Liebster Award Acceptance Speech

Okay, this really isn't a speech, but it is rather long.  I hope you don't mind! I had intended today's post for last Friday's Celebrate the Small Things Blog Hop, but my internet was not cooperating.  Therefore, I missed all the fun from last week's round of celebrations.  Anyway, I'm excited to announce I've been nominated for the Liebster Award by the wonderful J. A. Ward.  Please check out her blog; it's amazing!

The rules for this award are as follows:
1. Thank the blogger who presented this award and link back to that person's blog.
2. Answer eleven questions posted by the presenter, ask your nominees eleven questions, and list eleven random facts about yourself.
3. Nominate eleven bloggers who you feel deserve this award and have less than 200 followers.
4. Post the award on your blog.

So let's get to it!

Eleven random facts:
1. I don't like my belly button being touched (not sure why that pops into my head first).
2. My need for coffee is strong enough that my husband will insist I drink it.
3. I love my fictional characters almost as much as my friends.
4. I have a list of favorite names that I browse through when creating new characters.
5. I've always wanted to learn to play piano.  I began teaching myself long ago and hope to get back to it.
6. When I first read Gone With the Wind, I cried for days.
7. I believe there's no such thing as too many books.
8. I keep my writing space clean; clutter makes me anxious and is too distracting.
9. I hate roses.  My husband was instructed many years ago not to buy them for me.  Purple or blue flowers I will accept, though.
10. My husband and I are in the process of adopting and hope to have a baby by the end of this year.
11. I love purple.  Even people who hardly know me catch on to this.

Now to answer some questions:
1. Who is your favorite author and why? Wait, I can only pick one? So not fair! :)  I'll say C. S. Lewis.  I love the Chronicles of Narnia.  The characters are great, and the stories are so fun.  Plus, I enjoy the Christian elements added to the books.  Lewis also writes great non-fiction.
2. If you could hang out with a character from a book or from TV for one day, who would it be and why? Marty McFly from the Back To the Future movies.  I like his character, and traveling through time would be exciting, especially going back to the old west.  I love that era!
3. Edward or Jacob? Or neither? Or both? Jacob all the way! Edward is too controlling and cold.  I hate being cold.  Jacob could keep me warm all day long.  Plus, he's a loyal and honest friend.
4. What was your favorite book series you've ever read that wasn't Harry Potter? Since I already mentioned Narnia, my answer for this question will be the North and South trilogy by John Jakes.  The stories revolve around the Civil War, which has always been a fascination of mine.  There are so many characters I love and love to hate.  Additionally, the books tug at all my emotions.  I laugh, cry, fall in love, have my heart broken, mourn.  Great books!
5. Do you have any pets? If so, what do you have? I have a beagle/shepard (I think) mix named Chip.  He was found at a park and was going to be shot.  We took him in with the intent of finding him a good home.  He's still here.  We fell in love with the little, rambunctious guy!
6. What aspect of writing do you find the hardest? Showing more and telling less.
7. If you could live anywhere for a year - all expenses paid- where would you live and why? Scotland.  It's a beautiful country, I'd love to get wrapped up in its history, and I have family that came from there in the early 1900's.
8. Who is your favorite band/singer? One of my all time favorites is Reba.  The first album I ever owned was For My Broken Heart.  It was on tape and given to me as a birthday present when I was in grade school.
9. Name a celebrity crush.  Easton Corbin.  I'm a big Country fan.  I love his music and he's dang good lookin'!
10. If you could go back and change your name at birth, would you do it? Nope.  I love my name and its rarity.  Charity isn't one heard often, although I know there are many others out there.
11. Favorite vice or addiction? Coffee! Lots and lots of coffee!

That was fun.  Here are my nominees:
Nancy LaRonda Johnson
Sandie Docker
Paige Lollie
Randi Lee
Christina Jean Michaels
SuzanneFurness
Diane Carlisle

In case you're wondering, I can count despite the fact that it's after 4am.  The late (or should I say early?) hour is why I am breaking the rules and nominating seven rather than eleven bloggers.  My internet connection has been slow, I've been sitting here for hours, and my eyes are burning.  But it's all good.  :)

Here are the questions for my nominees:

1. What's your favorite day of the week and why?
2. What inspired you to become a writer?
3. Where is your favorite place? Why is it your favorite?
4. If you could have only one story published, what would it be about?
5. Do you listen to music while writing? If so, what?
6. What item can you not live without and why?
7. What is your biggest pet peeve and why?
8. What color describes you most and why?
9. What is your favorite number and why?
10. If you could choose one genre to define your life, what would it be?
11. If you could change one event from your past, what would it be? Why?

Ready...set...go!

Three Nominations!?!? *Honored*

What an "awarding" weekend it was.  I received my first ever blogger award, and then I received another.  And then I received a second nomination for one of the awards.  So I'm feeling pretty good, but don't worry; I won't let it go to my head.  To give credit where credit is due:  randi lee, Katharina Brendel, and Julz Perri ~ You girls rock!


Now to share the details.


First award (nominated twice):  SUNSHINE AWARD

Thanks to randi lee and Katharina Brendel for this one!

The way the award works is this: you copy the above award picture into a post and link back to the person who gave you the award.  You then must either answer ten random questions or give seven random facts about yourself.  Then spread the award along to ten other bloggers by tagging them!

So I am going to answer ten random questions.

1. Pantser or Plotter? More of a pantser, I guess.  But that doesn't mean I don't plan or plot anything ahead.

2. Do you listen to music while writing? Absolutely.  Mostly country music because it matches my moods and the moods of my characters the best.

3. What genre do you write in? Romance mainly.
4. Books on writing you recommend? Haven't read any. *blushing in shame*
5. Which are your favorite authors? Louis L'Amour and C. S. Lewis today.
6. How long have you been writing? Off and on for 17 years (since Junior High).
7. What is your favorite part of the writing process? Since I'm more of a pantser, my favorite part is watching the story develop as I write.
8. How do you capture ideas when you are on the go? I keep a notebook with me at all times.  I jot down anything that comes to me.

9. How do you handle bad reviews? With a grain of salt.  And chocolate.  Chocolate fixes everything right?
10. Worst writing mistake you make: Comma usage.  I often second guess myself and take out more of them than I should.

Who am I going to nominate for this award? These awesome bloggers:
Carissa Taylor
Lady Dae
Mary E Quigley
Author Alden
Sincerely Sarah
Avery Olive
Diane Carlisle

Okay, I didn't get to ten, but that's because lots of love has been spread.  In other words, the people I would nominate have already been honored! :)

Second award: VERSATILE BLOGGER AWARD

The rules of this award are simple:
~Thank the person that nominated you.
~Share seven things about yourself.
~Nominate seven other versatile bloggers.

So a huge THANK YOU to Julz Perri for this honor.

Now let's see if I can come up with seven random facts.

1. My favorite colors are purple and blue.

2. I hated my red hair as a child.

3. I once had an invisible friend named Spotty. 

4. I sing along with the radio while driving down the road, but I probably look like I'm talking to myself.

5. My favorite cerel is Fruity Pebbles.  I could eat the whole box in one day!

6. My favorite ice cream is mint chocolate chip ~ Breyer's is the best.

7. The first time my husband told me he loved me, I told him not to tell me that.  (We'd only known each other for a month! But now we've been together for 12 years.)


And without further ado, I'd like to nominate these wonderful peeps for the Versatile Blogger award:
Christy Kate McKenzie
S. P. Clark
Sincerely Sarah (yep, this one too!)

Three instead of seven.  Ditto what I said above!