Check)
2. Include 7 random tidbits about yourself.  (YIKES! - see below)
3. Pass award on to 5 others and link to their blogs.  (Where the fun really starts)
4. Let the people know you've given them the award.  (Will do)

Hmm, the hard part.  Okay, ready or not, seven random tidbits about me:

1.)    I’ve been wandering around this country all my life and have settled (for the moment) just outside of Seattle, WA, a lovely gem whose gloomy sky has finally gotten to me.  I aspire to return back to my beloved San Francisco Bay Area to once again enjoy the sun.

2.)    I’m brand new at this writing thing, but jumped full-force into tackling a novel without any knowledge of exactly how one is supposed to do that.

3.)    Though I am eternally optimistic, I love listening to hard, darkly introspective music (think Three Days Grace) and you simply cannot shut me up when singing along.

4.)    I love, love, love my car, a fine German convertible of remarkable engineering which I consider my “happy place” and where you’ll find me on the few sunny, warm days here in Seattle, cruising around with the top down and my music blaring.

5.)    I recently gave up a life long addiction to Pepsi.

6.)    I taught myself to play the piano by ear.  And I’m not too bad either. 

7.)    My son is my greatest achievement in life, but my most ardent desire is to someday reunite with the daughter I gave up nearly 27 years ago.

And now for really easy part, though I must admit, a few I would have nominated (the ever-witty Bryce, of course, Laila Knight at the Untroubled Kingdom of Laila Knight, Donna K.Weaver of Weaving a Tale or Two and L.G. Smith of Bards and Prophets) have already been awarded. 

So here are my nominations for The Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award:

Lisa L. Regan at Lisa L. Regan.com is my best and closest friend.  We met last fall via Nathan Bransford’s Forums.  She is an outstanding agented novelist with two books, Findling Claire Fletcher and Aberration, currently under submission with several big league publishers.  Lisa is the best critique partner I could ever ask for and has helped me become a much better writer.  Her blog is filled with interesting bits of her long journey toward publication.  She is on the cusp of finally being discovered.

Kittie Howard at Kittie Howard has been very supportive of my blog.  Hers is rich and inspiring and shows the tremendous joy she receives from writing.  She is a great resource for new writers like me.

Julie Musil at Julie Musil blogs about the craft of writing, which I so adore and respect.  Her blog is filled with fantastic advise and amazing insight.  I tend to copy her posts and email them to myself to keep in my Great Writing Advice folder.  She is truly wonderful and you would be doing yourself a great favor in checking her out.

Lastly, there are two women I’d like to nominate because, as a fellow writer of the adult thriller, I aspire to be like them.  I don’t know if they will participate, but their blogs—chock full of valuable information, great links, guest posts, reviews and gritty flash fiction—are each worth a nomination, as well a long looky-over.  They are:    

            Joylene Nowell Butler at http://cluculzwriter.blogspot.com/  and

            Lindsay Mawson at Lindsay Mawson, Thriller Writer

 

Whew!  That was a bit of work I hadn’t planned on doing today, but it was worth it.