Awards, Instead of an Update

I have a lot going on in my personal life - which is providing me with amble (though meaningless) excuses to not be writing (an all the other stuff). So instead of pointing out how much I have not accomplished, I will be passing on an award. Yeah!

Leigh Covington has given me an award. Well it was really two awards! Thanks Leigh! She gave me The Versatile Blogger award (which I recently received and passed on.

But she also gave me the Kreativ Blogger award!

The rules force me to tell you ten things about myself and pass it on to six bloggers. Here it goes (gosh, ten things is a lot to think up!):

1. When I was younger I got pretty good at eating with chopsticks.
2. Christmas is my favorite holiday, followed closely by Easter.
3. All of my hero's fight through their flaws to become great.
4. It took me my whole life, but I think I finally learned how to not take myself so seriously.
5. I have too many favorite colors, I can never pick one.
6. Green, Red, Blue, Brown, Black, White, Purple, and Yellow are all on my favorite colors list.
7. I firmly believe that the mullet, elephant pants, and skinny jeans are all fads that never should have happened.
8. I love popsicles. Grape and Orange being my favorite flavors.
9. People never seem to come over when my house is a mess. So I have a reputation of being very clean.
10. I love to run.

And now the wonderful bloggers I will be passing this award onto (pst... I am cheating and only passing it on to four)!

1. Laura at Wavy Lines
2. Jen at Jen's Bookshelf
3. ME at Breaking Fantasy
4. SM at Squidink

I am Inspirational, a Great Comment-er and Versatile :)

Inspirational

A while back WilyBCool gave me the Inspirational Blog Award. And I am just now getting around to passing the award along.

The rules are simple, answer the following question - and then pass the award along. So get ready to learn a little more about me.

1. What makes you laugh, smile or giggle?
Um... a lot of things. One of the lessons I have learned in life is not to take myself too seriously. So I laugh at myself a lot. And since I am a computer programmer - this video makes me laugh a lot :)

2. What are your dreams for the future?
Writing mostly. I want to let writing be a bigger part of my life and finish novels faster.

3. If you were going on a cruise where would it be and why?
To a remote island where there is not another living soul except for my husband and I. Because I want to be a hermit :)

4. Who would you spend your vacation with and why?
My husband because he is my husband, partner in life, and best friend.

5. If given a life, what life would you chose and why? Past or future?
My life.

I would like to give this award to the following four bloggers because they inspire me:

Lynn(e) at The Submission Process
Nicole at Write Me A World
Elana Johnson
Sarah at Empty White Pages

Great Comment-er

And then, after scheduling this post, to my great pleasure - Lynn(e) at The Submission Process gave me the Great Commenter Award!

Getting these two awards makes me feel so happy - especially since I have had a rough couple of weeks and have been feeling dejected. It is great to receive bloggerly love from my bloggerly friends.

And now for my favorite part - here are my top 4 comment-ers who deserve this award just as much (if not more!) then me :)

Krista M at The Jelly Beans of Writing
WilyBeCool at To Move Forward Live
Cherie Reich
Christine Rains

Versatile

And then... again before this post got out - the amazing Lillie McFerrin gave me the Versatile Blogger award. Sigh, so much bloggerly love!

Here are the rules:
1. In a post on your, blog, nominate 15 fellow bloggers for The Versatile Blogger Award.
2. In the same post, Add the Versatile Blogger Award.
3. In the same post, thank the blogger who nominated you in a post with a link back to their blog.
4. In the same post, share 7 completely random pieces of information about yourself.
5. In the same post, include this set of rules.
6. Inform each nominated blogger of their nomination by posting a comment on each of their blogs.

Seven Random Facts
1. I love peanut butter.
2. I only attended high school part time.
3. I can't stand touching those like holographic things. The ripply texture sends a chill through me.
4. I am VERY ticklish.
5. I hated sushi until about 6 months ago. Now I love it.
6. I sooooo want to buy and play Skyrim.
7. I am addicted to Cake Mania.

Again, I am going to cheat and only pass this on to 4 people :)

Angie at Notes from the Writing Chair (also check out Angie's website)
Tirzah at A Clever Whatever
Ashley Nixon
Jessie at B-Word

Three Things that Make Me Happy

It is time for me to announce the winner of my little writing contents. - The Mighty Pen.

Dun-da-da!

Krista M

Yeah! Check out her entry it is so touching!

And you definitely need to check out her blog, The Jelly Beans of Writing because it is great.

Honorable Mentions:

• WilyBCool: Most Christmas-y

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But that is not all..... I also received another blog award from the wonder Ashley Nixon. Make sure to stop by and check out her blog.

I am going to pass this on to five bloggers:

• Jessica Silva
• Jenna Cooper
• Joanne
• Crystal Licata
• Angela Cook

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But wait! I have one more wonderful thing to announce. I officially have my own webpage (about time!). You can check it out at KristaWayment.com.

What things make you happy?

Another Award

Since their were no entries for The Mighty Pen contest this week - and since I received another award yesterday - I decided to hijack this post and turn it into a blog award passing along.

First one item of business. For those of you who follow me through email or rss feed - I apologize for the mishap yesterday. I schedule many of my blog posts ahead of time - and sometimes I forget to set the option in blogger. Oops.

Now on to the award.

Lynn(e) Schmidt from The Submission Process has given me the One Lovely Blog Award.

So see all the awards I have received - and the wonderful people who have given them to me - scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Checkout Lynn(e)'s post for the rules. Basically - link back to the person who gave it to you - pass it on - and let the people you pass it on to know.

Here are the fabulous bloggers I am passing this award on to:

Writing in the Dark
The Write Time
The Starving Novelist
The Naptime Novelist
Squidink

Yea! I love blog awards :)

Liebster Love

So... I have received the Liebster blog award again. Yea! Actually I received it last week but have just now been able to blog about it.

WilyBCool from Let go of the Past, live Today and create Tomorrow awarded me the Liebster (German for Friend) award. Since I have received this award multiple times I considered not passing it on.

But...

I love passing on awards. So here are the rules:

1. Show some love and link back to the one that gave you the award.
2. 
   
3. Reveal your Top 5 Blogs (with less than 200 followers) and let them know by leaving comments on their blogs.
4. 
   
5. Post the award on your blog.
6. 
   
7. Enjoy the love and support of the most supportive people on the web!
8. 
   

And here are the five blogs I am passing the award on to:

1. Breaking Fantasy
2. Jennibellie Studio
3. Overcoming Her Obsession
4. The Musings of a Hopeful Writer
5. Keystrokes and Word Counts

TGIF

I have had one crazy week - but the good news is I survived. The even better news is that next week is only a three day work week with a four day weekend - thanks to the US Thanksgiving holiday. I love holidays.

So... lets just skip over my goals for today. Long story short - no progress.

Instead let's talk about Krista M who gave me a wonderful award on her blog.

And as such I get to pass it along. Yea! I love passing on awards :)

And the winners are....

1. J.A. Beard at J.A. Beard's Unnecessary Musings
2. Cristina at Once Upon a Time
3. Donna at Weaving a Tale or Two
4. Mindy at Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire
5. Kathleen at Writing, Reading and Life

Congrats!

Goals Update and Awards

First, a quick update on my goals. Everything is going good. I have not made much forward movement on TOI but I am not discouraged. Not a detailed update but I don't have much to report his week :)

Now, onto the award. I have received another blog award from the loverly Melissa. Thank you Melissa. I also received the same award from the stunning Ashley. Thank you Ashley :)

It is now my honor to pass this award onto 15 wonderful bloggers.

1. Heidi at Then She Writes
2. Tirzah at A Clever Whatever
3. Julie at Musings from the Slush Pile
4. Lisa from A Paranormal Point of View
5. Laura from Read, Write....Rocking Chair
6. Rebecca at Rebecca Kiel Pages
7. Being the Writer
8. Ara at The Rookie Scrivener
9. Ciara from at Somebody Has to Say It
10. A.E. Marling at The Importance of the Impossible
11. Christine at The Writer Coaster
12. Marion from Visions and Revisions
13. Jody at Jody Hedlund
14. R.C. Lewis at Crossing the Helix
15. MB at Key Storkes and Word Counts

I also received the Versatile Blogger award from the wonderful Ellie at Path to Happiness. Since I just received this award last week I am going to sit on passing it on for now. But thank you Ellie!

Going into my Hermit Hole and a Blog Award

I can feel a bout of hermit-itice coming on. When I was growing up my mom called it getting "peopled out" - it is a introvert thing. So just to give you fair warning I may be flying under the radar for the next couple of weeks. If I seem unresponsive to your blogs or comments, or absent from twitter, it is not because I don't love you. It is because I am in my Hermit Hole.

But before I disappear into my hole...I want to pass on a blog award. WilyBCool has given me the Versatile Blogger Award. Yea!

Here are the rules:

Thank the person who nominated you. Tell 7 things about yourself so that your readers may learn more about you and nominate 15 other newly discovered bloggers and let them know you nominated them.

7 Things About Me

My apologies if these are repeats.

1. If I lived in the Star Trek universe I would go into engineering. Although yellow/gold isn't really my color :)
2. My very first idea for a book involved 14 children that were ship wrecked on a remote island and had to defend it from pirates. Very The Swiss Family Robinson-esk. P.S. This was when I was 6.
3. The first story I ever wrote (and completed) was about a mouse that was framed for stealing and sent to a special colony for thieves. It was called Rose among Thieves and I still have a copy of it.
4. One year for Halloween I dressed up as a college student (I think I was in HS at the time). I wore sweat pants and held a mug with a sign that said - 'Will work for Tuition' - taped on it.
5. Another year for Halloween I was a Game Boy Fanatic. I used an old shirt to give me a second set of arms, put one of those Game Boy gum containers in the hands and carried around my real Game Boy.
6. I never believed in Santa. Growing up I always knew my dad was Santa. So that song I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause was always funny to me.
7. My favorite time of year are the holidays!

Winners!

And I am going to pass this lovely award onto the following fantastic bloggers:

1. Cassie Mae at Reading Writing and Lovin' It
2. M.E. at Breaking Fantasy
3. Maggie at Bramble Spice
4. Elizabeth at Elizabeth Varadan's Fourth Wish
5. Abby at Something to Write About
6. Ashley at Ashley Nixon
7. Cassandra at Bookish Bird
8. Stephen at Nikon Sniper
9. Melissa at Have You Heard
10. Christine at Christen Rains - Writer
11. Peaches at Conceive Writing
12. Ellie at Ellie Great
13. Jessie at Living a Life of Truth
14. Lola at Sharp Pen/Dull Sword
15. Lillie at Lillie McFerrin Writes

Spreading Friendship

So I have won another award! I feel so special!

My good friend and crit partner Roseanne has given me The Liebster Award. Here is a little bit about it:

"Liebster" is German for friend. And as I have said before - this is my favorite award both to receive and give away.

Here are the rules:

• Link back to the person who gave you the award.
• Pick five other people to give the award to and notify them on their blog.
• Post the award on your blog.
• Bask in the camaraderie of the most supportive people on the Internet – other writers.
• And best of all – have bloggity fun and spread the love.

And here are the luck bloggers I am passing it on to - enjoy!

• Laura at The Musings of a Hopeful Writer
• Ara at Rookie Scrivener
• Alivia Anders
• Jeana at Meandering Along at Literary Path
• Emmy at Overcoming Her Obsession

Oh! Did you want an update on my goals too? Okay, if you insist.

Shadowed Stones: Query letter done! Working on the outline (which is listed in the submission requirements for Shadow Mountain Publishing). I am also continuing with edits from my wonderful beta readers.

Three of Ivory: Working on developing characters. Kind of on hold for a while because I am focusing on Shadowed Stones.

Reading: I got a few books from the library that were published by Shadow Mountain. I have read two and have one left. Also I would like to read Destruction from Twins and Insight book 1 of the Beholder's series this month. Oh, and the next book in The Chronicles of Prydain. So if I am not getting a lot of writing done - you know why :)

Who is your best writerly friend?

Wonderful Monday Awards

First and foremost - it is time to announce the winner of last weeks Mighty Pen award...

Summer Ross

Summer has a really great blog over at My Inner Fairy, stop by and take a look. It is all about her and writing and all great things. A side note - I love her profile picture with the green fairy. Awesome!

Don’t forget to hop over to CherylAnne Ham’s blog to find out who won the Flashtastic competition. Check out previous winners on the tab above.

And now - I have received another award - the 7X7 Link award from the lovely Abby.

Here is how it works - the winner has to share 1 of their own blog posts in the seven categories below. And then of course pass the award along to other great bloggers!

Blog Post Links

• Most Beautiful: Sharing the Love, because it has a lot of pretty blog awards on it which I got to share with a lot of people.
• Most Helpful: Goal Update, I thought this one would be easy. I was wrong. I settled on this post because I listed things that I do when world building and got some good comments on it. Some other blog posts I think are helpful are: Monday Madness, Using Layered Gimp Images for Status, and Maps and Stories
• Most Popular: The Mighty Pen #6, which has received the most page views as of today. The Mighty Pen contest is one of my favorite things I do on my blog. It is so much fun!
• Most Controversial: I Have Made a Decision, I had a hard time with this one. This is not really a controversial post - but is the one where I announce which path to publication I have decided to take.
• Most Surprisingly Successful: The Mighty Pen #7, this contest prompt inspired my friend Krista M to start writing a whole fantasy novel! Not something I ever expected to happen. But a great success for me since part of my blog is to inspire others to write.
• Most Underrated: I Know You, a Poem, I think this poem I wrote is very funny. I wrote it on a whim and really like the way it turned out.
• Most Prideworthy: Success, because of the success I achieved in reaching goals - and because of the good feeling it gave me to be able to report my success.

7x7 Link Award Recipients

• Aubrie Dionne
• Summer Ross
• Peggy Eddleman
• L.G. Smith
• Kelley Smith

Sharing the Love

I know I usually do an update about my goals and WIP on Friday - but I am going to save that for tomorrow. (Shh! Don't tell anyone it is because I am cramming tonight to have better results to report.)

Instead, I am going to let you all know about three awards I have received and the amazing people I am passing them along to. I get to share the love! Yea!.

All three of these awards came from the wonderful Cassandra. I have previously received one of them - but I enjoy passing awards a long so much that I am going to take advantage and share the love. :)

I am going to handle each award individually - so I apologize for the long post. But it means you get to learn even more about me. (As if you wanted to!).

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First, is the versatile blogger award. And if you did not notice - is the one I am the most excited about. Why? Because it is green!

Here are some rules to go along with it.

• Thank and link to the person who gave you the award (check!)
• Share seven random facts about yourself
• Pass the award onto five other bloggers
• Contact and congratulate those five amazing bloggers

Seven Random Facts

1. I love Survivor! Favorite season: Cook Islands! My husband and I have invented the term - Yullian Alliance.
2. My friend from college Jillian - used to always say the word 'Random.' - and every time I hear it I think of her. Jillian you rock!
3. My favorite Jane Austin movie is Pride and Prejudice (with Colin Firth).
4. My favorite Jane Austin book is Persuasion.
5. My favorite color is green.
6. My other favorite colors are yellow and brown... and blue... and purple...and orange.
7. I used to call the sunset a 'miracle sky'

Winners!

• Julie Musil
• KM Weiland
• Tamara Mousner
• L Carrol
• Lyn Midnight

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Next is the irresistibly sweet blogger award. To which the same rules apply.

Seven Random Facts

1. I hated reading until I read The Box Car Children. (Thanks mom for sitting for long hours reading with me!)
2. I first got into Star Wars in fifth grade because the group of kids I wanted to be friends with played Star Wars at recess.
3. My sister introduced me to Star Trek:TNG and now I am a bigger Trekkie then she is.
4. I actually have dark brown hair although everyone seems to think it is black.
5. I am a computer programmer. Sometimes I dream in code.
6. Speaking of dreams - as I child I had very vivid nightmares, most of which I can still remember. Having an active imagination is both a blessing and a curse.
7. I thought it would be hard to come up with 14 random facts - but it was actually easy.

Winners!

• Cherie
• Jillian
• Tara Maya
• The East Coaster
• Angie

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And last but not least - The Liebster Award

(Liebster means friend in German I think and this I think is an awesome award!). It is also targeted at blogs with fewer than 200 followers.

The rules are a little different for this one.

• Link back to the person who gave you the award.
• Pick five other people to give the award to and notify them on their blog.
• Post the award on your blog.
• Bask in the camaraderie of the most supportive people on the internet—other writers.
• And best of all—have bloggity fun and spread the love.

I have received this reward before but cannot help passing it on again.

Winners!

• Cindy
• Bryan Scott
• Jen
• Melodie
• Fida

We Have a Winner

First, here are a few links:

• Blog Hop
• Vote for my Short Story

Next it is time to announce the winner of The Mighty Pen Award!

Sarah Pearson

I love her blog Empty White Pages. Also, I loved the twist ending. How the narrator sees their dead father and does not react at all. Great! Total potential for a whole store there!

Read Sarah's entry.

P.S. Sorry this was late! To many late nights finally caught up with me.

Honorable Mentions: Summer Ross

Awards, Awards, Everywhere!

Today I am giving away lost of awards! First I am glad to announce the winner of The Mighty Pen award...

Fida

Fida is an amazing and uplifting poet. She has a wonderful poetry blog over at A Poet Named Fida.

Fida's entry was a poem, I liked her unique approach to using the prompt. Also, I totally identified with the theme and sentiment of the poem.

There were so many wonderful entries it made choosing a winner hard. So, I decided to create another award for Honorable Mentions. If you are a current or previous Honorable Mention in the The Mighty Pen Contest go ahead and grab the award below.

Honorable Mentions (past and present): Jen, The Henderson Family, Sarah Pearson, Krista M, Fida I, Spod, Summer Ross, Kelley, David Jace

Don't forget to check out The Mighty Pen tab above to read the winning entry and the honorable mentions. Sorry you will have to scroll to the bottom - this page is currently undergoing renovations :)

I have also receive and award of my own, the Blog on Fire Award from the Wonderful Cherie at Ready. Write. Go.. Yeah!

So here are a few random things about myself, and those I am awarding this blog award to!

• I was home-schooled.
• I got engaged to my husband two weeks after our first date.
• I am the second oldest of 7 children.
• I love cartoony pictures of baby elephants and giraffes.
• In middle school I went through and Anime phase in which I loved Sailor Moon.
• I have lived in 8 different states.
• The only country outside the U.S. I have ever been to is Canada.

I am passing this award along to the following amazing bloggers!

1. Elana Johnson
2. Ava Jae
3. Chasing Empty Pavement
4. Sarah Pearson
5. Krista M

My First Blog Award

I have received my first blog award from the amazing Krista M! Check out the post on her blog.

Here's the rules:

1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Post the award on your blog.
4. Bask in the love from the most supportive people on the internet—other writers.
5. And best of all – have fun and spread the karma.

And last but not least... my top 5!

1. Jen: She inspired me to start this blog and got me writing again.
2. Sarah Pearson: She is super supportive and super awesome!
3. CherylAnne Ham: By cool blog buddy!
4. The East Coaster: All around cool!
5. Roseanne: One of the two best crit partners ever!