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A big thank you to EllaDee for the Sisterhood of The World Blogger Award!
After almost three years of blogging, I think I’ve told you far too much about myself so I’m going to skip the ten questions and go straight to the nominations to fellow bloggers that make me feel a part of their sisterhood. 
I want to thank you for being my top five commenters in 2012. You give me a feeling of family in cyberspace.
Feel free to give onward of just accept. No pressure. Just me sending a hug to each of you.
A huge thanks to Naomi Baltuck, J. Keller Ford, and The Inner Wild Kat for nominating me for the Blog of 2012 Award. That makes every post I’ve labored over feel completely worth it. Thanks so very much!
I would like to nominate the following blogs for bringing a smile to my lips, a laugh to my heart, and making the day so much easier to get through. Your posts lighten my mood and make whatever writing drama I am facing so much easier to face:
- Cat Forsley–the most positive person and best cheerleader I’ve ever had on my team.
- CheeseCake Summer–Your New Years post had me intrigued and imagining all the possibilities.
- Susie Lindau–For adventures that get me out of my head and out into the world.
- Winsomebella–For posts that touch my heart and ground my mind.
- Sue DreamWalker–You make me pause to consider the world.
- Cha–You can’t look at her art and not feel better.
You can pass these along or just enjoy them. It’s my way of letting you know how much I love your blogs.
Thank you to Victoria-Writes for nominating me for the Liebster Award!I got this award a while back in a different form so I’m going to play with the rules and post 3 facts about me, 3 nominees and answers to every 3rd question asked of me.
Facts about Me:
1. I can read maps but I have trouble with left and right. I can navigate you anywhere, just don’t tell me to turn right or we’re in trouble.
2. Math soothes me. When I’m stressed, I like to create break-even analyses or do algebra. It clears my head.
3. I have two middle names because I wanted them.
Questions:
3. Have you ever written an ex into one of your novels/stories?
Yup. Everyone and everything filters into my novels. Good and bad.
6. Paris or New York?
I lived in New York for 8 years. So Paris. I’ve only been there a couple times. I prefer fresh to familiar.
9. What made you choose the genre/category you write now?
I didn’t. I got a story concept and characters and I wrote it. Later I tried to figure out what it was. Seems I have a tendency to write cross-genre books. Go figure. 
Nominees: (You can pass this along or just enjoy–the rules are here on Victoria’s blog)
Big thanks to Victoria of Victoria Writes and Pete Denton for deeming me worthy of The Next Big Thing tag!
In order to participate, I must answer some questions about my manuscript and pass it along to five other bloggers.
So here goes…
What is the title of your Work in Progress?
The Six Train to Wisconsin
Where did the idea come from for the book?
I was cleaning my toilet when the idea of how hard it must be to be married to a suicidal telepath popped into my head.
What genre does your book fall under?
Literary fiction with a commercial bent or fantasy with literary flare.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Two absolute unknowns to play the wife and the husband.
What is a one-sentence synopsis of the book?
To save her life and her sanity, Oliver brings his telepathic wife to the hometown he abandoned–an escape that threatens to reveal the secrets of his past.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Ask me again in April.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
I was working full time in NYC so drafting was in my spare time spread out over 1.5 years.
What other books would you compare this story to in your genre?
It’s in the vein of The Time Traveler’s Wife and Lovely Bones, a beautifully written book with a strong plot.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I wanted to write a love story that was real and messy.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Have you ever had a discussion that spiraled into an argument with the person you love because you were having completely separate conversations and not realizing it? A Publisher’s Weekly reviewer called it an “emotionally intense, candid exploration of devotion, forgiveness, and acceptance.”
***
I am now going to tag 5 bloggers. *Please don’t feel any pressure to participate.* But if you want to, I’d love to hear about your WIPs.
I’ve gotten some amazing blog awards that I’ve been hording for an awards post.
It’s really wonderful to have fellow bloggers recognize my writing. But I’m going to tweak all the rules for these awards so this post isn’t insanely long. Thanks to every wonderful blogger who thought of me and nominated this blog for these awesome awards.
If I nominate you for a blog award, there is zero requirement that you pass these awards on. You can bask in them. You can nominate others. It’s just my way of saying your posts are appreciated and that what you write matters.
Reader Appreciation Award and Genuine Blogger Award
Big thanks to the fabulous Carrie Rubin for nominating me for the Reader Appreciation Award and Genuine Blogger Award. And to the intriguing Bluesander for the Reader Appreciation Award. I happily accept them.
Part of this award is to tell you what I’ve been up to…er, I pretty much do that on this blog. So here’s 3 highlights from today:
- Learned that I am incredibly calm when a car accident is imminently possible because the driver is about to pass out.
- Appreciated that I am incredibly aware of my emotions as they are roiling inside me so that I walk away before the anger steals over my voice box and says something I’ll regret.
- Enjoyed having my dog sleep in my lap while I write. It’s like having a security blanket in my lap.
And my lovely nominees are:
Rescued From The Bottom Drawer
Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge
Very Inspiring Blogger and Inspiring Blogger Award
Thanks to the inspiring Arab Writer Chick for the Inspiring Blog Award and the very inspiring Danylife and Pete Denton for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award .
The Inspiring Blog Award and Very Inspiring Blogger Award each require that I list 7 things about me and nominate 7 to 15 blogs for the award. I’m going to do 7 total instead.
Seven things about me:
1. My favorite bird is a peacock.
2. My favorite insect is a dragon fly and they tend to visit me whenever I’m outside.
3. I like crossing genre lines in my books. It’s not a conscious decision, it’s just where my stories go.
4. I love swimming in the ocean almost as much as walking the sandbars at low tide.
5. I drink a cup of warm milk with a dash of coffee to get the morning started.
6. I bought my Iphone for the thrill of Siri.
7. I am excellent in a crisis but terrible with a hiccup.
My nominees are:
Beautiful Blogger Award
Thanks again to rockstar blogger Carrie Rubin for the Beautiful Blogger Award. The rules are simple here. Just pass along as you like to beautiful bloggers. So I nominate:
Sunshine Award and Versatile Blogger Award
Thanks to the kind and creative Cat Forsley for the Versatile Blogger Award and the Sunshine Award. Thanks to the bright and warm Michael for the Sunshine Award too.
I would like to nominate:
Hug Award
Thanks to the wonderful Nizzamhappieboyz for the Hug Award. I pass this award on to:
TMI Award
Thanks to the always interesting Cecile Writers for the TMI Award. You can find the rules on their blog. I love how much these bloggers share about their life experiences, including embarrassing moments. I’m going to tweak it to 3 nominees and a really brief TMI moment of my own.
The nominees are:
TMI moment:
I got an ear infection that derailed my hearing. I’d think I was yelling when I was whispering. Unfortunately, I’d also think I was whispering when I was in fact yelling.
I was in the hall with my coworker and we noticed a very very heavyset woman walking way ahead of us. She had chosen to wear a leopard print sweater stretched across her ample behind.
I whispered, “Leopard? Doesn’t that just draw attention to her butt?”
My coworker cringed as the woman whipped around and gave me a dirty look.
I asked, “How did she hear me from that far away?”
My coworker said, “Uh Kourt, you were talking loud.”
Darn ear infection.
First off, a huge apology. I’m almost a month behind schedule with this Q&A, award, links, and game of writer tag. I really appreciate when someone notices my blog and takes the time to let me know I’m doing something right, but I was slammed with revisions and didn’t have time to put together a proper post.
Big thank you to Lauren over at Tales of A Charm City Chick for recognizing my blog as one of her favorite blogs! Wow. Smile stretching from ear to ear. As part of this, I’m going to answer some questions and pass along the award to others.
Note: there is no need to pass this along. It’s more of a shout out and a celebration of blogs. So if I name your blog as one of my favorites, feel free to pass it along or just accept it and not do anything.
1. What is the best thing that happened to you in the last 36 hours?
My excerpt is up on Amazon with two reviews.
2. What are your pet peeves?
Inconsiderate behavior. Hypocrisy. And when the dvr forces me to watch the same limited commercials. Grrr.
3. Did you have an imaginary friend growing up or did you want one? Tell us all! When did you part ways? Was it gradual?
I used to think my stuffed animals could come alive and so I treated them like they were alive. Does that count? Um. I still think when I sleep they might hang out and do stuff.
4. If you had the power to declare a national holiday what would you declare and why?
Ladies Hold Your Men Accountable Day. It’s time for women to stop blaming each other and start holding guys accountable for their actions. If I see one more woman lash out at the “other woman,” I will scream. Who made promises to you and then broke them? The guy. So why are you attacking the girl he cheated with. He probably lied to her too.
5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? (You have the capital for this one, don’ worry)
Nai Harn in Phuket. It’s sooooo beautiful.
6. What do you think of celebrity gossip?
Why are we all so concerned with them? Bo-ring.
7. What’s the theme song of your day, week, year, or life?
Today it’s Sorta Fairytale by Tori Amos.
8. If you came with a warning label what would it be about?
Hurricane winds without warning.
9. Favorite quote or joke that you made up?
Blanking on this one. Yeah, I got nothing. I’m never funny on command.
10. OCD?
I hate when people touch my stuff. Look, don’t touch. And never ever borrow my shoes. Ever.
11. Best pick up line anyones’ ever fed ya?
Are you from England?
No.
Oh cause you look like you’re from England.
(WHAT does that look like?!)
12. Tell us something embarrassing about your brain.
Sometimes when I’m nervous it says the wrong words. I’ll mean to say “fasten” and “flatten” comes out of my mouth. Close but not quite right.
Here are some of my favorite blogs:
Lucky 7 Meme Tag Game
Girls With Pens and Carrie Rubin tagged me in this fun little blogging game called Lucky 7 Meme or 777 going around where writers tag each other in a virtual game of IT.
The rules:
- Go to page 77 of your current MSS/WIP
- Go to line 7
- Copy down the next 7 lines, sentences, or paragraphs, and post them as they’re written
- Tag 7 other authors (I’m only going to tag 4 and again–this is completely for fun, feel free to not participate and I will still <3 your blog)
These seven lines are from my YA story.
Three snake rings writhed across her right hand. She’d twisted and braided her long hair into an elaborate up-do. Morgan conservative.
I was as ready as I’d ever be, slathered in SPF 70 waterproof sunscreen with my UV-coated parasol shading my face. A waterproof case held my Mac, and a backpack had been stuffed with everything I needed to survive a few days on the isle.
Seth started to venture into the water, but Evan’s words stopped him. “The rip tides are less than 50 meters from the shore.”
I’m only going to tag 4 other writers…(No pressure to play, purely for fun)
Sunshine Award
And lastly, but never leastly, I was also re-gifted the Sunshine Award from Michael at I Have A Dream. Thank you so much Michael! It’s a great award and I want to pass it along again because I’ve met so many new bloggers who deserve it.
Here are the official Rules:
Thank the person who gave you the award.
Write a post about it.
Answer the questions that come with it.
Pass lt along to ten people and let them know they’ve received it.
Here’s my version of the rules:
Thank the person who gave you the award.
Write a post about it.
Link to the ten questions since I posted answers before.
Pass it along to 4 new blogs.
If you receive it, there is zero pressure to pass it along. Bask in the glow of your wonderfulness. If you want to pass it along, that’s great. But you don’t have to.
And here are the blogs I am awarding The Sunshine Award to because they bring rays of brightness into my day.
Yesterday, after I made it another round in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest, my oldest friend, Lindsay, took me to lunch at an old place I loved as a kid…Shady Glen up in Manchester, CT.
They have the best vanilla milk shakes–super vanilla.
And the burgers. 4 slices of cheese fried to crispy perfection.
We split an order of onion rings and fries. Crispy and not oily. The krinkle cut fries were delish.
For dessert Linds got the dark cherry chocolate chip and I got the chocolate mint chip. The ice cream was beyond compare. The cones were so yummie too.
And a huge thank you to The MadGayMan who awarded me the MadGayMan (MGM) Award yesterday! The funniest, cleverest and nicest post I’ve ever read about myself.
Big thanks to SweetMotherLover for giving me the ABC Blog Award! She has a fun blog and her take on this award would make milk spurt out of your nose if you were stupid enough to drink while reading her posts.
I think I’ll follow the rules of the blog award and post 26 things about me for each letter of the alphabet. These are either things I like or that describe me.
- Animal-lover
- Bacon craver
- Cranky in the single digits of AM
- Dorky
- Egg coloring
- Fantasy
- Guarded
- Horror movies
- Introspective
- Jeggings hater
- Kangaroos
- Logical
- Mint
- Nuanced
- On time
- Parasol owner
- Quirky
- Resilient
- Silly
- Tacky souvenir owner
- Unicorns
- Vampires
- Wordsmith
- X-rayed too often
- Yeats
- Zoo
I pass the ABC Award onto these fabulous bloggers for their AWESOME Blog Content:
- Shell’s Ink
- Write It There
- Audrey Kalman
- Cecile’s Writers
- Fierce Buddhist
- Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge
- The Literary Mom
You are welcome to pass along the award or not. No pressure. Just my way of thanking you for creating awesome blogs that I enjoy visiting!
Triple award winning JM McDowell awarded me the Sunshine Blog Award. A hundred daisies worth of thanks! My mom would chuckle at that (especially when she tries to converse in the AM), but I’m going to smile and thank JM for this awesome award. (See Mom, I’m sunshiney.)
I would like to pass this award on to some terrificly cheery bloggers:
- Indiaphare for Bringing Us the Best of Beirut
- JCV For making 365 attempts to get published
- Lisa Hayes for singing and writing her heart out
- August McLaughlin for always bringing something positive into the blogosphere
- Limebird for posts that reinvigorates my writing life
- Pete Denton for great reviews and sharing his writing journey with everyone
- Impressions of Monaco for pursuing your dreams
- Joya Fields for a great guest post and an amazing can do attitude
Favorite Colour: Green
Favorite animal: Shih-tzu lhasa-apso mix–a warrior lapdog
Favorite number: 8
Favorite non-alcoholic drink: Shirley Temple
Facebook or Twitter? Twitter
My passion? Belly dancing
Giving or getting presents? Giving.
Favorite pattern: It’s in the banner and wallpaper on my website– four pointed knots/overlapping circles
Favorite day of the week? Saturday
Favorite flower? Sherry Baby Orchid–They smell of chocolate
The lovely and talented Cat Forsley awarded me the Liebster Blog Award last week! A hundred thanks to Cat.
I would like to pass the Liebster Blog Award on to the following fabulous bloggers:
I am incredibly grateful for all these blog awards from my fellow bloggers.
I was delighted when they popped up in the blog comments while in New York for conferences. I couldn’t blog about them from my Ipad though, which means I am incredibly behind on the blog awards. I love my Ipad but it’s no substitute for a laptop.
I really appreciate all the comments and likes that my blog receives. It’s wonderful to know people are actually reading what I write.
But these awards are the honey swirled in my tea. I am so thankful that you thought this little blog deserved them. *Blush*
A thousand thank yous for keeping me smiling through my conferences. It was such an energy boost to see the awards.
Because there are several awards, I’m going to mash up the rules ala the fabulous Emmie Mears. I will present each award to 3-7 bloggers, list 5 blog posts I think you should read, and list 10 things you don’t know about me.
Thank you so much to J.C.V. and Sally and IndiaPhare for the One Lovely Blog Award! Receiving it from all three of you means so much! Lovely cubed.
I pass the One Lovely Blog Award on to these very talented bloggers:
Much gratitude to J.C.V. for the Genuine Blogger Award!
The Genuine Blogger Award goes to a few bloggers I had the pleasure of meeting at conferences. I can attest to how genuine they are:
Thanks to Emmie Mears for the Kreativ Blogger Award and the Very Inspiring Blogger Award!
I’d like to pass the Kreativ Blogger Award and the Very Inspiring Blogger Award onto:
- August McLaughlin
- Laura at Cheesecake Summer
- JM McDowell
- 4amWriter
- Nascent Novelist
- Lorna’s Voice
- Sally Panayiotou
Lots of gratitude to Laura and LimebirdBeth for the 7×7 Award! A double award. Wow. Very cool.
I pass the 7×7 Award on to these amazingly talented bloggers:
- Katrina Bender
- Liz Whelan
- Carolyn Snow Abiad
- Lisa Hayes
- Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge
- Lauren Watkins
5 posts I think you should read on my blog:
- What I Learned from the Two Page Critique at Backspace
- WD Conference–Building the Perfect Plot
- WD Conference–How to Pitch
- Emerson Doesn’t Want Mommie
- Character Birthing
1o things you don’t know about me:
- I read I’ll Take Manhattan when I was ten.
- My favorite band when I was seven was The Beatles.
- I named my dog before we met.
- I hate being the center of attention. The mere thought of ever walking down a wedding aisle makes me break out in a cold sweat.
- I hate dusting. So much so that I let it accumulate until I got a sinus infection.
- I love the beach but despise sunlight.
- My hiccups are bizarre. They have a gaspy sound at the end.
- I wish I had my mom’s blue eyes.
- I still sleep with a stuffed animal…or ten.
- I went to soap opera conventions as a tween.
Yesterday, the fabulous and talented JM McDowell passed on to me the Kreativ Blogger award. Thanks so much JM! She’s someone whose heart goes into her blog and you should definitely check it out! I’d have given her this award again, but I think she’d prefer I pass it along to new recipients.
First, the rules:
1. Share 10 things people don’t know about you.
2. Pass the award onto 6 other bloggers.
10 Things You Don’t Know About Me
- I confuse right and left frequently, despite every technique I’ve been given to differentiate them.
- I’ve been tricked repeatedly by GPS into taking the long and scenic route.
- I almost drowned at 3.
- My favorite moment of the day is when I’m drifting off to sleep.
- I am calm in a crisis, provided it’s not my own blood leaking out.
- When I was a little girl, I wanted to be Emily Dickinson.
- I’m allergic to tree nuts and I miss nutella.
- I lived in NYC during and after 9-11.
- I read Le Petit Prince in French and adored every single word.
- I loved Star Wars and still have some of the figurines.
The 6 Kreativ Blogger Recipients
A ginormous thank you to Marc Schuster for presenting me with the Versatile Blogger Award!
I love filling my blog with tidbits from my life. It’s even more wonderful to know someone is enjoying reading it.
In the tradition of this award, I would like to present the award to some very versatile blogs that I enjoy reading:
- Abominations–From the Bad Uncle Award to the release of his latest book, Marc keeps you updated on the humorous happenings in his life and all things blog worthy.
- August McLaughlin’s Blog –From her Christmas song available on Itunes to her up-coming novel, August’s blog is infectiously interesting.
- Novel Girl–Chock full of advice for writers, she’s got posts about hair braiding as a metaphor for story structure and writing three dimensional characters.
- Indulge – Travel, Adventure, & New Experiences–Leslie’s blog covers exotic places she’s traveled to, where to find the best Christmas lights ever, and even how she learned to fly a helicopter.
- Gin & Lemonade–Lorna’s blog ranges from what Christmas is really about to her favorite books on writing. Every post is written with a dash of humor and a cup of honesty.
- Exiled Stardust–I love hearing about an expat’s experiences in Eastern Europe. Can’t get more versatile than that.
- Limebird Writers–Blog posts on everything a writer experiences and/or needs to know about.
Congrats to all of you! Your blogs keep me coming back because I never know what I will read about next.If I missed anyone, I apologize. I enjoy reading all the blogs I follow.
As part of the award here are 7 random facts about me:
- I can’t handle spicy food.
- I despise the smell of garlic.
- I’ve worn glasses since I was seven.
- My longest crush lasted 8 years.
- I can write in Chinese.
- I love beaches but hate the sun.
- I have an artificial disc in my spine.
